Everything in my life
by Porcelain.Memories
Summary: An ORPHAN child with a dark past,HARUNO SAKURA is acclaimed to be the BEST cold-blooded CIA AGENT and ASASSIN, training under OROCHIMARU. But the price she paid was loneliness and inability to love. That, until she is being entrusted with a crucial MISSION:protect SASUKE and his reputed company from a secret exclusive CRIMINAL organization,while posing as his personal MAID.
1. Prologue

**_PROLOGUE_**

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She made her way gracefully towards the balcony, while her impassive forest green curled lashed orbs were lazily taking in the city lights of the never sleeping fancy town, that were beaming with energy and high spirits, despite the late hour.

Ravenna always had an impressive mysterious fusion of traditional, romantic and elegant touch that made ones pulse run high and spirit to dance along its symphony and it looked particularly attractive at night time, she decided.

The elegant lady, with refined manners and precise moves, took a sit on the rattan chair, enjoying the floral perfume of the gentle summer breeze, blowing through her feather like light caramel long tresses, enhancing the subtle hints of pastel pink, blended into her unique locks.

She sat down on the inviting chair, folding her bare long legs, placing a pink cute hand made notebook on her lap, darting her emerald shimmering eyes on the neatly word written in golden glitter-_Journal_-flipping the antique sepia designed empty pages, aimlessly, until she decided to linger on the first one, frowning.

"I have not even started this mission and it is already taking a toll on me...just great." Her soft bell like voice musically echoed through the stillness of her lonely spacious home.

The lady shifted her body on the cozy piece of furniture, searching for a more comfortable position, making the expensive lace and silk fabric of her nightgown, embroidered with blossom petals, red phoenix birds and red Chinese motifs, uncover the porcelain skin of her creamy toned thighs. She touched the pages with the tip of her pen, letting her thoughts materialize as words, written in a perfect calligraphy.

"Oh well...better make the best of it...can't have Papa disappointed on me."

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_…__**Dear my journal…**_

_**My name is Sakura…**_

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_A _**_simple name_**_ to serve as a token of a past I am not aware of. The only treasure passed down from the parents I have never met. I wish I had light in my emerald eyes and I wish for my soul to play the nature's lullaby, as a memory of spring, like my name suggests..._

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_I wish I was able to lit candles with the power of the love into my heart and I wish my feelings to blow in a multitude of rainbows and wash away the endless loneliness._

_But I can't. Not now, at least. The current I...is just an empty walking shell without wings to spread. This ghost of the lively soul I once was, is not able to rise from the ashes._

_There were people that taught me about life, but they didn't teach me about warmth. They told me you are free to spread your wings and __fly__, but I am not aware of any direction. And love doesn't come with an address._

_I don't have a __perfect__ life like everyone would think, no…far from it…from my point of view, I cannot even call it life anymore…what is life supposed to be like anyways?_

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_...living…running…searching for that something to make you feel…_**_complete_**_…_**_desired_**_…_**_adored_**_ maybe?_

_Who knows…heading towards the infinite horizon…this is me all the times…following orders that others give and my existence consists of lies I would so ardently want to deny, but they are so much a part of me to the point I don't know who it is the real I anymore…the true one…the cheerful girl I used to be in the past…the one that had rosy cheeks and enchanting smile…_

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_I didn't have money like those flashy chicks from school, clad in Vuiton and Channel, wearing those expensive and impossibly hideous high heels that would put Burj Dubai into shame…I couldn't be like that…that cheap whorish image they were sporting._

_I have always felt I was more than a fake image of perfection of forms and spirit...and I am aware that judging souls is what only the Deities do, not this ghetto girl I was…but I wouldn't bow my head in front of them, praising them for things they didn't gain through hard work and perseverance, because I am more entitled to proudly state that they are not over me and for this sole reason, the last _

_remain of my confidence and determination decided to not let this harsh reproaching world bring me down, not even in the slightest…because I used to be strong…_

_I am _**_strong_**_…or so I appear now. But I want to learn the true definition of power that transcends the farthest Universes and stands proud before the test of time._

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A custom made white laptop was resting soundly on the small glass coffee table in front of her, along with a thick file she has just been given and a crystal glass of red fine Chateau d'Yquem wine. Her mentor has got quite the influence on her over the years.

She occasionally delighted her senses with the rich fragrance of the sweet honey-like grapes beverage, throwing knowing glances over the flashing screen and the constantly beeping of her phone, not quite in the mood to hear her friends rambling about how unfortunate the undercover mission she has been given was.

If Uzumaki Karin would not stop her fits of jealousy regarding the 'sexy specimen'-like she so superficially called him-she was supposed to keep an eye of, then the other eccentric CIA colleague of hers, Hidan was probably working on a monography of her unavoidable embarrassment.

Her boss has personally made sure she was never going to hear the end of her friend's or rivals' mockery, handpicking her attire, even going as far as to call the horrid looking pink wig stylish, smirking down at her misfortune.

Maybe she should consider her own threat and head towards a tropical island, confined from the nagging eyes and far away from the man she had to guard. _His _name alone made all the caviar and Tiramisu she had come back to her throat.

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_I have a strong inner self, or at least this is what they always admired me for...everyone…and I know that too, for it has been my friend and my sole companion in life. Not having parents or any relative for the matter did it for me...it was hard, always…_

_but I carried on with trying to reach the sky, or at least, find my place among the cold faraway stars, struggling and fighting only for me and for my dreams, because at a certain point in life, I too had dreams and hopes to fulfill, or so I thought…this little me that swore she would be the best goddamn medic this earth has ever seen._

_At that time I tended to act selfish, carefree and naive just like any teenager my age who thinks is __untouchable __and is going to live forever, keeping the rosy blush painting my cheeks in place, with a beaming smile on my petal soft lips, wearing my dreams inside the pockets of the sole dirty, worn out and too small leather jacket I afforded to buy._

_Back then, I made a vow with my guilty conscience and swore that I would allow no one to touch my vibe…not even the 3m square dirty and poor room I used to live in, in the most deprived part of the town…_

_Looking back in time, I cannot picture how could I have survived in the cold winters covered with only a 2 cm thick blanket that I used to jump the orphanage window with, when I realized that those sickening green painted tainted with screams of agony and despair walls cannot hold my sanity any longer and decided to escape the crushing prison that used to ironically be called "the valley of hopes"_

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A tiny crystal drop of salty liquid that pooled at the corner of her shimmering emerald eyes rolled down her delicate cheek, tracing her pearl white smooth face, not able to stop the small tremors of her lean fingers, when she reminisced the harsh years she had to endure as a young girl, and even though those times were long buried deep inside the pits of her mind, they were still haunting her dreams and plagued her hours of restless nights.

"Heh...look at me Isarbi...I am crying again." She brought the back of her hand towards her moist orbs and wiped away the angry tears, trying to envision the gentle face of her beloved deceased childhood friend. "I am such a crybaby, aren't I?"

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_after a jump from the second floor, that would have given those parkour self proclaimed wannabe artists a run for their money, I gained my freedom, took my one and only dream and a train ticket I stole from Mr. Umma-the maleficent of a Principal and, on the night of my 12th anniversary, I flew…_

_away from that place…and straight to the future…or so I thought…and even though I currently watch the glowing lights of the high buildings, from my super ultra shinny luxury villa and sipping some really old red wine that tastes beyond delectable…_

_…__my soul is still a poor captive trapped in those dark times I see whenever I close my eyes._

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Not only the young stunning agent had to pass unnoticed into the high society, consisting of luxury people she loathed for their shallow minds and narrow vision or lack of tact and attitude, but the man she had to pose as commoner for was a reputed player, well known among the circles of greedy woman, who only craved for his social status, unlimited bank account and gorgeous features-this is what everyone said, she has not checked him out with her own eyes-and businessmen around the world.

"Great...just my luck...I would have better working undercover for Santa, as one of his reindeer, than serve that..._thing_."

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_I cannot help but wonder whether I am turning into one of the snobby rich and fat entrepreneurs or other dick-heads that have the guts to call themselves businessmen, who, everything that they do, is rob the poor ones to make sure they have at least 6 different menus per day, or change 10000 suits on daily basis, like it would compensate for the lack of heart or soul…or image whatsoever, or not…_

_I sometimes asked myself in the many moments when I was young and drown into extreme solitude…and lack of water-I didn't have enough money to afford electricity, which was for the poor people. I wasn't even worth considering poor, I had to upgrade from misery to poorness- or any food, why Prada didn't make condoms for them to wear…until I have heard the o-so-great-lets-turn-it-into-a-national-holiday TV news:_

_Prada successfully inserted their logo on a condom…like it will find the opening faster…and I cannot help but turn my head over the shoulder and throw the glass on the wall, watching it shatter into pieces…my oh-so-expensive Bohemian crystal and my ultra expensive wine pouring from the wall…_

_although, it looks better like this, so I might as well take a frame, glue it to the wall and call it a "work of art"…I sure as hell know some imbeciles who would pay millions for that shit, like they do every time in those art exhibitions, revealing some weird shapes with a name longer than the painting itself._

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_This are the people I have used to despise all my life…a hate I have preserved until now and it is funny how every damn thing that hasn't broken during this years, is my undying __hate__ for them…for the so called __HIGH SOCIETY__ that I despise to the point I would murder every single walking business man and have a lot of fun doing it…_

_maybe even listening to MJ`s "heal the world" in the meantime., because, what better way to bring peace to the world, other than removing those pathetic creatures that have the guts to call themselves saviors, be it politics or economics, would be…_

_Some would probably wonder why I bother keeping this journal with me, this ironically pink with cows old notebook that looks more like the librarian's register than a journal per se, if I know that no damn word written on this blank and cold yellowish sheets of paper would provide me what I secretly crave for: ability to reignite the fire in my heart and escape the cold and merciless prison that is loneliness…_

_I know I am a__ prisoner__ of my own __limitations__…_

_but I am as honest as I can be, when I say that I want to feel that_**_ burning love_**_ inside again, like I used to when I was as poor as I could be, but rich with so many _**_emotions_**_._

_I want to go outside, let my hair loose, undress from this expensive branded clothes that doesn't satisfy me in the slightest, wait for the strongest of the April's rains (a storm maybe, to match my thoughts) and dance like a joyful kid, with no care in the world…like I used to do when I lived in the poor loathed neighborhood and my previous __**"**_**home**_**"**__…._

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_I want to _**_learn how to love_**_ and what is like to be loved by someone, anyone…I want to eat Tiramisu cakes and feel they are the most amazing inventions from Einstein's equations until now, and I secretly want to feel the softness of a man's lips on mine and see if it is just as amazing as those girls from high school used to brag about_

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A quick peek at the pendulum in her living room showed her no mercy, announcing the unholy hour of 4 am, finding the agent right in the middle of another insomnia and depressive state. It came with being an agent and an assassin, she tried to reason.

_'It is because you have no one to hold you tight when you sleep and kiss you good night' _Her inner argued.

"This is so not the case." She stopped filling in the pages of the journal she was gripping, considering if she should have spent the night at her friend's like she often did. "I have Karin. A single bip and she is going to come here flying."

_'It is not that kind of warmth you desire. Only a man can place protectiveness and reassurance inside your void heart. You know it.'_

_-completion-_

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"Just shut up, will you? Damn, I am so tired!" She took another sip of wine, mentally cursing the trembling hand for sipping a drop down her full heart shaped lips, and right on the sheets. She was careless.

And the latest news channels were all showing the same economic issues the world was facing, that threatened to throw all the countries into another crises.

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_I understand that in my job, you cannot afford such luxury as feelings…not if you want to be on the top…number one…a pro, like they would call it…no…_

_what I do, means taking your heart, soul and every remaining feeling and throw it right from the roof top of the main HQ of your office building, for you don't need feelings while killing the not-so-innocent business man…_

_or corrupt politicians…or criminals, who are too mighty to be touched by the already corrupt judicial system, but not too high to kill innocent children…_

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Long lashed viridian irises flew on the laptop, eying the plane ticket she has booked, checking the time of departure and name of the airport. She had to go by car to the next city, she observed.

Another email coming from the Sound's Otokage, Orochimaru, provided her additional information of the upcoming mission and a small guide of basic Japanese. She rolled her eyes at that, shaking her head in disagreement.

No matter how much she tried to learn the foreign language, it just wouldn't stick to her.

Though, Sakura always admired and cherished the paternal figure in her life for his caring nature, despite his stoic attitude and worry for her well being.

He has been there for her whenever she needed, since they first met. Just like his wife and his college friend and colleague.

"Mm...I should at least learn how to properly ask for directions. I heard that taking the metro in Tokyo could be quite the adventure...good thing my _dear_ future boss speaks English..."

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**_Killing_**

_someone just because it is your mission…without questioning, without knowing , throws you into a welcoming oblivion and only and after you get used to the smell of blood on your hands…or katana…it becomes a second nature and you start to forgive yourself for the sins you so willingly chose to commit._

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She has been reminded by the first time she killed someone and the crimson blood staining her hands was always there, never washing up completely, along with the pungent smell of a life leaking out of the corpses.

But she got used to the idea pretty soon, when she realized that her mentors, the ones that taught her how to taint her hands, have been her saviors. The ones that gave her an identity, a shelter and a new goal.

Peace.

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_…__and I like it this way…it doesn't feel like sin and it doesn't feel like darkness anymore…it's the one and only way I know to stay alive and to preserve whatever feeling I might have left into my grieving heart, even if it is nothingness…_

_I like to think that emptiness is the easiest feeling in the world…why?_

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_It is just for the fact that the glorious name of "_Athena_", the goddess of intelligence, skill, battle strategy, wisdom and peace has been associated with me and I know that such an almighty Deity would not tolerate mistakes._

_And neither does the most obscure branch of the CIA that has become the family I never had-__**The Sound**__-led by the legendary Sannin Orochimaru himself, with a reputation of having one of the best agents around, like the weapons master, Akasuna no Sasori and martial arts and ninshu expert, Tsunade Senju._

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_My name is _**_Sakura "Athena" Haruno_**_…and I am an_**_ elite agent and assassin_**_…and, as a solid proof of the fact that, in a certain point of life, Destiny decided to test us like persons and help us reconsider our priorities and the others` value, I have been assessed with the toughest mission of all: help the other CIA office and our sole reputed rivals-the Akatsuki-to prevent the most powerful Freemasonry organization take control over the world: The __Lorane__._

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If there was someone among the CIA that has been following their every step and had deep knowledge about heir ideology and tendencies, it was the Sound.

They were the first to be given missions involving the most powerful organizations, such as the Freemasonry. Akatsuki only provided necessary occasionally back up.

They had deep insight of apparently insignificant details about them, that made it easier for them to be identified, like the well known gold and red ruby ring, that represented power and embodied pain, and the fearsome pair of compasses, as their symbol.

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_An evil and influential organization that currently controls more than half of the globe's main economic fields…so old that is considered to be a legend. So dangerous and twisted like all of their ideas, ideals…or rituals.._

They were on the move, she knew. And that was precisely why she didn't turn down the mission. Lives of millions depended on her success.

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_How do we know about it if it is considered a myth?_

_One of the members has betrayed the organization 30 years ago: Jiraya -one of the Sannins and Tsunade `s current fiancé ._

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She entertained the idea of checking her luggage for the millionth time, but decided other ways. She didn't want paranoia to lead her out of the home she was leaving, for that would do her no good.

In two hours, she was supposed to take her leave and Sakura already missed the familiar scent of her friend's fruity perfume whenever they met for shopping, or Anko's-Orochimaru's wife- famous almond and chocolate biscuits she served along with hot milk pepper chocolate.

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_How do we do this?_

**_Protect_**_ the sole and the most powerful business heir left uncorrupted by their ambitions and the one the Lorane is planning to annihilate: _

**-Sasuke Uchiha**_-_

_a man _**_I despise, loathe and will grow to love with my every fiber_**_…the one that will allow me to lose my stone heart in a whirlpool of sensations…_

_the one that is going to teach me the_**_ true meaning_**_ of _**LOVE**_…_

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_**Dear my journal…**_

_**this is Sakura, currently a Sound agent and soon to be Sasuke Uchiha`s maid…**_

_**and this is how my story begins…**_


	2. Chapter 1

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

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Ravenna Italy, 8.00 am, Sound's HQ

A very bored Sound leader, Orochimaru, the current Otokage, was staring at a certain spot on the wall, doing his best to keep his notorious calmness and not snap at the people he most loved and respected. '_Fuckin mosquitoes...wait until my special repellant arrives. They will better than to mess with the infamous leader of Sound."_

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Being the Otokage was not child's play, as long as lives were in his hands and the success of the missions depended on how well was he able to skillfully deal with the unexpected, regarding the most bizarre missions.

The Sound has officially reached the impressive number of 2000 agents and the number was growing, since CIA was massively recruiting aspiring agents. Of course a level-headed character, with just the right amount of coldness, insanity and clear and quick thinking, was mandatory in order to be able to ensure the success of their office.

A good leader of such a famous organization as the Sound was, had to be a very special man, that most of all understood how the people's minds were working, in order to fully understand what their skills were and be aware of each individual's value, to assess them their cases, according to their abilities and insight.

He was not a ruthless man, nor did he lacked emotions, on the contrary, he was oozing a certain level of sarcasm and fine irony, always having a smooth way of handling a conversation, always turning it into a psychological battle, where he was always the unbeatable winner.

As far as the others were concerned, Orochimaru was not an extravagant or short tempered man, snapping like his rival Tobirama, whenever there was something that didn't went according to his plan.

He had class and his elegant manner of only talking when necessary made the Otokage be secretly admired by many, for the display of exquisite behavior, intelligent remarks and sharp intuition.

And it was mostly because of Orochimaru`s brilliant skills that the Sound has still found a way to be outstanding, even if the branch was more obscure than the others, always working in the shadows and taking the riskiest and dirtiest of the missions.

The stoic man was reputed for the brilliant research on the manipulation of the chemical structure of the DNA and RNA or the amazing tactical skills in coordinating his teams, so that his agents got a 99% rate of success in missions.

So, as inappropriate for a mighty CIA leader and agent as it might have been, it was ten times better than listening to a very pissed and loud-mouthed Sakura, rambling about the reason why she despised the latest mission she has been given.

Not only she was openly voicing out her frustration, using many colorful curses she has picked from his wife and his blonde friend, Tsunade, but she had an entire theory about the reason why business men in the modern society should be assessed to the next NASA mission and discharged to Pluto, as a token of peace for the aliens, who would have entertained the idea to come and extinct the decadent human race.

In all honesty, the emerald eyed lady had a very good reason to hate on the snob shallow people, that lacked moral values and solid principles. She never understood their greediness and hunger for money or fame they didn't deserve.

She best knew, as once a poor girl herself, that in order to make a living, a person should polish his skills and refine his temper through hard work and determination. Something the high society seemed to deem as unimportant and overlook the other's around struggling.

Orochimaru cherished the little spitfire like she was his own offspring, spoiling her and looking for her well being. The precious memory of their first encounter was vivid into the Otokage's mind and he could clearly remember the day he first met her.

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It has been a cold day, 7 years ago on Christmas Eve, and the crystalline snow was adding to the magic of the holly time. The occasional groups of children singing carols wandering through the streets and the strong scent of fir trees, were having a solemn touch. Orochimaru went outside to take a gulp of fresh air and of course, a break from a drunk, equally loud like Sakura, Tsunade.

As expected of their little Sound gathering during holidays, she always had a sadistic pleasure to keep the equally drunk audience of the walking shitfaced zombies, that have the guts to call themselves CIA agents, entertained with small juicy gossip regarding his person.

Like in that particular moment, when the etiquette asked people to welcome the spirit of the Christmas with joyful hearts and open minds, Tsunade found it appropriate to share the unbelievable story of how their fearsome well known stoic Leader, Orochimaru, has lost the chance to be elected as the next Hokage, meaning the leader of their rival CIA office, Akatsuki.

The irony of the situation was that not only the undeniable rivalry of the two CIA branches and the animosity between their agents, but the way the Otokage has lost the position that secretly many longed for, as well. And that only added to the ridicule of the situation, he decided.

As Tsunade so energetically explained to the other agents populating his spacious living room, that his wife Anko turned into a toys shop, with her Christmas decorations, as coherent and cursive as a completely wasted of sake could have been, that he lost the kumite fight to the current leader of Akatsuki, the legendary Senju Tobirama and her uncle, just because he has been distracted by the world's Guinness record holder for the most perverted breathing creature of the universe, who found the moment proper for him to shout it out loud that inspiration for his next questionable outrageous R-rated book has just hit him and his next book was going to be a bestseller.

It was lingering on everyone's acquainted to him mind, that Jirayia would make rabbits on heat build an altar and worship him like a Deity.

The moments when the collected Otokage, who was famous for his self control, felt his blood boil down his veins, urging him to forget his bond with his childhood friend and slice his throat were rare, but that one came particularly close to his own vision of rage.

As the deep in thought Orochimaru was making its way through the crowded streets, taking slow steps towards the Grand Square, his pale eyes were lazily taking in the bright smiles of the enlighten little children and his stare suddenly come to rest on a particular lady, who had an ethereal appearance, that made her stand out strikingly from the surrounding running around families.

There was a certain vibe in the air the Otokage could clearly perceive, in the form of a sudden electrical discharge, that made his skin tremble with anticipation, cautiously, but steadily approaching the mysterious girl.

A strong feel of uncertainty that told him to be cautious and not get caught by surprise, made Orochimaru`s fine eyebrows fur, focusing on the unusual wave of rosy tresses gently fluttering in the cold wind blow behind her back.

After all, his long career as a CIA agent has taught him that life was made of unexpected occurrences and at some point, one could have easily confuse reality for illusion, clouding the judgment, but nothing in life was coincidental and _Fate_ had everything planned beforehand, pulling their strings.

Orochimaru knew that they only had to let Destiny play the melody and dance along. He slipped his hand into the warm large pockets of his coat, coming to a halt two steps away from the mysterious stranger that caught his sharp trained eye, taking in her general appearance.

The way her much smaller thin frame stood unresponsive in front of the gigantic Christmas Tree, not facing him, surrounded by the beaming colors of the lights and candles and unique shaped star shaped snowflakes, playfully falling from the sky, gave her a mystical untouchable aura, in an exquisite fusion of innocence and vibrant enthusiasm.

The curious man quickly took in her choice of attire, realizing that she was too poorly dressed for such a cold weather, with just an old jacket in the most unfortunate shade of yellow possible, a pair of ballerina white shoes that matched what he assumed was a waitress` uniform, probably some cheap fast-food's, that had a 24 hours schedule on Christmas- there was that kind of human species that liked to dig in burgers on the 24th December-one.

But what stood out from the rest was not the unusual long pastel pink hair she was keeping untied, cascading over her delicate shoulders, but the way she so cryptically addressed him, in a soft bell like voice, sounding more mature than she looked like, and her vibrant big emerald eyes, when the girl turned her head over her shoulder, facing him for the first time, letting their gazes briefly connect.

There was a fusion of sparkling gold and forest green dancing around her irises, enlightened by the lights of the Christmas Tree, like a silk expensive Chinese embroidery and it made her glimmering orbs appear alive, spirited, even hopeful, if he was to be poetic.

Orochimaru knew that his height, that only enhanced his toned lean frame, his long dark chocolate hair, the unique amber eyes that bore into the very soul, but beautiful nonetheless and the unusual trademark subtle lavender make up enhancing their almond shape, were making him appear imposing and his noble demeanor helped him gain a level of respect and notoriety, just as expected from the Otokage of the Sound.

But the much smaller than him young girl, with a frame so petite and soft that it made her came as a graceful snowflake descending elegantly from the velvet sky, didn't back away from him, nor did she flinch under his hard, but collect gaze like others often did.

There was a certain level of mutual understanding lingering in between their briefly connected gazes and Orochimaru couldn't help but look in wonder at the way her delicate features were having an aura of regal beauty that was so unusual for a commoner, but so impossibly alluring and intriguing.

The Otokage couldn't help but openly study her every gesture, like a hawk, trying to understand the reason why she didn't blend into the crowd and he was not taking into consideration her poor state.

The reason why she didn't turn around and ignore another face in the crowd, the snake faced CIA leader later realized, was that Sakura, ever since she has been a young teenager in search for her place under the sun, has possessed an intuition and a strong ability to look into the others` souls and find their most secluded fears and insecurities, to the point she has been able to perceive another story shockingly similar to her own, into the pale partly widened eyes of her future paternal figure.

The pastel rose haired girl's jadeite eyes held an **uncommon solitude** written in every flicker of light trapped into her dancing viridian irises and a **maturity** into her unfaltering and proud demeanor, oozing a confidence that transcended her fragile inexperienced young age, but undeniable fitting and natural.

Maybe the fact that Orochimaru has lost the position of the Hokage has not been a mere _coincidence_…after all…everything in life happened for a reason and nothing was at random.

And that has probably been the reason why a pair of the brightest forest green eyes he has ever encountered, that held an unmixed mystery and fragility, like the purest first snow covering the sleeping nature under its warm blanket, fixed on his amber all knowing ones, managed to reveal a story much more deeper that she let the other strangers know.

Sakura`s heart was like an _open book_ with antique sepia pages, unfolding in front of the people that were meant to form a bond with her, letting her thoughts and feelings materialize in the form of a neat calligraphy about her struggles and tragic story.

And when her small timid steps brought her towards the rooted in place Otokage, the stoic stunned man knew that their first encounter was not another Christmas fairytale, but maybe, as cliché as it might have sounded, another chance for an unfortunate living to change for the better, find new hopes to lit the flame inside her erratic heart and new dreams for the new horizons that were opening up for her in that moment.

The emerald eyed girl stopped right in front of the stranger that had his own eyes glued to her much smaller frame, sensing that she has managed to pique his interest, addressing him in a smooth silk like whisper, similar to that of two childhood friends who met after 10 years after absolutely no contact, eager to make up for the lost time and reminisce about the good old times together.

"Sir, are you able to see the little orange candles hanging on the higher branches?" She elevated her delicate lean finger, pointing in the direction of the Christmas tree that she was intently studying, making Orochimaru follow her lead. "It took me one hour and basic math calculus to count them all." She spoke with a hint of equivocal in her words.

Before the looking in awe Orochimaru had a chance to stop himself, he asked her curiously. "How many?" There was a strange light radiating from her soul that made it easy for people to talk to her. Almost like they have _met before_, in an ancient faraway time_._

Not even turning her emerald serene eyes to face him, she answered casually, shoving her freezing hands down the large pockets of the jacket she wore. "There are 159,404 candles. They were smart to place one for each inhabitant of this city."

The Otokage gave her a small smirk, nodding once when apprehension sank in, inwardly praising her for the sharp spirit of observation. That girl was incredibly smart and judging from how deep her thoughts were, she was wise as well. "Indeed."

With a new found determination, Sakura went on, well aware of the attention she got from the classy dressed gentleman. "To be completely honest, watching them makes me feel not so lonely anymore and since I haven't met all the people from this city, I foolishly delude myself into thinking that maybe two of them are for the parents I have never met. Like a silent message left for me to not give up hope and keep fighting for a brighter future."

He then understood where all the loneliness that was visible in her reserved attitude was coming from and Orochimaru realized the connection they had, as both orphans, grown without knowing the love and warmth of a family and home, mutually understanding their unshed suffering. She was just like him. A lonely heart. "You are alone."

She nodded once in confirmation, blinking slowly, shooting her bright deep emerald eyes on her left to rest her gaze on his own, confirming his statement. "I am. But I know that you are just as alone as me, Mister."

"How can you say that?"

"Your eyes Sir is the thing that gives you away. They are looking longingly around, like trying to envision how family warmth and motherly love would look like, but never able to see it. Just like mine."

"You are sharp, little one. You are _different_ from the others." If Orochimaru has been stunned by her approach, he was good at hiding it, smirking approvingly at her.

"So I have been told." She let out a small smile, holding his eyes for a moment, feeling that the reason why they were facing each other was something life itself has planned for it to happen.

The calm Sound leader was intrigued by how was it possible for a girl that was probably two times younger than him, to speak the exact words that haunted his dreams ever since the sinful night, when his family was brutally tortured and murdered by the Lorane, 37 years ago, on Christmas Eve.

"If this is all_ they_ have been able to come up with to acknowledge your value, my dear, then this world does not deserve you." He spoke gently, but seriously, not letting any room for interpretation.

"It is understandable. I have no one I could rely on. After all…I am just a lonely girl."

"There is no loneliness for those who have such a trained eye to find other equally solitary people, among the many others roaming through the streets, my child. But I shall give you an opportunity you will probably not going to refuse, for I see it in your eyes that you were born make a difference where the others could only hope".

Right there, under the holly Tree and surrounded by perfumed red Christmas candles, cinnamon and vanilla fragrance of backed apples and cakes and enchanted smiling and singing families with their little kids, Orochimaru made up his mind and changed Sakura`s destiny forever. "What is your name?"

The pink haired young girl's eyes flew open wide, confused at such a blunt invitation coming from a stranger with no address, trying to determine his ulterior motives, calmly assessing the situation, his sharp mind calculating and taking in all the details. It didn't slip Orochimaru`s vigilance. "Sakura, Sir." She was keeping her cool in front of a crucial decision, not jumping into conclusion.

"Only Sakura? No family name?"

"You can call me Haruno if you want. Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura…a cherry blossom." He concluded. "In Japanese." Orochimaru`s sharp eye was able to see that the little poor teenage girl, who probably took a not enough paid job, out of extreme poverty, whose silk porcelain skin was amazingly unblemished for such a tainted world, had the necessary traits to make it to the top of the CIA and help The Sound to make the headlines, when they would be the one to successfully bring The Lorane down.

"It is common courtesy to introduce yourself first, when asking for someone else's name. What is your name, Mister?" She retorted back smartly, darting her eyes to her wristwatch, aware of the fact that she has been late for her job and it nagged her, because it was the only one that has accepted her.

"Orochimaru." He stated simply, making a vow in front of the open Heavens and his conscience, that the Sound leader was going to look after the emerald eyed girl, like she was his own relative and introduce her to the big dysfunctional family the Sound was, letting her feel the joy of finding people that shared common views and were able to understand each other's pain and suffering. "Come with me, Sakura."

A pair of luscious rosy petal like lips crept open in astonishment, confusion washing through her system, when she heard Orochimaru throwing such a carefree invitation, founding herself not able to give a coherent answer. "W-What?" It was an innate reluctance not to follow strangers that came up wish such offers, out of nowhere, taking advantage of the poor naïve children and she hardly came close to stupid.

He could have been dangerous for all she knew, but somehow the future CIA agent was able to sense his genuine heart, poured in his soothing voice. "Come work for me. People like you are meant for bigger things."

"And what would your job be about, if I may ask?"

He smirked at her, slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling out his wallet, taking out his CIA membership. He held it in front of her, silently urging the slightly trembling-whether in cold or shock, it was difficult to say-girl to take it. She did, studying the contents. "See for yourself and give me an answer. You have one chance to change your destiny." Forest green eyes were taking in the information, greedily, trying to understand if it was a cruel joke or the God`s hand, that decided to put an end to her suffering.

"…b-but this is…you are…" Sakura lifted her eyes from the small plastic object, to stare at the man in front of her, amazed. He was a CIA agent and he actually wanted her to work for him, as an agent herself. "…is this for _real_?"

"Indeed, my dear. I am leading one of the best CIA offices and I am asking you to come and work with us. I can see you have no family, no relatives and I would go as far as to say you are having a difficult time as well. Be one of us. You can have all the things you wish for."

"All the things I want…I am going to have it. This is what you have said." Sakura was indeed sick and tired of living like a beggar and always be made the punch bag of her colleagues and neighbors, so she took the risk and accepted the offer, trying to seem as confident as possible.

"I will never go back on my word. I am going to personally teach you everything you need to know in order to be the best. What is your answer?"

"I accept, although I find it difficult to fully trust you." She answered honestly. Orochimaru appreciated her boldness and resourceful mind. It was a required treat for a good agent and she already proved herself worth of the status.

"It is understandable. We are going to grow our trust in the future, Sakura. My colleagues are going to adore you, I am sure of it." The Otokage raised his hand towards her, shaking her own, both smiling and officially starting their collaboration.

"I cannot wait to meet them all." And she found the people that changed her as a character, varnished her skill and refined her attitude, turning her into an _eloquent lady_, with subtle studied manners and a stunning appearance, that overshadowed the other CIA females, being outstanding no matter what she did. Orochimaru has been right to take her under his protective wing.

"Then it is settled. Welcome to the CIA."

"Please take care of me…Orochimaru."

And the moment they left the Grand Piazza together, with Orochimaru briefing his new pupil about what being an agent truly meant, Sakura`s story has begun. And so had her tremendous growth and notorious career.

* * *

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But that didn't stop the throbbing headache that was slowly but certainly started to form from the moment she entered his office at 7.00 am this morning. And she didn't stop screaming and cursing the young Uchiha heir and his insufferable little materialistic world.

The Otokage was mentally trying to remember where exactly has he left his painkillers, because Sakura found it appropriate at that unholy hour, to barge into his office and give him Hell.

"Cherry please we can…" No matter how much did he love Sakura, treasuring her like his own daughter, Orochimaru`s patience was running low with each passing moment. He truly hoped she was going to act like the mature agent she was, understanding that she should do everything required to successfully complete her mission.

And the task she has been assigned to was a top priority and played a crucial role in maintaining the peace and security all around the world. Only, the pink haired rambling lady was totally overlooking her status and attributions, folding her arms over her full chest, glaring daggers at her _Papa._

"…and why me, from all the people?! I mean, what the hell _Oro_, why should I baby sit that dumb pathetic excuse of a man, who I bet doesn't even know how to write his goddamn name without the help of his secretary, who by the way I feel so sorry for…"

The fact that her habit of voicing out her frustrations, nagging everyone around like her other mentor, Tsunade Senju, made it twice as bad for the unfortunate audience. She was probably tired and still recovering from her latest mission, Orochimaru tried to reason. 'T_his is what I get for spoiling her so much…damn Anko and Tsunade`s influence… she is just like all of them combined.'_

"Cherry, I am sure you are capable to understand the implications of this mission, as written in the file I have sent to you yesterday." His tired voice echoed through his large office, trying to stay as neutral as possible. Inside, he was screaming for help. "If there is someone qualified enough to successfully complete it, that person would be you, who I personally trained particularly for this kind of…"

Sakura stomped her high heel on the ground, flailing the files she was griping angrily in the air, rolling her emerald eyes, until they hit the back of her head, interrupting the Otokage.

The reason why every Sound agent was always throwing a tantrum whenever he was assessed a mission he deemed inappropriate for their skills, complaining like kindergarten that were denied cotton candies, was slipping their Leader's mind. "I have not worked my ass off for CIA, just to get a mission dumber than the previous one, when I had to pose as a teacher to Elementary kids!"

"Sakura, this is more than keeping an eye to such an important…"

"…and look at this article, it is outrageous! Hear this shit: Sasuke Uchiha was chosen as the hottest and most promising businessman, by the Forbes Magazine! Huh!" The pink haired Sound agent tilted her head cockily on her side, snorting unceremoniously, holding the magazine in front of the Otokage, carrying out with her bashing.

Orochimaru had a blank stare on his face. Someone should wake him up when she was ready, because his eyes were darting from his protégée, to his laptop, following the incoming mails and calls from his agents. According to them, the Akatsuki has been able to spot a suspicious place in Greece, where Lorane seemed to have had one of their bases.

Sakura continued her long-winded monologue, without paying attention to what Orochimaru did. He was going to take her if he ignored her, she was going to make sure of it. "Oh, this sis rich, hear the latest news about him: Uchiha is ready to take over his father Fugaku`s famous family business, the Mangekyou. INC. In one of the interviews, the current CEO announced that his capable son has completed his training and is more than able to follow into his steps and take over the company."

"Sakura…this is enough…I think you should go home and take a better look at the-"

"Capable my ass! I bet half of my Tommy Hilfiger bags, that as soon as he is going to lay his filthy incapable hands on that company, the arrogant player is going to turn it into a brothel in no time! He would have been better in Vegas, running a night club, because I bet he truly looks like _those_ kind of people." She stated as a matter of fact, only studying his file superficially, not even interested in taking a peek at his photo.

Orochimaru lifted a fine eyebrow at her, looking at her questioningly. "What kind of people?"

"The ones that make me sick! I already feel like showing my sword down his ass and make all of us a favor. Can't we just tie him up, kidnap him and bring him in one of our basements? We can keep an eye on him better like this."

"As tempting as it might that sound Sakura, I am afraid we cannot do such a thing. We have to protect him, not act like Lorane would do." Orochimaru didn't have any clue about why was so adamant in not accepting the mission like she did with many others before, without constantly reminding him about her repulsive feelings about rich people.

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* * *

Sure, it was a well known fact among the CIA agents that the Freemasonry was basically controlling most of the larger world companies, aiming to have the monopoly of all the economic fields, such as water, energy or oil.

And they were quite proficient, because in such a short amount of time, their people managed to successfully eliminate almost all the competition in the industry and set up their own rules, using corrupt methods and illegal transactions to rise the VTA and the taxes of the imported goods and services, so that the poorest countries had no choice but to loan money from the World Bank Group and indebt their people.

Of course, with them controlling the International Monetary Fund and the largest Banks , they successfully turned the countries that were struggling to pay back their debts into modern slaves of their corrupt ambitions, and that was precisely the reason why the CIA had to put an end to their acts, before they completely took control over the global economy.

And the saddest part, was that even with their agent's combined effort, Lorane, the head of all the Freemasonic organizations, worked flawlessly from the shadows, pulling the strings behind the most influential businessmen, regarding the environment, precious and industrial metals, IT and technology, medicine, research, and even education.

So it was no wonder that Sakura was so against working for one man she considered to be no worth more than trash under her reproaching eyes, but everyone knew for a fact that the Uchihas were far from the corrupt companies that emerged from the shadows, under Lorane`s obvious control.

Every member of the Uchiha family was praised for always giving his best in everything they have done, successfully rising the stocks of the mammoth company in less than 20 years of glorious existence, to the point all the entrepreneurs and smaller aspiring companies were keeping their eyes on their shares, on the auction market. Their stocks had a high value.

Mangekyou had branches all over the world, leaving aside their contracts and partnerships with almost all the largest world's companies that were smart enough not to oppose them, but trade with them, and it only helped them grow even more.

It was hard to believe that such a large famous company had such an interesting history, because it all started from the ambitions of Uchiha Madara and his friend Uchiha Shisui, who, as a hobby, in the damp old garage of Shisui`s home, have invented a small micro-chip that enabled the engine to gain more power, without having to consume oil, being more eco as well.

So, needless to say that Mangekyou has become world's number one automotive company by revenue, crushing their market rivals. They developed the technology more, making it more efficient and that only enabled the company to gain the reputation as the best dealer in terms of technology of cars.

The Uchihas had numerous contracts with other equally reputed companies such as Volkswagen or Toyota Motor Corporation, as their main shareholders and business partners, making a reputation as being fair, unlike many others from the market, that were not respecting the laws and were often having trials in Courts, crimes such as fraud, fair competition or good-will.

That being said, it was no wonder they were a pain in the ass for the Freemasonry, that were trying its best to get rid of the few remaining companies untouched by their filthy ambitions, failing miserably every time.

The Mangekyou`s CEOs were insanely smart and skilled people, who succeeded in staying at the top, despite the crisis and the collapses of the other companies, that affected them as well.

Lorane almost brought down another successful company, not as big as Mangekyou, but nonetheless a force to be reckoned with, namely the Hyuga`s family pride: The Byakugan.

It was medical company specialized in developing laser medicine technologies, such as LASIK and LASEK for eye surgeries, or radiation therapy such as chemotherapy or cobalto therapy, for curing cancer.

And if the Uchihas, that were not only their business partners, but old family friends as well, wouldn't have helped them pass a crisis that the Lorane had patiently planned to make them go bankrupt, by increasing their own stock's prices with only 0.5%, forcing the investors to buy more stocks from the Byakugan, they would have been struggling in insolvency.

Orochimaru was not fond of the harsh business related fierce competition and domain, but the Uchiha` s merits were undeniable. They were hardworking and professional…and the future CEO was in mortal danger…and Sakura was still laughing and ranting…God help him…

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* * *

"Enough of this!" The Otokage wasn't one to scream or make a scene in front of his subordinates, acting like a role model and a proud leader for them to follow and admire, but seriously it was getting a toll on him. And he has just found out that Akatsuki were aware of the secret mission, plotting to interfere.

'_I am going to __throttle__ Tobirama someday, I swear I will…'_ His pale eyes were glued to the laptop resting on his desk, his palm straight in the air, silencing a pink haired girl, putting an end to her non stop spiteful comments.

The other inhabitants of the room, namely Tsunade Senju, Akasuna no Sasori, his beautiful and his pregnant wife Anko and another promising Sound agent and Sakura`s one and only best friend Uzumaki Karin, were barely containing their laughter, failing miserably, eying the scene going on in front of them with much interest.

One would know better than to mess with an angry Orochimaru if he valued his life, but not the Sound's sweetheart and top assassin. Sakura couldn't give a damn about how frightening his suddenly murdering aura would have become, for she was more than immune to his cold and bossy demeanor, being constantly in his presence.

"Cherry, I am sorry for your obvious rejection regarding the mission, but this is so important that I wouldn't even want to begin naming all the disastrous things that would occur, if Lorane would manage to take down the Uchihas and the Mangekyou." He shut his laptop, unable to see the bothersome news coming, standing up, folding his hands behind his back, addressing the emerald eyed girl, who was mirroring his hard stare.

"Disastrous? I wouldn't go that far Papa. What could possibly be _that_ cataclysmic if that imbecile and totally insufferable loathsome Uchiha would go down? I just don't get it! What is so special about him anyways?"

"The fact that he is a hot piece of ass, that every woman secretly lusts for and wants to fu-"

"Finish that sentence Rin and I will personally make sure to get rid of all the coffee into the world and let you die without your caffeine addiction." Sakura threatened her red headed friend, who did nothing to contain her snorts, placing a hand on Anko`s shoulder, laughing along with the hysteric woman.

Orochimaru shook his head at their childish attitude. "They killing the next heir is like killing a chicken's head: the body will spin around and trash a few more minutes, but it will eventually die. If this happens, I will have the pleasure to announce the not so fortunate outcome, in the most poetic language I can muster at this time of the day." He made a small pause in his solemn speech, to add to the dramatic effect.

The Otokage was many things, but a morning person he was not. The man could basically sleep all day and work during night…not that he didn't doze off often in his office, leaving all the paper work he deemed as unimportant in the capable hands of his wife Anko and his secretary Tsunade.

"The outcome as in…?" Sakura urged him to state the obvious. The others casually covered their ears with their palms, thanking the Heavens that his windows were not only bulletproof, but soundproof as well.

"To put it simply my dear, I would say that we are all _SCREWED_!"

There was silence in the room. Thanks God, the stupid painkiller he shoved down his throat during Sakura`s nagging speech, was taking effect. He felt his temples cool down.

"…but why does it have to be me the one to do it?!" Sakura was infuriated by then." I mean, he has _Itachi_! Shouldn't he be the one to keep an eye of his little lovely brother, playing the caring older brother that he is and spare us the trouble of dealing with this?! I mean, how can we investigate Lorane if I am stuck there, watching the world's number one player's ass?"

"Because is ten times funnier if a hot chick like you is going to watch that manwhore twenty four seven, remaining glued to him." Sasori added with a small smirk. The look he got from Sakura made rock melt under her gaze. She had good teachers.

"You sounded just like your retard pervert friend. Stop hanging out with Hidan, or else you are going to end up like Jirayia."

Tsunade, who was wiping her tears our of her shut eyes, still laughing, found it proper to interfere and defend her fiancé. In reality, she was laughing at his behavior along with the others, beating him senseless whenever she had the chance to do so. "What is wrong with my fiance anyways? He is a good man."

"You don't want an answer to that, shishou."

"You just like to brag, but in reality you love us."

"In your dreams you loser. Gosh, I fucking hate you all." Sakura brushed her light caramel-her natural hair color-locks away from her beautiful exasperated face, placing her hands on her hips.

Karin shot back at her, offended. "Hey, what about me?"

"You teamed up with them, you traitor, so I would not count you out as well.

"Ok, enough of this, I am tired and Akatsuki is making my life miserable this early in the morning." Orochimaru shut his eyes to the world briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose in a tired manner. He hasn't slept at all the night before and he was more than tired. He was basically a walking corpse.

"Listen Cherry, I understand how frustrating doing Akatsuki`s job truly is, but we cannot have Itachi involved in this mission, for obvious reasons."

A delicate rosy eyebrow shot up in confusion. "What is there to be that obvious and it slips my vigilance, Papa?"

Orochimaru sighed tiredly, feeling his sight going foggy. He needed more caffeine into his system and the people populating his place were oblivious for his craving for silence. "It is already bad enough that those two Lorane henchmen succeeded to evade him after they tried to poison Fugaku in broad daylight, last month, during the charity ball."

"So what you want to say is that they have certainly put two and two together by now, realizing that the Mangekyou`s still CEO has an older runaway son working for the CIA?" Karin raised both hands into the air, waiving at her Leader.

The Otokage nodded once in confirmation. "Precisely yes, Karin."

"If Lorane finds out the about our identities, they are immediately bound to discover our secret mission to keep them under surveillance, compromising any chances we have to realize what their purpose is and stop them before they go too far." Tsunade replied evenly, making Orochimaru`s eyes snap in her direction, inwardly accusing her of stealing his speech. The blonde woman shot right back at him, smirking at his frustration.

Oh, how she loved to piss her friend and colleague off and Anko was doing the same, teaming up with the other agents to nag him more.

Sakura darted her taken aback emerald eyes from her busty mentor, to Orochimaru, frowning at their statements. "I thought we managed to silence those two bastards, since Hatake and that Hyuga creep were following them. I suppose they had no problems in detaining them into their custody and interrogate their asses until they sang like canaries."

Sasori let out a totally amused 'tsk', attracting Sakura`s attention. Apparently, those people knew much more and it bothered her. She would have to make it clear with her Papa that she wanted to be more involved in the other`s activities as well. "Actually…they proved their worthlessness this time as well, not letting us down."

"What are you talking about Sasori?"

"According to Tobirama`s report from the previous meeting, they managed to escape while being transported to Akatsuki`s main detention center, by cutting the car's 20 cm length steel and iron door, with a high-tech mini-laser they had incorporated in their contact lenses. They probably stole the device from the Byakugan`s development plans and used it to their own devices". Anko explained with in confident tone to the younger than her pink haired agent, stunning everyone. That was a particular detail they were not aware of.

The pregnant woman was quite famous for her sharp memory, never taking down notes to remember what she was reading and she only needed to scan the contents and the information once to do that.

Despite her eccentric demeanor and loud mouth, Anko was the other half of her equally genius husband Orochimaru, both being an unbeatable team. She often helped him with the paperwork, solving everything flawlessly. "…only…that scary eyeless Hyuga kid said that they have investigated and the laser didn't match the ones made by the Byakugan."

Sakura rolled her eyes at that, carelessly folding the papers she was rusting, aiming the trash can with a perfect shot. The whole room was eyeing her in disbelief. She has just thrown out Sasuke`s file, like it was worth nothing. "Really now? So they are experts as well? Akatsuki should focus on expertise more and let the other true agents do the job for them. Oh yeah…isn't this exactly what they are currently doing?"

"…was that your mission file?" Sasori lifted a finger in the direction of the bin.

Sakura nodded leisurely once, ceremoniously shutting her eyes, dragging a bored masked expression down her face, making Orochimaru greet his teeth. She was turning into a mini version of Anko and Tsunade and the world was not prepared for the deathly mix.

"No, it was the lunch menu."

"So should I take this as an act of defiance, Cherry?" Orochimaru tried another approach.

"Well considering the fact that you so carefully filled in my inbox with five similar copies of it, then no. I was just trying to be eco and recycle."

"Yeah, right. Because our office is now part of the Green Peace. What is next? Banners with SOS messages to save the dolphins?" Sasori angled his chin so as to have a full view on Sakura`s darkened stare, silently laughing like a madman at her way of dealing with the mission. That would be an interesting case to follow, he could feel it. The animosity was palpable.

"I am going to plant my foot down your stupid ass and have your clan of brainless Gorillas extinct. And then, I am going to face Green Peace for animal abuse, your cretin."

"Cherry…why cannot you just…accept this mission already and save us the trouble of going through this every damn time, at the same hour?" Orochimaru headed towards his book shelves, choosing a pretty large black leather covered file, handing it to the reluctant emerald eyed agent, urging her to take it.

She was eying him like he was spitting strawberry candies and milk chocolate from his mouth, like a piñata. "The hell is this, Oro?"

"Uchiha Sasuke`s complete file. Be careful not to throw that out though, I went through Hell and back to get that from the INTERPOL and FBI`s databases."

Sakura opened the file aimlessly, scowling at the complex information and the amount of sheets there, full of personal information. "The way it looks like, I would have never guessed you didn't take this from the Library from Alexandria. Before it got burnt up, of course."

"You might want to do your homework first Sak, I heard he is quite a challenge." Sasori stirred the pink haired agent more, much to the others` joy.

She always had the best pouting and childish frowns when provoked, that time making no exception. In the other people's eyes, **she was the best CIA agent**, but her little 'family' knew all about her cuteness and free spirit, even though she refined her manners to hid it while in the presence of strangers or people she couldn't stand. "I don't intend to read a single fucking line about his private life. The only thing that might interest me would be his funeral date. Then I am going to stand before his grave and dance bachata."

"Orochimaru…" Karin interfered with a new brilliant idea that has just crossed her mind, catching everyone's eye. Of course they knew about her resolve, since her auburn eyes were beaming wickedly. "…why can't _I_ take Cherry`s place and take a look after that hot hunk of a man instead? I know as hell I wouldn't mind getting really _close _to his sexy body."

"Karin…you know the answer. This is not something I decide out of a whim. Besides, I cannot have you go and seduce him, while Lorane is out there, waiting for us to do a single mistake and destroy us, because we have been careless." The growing impatient Otokage reasoned.

Sasori playfully patted the red headed Uzumaki on her shoulder, biting his lower lip not to laugh hard, faking condolences. "Now now Karin, I can understand your concern, but don't worry, I heard his two friends are making themselves quite a name among the nigh clubs, so it is not all lost. You will still have your chance to bang…"

Bam!

She punched the then rolling on the floor laughing Sasori straight on his face, of course, doing no damage. The Sound male agents were quite used to the temperamental female part, the Otokage included. Anko was not only violent, but she was pregnant and really passionate about it as well. "You stupid asshole, do you think I am a slut or something?! If Cherry doesn't finish you off soon, then you are not going to live another day after you face my wrath!"

"I don't want to live another day with seeing your face, so I am not going to comment on your wrath."

"Why you little…"

"Stop it you two!" A totally enraged Sakura shout out at her two friends, making the walls tremble under her high pitched voice. "We are talking about _my _problems here, so save the marital problems for counseling and shut up!"

"I so want to murder you all in this moment…" Orochimaru muttered into his palms that were resting soundly on his worn out face. "Anko, be a good wife and bring me some coffee. That strong one that tastes like spoiled milk and dead bodies and make it this year, please."

"Bah…who am I? Your servant? Go get it yourself!" She shoved him off quickly.

"I swear I pay you guys for nothing."

"You don't pay us you freak, CIA is paying us so stop trying to be all mighty because it is not working." Tsunade said casually, like she was discussing the forecast, totally not giving a damn if Orochimaru was the Otokage or not.

"She got you here Papa…" Sakura was brooding at the file in her hands, trying to read the contents, without success. "I think this is not written in Italian."

"Maybe because you are holding it the other way…?" Karin observed.

"Oh…is that so? Same shit. I don't care. Papa, I am not doing this mission, period. Let Rin do it. She is more appropriate for his kind of…stuff."

"Hey, I feel offended you know?"

"No, we know you wouldn't, since your eyes are beaming like that cousin's of yours, when he heard that a new Ramen recipe has been discovered."

Karin shuddered at the thought of her younger cousin, Naruto Uzumaki, a person that, along with all his family, she loathed with burning passion, for turning their backs on her when she has lost her parents and refused to take responsibility.

They were sworn enemies ever since, despite the blonde and his mother's constant s attempts to get close to her and welcome her into their families.

She only had two words meant for their ears to hear: 'Too late.'

"Stop saying that, it gives me the creeps!"

"My dear, do I have to refresh your memory with our motto, since you so seem to forget it?" Orochimaru`s amber eyes flickered to Sakura`s back, on the large office door, making her shake her head in disbelief.

"How can anyone forget, since you made it a wallpaper for everyone that passes that door to see? You know Papa, the normal people usually have posters with their favorite rock band or pop idol."

"I think _normal_ is the key point in here." Anko whispered entertained to her beautiful well endowed friend. Orochimaru totally heard them, but they chose to blatantly ignore him.

"I think normality has nothing to do when it comes to him."

"Are you done insulting me, Tsunade?"

"Anko started."

"Traitor…"

* * *

'_**Every agent must always keep the faith and shield the way of truth**_

_**Each agent must aim to achieve his goal  
**_

_**All the agents must honor his folks and the principles of morality and etiquette**_

_**Each agents must refrain from violent manner of conducting himself'**_

* * *

Orochimaru quoted the wise code engraved on his door, solemnly, like he was the Prime-minister talking to the members of the Parliament. His agents all slapped their foreheads in a way that more than screamed _'please get a damn life already'_.

"…any questions?"

"Count down the last one with the violence and we are even." Sakura stated as a matter of fact. "I don't think I will be able to refrain myself from beating the living daylights out of that…what is his_ name_ again?" She quickly flipped the pages to the first one, reading the next CEO`s name, getting wrong they way she was supposed to spell. "…Sasuke…Uc...hiha? I think I ate something like this in that sushi restaurant, last week."

"Did it taste good?" Anko couldn't have missed the chance to laugh at her younger version. It was not that she didn't love Sakura like crazy, but the girl's oblivion was the funniest thing ever. Did she really not have any idea of how did Sasuke looked like? That was even more entertaining. Sakura was in for a good surprise and she was going to pay for her stubbornness.

"It got _stuck on_ my throat." Sakura answered with the most innocent air possible. She was dreading at the idea of guarding the stranger she knew nothing about, except for the fact that he played woman like they were worth nothing and he was filthy rich. A combination she hated and couldn't possibly start to accept. That kind of people made her life a living Hell, before she met the Sound agents.

Orochimaru decided that it was time for him to successfully put an end to a conversation that was not even worth to be considered kindergarten level, seeing that he got an urgent call from the _Directorate of Science and Technology_, regarding an investigation they were conducting.

"Enough with this nonsense. I got a message from that Aburame kid. Apparently, he found out something really interesting about the small laser Lorane has used to escape us. I have to go there and see the files and the result of the analyses myself meaning..." He returned to his large expensive wooden desk, opening up a large drawer, revealing a large yellow box that he dropped on the hard surface, silently inviting Sakura to approach it and have a look.

"Cherry, this is for you. Something to help you with your mission."

"Has anyone heard me when I said I am _not_ going to accept it?"

"We did, but no one cares." Sasori spoke the unshed thing that was in Orochimaru`s mind, already texting to his best friend Hidan and let him know about the latest gossip. Sakura, the Sound's most skilled assassin and the most stunning woman from CIA, was supposed to guard the famous business man and notorious player Sasuke Uchiha.

Karin lifted her right hand in the air, swinging it like she was back in high school, attempting to catch the teacher's attention and answer his question. "Actually, I do care-" She has been interrupted by Anko, who threw her hand around her shoulder, pulling the red headed girl closer to her, whispering into her ear. "Stop that will you? Look at your our dear virgin cherry blossom. Don't you think this is a perfect opportunity for her to discover the wonders of being a woman?"

Karin`s stare got hard, taking a moment to reflect on what the smirking woman has just disclosed to her. She had a growing mirroring devilish smirk plastered upon her rich red lips, nodding energetically. "Actually…I do. In fact…I think I want to live and see the outcome of her little…_mission_. God only knows she needs it."

Tsunade spoke beside them in the same silent manner, taking both the gossiping women by surprise, joining their little chat. "But…if that Uchiha brat is going to cross the line and not keep his hands into his place…I will personally hunt him down, chop off his balls with my scalpels and feed them to Orochimaru`s piranhas."

"I second this, even if it is a little bit too sadistic."

"To feed the sharks?" Anko asked as a matter of fact, while Sakura was taking her time to slowly approach Orochimaru`s Parnian Huge Desk, made of six kinds of exotic wood that was worth $200 000 dollars. It was still not considered too eccentric and utterly ridiculous, in comparison to Tobirama`s $1.3 million solid gold stool. That only added to the irony of the Sound and Akatsuki`s declared rivalry, since their leaders both needed a VIP ticket to the mental hospital and a customized therapy for their boosting egos.

"To deprive that sex God from his most praised treasures. I mean…we want someone to cure Cherry from her regrettable virgin state, not show her how to play chess or knit." There were million thoughts that crossed Karin`s mind in the moment Anko let her experienced state to dictate the course of action and made all her friends look on the full side of the glass.

"Agree."

.

.

.

* * *

Orochimaru was intently following Sakura`s shot up delicate eyebrows, while she let her hands roam into the box, studying her reaction. He should record it to look at the disapproving too funny attitude when he was depressed. "I have already e-mailed you all the information regarding Uchiha Sasuke, as well as his connections and people from his entourage who we find suspicious."

"I am quite sure my birthday is on April and Christmas was on December, so why a present in advance? Are you trying to bribe me into accepting the mission?"

"I think you already accepted it. Well, not that you had a choice in the matter to begin with."

"Hmmm…"Opening the cartoon black box with shaky hands, like almost sensing the horrors she was going to face, Sakura`s emerald eyes went wide as UFOs when she came face to face to a set of ripped beggar looking clothes, a hideous crazy pink wig, that was making a punk-rock star believe he reached Nirvana and a pair of the ugliest-should-be-banned-from-existence pair of brown thick glasses, that would make the geeks sue her for giving them a bad name.

"What the hell is this, Papa?" A cold electrical discharge shot down the lady's with the small delicate rosy cheeks spine, when apprehension hit her full force. "…because I sure as hell think that Cirque du Soleil doesn't need another clown".

"No my dear, I am not making you run with the Circus…", Orochimaru answered smoothly, like not wanting to add to her already distressed and anxious looking state, shutting down his laptop, grabbing his stuff, calling for his chauffeur. "…though I deeply regret to openly announce that the thing you are holding like it has rabid, is going to be your new wardrobe starting tomorrow, when your mission is going to officially begin."

"You cannot be serio-"

The Otokage put on his long black coat and his Stefeno hat, slipping past the rooted in place forest green shocked eyed girl, placing a hand on her shoulder, pausing his speech for the dramatic effect.

And the way Sakura unceremoniously dropped her jaw on the floor, with a loud thud, along with the pink wig, assured the audience that she was probably inwardly plotting a muss murder, starting with her paternal figure and her new…

Orochimaru had to act like the funny man he was not and voice out the words that were going to plague her dreams from there on, already having a hand resting on the door's knob, pulling it open. "…as Uchiha Sasuke`s personal maid. Good luck." And exited the room, without any further explanation.

If Sasori decided to make her feel better, by saying something he hoped to come out as funny, he failed miserably. Sakura already looked like she was about to faint. "You know Sakura, this doesn't look so bad. At least being a maid will make you save money on water bills and food."

He got another punch on his shoulder from Karin. "Stupid arrogant narrow minded amoeba…"

"Stop hitting me woman."

A piercing shriek made the other occupants of the office cover their ears, probably wondering if they would ever be able to hear normally again.

"…m-m-m-m-m-m-aaaaaiiiiid?!"

* * *

}{

9.00 am Ravenna Italy, Tobirama Senju`s office room

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was busy stuffing his face with a bowl of Ramen, much to the other Akatsuki agent's disbelief. That was the third he had and their meeting has just started. Suddenly, his cerulean eyes crept open, staring intently behind his back, in the direction of the large window. "Guys, I think I heard a woman screaming. Believe it!"

Kiba threw his head backwards, laughing at the dumb looking frown on his friend's goofy looking face. Their gatherings were never boring when that man was around. "Heh…and what would you expect from Jirayia`s favorite student? You are both perverts."

"Look who's talking? The wielder of the Guinness Record for the most dumped man in history!" Ten Ten shot back at her colleague. "It only takes a pervert to know another."

Jirayia, who was busy studying the lascivious barely dressed woman, parading down the streets, under the Akatsuki`s building, turned his eyes to the amount of people gathered into their Hokage`s office, placing a hand upon his heart. "Who, me? I am not a pervert. It is called _research_!"

* * *

}{

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakura was in cardiac arrest and the other women left into the office were doing their best to take good care of her, meaning laughing at her misfortune and mocking the ridiculous attire she was going to wear from then on. Too bad, no one was able help the poor almost crying of frustration and screaming for help Haruno Sakura, from her new fate as Sasuke`s **personal maid** and **secret bodyguard**.

"…tomorrow, I will book a ticket to the North Pole!"


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

* * *

6.15 am, Ravenna Italy, Sakura Haruno`s personal villa

* * *

Beep..beep….beep…

'_Rise and shine my dear fellows, for this is a new cheerful day for the gorgeous inhabitants of our so beloved tow-'_

…CRACK!

A well placed and so many times practiced punch on the annoying alarm clock, successfully silenced the equally annoying radio announcer, who, as usual, took an overdose of her disgusting charms, trying her best to make her listeners` morning more pleasant, with a good wake up call, in that sugary fake voice that made Sakura`s stomach take a sharp U-turn.

Just as her Papa Orochimaru, Sakura was anything but a morning person she was not. Seriously, as far as she was concerned, whoever invented mornings should have been tied by a large trunk and tickled until he went dead of too much laughter. That was a sinister death the pink haired agent would deem appropriate for such a vile person.

And it was raining as well, the clouds looking grey and angry. "Great, my beautiful, silky and slightly curled hair will look worse than the wig they gave me…" Sakura continued to mumble while heading down to her fully equipped fancy kitchen and dig in.

A bowl of her favorite cereals with tropical fruits and the dietetic yoghurt were enough to brighten up her foul mood. She let her back rest on the kitchen counter, not bothering to turn on the lights, listening to a local radio station as she did whenever she had to occupy that empty space.

Emptiness…was a strange feeling that she grew to both detest and cherish ever since she was a little kid. She had Orochimaru, Tsunade, Anko and Karin to make up for the lack of family and pull her away of the infinite solitude that was rooting down the most secluded pits of her heart, but there was something more meaningful and deeper missing from her life and it started to nag her more and more.

"I think I am losing my damn mind…" Emerald lazy eyes were roaming through the vast space of her house, trying to figure out where all the coldness and feeling of void inside her was coming from, not able to put her finger on the sudden sadness and anxiety creeping under her skin. "Oh well…better not prologue my suffering further…"

While the Sound agent was intently munching on her food, her mind drifted to the latest mission of her working undercover as a maid for a very prominent figure in Japan and not only, founding herself unsure of how was she supposed to approach him.

"Heh…with a bazooka…or my Bo Staff." She let out a small unsure smile at that, realizing that it would have been indeed a very good idea to not discard his file the day before, like she was bearing all the universal truths, realizing that even though she found the idea of spending all the time in the company of a man that would probably treat her with superiority and arrogance, troublesome, there was still a small chance of him being more original than the others.

Hasn't life taught Sakura not to jump into conclusions and judge the others based on her own preconceptions and throw shallow unnecessary bashings at a person she didn't even come in contact with, until she personally met that Uchiha and see with her own eyes what kind of character was hidden under the mask of the perfect role model in their modern society.

"Maybe he is actually quite timid." The beautiful agent took a guess. "…or maybe is short and has an inferiority complex. Or has a big curled up nose or a hairy chest. Or maybe…yeah…_maybe…_he is much more than he lets the others believe…" That was her conscience speaking and Sakura found herself thinking about a person whose face she has never seen before.

"Uchiha Sasuke…is just a name among many others…a reputed one, but still just a name…I wonder what lies between the walls of it and how is he coping with all the attention he gets from the others…what…"

She shook her head in disbelief, trying to get rid of the train of thoughts that bloomed inside her troubled mind all of sudden, trying to keep her convictions in place and not get intimidated by the unknown. "…no, he is like all the other damn rich pests that work for him. He _must _be like all the others!" She tried to assure herself.

Inwardly, the Sound agent knew that the unspoken words were _'I hope he is just the way I view him, either ways, I wouldn't know what my reaction to him should be,'_

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

There was a common perception among the other CIA agents when it came to their opinion on Sakura and they all shared the same thoughts: she was a merciless agent who would never falter when it came to successfully conducting her mission, never forgetting what the orders she has been given were, choosing to follow them suit, like the very Bible, not backing away from killing her targets with cold blood, watching their lives surge from their veins under her impassive stare, having the same calm, but ruthless demeanor as the people that served as her role models.

In reality, they knew nothing about how different from the image the others have built based on their own prejudices and attached it to a face that came close enough to their idea of Sound assassin.

Sakura was a **very lonely** girl, with a heart that shed bloody tears each night, whenever remorse was creeping up from the confinements of her guilty mind and plagued her dreams, preventing her to rest and it took a toll on her body.

Even if there were many people to cherish her and praise her for her inner gentleness and amazing skills, the forest green eyed lady never found the true meaning of being complete and have all the joy that true loved stirred upon a pumping in enchantment heart.

Ironically, how Sakura always liked to think about herself being an untamed spirit, able to spread her curious wings and dart towards the infinite azure, searching for devotion, but found no precise direction she should follow.

Not only the cold silent witnesses of her despair that were the walls of her home were constricting her mind, burning her resolve, ruthlessly reminding her of how truly alone she was and how many things were there for her to discover, but the need to grow attached to someone, to the point she would lose herself in a maddening pool of fluttering ladybirds blooming in her chest, stirring feelings she had no idea she could possess down her soul, was getting her suffocating.

"_Love_…Can I-" Sakura was hearing it everywhere she go, but the concept was still so alien for her, even though there were many admirers that would have killed to have her undivided attention, but even an inexperienced woman like she was, was able to see superficiality behind their façade and it was not that kind of strong emotion she was looking for. "…I want to feel that too…see that with my own eyes…how it changes people."

Sakura`s resolve never appeared as feeble in public, because she did her best to keep her chin at the same level with the noble ones and her straight proud walking was giving her a hint of elegance and sensuality, in an unique exquisite combination, that only added to the mystifying alluring aura she radiated wherever she went. And she got both jealousies, envy stares, along with admiration.

The Sound assassin has made the smooth dignified façade an art, skillfully let the others believe that she lead a perfect existence, hiding the alienation into the bottomless abyss of her tragic childhood, ardently longing to have any form of insight about her past and parents.

Wasn't history the one that gave each individual an _identity_ and helped them follow the steps that Destiny had designed for him, in order to succeed?

So Sakura naturally found herself wondering, in her moments of despair and depression, whether if she didn't have any knowledge of her own ancestors, would her personality be able to bloom from nothingness and allow her to become a majestic Phoenix bird, with an enchanting melody and a mystical appearance?

While Sakura was slowly making her way towards her bathroom, her mind continued to drift on the many unanswered questions she had about her existence and the path she should pursue, trying to come up with a new resolve.

She quickly unclad from her silk Japanese embroidered nightgown and navy lingerie, discarding them aimlessly on the floor, stepping under the hot steam, looking for her chocolate shower gel, washing off the invisible dirt from her pearl unblemished smooth skin, that was glued to her like a tattoo from the very first day her hands took a life.

Was she honestly willing to give Destiny a chance like she did on that Christmas day, when she met Orochimaru, and view her departure as a test Life had in stock for her to prove herself how many flaws she still had and what were the things she had to dedicate her time to work on, in order to steadily emerge from the shadows and proudly call herself a _complete _woman?

Sakura had no answer for that. Her hatred towards the politicians and businessmen was escalating quickly up to the peak and she had no way to forgive the harsh world for all the wrongs it did on her when she most needed support.

The emerald eyed girl wouldn't lie and state she wouldn't have liked to feel as carefree as a gentle cherry blossom petal dancing unrestricted in the soft spring breeze, but ever since she has joined the CIA she found herself pushing all the emotions back to the box of treasure that her heart was and completely dedicate her life to her missions.

It was the only mechanism of defense she found to make up for all her insecurities and secret desires and until she was going to find that certain one to entrust the secret key to her slipping brilliance, she was going to portray the Goddess of war, Athena, whose name has been entrusted to her to bear during missions.

After finishing her daily morning routine, Sakura exited the bathroom, using a large pink towel to wrap her delicate toned body with, looking for the hair drier. "The hell did I put that thing…"

She was checking all the drawers, mentally facepalming for forgetting that Karin has borrowed it and never returned the said device. "…I am going to totally make her buy me a new one. And a Tiramisu. A big one. _Bitch_." She would have to dry her long velvet locks with the towel and she barely had time left.

Nevertheless, while she kept her head bent down, rubbing her head with the towel, her thoughts flew towards the people that made a difference in her life, meaning the Sound gang. She wouldn't be a hypocrite and state that life has been completely unfair with her, because it was totally not the case. She was richer than she would have ever expected.

Orochimaru was acting as the father she never met. During her training, when she had to learn the basics and had a difficult time in adjusting to the hectic schedule and get used to depend on the others and interact with her colleagues, he was almost always there to guide her steps and give her the proper advice in every situation, never breaking the promise he made since they ever met.

It was the Otokage Sakura would feel no restraint to call at 3 a.m in the morning to talk about the monsters that racked her conscience and tried to feed from her most feared nightmares, made of white gigantic snakes that tried to steal her body. It was him that told her about how much history did those mythical creatures had, in the form of symbols of reincarnation and luck, ceasing away the demons.

And as his self assumed role of a paternal figure, present in all the important moments of her life, the stoic, but gentle man was there to helped her finish her studies and become erudite.

The Otokage proved himself a genius that was living to his reputation, being good at everything and passing his knowledge down to the one he so dearly looked for, witnessing her unfold her aptitudes like a graceful lotus flower, learning everything she needed to successfully becoming not only his best agent, but his and his wife Anko`s pride and joy.

Everyone that met Anko was able to see her quirky demeanor and her unique almost bizarre straightforward way of dealing with tings, but nonetheless she welcomed Sakura into her life, acting like both a mother and a friend, along with Orochimaru, being the total opposite of him.

There were many things that the pink haired agent has learnt from the much older woman and all of them permitted her to transcend her shy and collected resemblance with the poor runaway from the orphanage girl and bring her innate lioness attitude to the light, turning her into a deadly feline, with a studied genteel fierce and unparalleled wisdom.

Then, there was Uzumaki Karin, an unusual tremendously gorgeous looking natural red headed, who was like a reminisce of her once deceased best friend, Isaribi, letting Sakura experience a new form of bond that was able to connect her with a total stranger, to such a deep level that she grew to unfaltering admit that she viewed Karin as her own sister.

The seductress was a professional and an insanely talented agent, that could pull any seduction assassination mission like it was a walk in the park and still look as nonchalant as ever. She had an intriguing way of leisurely let herself lose while they met, acting like a youthful cheerful girl, materializing in the form of making Sakura do many foolish things, that brought colors into her life and painted her monochrome existence into all the shades of the rainbow.

Sakura couldn't have pictured Karin looking more ethereal than running barefoot on her very own mansion's backyard, at 2 am, with her funky cut red hair free of her usual blue ribbon binding, chanting, to the world to hear and to the falling meteor shower August rain, all the popular choruses from the never ending old school songs they both grew up with, as a token of their undying forever young spirits.

Not only she never hid anything from her friend, but Sakura adored her long hours of shopping with Karin until they made sure they would have no more place into their wardrobe to shove their new branded clothes, but she enjoyed their girl talks, while sipping a hot coffee or eating their most cherished desserts.

Sakura was a Tiramisu addict and she was not holding back from tasting it whenever she got the chance. And clubbing would never be the same without her red headed insane friend, swinging her hips on whatever melody the DJ played, drinking strong beverages and not ashamed to get drunk in front of her best friend.

And Tsunade Senju, the maternal figure in Sakura`s life and a woman she would always look up to with a solemn sort of respect and admiration she would only show in front of Orochimaru.

From how to delicately perform the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, like a true sophisticated geisha, to correctly perform complex martial arts moves, with a flawless in her executions and an easiness to defy gravity, like a graceful gazelle, Tsunade had deep knowledge over everything.

And the busty golden haired woman made sure Sakura developed under her close eyes and strict supervision, in order to become, not a reputed assassin, but an eloquent lady, that never lost her ineffable and unmatched feminine demeanor, as the true value of her heart, despite the darkness that the job as an agent required, never losing her sight over what was truly important: her polished crystal like purity and self trust.

No one has been able to fully realized the importance of teaching Sakura how to completely and surely overcome her hesitancy through elegance, sensuality, taste and refinement and defy the already corrupt world's vulgarity with class, subtlety and wisdom in her every step.

And it was thanks to Tsunade that Sakura has grew to be a beauty and a shining star in the sky, wearing herself as royalty, whenever she was not in a dangerous mission.

.

.

.

* * *

While the jadeite eyed lady was casually making her way to her large wardrobe and pick something fancy to wear and lift up her foul mood, she couldn't help but place her palm over the small of her back, wincing once, when a sudden sharp pain descended down her column, alerting her to not overdo it.

"Damn, this is going to take ages to heal…" She took baby steps towards the adjacent room where all her expensive silk lousy dresses and chiffon embroidered blouses were neatly expecting her to come and make her choice, cursing loudly the people responsible for giving her the back ache of the century. "…stupid Akatsuki and their incompetence…"

The only reason why Akatsuki`s latest mission, involving the dangerous adventure of chasing one of the Lorane`` henchmen they encountered by chance, while working on their own cases, was that the Sound got involved and provided backup.

Much to the Hokage`s dismay, their rival office once again proved their value in the CIA, not only saving their mortal enemies from a shameful failure, but getting the chance to publicly humiliate them for their lack of resolve, skill and intuition.

Orochimaru had the time of his life while using his fine irony to mock Tobirama and his barbaric and inefficient methods of battle strategy and he even went as far as to let him know that whenever he would find himself at loss, the generous Otokage would gladly help him with a little intelligent advice.

It was in that moment when everyone witnessed the furious Akatsuki leader targeting his other equally feared counterpart, Orochimaru, with a Bohemia crystal vase, while he left his office, smirking at his obvious frustration.

"Aish…" Sakura prompted her heel on the ground, placing her hands down her curvaceous hips, akin to what Tsunade did whenever she loved to appear bossy, curling a fine eyebrow at the amount of elegant fabrics revealing in front of her. "…why is it so difficult to be a woman?"

Needless to say that the talented Sound agent never forgot how she started and how important was to realize the luck she had to encounter the Sound's leader himself and get such an opportunity to make a better living, so she still kept the scars she got from the darker periods of her existence, as a reminisce of the perseverance and humbleness a living should keep in mind, no matter how high he was, or how many zeros his bank account had.

But it didn't mean that she had to deny herself the small pleasures a young woman head, in search for her feminine charms and identity, in the form of her passion for luxury products to enhance her natural allurement and refined tasteful outfits, to fit her soft precise lines and curves.

She always worked ten times harder than the other CIA colleagues of hers and everything she owned was just a praise for a well done job and her unfaltering dedication and struggle.

Of course she appreciated money more than the rest of the people who have not been deprived by it like she was, but she had her moments of escaping her tremendous hectic schedule and go into long shopping sessions with her friends.

"Well…considering the fact that is the last time I will be wearing my precious babies…why not making the best of it?" With a new found confidence, Sakura handpicked a navy Dior silk and velvet sleeveless blouse, with a subtle hint of cleavage, elegantly molding towards the small rounded bones of her slim hips, complemented by a light caramel leather middle length conic skirt, in the same shade as her wavy curls, cascading sensually down her shoulders and a pair of golden high heels to express her womanhood and make her toned milky legs look longer.

Not dwelling much on what clutch should she find to match the perfect attire, Sakura casually applied a bit of blush on her small cheeks and a pastel pink eye shadow to add to the innocent touch of her angelic features. "Not bad…"

A subtle ghost of a smirk crept upon her glossy nude lips when she caught the sight of her in the large mirror. "…I wonder what would that Uchiha say if I would totally not take into account Papa`s advice and…"

She slapped her forehead once, already heading outside her stylish white painted mansion, not believing what insane thought bolted down her mind. "What the heck am I fantasizing about...honestly…?" The confused lady shook her head once to get rid of the nagging whisper of her conscience, tapping Karin's phone number.

A cheerful voice welcomed Sakura from the other side of the line, belonging to her always too stirred up red headed friend, making the Sound agent wonder just what was the red headed always doing to constantly charge her with such energy.

Though…she got some not very pure ideas of what exactly was that pervert doing and with who. _"__Buon giorno, you are talking to the hottest woman in Italy, please take a number and wait for my autograph."_

Sakura locked her front door, mentally asking herself why was she waiting for her friend to pick her up and not head straight to her convertible and meet her there?

Oh yeah, Karin insisted to give her a ride to the mall, because in her opinion, Sakura was a boring driver that always stuck to the rules and it was cramping her reputation. "Karin, why are you so happy in the morning?"

"_Because unlike that oblivious always frowning virgin friend of mine, I have what the others would call a l-i-f-e."_ The red headed agent made sure Sakura understood every syllable she so suavely muttered, much to her discomfort.

Sakura has been handed missions where she had to blend into different circles, such as drug dealers or human trafficking organizations, but she never had to actually have _that _ kind of men contact, which only meant she was still an innocent lady, with no male experience whatsoever.

"If making a living means flirting with every loser that crosses your door and kidnap him to accomplish your own sadistic fantasies you picked from Anko, then I would rather let the floor swallow me."

"_Well…what can I say, that is the perfect attitude you got there to chase away all the hotties and die a virgin. And no, I am not going to help you find the perfect cat when you are going to get old and single."_ Of course, not only the auburn eyed Uzumaki agent, but the other colleagues of their, meaning Hidan and Sasori always had a cruel pleasure to bring up her pure state into their conversation and make fun of her.

She didn't mind, because their general eccentric and debauched demeanor, combined with their more than revolting hobbies and points of interest placed them among the lunatic that have climbed the mental hospital's fence.

But that didn't mean they were not annoying and persistent in their stupidity. "Just drop that already and bring your ass here right this instant. Where are you, by the way?"

Karin answered serene and totally not bothered by the fact that she was late and her friend had a plane to catch later on. Time held no value for women that lived for the moment, like her. _"Home, where else? Stop being so impatient, it makes you look distressed and clingy. Men hate that."_

"Home as in…your one? Because if you make me wait until your freaky lover boy wakes up and-"

"_Jeez Sakura, relax. I am at my house, ok? Gosh…you made me apply too much mascara. Now my eyelashes are going to look like spider's legs. I will be there in fifteen minutes."_ She assured a growing nervous Sakura. The said girl was already fuming and plotting revenge. She absolutely loathed people being late.

"Fifteen minutes? This is only the time you need to chose your heels and comb that eccentric hair of yours, you weirdo." Sakura already had her schedule planned and she didn't like changes in the program. She had to go to drive to the airport and she had to be two hours earlier to make it through the checking point.

"_It is called stylish and you are envious and I am ready to bet you are scowling as well."_

"Get here already, we have stuff to do." Sakura cut her short, hanging on her laughing like crazy Karin. That girl was her friend. It just gave the Sound agent a throbbing headache.

"_Yeah yeah…just wait and see. I will make it in ten."_

"Hm…show off". Sakura couldn't get how police never caught Karin, for she was seriously racing on the roads. But then again, who would drive a Jaguar Lyonheart at speed limit? "I bet she is in for another fine. Papa is going to scold her." She inwardly smirked.

Her friend didn't nave the concept of speed limit in her vocabulary, almost always getting entangled with the police officers that were either giving her fines, or were falling for her well practiced flirts and she got away with it.

The Uzumaki lady was a pirate of the roads and a drive with her was like parachuting from a flying at top speed jet. It took Sakura much time to get used to the feeling of having her heart racing down her throat and let go of her seat belt, while she was praying for her life into the passenger seat.

"She is going to kill somebody one day, I am sure of it."

Although, she was not that lame like one really hungry Uzumaki Naruto, along with his equally dumb and hungry friend Inuzuka Kiba, who once broke into the ramen shop, just to be the first to taste the new noodle recipe, being detained by the police officers and giving Tobirama one hell of a trouble to get them out of arrest.

.

.

.

* * *

It took Karin exactly ten minutes of driving like a Road Runner, scaring the other drivers, parking carelessly in front of the green fence of Sakura`s home, grinning at her friend. Sakura was having her hands folded around her full chest, tapping her fingers impatiently on her arm, frowning at the red head lady.

"You are getting on my nerves." "Good morning to you too, honey. Now save that scary look for the dentist and put a smile on that pretty face of yours."

Karin said with an innocent look on her face. Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend, opening the door and throwing her body on the passenger seat, not bothering with the seat belt. As if such a minor thing would be able to save her life in case of an accident.

The way Karin drove was going to project them straight through the window like NASA rockets. "How can I possibly smile when my life is going to be ruined for God only knows how long?!" Karin could sense the distress radiating through her emerald eyed friend's every pore, though she was trying her best to put on a nonchalant mask and act like she was angry, when inside, she was probably melting in panic.

She turned the ignition on and stepped on the gas, bolting down the street, towards the mall, though the first thing that rooted inside her mind was a fancy small café and something sweet for a friend who looked like she was ready to attend her own funeral.

"I can imagine what is bothering you Cherry, but I want to hear all the details."

"You are going to mock me like yesterday. And thank you very much, the fact that all of you were laughing really helped. Fucking Hell…" Sakura`s tone was harsh and unleashed, but she didn't have to fake a ladylike attitude in front of her best friend. Karin understood and she appreciated her for the patience she shown her.

"…I want Tiramisu." The jade eyed agent turned her head over her shoulder to face a relaxed red headed, pouting childishly at her. "Rin…I want my cake with double layers of ladyfingers…"

"I know Cherry, we are going to get you one the moment I pass this snails." Karin stepped violently on the brake, barely avoiding a collision with the car in front of her that stopped suddenly, cursing him like a sailor. "Fucking son of a…why, are those retards dead or is the Universe conspiring to get me insane?!"

"Why don't you change the line? We can take the longer route that crosses the bridge." Sakura suggested. She too hated traffic morning jams and the drivers were rushed and not very polite.

"Fucking hell…hold on." Sakura looked in horror how Karin boldly darted to the left line, avoiding the cars that were coming from the opposite direction, until she got to the other car, casually giving them the middle finger, when they honked her.

* * *

When they got to the mall's parking lot, the emerald eyed girl promptly jumped out of the car, pinching her cheeks just to make sure she was still alive and feeling pain. "You…are not normal."

"I am doing my best, thank you." Karin locked her car, hooked her hands with her friend, both entering their favorite café. Their menu was full of cafe and hot chocolate assortments, as well as Belgian Chocolate and cakes that made woman squirm in ecstasy.

They got a table for two people near the window, to have a better view on the wandering around people and the stupid things they bought. After the waiter took the order, Karin wasted no time in resting her elbows on the small round table, playing with the small mushroom like candle, eying her friend intently. "Spill it girl."

"What…?"

"You don't look too good. Another sleepless night?" Karin asked her friend with a hint of wariness in her tone, mixing her coffee. "Cherry?"

The emerald eyed agent darted her gaze from the appetizing cake she was enjoying towards her red headed friend, nodding reluctantly once, not bothering to conceal the obvious edgy feelings. "Yeah...I guess I am just..."

"Worried? Because of the mission?" Of course, Karin knew where all the self confidence ended and it had to deal not only with the lack of deeper interaction with the opposite sex, but also with the relentlessness the idea of the temporary move to an alien country, posing as a poor servant, with no perspective. "Don't be. You will be fine, I am sure of it."

The reluctance blooming into the golden viridian irises assured the auburn pair orbs that were looking closely to every inner turmoil washing through her friend's self, of the obvious reticence at the mere idea of she, being forcefully thrown back in her teenage years, when she has been poor and misjudged.

"I so want to believe you Rin, trust me but...there are so many things that could go wrong and it just make me wonder if Papa chose the most suited person for this mission."

"Do you doubt his decision?" A perfect shaped crimson eyebrow perked up at the way Sakura was fidgeting with the small silver spoon she was not using for its purpose, having a distracted way of expressing herself.

"On a more serious note, you have to admit that your cobra looking Papa is very wise. He wouldn't have sent someone that he deemed as inappropriate."

"I don't say he got it wrong by giving the task to me. I only say that I wonder if he realizes that it implies more than just keeping Lorane away from..." Sakura came to a brief halt, furrowing her delicate eyebrows, considering her chosen of words once again. "..._him."_

"You are so afraid of the Uchiha, that you even avoid saying his name?" Karin mocked friendly. "This is unusual for my usually level headed friend. Why all the hesitance?"

Sakura's next words oozed genuine feelings. She parted her rich light caramel locks over her shoulder and ear, speaking softly. "I don't know him. Sasuke." His name had a strong uneven resonance, the bright agent has learnt and rolling it out of her mouth came quite natural. "He is a stranger...from a world I don't accept nor begin to understand."

"We were strangers at first too, but it didn't stop us from becoming inseparable. "Karin reasoned, trying to keep a neutral professional voice to add to her credibility, even though she was well aware that her colleague and best friend would never refrain to ask for an advice.

"It is not the same thing. Papa, you, Tsunade-shishou or Anko didn't mean to harm me or reject me. You were meant to bond from the very beginning." Her lack of self confidence started to dictate her train of thoughts, Sakura vaguely realized, but it was her perception towards the imposing Uchiha and his more than anticipated mistrust and rejection. "Like it was _fated _to happen."

"My guess is that you have been brainwashed by Neji Hyuga and his shit about fate and predestined occurrences." Karin shrugged once, casually sipping her coffee, trying to determine whether it needed more sugar or not. "You are gravely judging him by using false assumptions."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You have just said it yourself, Cherry. You _don't_ know him, so how about you stop with the negative thoughts and..." The red headed looked for the best way to tell the rightful words on a clear simple way to clear the doubts from her friend's confused eyes. "...how should I say this...give him a chance."

Sakura's shimmering garnet green eyes flew open, eying her friend in awe. "An opportunity to prove himself? Is this what you mean?" Giving up her principles and view over the others was something she couldn't do on a whim, Sakura decided.

She couldn't place her trust into the others and allowing Sasuke Uchiha to change her conceptions couldn't have been done in the spur of the moment. "Because I am not going to get to know him, if this is what you try to say."

"Why are you so adamant in keeping up your walls and not try to understand the others more?" If she would be honest, Karin would venture to openly admit that CIA has changed her friend's hurt, but solar positive spirit, into a cold porcelain doll with strong beliefs in the power of vengeance and a smile that never reached her eyes. "What if he is _different_ from the others like him? Orochimaru already stated he is serious about his job."

"And what if he is not? You know about this so called high society and their lack of concern for the others' well being." Sakura spit back, venom leaking from the inside of her tongue. "He couldn't possibly be that much of an intriguing character since he has _that _kind of reputation. And I am not talking about his career or academic results, although I will not make a fool of myself and say they are not impressive."

"So why do you hesitate to look at his photo then?"

Sakura elegantly sliced her Tiramisu with the small spoon, nonchalantly letting her friend know how uninterested she was. "Because I don't want to have a distorted image of him." She went on, sensing her friend's disbelief. "Pictures don't talk."

"So you want to know him better after all." Karin tried confidently. After a long chat with Anko and Tsunade, all the three women reached the genial conclusion that their little friend needed a man to bring back the blush on her cheeks and stir the latent dragonflies from the pits of her stomach to flutter in excitement. Sasuke looked close enough to the perfect opportunity.

No matter how much he loved to surround himself with luxury people and celebrities, the young Uchiha had a mysterious alluring natural charisma in the way he acted, that made him stood out, not necessary as a notorious player or businessman, but simply as a very intelligent intriguing man. Karin knew about him, for his name was on every colleague of hers lips.

Every woman that came across his features wouldn't stop fantasizing about the dark seductive heir, all except Sakura, who superficially studied his biography, over-confidently neglecting the pictures with him.

Sakura shook her head reluctantly a bit taken aback by the hesitation in her slightly quivery soft voice. "N-no. I want to stay as far away from him as possible. The fact that Lorane is on his tail is already bad enough. I feel like I have to be on two different battlegrounds at the same time."

There was a tiny whisper at the back of her hesitant stubborn mind that came close enough to her conscience that made Sakura question her own insecurities. "I don't understand how is this mission any different from the others."

Karin flashed a wicked grin, winking provocatively at her pure naive friend. "I think it has to do with your _target._" She went on confidently, sensing that she hit the nail on the head. "You find him interesting and it makes you uncomfortable. I don't think it is necessary a bad thing."

Sakura revealed a ghost of a smile, tentatively trying to cease away the small tremors of unknown anticipation rooting inside her at the thought of her soon to be _boss_.

What was that new unwanted sensation nailed to her heart, making her resolve tremble? Sasuke was just _someone._ Another mission she had to carry on, nothing more, nothing less. "You are just laughing at me, like you did yesterday. Such fake friends I have."

Karin rolled her eyes at that comment, flailing her hands above her head like a diva, ignoring the stares she got from the other people. "Oh, c'mon Sakura, stop being so overdramatic, will you? You are grown up woman, for fuck's sake, so stop acting like a scared kid on his first shot and loosen up. You have a one in a million chance there. Don't deprive yourself from life's little guilty pleasures."

"Why do you make it sound like I am guarding some kind of Crown Prince? He is just a man, jeez. Stop with that fangirl, is getting annoying."

"Just a man?!" Auburn eyes crept open dramatically. "Cherry, this is Sasuke Uchiha we are talking about, not just _another _face in the crowd. Any woman out there, me included, would sell their souls for a night with him, or even talk to him. And you get it for free!"

Sakura had an indecipherable expression playing at the corner of her jadeite eyes, while she did a small gesture with her hand at the waiter, to bring them the bill. "You can have all of him after I finish chopping him off. I will bring you pieces of him as a Christmas gift, with a red ribbon. I am not interested in him, or in what he has to..."

She unclasped her purse, looking for cash into her wallet, doing her best not to scowl at the young waiter that slipped his phone number under her napkin, while he was waiting for the tip. "...offer."

Karin saw the incident, but refrained to comment. Her friend wouldn't eye such a commoner since she has become high class herself, which was good in her opinion.

Let Sakura aim higher, meaning people like Uchiha. "I am going to hold you onto that one." Both agents stood up, leaving the café, having the males` around undivided admiration. "I bet he is going to get under your skin in no time."

"Stop with the nonsense and come help me find proper _clothes._" Sakura more than unceremoniously let the words come out of her mouth, much to Karin's dismay. "What the heck is wrong with all his guys trying to hit on me? First the postman, then the plumber and now a waiter."

"Don't forget all the other CIA agents, including that cute one that asked you to go to Bahamas with him, my sinister imbecile cousin, Naruto and that creepy loser neighbor of yours that sends you pralines and those weird flowers I don't know the name of." Karin had a finger lifted for each person she was listing, following her friend to the first floor of the mall they were in.

Sakura looked like someone ready to take a scythe, a dark cloak and go unleash her wrath upon the nagging mortals that had the guts to flirt with her. "Stop reminding me. It gives me the same feeling as when I parachute from a plane or do bungee jumping."

"You mean it makes adrenaline do funny things to your hormones?"

"No, it makes my insides clench and I get the urge to throw up. Those dudes are disgusting. Oh, that shop looks perfect for my undercover. Come!" She grabbed Karin's hand, pulling the girl towards one of the shops that was urban, streets fashion oriented, mostly for rebel teens. "Men are disgusting."

Karin was mentally cursing her ten inch stilettos. Her emerald eyed friend always had the uninspired bursts of running around in high heels. She got that from Tsunade that was a fact. "I swear I don't get it Cherry. How the hell is it possible for you not to have any sexual drive?" She asked incredulously, looking in dread at the shop Sakura was taking her in. "Why are we heading to that selling Halloween costumes shop?!"

"Bah...you have enough sexual cravings for both of us, so don't start with _those_ kind of girl talk. I still have nightmares from our last girls night out. And atop complaining, I need an advice."

"Then hear an useful one: let's had in the opposite direction." When both the agents marched towards some shelves that had clothes on sale, Karin pushed her glasses up her to her nose, looking in disbelief. "You can't possibly be serious, Sakura."

The said light coffee haired girl was already swimming through the messy looking clothes that would probably make her look underage, trying to shove away the sudden feeling of uncertainty creeping down her spine at sudden deja vu she had about her previous self. "Blame Papa for this, not me. He said I have to pose as a poor orphan farmer girl in debt, so I am just doing my best to create the perfect look."

"Perfect for what? Satanist rituals?" Karin raised her high nose, approaching a stall at random, handpicking a long baggy black dress, with lace sleeves and a V cut to reveal a generous part of cleavage, studying it. "I think I have just found out where Morticia Adams got her clothes from."

"Good. If that manages to scare him, then it passes." Sakura's emerald eyes were intently scanning for articles that would be comfortable and make her look normal and pass unnoticed among the others, feeling her temples burn at the way Karin was torturing her ears with a personalized comment of every fabric she laid her disapproving stare on. "What is that? Oh, look, skinny ripped Jeans. Give me that!"

"Is this even legal? You know, you can create a trashy studied look with Cavalli and Denim as well. So save me the trouble of having my retina permanently damaged and let's get the fuck out of here, before some hot looking dude sees us."

"Yeah, right. Like Uchiha would ever believe that I afforded to buy expensive clothing with the money I made from selling milk, cheese and cow meat. Get real Rin, he is a manwhore, not a complete retard...or so I heard." Sakura already had a mound of cheap clothes, that looked like an interesting mix between a tomboy and a Goth, heading to the young cashier lady.

"...so now you care about what he thinks about you. Besides, is this how a farmer should act? Shouldn't you be like...I don't know...more western or something?"

"Hello Miss, would you like to pay cash or card?"

"I have no idea." The forest green eyed agent quickly pulled away her golden credit card, handing it to the looking in astonishment lady, already picturing how her new life would look like. She only got images and words synonyms to horrid and creepy. "Maybe. Card please."

Karin was eying her blankly. "You mean...you wrote in the CV you submitted online that you own a farm in Italy, but you know nothing about what is like to _be _a farm girl?" Her friend was truly something...else. Not only she was acting out of character, not doing her research of her mission in advance, but she was actually not giving it much thought either. Strange. "For real?"

"Yeah. It is not like he has any idea of that either."

"You never know. Maybe his grand-grand-grandfather owned a pretty large farm and he used to plant tomatoes or cucumbers and you are going to make a fool of yourself the first moment you will cast your eyes on him."

They both headed out of the shop to another on, while a the other guys populating the area in their vicinity were winking at them, sending knowing glances. "Well scratch that, I am _sure _you are so going to embarrass yourself in front of him that I am willing to bet you everything on that one."

"Why thank you for the encouraging thoughts Rin. And no, we already know what his ancestors' jobs were, and I doubt that Mangekyou specialized in farming as well. So, you lost." She gave her red headed friend a bump on her ribs with her elbow, for smiling at all the men that turned their heads over their shoulders when they passed them. Stop that!"

Karin was too flirty for her liking and Sakura was totally not in the mood. "Stop what? Acting like my age...or gender?" She half faked a surprised reaction. "Cherry, don't tell me you are going to come out of the closet!"

"You are insane, you know that? I think you are a worse clinical case than Hidan. And that guy sleeps with a freaking scythe hanging above his bed."

"I was right." Karin stated solemnly, shoving Sakura away of a shop she attempted to enter. It looked like something only a cavemen would wear, when he went bankrupt. "You need to get laid _pronto _honey. Those hormones of yours are already in delirium."

Sakura planted her heel on the ground, firmly opposing Karin's pulling, making her stop and follow into a normal decent looking store. "And you need medical attention. And therapy. Now come, I need toiletries and undergarments."

"Can we check on Victoria's Secret new spring arrivals?"

Sakura pursed her rosy heart shaped lips for a moment, nodding affirmatively, much to her friend's contentment. "Well...it is not like he is going to _ever _see me naked so...why not?"

"All right! Let's start with lingerie and night gowns!"

"Don't push it, though."

* * *

}{

* * *

A hard impassive stare shot towards the large screen that was resting on the wall, eying the concealed in the darkness features of the mysterious interlocutor.

He was radiating an aura of superiority and over confidence that was a bit contradictive with the doctrine and ideology he was promoting. "I expect good news, or else..." The silent threat lingered in the air for a brief.

His voice came out with an equal authority, worth of his reputation, not in a bit impressed by the person that has contacted him. He knew what he had to disclose, so he made it quick_. "Relax. It was a success...as usual. My brother's work is flawless and their methods are smooth."_

The person eying him in disbelief was not in the bit impressed by his use of traditional weapons or tactics, only pursuing his own ambition, at the cost of having to tolerate rituals he didn't quite deemed worth of attention.

"Usual? I wouldn't stretch it too far if I were you. Remember that you failed the previous one and made me lose a ton of money. Another stunt like that is going to cost us dearly." The tone became harsher and more commanding. "And _you _are going to take full responsibility, with everything that it entitles."

_"I never forgot my way, unlike other people. No need to remind you that you are equally responsible since we are being associates."_ He bit back reproachful, much to his partner's dismay and growing anger, with every passing second. The odds were playing in their favor and the time to unleash pain into the world and create a _new ordeal _was closer than ever.

"Associates? Don't forget your place. I am your _superio_r! And it was your own fucking job to poison that loathsome company's CEO and save me the bother of covering up for your incompetence! Should I remind you that it almost got _them _to..._us_?"

_"That was something unexpected. I didn't imagine that other agents would be there as well."_

"I warned you beforehand and made it crystal clear to _not _lower your damn guard in front of a bunch of children. But of course, you chose to defy me." The stoic partner in crimes shouted out loud to the frightening pair of lavender irises popping out of the shadows to properly face the web cam.

_"On the contrary, my fellow impatient friend. They were not just children and you should have told me about their skill."_

"I didn't imagine your incompetence would be that obvious!" A punch of disagreement almost cracked the neat surface of the large desk, making the pencils resting on the meat surface roll down on the floor. "Back to the main point: Uchiha Fugaku is planning to step down and let his younger son take over."

_"We have already anticipated their move and we are going to deal with him accordingly."_

"He is going to have a CIA agent to keep an eye on him, probably working undercover. Approach _her _cautiously, but when you get the chance, kill her as well." The command came as simple and impartial. They both knew that acquiring universal domination required collateral sacrifices and many difficult obstacles to overcome, but with their growing influence, nothing appeared as impossible.

A pair of sharp eyebrows shot up in surprise, taken aback by the sudden reveal_. "Her? A female agent? Who is she?"_

"Athena of the Sound. You know her."

_"Emerald eyes blazing like sparkling diamonds under the flickering of a candle...that agent. She has taken down many of my fellows. An elite."_

"And a major pain in the ass. Be careful not to lead her to us though and take advantage of the fact that she is there as well. Kill two birds with one stone. Remember that I went through Hell and back to get her do the mission."

_"What so you mean you by that? You are not the one in charge to assess her the mission."_

A wide vile grin welcomed the mighty Leader of the Lorane, as a memento of his partner's undeniable power and control, like a spreading lethal virus with no existing cure. "Of course not. But I was the one to _make sure _that the one who is responsible for this is going to do it."

_"Everything to get her close to our target and separate her from her colleague's protection? A wise step of that I approve."_

"I don't give a damn if you like it or not. They got involved so we have to respond. I will not fail my goal, just because some scared mice are playing the capable agents. We have to make sure everything its on place when we are going to come to the light."

He nodded once in understanding, but his aversion towards the impolite overconfident tone was getting him seek patience. They needed one another and on of them should have been the collect one, he knew.

Lorane needed a strong unfaltering leader and he was the most accurate choice. _"Leave this to me. I am planning to deal with it myself. Meanwhile, there are others I have to deal with. The Charity Ball is close. That would be a good opportunity to do some...cleaning."_

"On the contrary my shallow _friend_..." The mockery was obvious from the way the words were carelessly spoken into the speaker. They were anything but. Friendship was an alien concept in that kind of relationship. Rivalry and opposing ambitions were the ones to make a difference. "I have a very good idea of how to properly welcome the future CEO...in case you will fail again of course."

_"I suggest you don't underestimate..."He started low, as his parting words, before pressing the button to end up the video call. It was making him angry. "...the power of true __Pain__."_

The line went dead. Flashing million white dots were buzzing on the screen. "Fucking lunatic idiot..."

* * *

}{

Same morning, Ravenna Italy, Tobirama`s office

* * *

Tobirama was keeping a close eye on his agents, intently fighting the urge to snap at every of them, for creating an uproar into his office at such an early hour in the morning.

They were too loud for his liking and their blatant act of contempt was visible in the way they weren't paying attention to what tried to explain and unfortunately, it was not a one time occurrence.

His Spartan view of obedience and respect for their superiors was something he had indoctrinated into his mind, ever since he has been an aspiring agent, so it was more than natural he would have liked the Akatsuki to follow his steps and value the strict dogmas.

But that came as utopia from Tobirama`s point of view, since it appeared that all of them were suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but stubbornly refused medical help.

And the getting riled up Hokage had second thoughts in excluding the questionable composed Uchiha Itachi, who was currently sitting on the leather black armchair, with one hand elegantly holding his cup of dark coffee and the other securely keeping a thick file, letting his onyx eyes scan the content, ignoring his inattentive colleagues with a nonchalance that stirred envy.

Neji Hyuga was mirroring his apathetic demeanor, taking the vacant place beside him, on the large sofa, frowning in the direction of the eternal energetic Akatsuki agents, shaking his head in disbelief.

They initially have been summoned to discuss a very upcoming big mission that required undivided attention, but somehow, it degenerated to a very mind stimulating discussion started by no other than the office's fools, Uzumaki Naruto and Kiba Inuzuka.

From the look of it, the two blabbering and flailing friends have discovered a new ramen shop, that had a way with preparing the soup to give it a more creamy feeling and they felt the need to share the joyful news with the rest of their friends.

As if sensing a pair of ready to do permanent impalement burning down his skull, Neji shot his uninterested pale eyes up to face a very pissed off looking Tobirama, who was silently conveying a clear message, to interfere and put an end to the circus like attitude his colleagues had.

But the Hyuga heir wasn't one to give a damn about the matter, even though it directly affected him as well, in the form of a creeping painful headache, because the one that was the leader of their small team, was no other than the older Uchiha brother.

Though, by the way the placid man was enjoying his coffee like an elder in front of the fireplace in a Christmas morning, completely not paying attention to any of them, assured him of the fact that no interference was going to come from him.

He was casually studying the mission report, like he had no care in the world. _'Freakin` workaholic.'_ It was not like he did not appreciated the Uchihas, on the contrary, he even came as close as a friend of the younger brother as well, but it was just something into their subtle authority that made him edgy. Bunch of freaks. And they had a heated glare to match their creepy personalities, he decided.

"Are they going to finish soon? I have an appointment to manicure at 12 o'clock." Ten Ten addressed her fiancé in a bored way, lazily resting her legs onto his lap, playing on her phone, having fun killing zombies. A bad habit she piqued from Naruto.

"Probably after they tell us the molecular composition of the new ramen menu. I bet they send it to Shino for basic investigation…or worse, to Orochimaru". He answered evenly.

"Enough with the bullshit!" If there was something that truly made Tobirama`s field of view to turn on red, beside Orochimaru, was to be ignored. One couldn't possibly be thinking to avoid his presence and blabber about the most idiotic things he ever heard. "Naruto and Kiba, I suggest you two shut the fuck up, before I am going to assess you on a mission to Alaska, to deal with the whale poachers!"

His harsh voice, complemented by the deep scowl decorating his harsh features, made it sound robotic and it only stimulated Naruto and Kiba`s imagination, making them bit their lower lips to contain their snorts

"Now, to go on with the reason why we are all here. As you have read from the file I sent to you all yesterday, Lorane is on the move. We have information regarding an upcoming assassinate in Tokyo and I want to stop this before it gets out of our hands."

The atmosphere turned serious and the room grew still upon hearing the troublesome information.

"What file is he talking about?" Naruto leaned in towards Neji, whispering into his ear, completely oblivious to what was his leader talking about. He was not one to have been caught dead studying files or…studying for the matter.

"The encrypted file Hokage-sama has emailed us yesterday, regarding the Lorane. You were supposed to take a look at it and get a general idea over the possible targets and strategy." Neji replied as a matter of fact, smirking down at the way Naruto`s face grew blank, like he has been address in an alien language, by friendly small people with green antennas, from Mars.

"Dude…the hell?" An equally out of place Inuzuka elbowed his partner info his ribs to catch his attention. "Maybe we should have done this first, instead of engaging in a 9 hours session of killing monsters and zombies. Damn I don't have peripheral vision anymore, from staying glued to that screen."

Though, they took much pleasure from managing to broke their previous record.

"Who cares about that?" The cerulean eyes Uzumaki heir answered genuinely, making the other Akatsuki agents slap their forehead in astonishment at his casual attitude over such crucial matters.

"They are going to tell us anyways, that's why we are here, right?" He shot back confidently. "Huh…true that." Kiba nodded once, folding his hands upon his chest.

As the head of the Human Resources, Kiba was not only helping the CIA agents to develop and understand their capabilities and strong points, but he was taking parts in the missions as well, supporting the Akatsuki, especially when it came to the Freemasonry, who was a top priority for the entire organization.

Kisame has found the moment appropriate to join the conversation, suppressing the urge to laugh at the obviously deeply insulted Hokage and his disapproving attitude towards the childish behavior of his subordinates. "I don't understand. If we are able to have an insight of what are they plotting, isn't this supposed to be a good thing?"

Surprisingly, it was Itachi the one to enlighten him up, letting his words be known for the first time since they arrived to their Hokage`s office room, in that smooth characteristic low soothing tone. "Even if we know that they are planning to get their hands on my foolish little brother, it is meaningless since we don't have any other detail, as in, the moment when they plan to strike or the Intel they have on our own moves."

"Then why in the world are we still standing here doing group therapy, instead of taking the first flight to Japan and take care of the Teme`s ass?!" In all honesty, Naruto couldn't wait to depart to his hometown and get the chance to annoy the hell out of his self proclaimed best friend and brother, Sasuke, laughing at his funny face when he got angry.

His older version, Itachi, was no fun to begin with, because he lacked those vile glances that made grown ups tremble in fear. "As original as that might have sounded at first, Naruto…" Itachi unhurriedly flipped the page of the file he was studying, trying his best to find the proper ways to explain the most recent events to the blonde. He was in for a good heart attack, the older Uchiha was certain. "…someone else has been two steps ahead of us".

Somewhere in front of him, Tobirama`s aura turned murderous. Oh, that made him go livid. "Would you be so kind to talk in a language I am able to understand and enlighten me the mortal of what in the seven pits of Hell are you trying to say?"

The only think that Naruto was able to grasp when Itachi was involved in the sentence, it was the fragrance of the delicious butter pancakes he did. He had an equivocal way with his words that made the golden haired Uzumaki wonder if they spoke the same language to begin with. Itachi sighed visibly, pinching the bridge of his nose, exasperated.

He truly loved each of his agents, but sometimes they annoyed him, especially when they didn't understand his explanations. He was a man of few words. "To put it simply, the Sound found out about the fact that Lorane is planning to assassinate Sasuke and they have sent Haruno to guard him. Is this clear enough for you?"

For the first time that morning, the room went completely silent but it was that kind of tranquility that made the souls roll in anxiety and bewilderment, upon hearing the agent the Sound has been sent to deal with the case.

It didn't came as a shock for the most of the Akatsuki members, for they kind of expected such a skilled agent to have been appointed to supervise the young Uchiha and make sure Lorane is not going to approach him and put an end to one of the few remained in business heir that was openly opposing their reign.

But the visible tension hanging on the air rooted like willow trees near the water, when the name of their sworn rivals have been dropped by Itachi. It somehow got a more meaningful resonance and it pressed the knife more against Tobirama's back.

They have once again been caught out of guard and slow and it surged a mortifying vision of their victory into Tobirama's enraged mind. "You don't have to make it sound so obviou-" The hissing Hokage has been more than rudely interrupted by a burst of heartedly laughter, coming from the always carefree azure eyed Uzumaki.

The moment the mental images of the aforementioned people have been overlapped before his entertained vision, it took Naruto exactly one moment to throw his head backwards, slip a hand upon his stomach and laugh like there was no tomorrow, with comical tears pooling at the corner of his eyes.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…Oh my God they have sent...bwhahaha...a Goddess like Sakura-chan...straight into the Teme's cage...hahaha...fuck man, this is priceless! I hear the wedding bells hahaha!" Not only the Uzumaki's cheeks were painted with a beautiful purple hint, like he was on the verge to suffocate, but his equally rolling on the floor friend, Kiba has joined the chorus, laughing at the irony and the grotesque of the situation.

It took such skilled people to make the ridiculousness an art. "Hahaha...I can totally imagine those two role playing like...hahaha...the maid and the boss and get all kinky together haha!"

"Itachi, dude, get ready to become an uncle!" The said Uchiha snapped his glare towards the loud members of his team, feeling all his nerves paralyzed, with the exception of his throbbing left eye. "Yeah man, some agent you are. Not even your younger brother got laid before you, but he is going to be the first to get a hot bride delivered at his doorsteps, first."

Jirayia was hiding behind Kakashi, shoving his fist down his mouth, to stifle his unannounced snorts. Being the 'specialist' in the arts of being a total stalker, he had million thoughts running through his deprived mind, already having a clear vision of a new plot for the book he was working at.

Having the necessary intel on Sasuke's taste for women and parties, Kakashi found it appropriate shut his sole visibly eye in amusement, elbowing the older fiancé of Tsunade down his liver, to stop slap his shoulder and make him act like a clown as well.

Tobirama looked thorn between having a spontaneous heart attack, or murder the laughing occupants of his office, by strangling their throats with his bare hands. He had enough connections to blame it on a mission and avoid a criminal sentence. Unlike the collected Itachi, he was more vocal in expressing his disagreement, being less tactful. "Auch! What the heck-"

A loud unexpected bang filled the room, silencing the nagging commotion of laughing imbeciles, caused by an angry Hokage and his steel stapler aimed precisely at the blonde's head. "...it hurts!"

"Uzumaki...I dare you to interrupt my meeting once again and you are going to win a ticket to Patagonia and take care of the Elephant seals!".

"Wha- no way man, I am done with exotic animals! I don't want to be bitten by other freaky things, like that giant spider from-"

"Oh, can you just shut your fucking mouth up already?!" Ten Ten threw her fists in the air, hitting her fiancé in the process, on his chin, rolling her chocolate eyes when Naruto gave her the finger. "Why are we _always _talking about that whore again?"

"Tennie, don't call Sakura-chan like that she is not an easy woman!" The fact that Naruto had a crush on a pair of sparkling unique emerald eyes was not a secret, but the way he was voluntarily defending her case every time angered the others who hated her or the Sound.

Ten Ten on the other hand, was barely restraining the need to stab her in her chest with a sword whenever she got the sight of the beautiful agent. She didn't went deaf at all the rumors about how she got such an almighty position by fooling around with the higher ups and definitely, the aura of superiority was confirming her beliefs.

"No, of course not. She is just fucking every dick that crosses her way to get what she wants." The coffee eyed agent loathed Sakura from the bottom of her heart and had no trouble to admit it. "You know what I think? That karma has sent a slut like her to an equally manwhore like Sasuke and get a payback! I hope he breaks her heart!"

"Te Ten..." Neji was one of the agents who found the rivalry between the Sound and Akatsuki dumbfounded, so his fiancé's accusations were making him react. Itachi shared his point of view, but decided not to interfere. Women were a domain he was not excelling at.

"Oh, don't you dare to defend her too, you stupid Hyuga because you are going to take it!" She would hear none and it was already bad enough that her lover was not joining her side like he too was under her spellbound. Men were lusting after Sakura, literally drooling at her feet, on the same manner women all over the world were in hysterics when Sasuke showed his face to the crowd.

"As much as I am not fond of the Sound myself, I find it to be the best decision for now. Haruno is a very capable agent and she is tactful and subtle." Itachi started calmly, bring the voice of ration. The others were arguing and taking biased sides, much to his horror. "Working undercover for my otouto, she is the last expected to screw this mission up".

"Why can't the Weasel here be the one to baby-sit his brother instead? Wouldn't it be less suspicious if he did that?" Kiba recovered from hysterics, finding it appropriate to reason and prove the others that he too could have been serious. Not that anyone actually paid him much attention.

"Precisely for that reason, Inuzuka. Use your damn head for other things instead to only support that loud mouth of yours." Neji pressed, eying the said agent with a scowl on his face. "We can't risk to expose our team leader to any threat, since the last time we had to openly save his father's life and disclose our identities to Lorane."

The sole female occupant of the office lifted a precise eyebrow, darting her eyes from Neji to Kiba."...so instead of sending him, they chose to send Athena ,who is another agent and one almost every criminal organization knows instead? Isn't this the same shit?"

"It is not, because the Sound is used to deal with the Freemasonry and they have more battle experience." Kakashi simply pointed out. "Plus, we have to deal with other cases that don't involve Lorane as well, so we can't afford to have Itachi staying close to Sasuke all the times. He doesn't have time for this. Plus..."

He let his eye dart knowingly on Itachi`s jet ones, not finishing his sentence. Everyone knew that the two brothers were anything beside friends. If the older Uchiha loved his relative and earnestly looked out for his well-being, Sasuke swore he would on day kill him for giving up his rightful position as the next CEO and make him forcefully take over.

Sasuke despised Itachi with all his might and every family gathering, be it private or in public, always ended up bad. Tobirama decided to take the lead of the conversation, taking some files from his briefcase and throwing it aimlessly in his desk, eying his agents with a serious look. "Well...don't feel disappointed, because we are too going to take part into the show."

"You mean...you are going to make us pose as maids as well? Because I am not going to wear that damn servant's aprons-" Neji's lavender eyes parted in shock. Ten Ten smirked down at his misfortune.

"Why not? It would go well with your pretty hair." She even brushed her fingers through his soft long tresses, much to his anger. "I am not a woman!"

"With that diva attitude, he could have fooled me." Kiba whispered to Naruto in what hoped was a low tone. Of course everyone heard him and snickered.

"So...what would our task be?"

"I am glad you are so interested Ten Ten. Uzumaki Naruto, along with Hyuga Neji and you..." The said mentioned agents went all eyes and ears. "...are to pack your shit immediately and fly straight to Narita airport. From there, you are to head to our base in Tokyo and assist the Sound in collecting information about Lorane and keep an eye on their killers. As well as make sure Uchiha Sasuke and the other targeted influential people, stays safe."

Tobirama has already started to name all the things that could possible go wrong with that, in his mind.

"...you mean...I got the mission to annoy the heck out of the Bastard? Fuck yeah!" At the mention of Sasuke's name, Naruto's clear blue eyes shot opened in excitement, like he has just found out that he has been chosen as the next President. He wasted no time in jumping off the sofa, take the mission file from the desk and sprint outside the office, screaming at his colleagues.

The said couple was shaking their heads in disbelief. That didn't look promising. "Hurry up you two, I want to make it to Tokyo before Sakura-chan and see her meet Teme. I will make millions from recording the event and sell it online!"

* * *

"I have a very bad feeling about this." Ten Ten reluctantly followed Neji outside after they too got the files with the description of their task, leaving the other agents behind to be given another tasks. They had to pack their luggage.

"My head is aching already. And we aren't even there. Sharing the same house with that idiot...God help us..." Neji already envisioned how his following months would look like. Naruto's hyperactivity was no joke. It was like sharing the space with jealous monkeys.

"Well, what would you expect? You know how much he loves Uchiha. Aren't they like best buddies or something?" "Don't know, don't care. They are both weirdos that annoy me to no end. It would have been better if he would have joined us in the very first place."

"Shhh...don't be so loud you moron!" Ten Ten hissed to her fiancé while they did their best to act nonchalant while passing other CIA agents. "You know it was supposed to be a secret." Neji casually pushed his shoulders up, not giving a damn about that. Since they knew, it was one secret less.

"It is the truth. Sasuke would have been a good agent, you know it. I doubt he even needs the Sound's protection to start with." As hard to believe as it might sound, Sasuke has been asked to join the CIA in his high school days and become an agent, but for reasons that escaped everyone's vigilance, he blatantly refused them and chose to take over the Mangekyou and lead a boring life as a businessman instead.

It was an universal truth that Sasuke was a brilliant businessman with a sparkling genius when it came to finding impossible strategies to make the company grow, gaining respect and admiration as a very promising CEO, but his real skills were far superior.

The moment Itachi opposed his father's wish to be his successor and take over the family job, running from home and fooling everyone that he chose to pursue his dream as a broker for a small insurance company from Italy, Sasuke has been giving Fugaku's undivided praise, taking his brother's place. Itachi has been considered the black ship of the Uchiha family ever since.

Sasuke was indeed a man whose taste for stunning ladies and expensive liquor was a hot gossip, But he was definitely not another snobby rich young heir, like his business partners or young heirs his age. No, far from it.

Putting aside his deviously gorgeous looks which stole all the eyes and lustful winks and smiles, his intellect was out of charts too. Just like his brother Itachi, he was skilled in everything he did, wearing himself with an air of arrogant confidence, striking features and proud demeanor.

The younger Uchiha heir had a way of dealing with the toughest situations, revealing inspiration, vision and wisdom that was strikingly contradicting his lack of experience at such a fragile age. He was basically born to overshadow his rivals, for everywhere he went his demeanor was outstanding.

From the way he confidently walked, the natural eloquence in the way he spoke, to the way he was conducting business related meetings, his demeanor was flawless, proving himself more than worth to bear his ancestor's powerful name.

And to top it all, the man proved battling skills, talent and strategic quick inventive thinking, that made CIA grown up agents crawl in fear. Some would even venture as to declare him more gifted than his own brother, Itachi, who was already a prodigy of his generation.

His skills were on par with his loud best friend's Naruto. Their little sparring sessions were something to look for. But when CIA came with the offer for him to take the preliminary admission tests, Sasuke simply told them he wasn't in the least interested and they were all boring fools that did not manage to captivate him or pique his interest, so he simply turned his back on them and left.

Naruto and Itachi have always wondered if there wasn't much more to the story than a simple family commitment Sasuke proved, when agreed to be the next Mangekyou CEO, successfully taking Itachi`s rightful place. It was undeniably a shame and a great loss for a man that would probably have been a rare gemstone for the CIA, to turn down the one lifetime offer.

"Who knows Neji? After all, not everyone is suited to become an agent, no matter how skilled might that person be."

"True. But I just can't get rid of this feeling, no matter how much I try to ignore it." The chestnut eyed woman followed her fiancé's lead towards their black SUV, taking a seat beside him, climbing on the passenger seat, eying him suspiciously.

"What feeling?"

"That there is _something_ we have all overlooked."

* * *

.

**.**

**.**

* * *

**Yucatán** Mexic, 20 km far from _Chichén Itzá_

The feared Leader threw the small phone he has just used to talk to his equally full of ambition and animosity partner on the cold surface of the marble floor, turning around to face the audience, with a blazing stare that made the tiny hair on their forearms erect in dread.

He was an unforgiving attitude that made the blood freeze into his interlocutor's blood and stop their heartbeats from pumping their lives down their chests, when he addressed them in a robotic voice darker than the stillness of a night, in a cold December day.

"My fellow Master _Masons_, the time for us the one that have been liberated from sin to bring peace into this corrupted decadent world and ignite the flame of hope our ancestors have passed to us down the vengeful hearts that struggle into oblivion."

He spoke cryptically, in a hard tone, with a solemn touch into his meaningful words. He might have been considered a ruthless man, whose perfect vision of universal acceptance and mutual understanding could have only be achieved after the people would stop hating on each other and unite under the unforgiving eye of the Creator, bonding through their suffering and loneliness.

"My Lord…" One of the members of the secret gathering, tentatively began, lifting his chin to reveal a pair of brown hopeful round eyes, partly concealed by the black cloak he was wearing, as their etiquette required. "…we, your humble brothers, would like to know more details about the upcoming task we have been assigned with and assure the success of our mission. We don't want our effort to drag our beloved fellows from the Order down."

"If you would find the patience to enlighten us with the personal data about our targets that keep on opposing the change and the illumination we are going to unleash into the world, we, the one that seek salvation and purification from your undying light would be more than ready to depart as soon as you would allow."

The other younger Mason followed the same obedient manner to convey his thoughts, getting an approving nod from his Leader.

"No worries my beloved brothers, I am going to personally deliver all the information and precise location of your next target, as well as the complete detailed plan of the buildings. Everything is covered for you to help our fraternity spread judgment upon the atheists that deny this world of achieving though purification. You are to leave immediately, using one of hour helicopters."

"Thank you, my Lord. Your generosity is an inspiration for us, your followers. If you would be so kind to provide us a bulletproof van to make our ride there easier, we would forever be indebt to you."

He faltered for a moment while his hand halt midway, fingers tightly enveloping the Karlsbad crystal glass filled with white expensive champagne, considering the request carefully, planning everything ahead, like his reputation was.

"A means of transport…you are going to have it the moment you arrive to Tokyo. You are bound to meet your other acquaintances there as well. They are going to help."

The two men didn't question his sharp judgment, silently taking note of any other detail they could have possibly overlook, while their mentor was flashing the familiar pure golden ring, encrusted with precious rubies in the color of crimson and the familiar pair of compasses as their crest, adorning his finger, all reeling in admiration.

"What about the younger offspring of the retiring Mangekyou CEO?" One boldly asked. "The young Uchiha`s taste for luxury and human pleasures will be his _downfall_. We, the ones whose eyes have already bathed into the light, are going to exploit the unforgivable sins, by sending a bait to lure him in the very capable hands of our brothers".

His words were oozing enmity upon disclosing the most debauched traits one living could have had, in his opinion. In his opinion, people should constantly seek salvation and pry for their souls to receive forgiveness and transcend their mortal condition, by turning into stars dust and find their place into God's realm, not succumbing to the mortal carnal attractions and corrupted intoxicating materialistic desires.

"_Ellohim_", an elder that was seated on the opposite side of the long mahogany table, wisely slipped a valuable detail into the conversation, attracting all the heads towards him. "I have been informed that the defying Central Intelligence Agency has grown aware of our actions."

"I have almost been abducted by one of their agents on my last mission, and I barely escaped them. They are very proficient with traditional weapons, having similar fighting skills that are on par with our best members." Another pursued the train of confessions, making the audience earnestly confirm the matter.

It has been the unrestrained cooperation between the Sound and the Akatsuki the thing that managed to oppose their obvious attempt to take away another life of an influential hotel chains holder, landing a good blow, delaying their plans.

"What are we to do if we are to encounter them in the future? Should we make use of _firearms_ as well?" The innocent question came as a proclamation of war towards their philosophy, because Lorane refrained from the usage of any weapon that was the token of a world aiming to destroy the basic principles of harsh training and human value, meaning the fire guns.

"B-but…this is against the rules!"

"Outrageous! We cannot allow our hands to get dirty, like the _others _do!" Someone protested from the mass of people, folding their hands over their covered in their tunic chests, nodding energetically towards one another.

Their leader had his own fair share of burning blood and clenching in blazing fury innards at the idea of getting associated with such people, but he had no choice. He knew exactly that their rivals were not entirely traditional methods oriented and he couldn't let that particular impediment to stop his ideology.

"Enough!" A choir of strained gulps came from the then going silent assembled people echoed through the wet rocky walls, at the meaningful command coming from the resting on his large regal throne indomitable leader. "You will not be forced to make use of such weapons, because your tasks are going to be split up among you and the _others._"

"Should we handle the young Uchiha as well, along with the other?" The first assassin that has been appointed with the bloody mission, eagerly asked.

"No." The merciless passive man answered darkly, but smoothly. He has been warned to wait for further instructions and, even though it went against his principles to take such rush orders, he had no choice but to obey. "Uchiha Sasuke is not to be carelessly approached. He is going to suffer the consequences of being the promoter of this self-indulged world soon."

The same elder that warned his brothers about the CIA getting involved in the mission, chose to once again voice out his finding, though his own espionage acts."I am able to confirm the fact that the boy with the eyes like a raven's is going to be kept under strict surveillance by one of their best agents."

It stirred an uproar among the other masons, but their illuminated higher up has previously been informed about the fact.

"So I have been told." Confusion was visible into the members of Lorane`s mutterings. "

Who is this agent?"

"Is he skilled?"

"You know the name all too well." Indeed, it had a mythical resonance that sent cold shivers down everybody's present spines, not expecting such a move from their enemies. "Athena."

The closest to him men silently spoke, as too preserve the thick tension visible among them.

"What are your orders regarding this particular matter, my Lord?"

"How should we handle with the unexpected situation?" A loud piercing 'crack' of the inestimable glass made a thin line of pouring red salty liquid on his trembling in rage hand. The answer came in a form of dripping venom, so dark, that it was almost suffocating to the audience, but the message was clear as a cold rapid mountain stream.

"Kill her."

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

10 p.m Italy, Federico Fellini International Airport

* * *

An impatient young agent was darting her eyes all around in, eagerly taking in the rushed families and friends, excited to see their beloved ones arrive or give their last embrace to those who were departing, thinking about her upcoming destination.

Emerald eyes shot down at the ticket she was gripping, scanning the content, making sure she got the plane and the gate correctly, feeling her heart thump soundly into her chest and mixed emotions flame down her insides, like mini supernovas ready to crush on the earth.

"Narita International Airport…" She muttered softly, reluctantly taking small steps towards the gate she was supposed to cross through, swiftly turning her head over her shoulder to take a look around at the familiar scenery for the last time, almost feeling bad for not allowing Karin or Orochimaru to come and send her off, but she knew they were both too busy to listen to her depressed state.

Having to give up her nymph like demeanor and elegant lifestyle, Sakura caught a peek at her regular, almost funny appearance in the glass door, not believing that her nervous eyes were not deceiving her, because she looked exactly how she used to, before the Sound became her salvation and it made her throw all the remains of self trust and mental strength she had.

"I am so not ready to do this, mission be damned!" The emerald eyed agent momentarily let go of the small bag she was allowed to take into the plane, pulling out the small iPod she never left home, shoving the stereos into her ears, putting the volume up, until she was able to block everything around her, letting music take over her tensed stressed nerves.

She lazily waited for the other passengers to cross through the check point, smirking at some rapper dude, who was killing the physical metal detector with all the flashy jewelry and accessories adorning his body.

The security guy was looking like he was in the verge of fainting, because the monitors were constantly beeping. Guy probably had more jewelry hanging around his neck, than Cleopatra on procession.

This was going to take time. She was able to see the plane approaching the airport, slowly descending from the sky. Unexpectedly, her ticking jumped into her throat, preventing her to inhale deeply for a moment, adrenaline surging down her spine, in a form of electric jolts of anticipation.

"I have the feeling that the next time I will return here…_everything _is going to be different."


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

2 a.m in the morning, 3 hours into the flight

"…101…102…103….FUCK MY LIFE" Sakura seriously thought she was going to loose it. 3 hours…3 freaking hours into the flight and she was seriously contemplating the idea of doing some permanent damage on something…or someone. And Orochimaru had the guts to call himself a genius.

Sakura couldn't even comprehend why the hell was she flying to a low cost class dirty and suspiciously fragile looking plane, instead of an airbus at business class?!

"Because we don't want Sasuke to become suspicious of your cover. You don't know who might see you there. The man has serious connections. Must keep it low while you are at it". This is exactly what Anko told her the very first moment Sakura was allowed to make a phone call from this garbage of a plane.

She wasn't allowed to take her iPod, her handbag was somewhere…in the back of the plane (apparently the planes for poor people didn't allow any bags near you while flying, probably considering the plane's damaged condition, they were throwing them if there were turbulences, in order to maintain its course and balance) if you were to believe the weird looking stewardess…and a child that rivaled a kangaroo's behavior was banging his surprisingly strong for his age legs (Good God he had two of them. If he was a spider the whole plane would have turned into a giant drum that would make Metallica scream in ecstasy) into the back of her seat…from the moment they took off.

Two rows in front, an old hag was in hysterics. She was screaming at the top of her lungs at an equally old and tired looking husband. Apparently, their nephew stole some shit land they owned in Arizona for the false pretense of building a little farm for the family to move in and her husband was "spoiling the little demonized brats, for they had the guts to put up a stunt like that". The poor man was probably counting his chances of survival if he was to parachute himself right there and then.

And she wasn't even going to start talking about the person that was her seat mate. Or dare she say…the lunatic druggie that was eying her like she was some sort of new-found ant spices. He asked her, at some point, in a moment of delirious boredom probably, if she had a boyfriend or if her hair was natural.

Sakura was currently rocking her undercover as a poor aspiring servant to its finest. Her beautiful long hair in a tight bun, now covered with the ugliest pink frizzy and mildly short wig that was achy and smelled weird, her vibrant green eyes covered by bangs and a pair of nerdy black goggles.

If the shape wasn't screaming "geek", than the thick lenses solved the problem. No trance of expensive and classy looking clothing, instead she was literally drowning in oversized blue pair of old looking knee cut jeans, equally ridiculous looking plain white top, with an orange and red cardigan. And a painful set of special made chest binding to cover her full rounded C cup breasts. The woman has developed beautifully during the passing years. The only thing she was thankful for was the pair of light pink comfy sneakers. Finally her legs are having a well-deserved rest from the horrid high heels.

She looked, for the lack of better term, like utter shit. When she admired herself in the mirror she promptly started to laugh. When Sasuke is going to see her, he was going to have the time of his life. To think this punk rock looking young chick was going to be his personal maid, as in traveling along him and doing god knows what demanding stuff he needed her for, was tragic-comical.

Of course, being the professional CIA agents they were, The Sound wasn't going to send a model looking Sakura in the very hands of the player Sasuke Uchiha. That would have disaster written in highlights all over it. So they picked the safest route instead: looking all the dorkier and creepier, the chances of any stupid romance whatsoever occurring was none. Keep your head on the mission, the rest should be ignored.

But she only looked like this undercover, different from the clouded eyed creep that was still staring at her expectantly. Where they allowed to smoke weed in the plane and no one broke the news to her? Not that the handicapped looking stewardess that had strabismus to add to the already stupid looks was ever going to see him.

God she really hoped the plane wasn't going to crash. She didn't need another plane experience. Her Sound missions gave her enough of this. The guy was wearing himself like this in public on daily basis. And this kind of people wonder why society blames them for its downfall. The term "rejects" serves it purpose. Her patience now out of the window.

"Kindly stop staring at me you freak, or I am going to imprint my sneakers` logo on your stupid grinning intoxicated face. " The man was asking for a good one, and who was Sakura to deny his needs.

She had to stand this form of modern torture for God knows how many more hours. Tokyo has never seemed so far away…

same time, another plane

"Awww man, the Japanese have the best manga ever I keep telling you. Have you checked out their top ranking Naruto manga? The main character has the same name as mine!"

Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Neji and Ten Ten were currently on their flight to Narita Airport, in one of Akatsuki`s private luxury custom made plane. High class in all the ways. Leather imported seats, best champagne and hot stewardess chicks. CIA was not one to joke about the well being and safety or his agents. Except for the oh so loud as usual Naruto who was making the flight harder for his colleagues. Like always, leave it to Akatsuki`s clown to spoil the already tensed atmosphere.

"…Naruto Uzumaki, an obnoxious and loud blonde ninja, aspiring in getting recognition from his fellow villagers, always pulling pranks on the others, being hard to deal with, not passing his exam three times a row…yeah, definitely sounds like you all right", a very bored looking Neji Hyuga took a glimpse on whatever childish shit Naruto was reading. He was amazed Naruto actually knew how to read, for he almost never seen him doing this activity.

"Hey, I am nothing like that Neji, you asshole, take that back".

"Can't do, haven't you read? It is a manga fact." Although, messing with Naruto was quite amusing sometimes…not to mention a very useful way to kill boredom.

"I heard Japan is currently having extreme weather conditions. Massive rainfall and storms are expected. 45% chances of Tsunami to happen". Ten Ten was always the one to study her surroundings. Never the one to be caught off guard.

Beep…beep…

"Neji Hyuga speaking, I am listening Itachi".

"Put me on speaker".

Neji pressed the Speaker button to his personalized Akatsuki smartphone. Shino was a technology genius and he knew it. The call was redirected to the plane's speakers for all the agents to hear.

"You are bound to arrive in Japan at 6 a.m. An Akatsuki driver is bound to take you from Narita private airport and safely escort you to Tokyo. You already have a little villa at your dispose. Some cash will be transferred to your bank accounts soon. Keep in mind not to do anything suspicious. We don't want Lorane to pick our location the moment this mission starts. Naruto I am talking about you here." Itachi`s smooth but commanding voice was heard through the speakers. As expecting from their all so capable leader, Itachi did his homework. The mission was probably already planned and details polished.

"I will e-mail you the details for the mission. You can check them as soon as you reach the destination. We don't want any Freemasonry espionage on our conversations. The house is protected from electromagnetic interferences. Shino`s new toy. He is very proud of it. Don't forget to prize it boys."

"Good work Itachi, you saved our asses a lot of trouble. What are we to do while staying there though? Supposing the first thing Naruto is going to do, when landing, will be to take the fastest route to your brother's home?"

"In order for Sasuke to not become suspicious as in why in the world you guys are heading to Tokyo, and spend a lot of time there as well, I have already called him and announced that you guys are there for the annual companies meeting. Neji you are probably aware of the details as a heir yourself, as well as the charity annual balls. Ten Ten is going as well as your fiancé. And Naruto…well lets say he didn't question this too much…".

"Of course, Teme is probably happy to meet me after not seeing him like what…6-7 months already? I bet he is preparing a surprise party for me keke". If there was anything that Naruto loved more than his ramen, was his best friend since forever Sasuke. They were inseparable since Naruto`s father Minato first came to Fugaku to merge their companies. Totally opposite in terms of personalities. No one knew how in the world were those two best friends. And no one was to question it either.

"Actually Naruto, when I told him you are heading there too, well it wasn't even necessary for me to tell him, for he has already figured out this much, his reply was something along the lines of…great, the Dobe`s face is exactly what I need at my door steps now, in this stressful company related period. Can`t you trick him into the next Alaska cargo shipment? Suigetsu will be more than willing to help in the matter. And some other shameful colorful chosen curses I am too much of an educated man to reproduce. But you have got the main idea".

"No way the Bastard said that shit about me, he loves me too much, I tell you man. You are all jealous for we are like brothers".

"How can I be jealous of your brotherly relationship Uzumaki, since I am his biological brother?"

"How should I know, I am asking you the very same thing you smartass hmpf."

Itachi was already engaged in "blatantly ignoring Naruto" mode. So many years of practice, the man has become and expert in the matter.

"Back to the main point, while you are there annoying my foolish little brother, keep in mind to closely check his surroundings. And when I say surroundings I mean from the people he has any form of contact with, to the bowl of tomatoes that enter his stomach each morning (the man was pulling a Dracula here, Sasuke was a tomato lover. He probably didn't have any knowledge of other vegetables for the matter. Who said Sasuke Uchiha has variety in his life anyways?). But mostly, don't interfere with Athena. We don't want The Sound on our backs as well. They are still mocking us for the last time. It was pretty bad they had to step in and save our asses."

"I will make sure to keep a close eye on my Sakura-chan as well. Maybe we can get a little closer while she is out of the maleficent Sound influence". Orochimaru was successfully brainwashing his assassins.

"Which part of not interfering with her work didn't reach your foxy years Naruto?" Neji really wanted this conversation to end. With the newfound information regarding his own company matters and some stupid upcoming cursed balls (Neji absolutely loathed the very idea of going to those absolutely horrid public events. Not only all the people he hated were there, but as well as his family members he didn't get along with, not in the slightest. He was already fighting the urge to pull his hair out. Those people were fucking annoying), his work has suddenly doubled.

"Naruto I personally want to warn you: if you don't stay in the villa, along with your agent members and feel the need to abuse my little brother's non-existing hospitality, you have my blessing to do so. But, under no circumstance, and I repeat myself, under no fuckin circumstance you are to expose Sakura`s identity to the world. If this happens, not only we are going to be the mockery subject of Sound for millennia starting from now, but you can kiss the chances of stopping Lorane goodbye".

"Don't worry captain, Ten Ten and I are to make sure Naruto is going to behave. Cannot afford to compromise such a sensitive mission. I am not in for another Tobirama endless theory of why in the name of all seven swords of Mist Village (where does this man get those places from anyways?) we are not to lose a mission especially when Sound gets involved. His hatred is already taking the best of him.

"Stop talking about me when I am in the fucking room!"

"Are you really now, Naruto? Could have fooled me though hm.."

"Neji I swear I am going to cut your long hair in your sleep!" Hyugas were obsessed with their hair. Seriously, their men spend between 1 hour and 2 hours in the shower, shampooing and conditioning their hair….and they have hair masks sessions weekly. Creeps with capital C.

"…you wouldn't dare…" Was the atmosphere becoming murderous or some clowns that looked painfully alike Orochimaru the Otokage in a very bad mood were tumbling and blowing bubbles on the plane's wing? Naruto wasn't one to question…

"PFFFFF try me! But don't come running and crying your eyes out when you will be sporting a Rihanna look alike bob hairstyle. You know, it wouldn't look so bad, taking into account your long thin neckkkkkkkakakakkaka…." Neji was promptly strangling Naruto. The hell with Hyugas and their misunderstood extreme politeness and humbleness. The blond creature was begging him to end his miserable life.

Ten Ten, along with a now suddenly very silent phone speaker (God knows where Itachi was, probably sensed shit coming and discreetly ended the conversation) was watching…and laughing. She loved this guys to the max. They were crazy, loud and funny to watch and…her stomach grumbled. Apparently watching the male of the species expressing their oh-so-joyful-youthful manliness , like Maito Gai, the word`s "youthful" abuser and probably rightful owner, was making her hungry…and the tasty looking Kobe beef was flirting with her. Better be polite and not make it wait.

"HMPF…absolutely delicious. I could barely live in this plane, the service is great. And the Turkish cook was kinda hot…not that she would ever admit out loud…not in the presence of her fiancé at least".

She wasn't hearing Naruto`s whining anymore. Has Neji really killed him this time? Hopefully not, killing someone always took a load shit of paperwork. It was painful as fuck. As she was munching her beef, Ten Ten took a bite and, with her fork in her hand, she proceeded to the rest room, where a loud BANG! Followed by a BLOOB and some other minor noises man do when they solve their problems…like real and mature man they were, was heard. There stood a very wet passed out Uzumaki Naruto…was it him? With his hair stuck to his face like that she wasn't really sure anymore, in all his comatose state glory (he wasn't moving), tied with the hair drier's cable…and Neji nowhere to be seen. Dear Lord…She secretly wondered if Sakura was having a more comfortable flight…probably, that snake men Orochimaru wasn't the one to send his favorite assassin in anything less then 5 stars…

At the same time, a more calming and serene, horrible dressed Sakura Haruno was having an orgasmic state. Not that her virgin body actually knew what an orgasm felt like, but she supposed something along the lines. iPod in-ear stereos, Nightwish blasting to the maximum volume limit, her chair not abused by sugar-rushed brats anymore and perverted hallucinogens addicts now facing the other side of the plane…or world. She was in Heaven.

After she has so politely threatened the stewardess to let her bring her iPod or she was about to shove the vomit inducing pathetic excuse of a plane meal( she didn't know what was flooding into the soup) down her throat, she turned her geeky and murderous looking face to the poor hyperactive child and told him if he hit her chair one more time, the Boogie Man will come and strangle him with his tongue (the child froze in that position ever since and was looking absent minded under his chair…without moving his head…he looked like a frog in heat).

And she promptly punched the druggie excuse of a human being mate seat in his face, for the lack of anything more inspiring. Yeah, no one dared to question here on this one, they were busy looking at how ridiculously she looked like. She has caused quite havoc among the passengers. Was that lame couple pointing their fingers at her and laughing? Who the fuck cares. As long as they keep their mouths shut, they can enjoy the wonders of having a democratic freedom of speech law system. Life was good.

7\. a.m, Tokyo International Airport/Haneda Airport

After an 8 hours flight, Sakura thought she was going to be glued to the chair, the moment they announced the successful landing (she lost the bet with the only normal looking passenger lady she met in the plane, regarding the plane even going to reach Japan`s border. Life was full of surprises apparently).

After taking her luggage, she headed straight to a coffee machine, placed in the proximity of a Starbucks. She needed caffeine in her system _pronto_. She wasn't an addict like Karin, as being more into sweet things instead, but she was worn off and she hasn't managed to get any sleep. A caffeine rush was more than welcomed. She was tired and she looked even worse than normal…well...the level of normality she could pull off, given the clothes she wore was debatable here, but anyways, Sakura knew she was having a hard day ahead. And the fact that she wasn't at her top shape was not helping her case.

Today was the God-forbid-shall-not-be-named horrid day, when she was going to meet her new "boss" Sasuke Uchiha. And pose as a poor maid that came straight from the middle of her equally poor farmer's family. Looking like a walking zombie. Or street gangster girl. Or both.

Except from some very juicy gossip, she hasn't actually taken her time to do much Sasuke Uchiha personality research. She basically knew nothing about this man, except that he was filthy rich, a wanted heir and a total player…and if she was to trust the rumors, a very handsome one. Hell, she hasn't even looked at his photo! What if he was an ugly or perverted looking looser, or worse, having a pimpled complexion, or a big hairy mole on the top of his nose, or green alien ants or…she really needed that damn coffee that took suspiciously more time to boil as usual. Her mind decided to take an unexpected break. God was she tired as fuck.

After finally taking her coffee, taking a big slip (damn was it not even hot enough), she headed to the metro station. Taking a cab in Tokyo was anything but an option. The traffic jam was living up to his reputation. She was going to be late. She was expected to Sasuke`s place in 45 minutes and she was stuck here in the too crowded Terminal, with a luggage that seemed ten times heavier than she remembered and a pain in the back that she hasn't have time to soothe, for she was stuck to a stupid chair 8 hours flat. And the weather didn't look good either. Sakura has studied the weather forecast intently beforehand. She knew some bad shit storm was up ahead. But she didn't have another free hand to hold her red doted polka umbrella. And she had no way to grow up one now, had she?

Fortunately the Japanese architects proved their genius once again, for they built the metro station somewhere really close the Tokyo Airport, so in just 10 minutes she was able to buy a metro ticket and head to the station. It was really fancy and well lighted. Spotless clean as well. And it didn't smell weird like she experienced in New York last year. Those people were probably in some lets-save-water strike or something. People were staring in her general direction, but surprisingly, they weren't laughing or being rude. She was pleasantly surprised. The people here were humble and kind. And polite. She was feeling calmer. The station was packed, but she didn't feel suffocated here. It was the atmosphere. Friendly and warm. People were minding their own business. Well that was a beautiful and welcomed surprise. She was already liking Tokyo. It was a good sign, wasn't it?

Sitting in the train that took her to wherever Sasuke`s house district was located on, Sakura was thinking about her newfound piece of information. Riding a metro in Japan was brain surgery. She wasn't able to understand the metro directions map at all. They looked like a spider's web, with so many points and lines and…it was not even written in English…or any eligible language for the matter. She was able to speak Japanese as good as she spoke hindi: sucking level. Zero.

No matter how much Orochimaru or Tsunade tried to teach her the art of portraying kanji or conducting a conversation in a language that lacked grammatical rules, she totally sucked when it came to Japanese. She really wanted to learn, but she just couldn't. Thanks God Sasuke has done his studies in the USA, before coming back to Japan to take care of the family business. She knew that much information, it was the first and only think she asked Orochimaru regarding him.

But with the help of a very kind French tourist guide that happened to take the very same metro route as her, she was able to barely catch the train on time. Wow, it was riding really fast. She new the feeling of riding fast metros or trains or vehicles in general. She was friends with Karin the pirate of the roads after all.

And here she was, sitting in between some whispering high school girls that were fangirling over some J-Rock star she didn't quite catch the name of, a note in her hands with Sasuke`s address written on it (Romaji of course) and her eyes on the window.

Absentmindedly, she opened her travel bag, pulled out her journal (a gift from Karin on her 22nd anniversary), took a pink pen and stared at the light blue and pink empty pages, wondering what should she write anyways? What kind of things do people write in a journal? Daily notes like what you eat, who annoyed the hell out of you during the day or…and there were photos people tend to stick on the pages, right? College graduation ceremonies photos, class trips, seaside, a beautiful sunrise? Kind of photos where people smile and look happy, enjoying each other's company.

Does she have this kind of photos? Apart from very many photos of her and Karin from different clubs and parties (girl was obsessed with pictures, she should have become a professional photographer instead of a Sound agent. She graduated from an Art School after all and sure as hell she acted her reputation. That woman was always up in the clouds) and maybe some with her and Tsunade during holidays in foreign countries, it was not like she would start sticking photos of Orochimaru, Anko and the others. She didn't want to risk losing the notebook and compromise their connection. And glitter stickers, right? A quick cast on the other Japanese people around, told her that she wouldn't have problems in this department, for Japan didn't lack glitter and flashy things.

But she started to write nonetheless. Maybe some inspiration is going to strike. This or a lightning, it was raining like crazy outside.

_Dear My Journal,_

_ahm…I am not even sure how should I start, I have never been the one for poetic stuff, for I was always better in science and mathematics. This is my first entry so…try to bear with me and don't be too critic, ok?_

_I arrived in Japan, safe and sound, and although I absolutely lack skills in the way of describing places and people, I will try to portray what I can grasp about Tokyo and Japanese people, from my little green painted train sit. _

_Although it is raining outside since I have arrived and the clouds look angry and dark, I cannot help but watch in wonder. In the middle of the spring season, Tokyo is an amazing sight to behold. Tall flashy buildings, advertising panels everywhere, with beautiful people presenting new cosmetics and they look happy and cute and fluffy and I strangely love it. _

_Everything is surrounded by colors and lights and it gives me such a warm feeling, that I cannot help but feel addicted to. I can clearly see the sakura trees. They are in bloom, an explosion of pink and white and it is amazing. The modernism of the city blends in perfectly, with the traditional touch. _

_I see modern cars, infrastructure, but nonetheless I spotted an ancient temple on a far region. I secretly feel the need to go there. I have seen something like this before. Tsunade-shishou has brought me there twice. She taught me how to sip my tea, like a true geisha. I miss her already. _

_Then the people. Since I have first came here, no one stared and no one throw hateful glares in my direction. Japanese are polite and humble and made respect an art. I see on my left side an old man helping a teenage schoolgirl with some homework. There is a lady dressed in a beautiful red silky kimono that plays a minuet on violin. And she added vocals too, she is amazing and I feel she doesn't do it for money. Apparently here, people feel the need to express their happiness with one another. _

_A middle aged woman is holding a little girl in her arms. Probably five or six years old. She is beautiful and from where I stand, she is having the same shade of emerald eyes as my own. Her mother is clearly a native, the long straight black hair and equally dark almond shaped eyes are giving her away, so it must be her father that is a foreigner. And she is smiling at me. _

_I am not good with kids, I have always been on my own and not very sociable, but she is seeing something in me. I try to smile back and she giggles. Her mother watches her precious one with curios eyes, then she follows her gaze and fix me with her staring. She smiles as well. An enchanting smile nonetheless, this woman was a mixture of beauty and grace. I keep the smile on my face as well, and for the first in a long time, it comes almost natural. _

_Then she does something unexpected: she takes a little post-it note, writes something on it and holds it into my direction, silently asking me to take it. And when I lower my gaze on the content, I cannot help but feel my eyes water. Her daughter has an incurable disease. Her mother brought her to fulfill the little one's last wish: see the ancient traditional tea ceremony on the very same temple I had my eyes fixed a moment ago. The little angel has at most one or two weeks left. And she thanked me for showing what she considered to be my enchanting and honest smile to her daughter. Apparently she was sick of the hospital nurses` constant pity and forced smile on her. _

_The train has come to a stop and I see the two of them nodding in my direction and taking their leave. And then I realize how many stories are suddenly thrown at me, of people I have never meet in my life and of people who share some of my own inner demons, without being aware of…or are they? _

_And I cannot help but wonder, if I am not Sakura Haruno the Sound agent, but Sakura the simple 22 years old teenager, can I really give this people a part of me in return? Will I ever cross path with such a special someone that will take my story in his hands, erase the ugliness in it and replace it with fulfillment and joy? And as I watch a young couple some chairs away, holding hands and being lost into one another, oblivious to the surroundings, I cannot help the nagging feeling of loneliness that pierces my soul. They found a special someone to bond their stories with. They have no idea just how lucky they are. _

_Dear journal,_

_I am almost there, to my destination. I see the train slowing up. When I get off, I begin a new chapter in the book that is my life. I cannot help but feel slightly nervous. I was never dealing the unexpected good. I use to be really shy…_

Sasuke Uchiha`s very personal home was really well confined in a secluded part of Tokyo, that you even needed a personal access entry card. Sakura felt like she was more attempting to enter the Sound's base than someone's house. But nevertheless, the scenery was spectacular. There was no sky creeper or any tall building for the matter in the area, only modern and stylish looking villas and traditional houses.

It looked like the kind of neighborhood where really rich people lived in, to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It was not bad at all. Except for the traditional looking Japanese houses, with paper thick walls, erecting wooden columns supported by a flat base, an edged roof, supported by horizontal wooden beams and vertical columns, all the other houses were one or two flatted villas, with modern lines and unique shapes. Nothing cheap or too flashy. There was an abundance of in bloom sakura trees, elms and some palm trees, that looked unexpectedly healthy, given the not so appropriate climate, but beautiful nonetheless.

There were not so many people passing the overly clean and narrow streets. Were it smell like lavender shampoo as well? Those filthy rich people… One or two sports cars rushing to God knows where, and some people in their yards, pruning the roses. And they didn't seem Japanese at all….and of course they were watching her suspiciously.

A poor and now wet to the bones looking young woman, dressed more like a sailor than girl, tainting their little Beverly-hills atmosphere was apparently not a welcomed change in scenery. Maybe she overdid it with the clothing? She didn't want to attract unwanted attention, but apparently she was having a hey-I-am-here-don` t-forget-to-take-a-look vibe around her. Well, considering the way she looked like, if she was about to see such a person on the street, probably she would laugh her ass out loud.

Whatever, taking her access card out (it was sent to her when she applied for this job…well she didn't move a finger, for Anko was the one that did her registration and sent her CV online to Sasuke`s secretary, some Jugo dude…that woman wrote so much bullshit about her, in order to build up a convincing history of a farmer's sole's daughter, who came here to hit the jackpot in Tokyo and make some money, for she wasn't able to sustain the farmer, having a huge bank loan that was haunting her skin after her parents apparently died in a terrible accident: hit by a caterpillar. " Thanks god she hasn't wrote hit by an UFO instead, Anko was probably shitfaced when she wrote that CV" Sakura had the time of her life reading it. Sasuke`s secretary probably just as well), more of a sign for the other to see she wasn't sneaking around to rob them, but she was entitled to be there as well.

Well, she was more than worthy of being there, considering how rich she was as well. Hell if Sakura wanted to, she could pull out her phone and, with a quick call in Switzerland, she could have that _for Sale _villa she has just passed, bought in no time. She was mentally laughing at the irony of it.

Here she was, filthy rich, trying to blend in with people that normally were killing themselves to meet her during balls or expensive parties, when she was in a good enough mood to professionally sport a Marchesa gown. Now they looked like they wanted nothing more than kill her with stones. The snobby little fuckers. She loathed them all. She loathed them with burning passion and feeling and…and was that big murderous and hungry looking Pitbull heading her way?

"HOLLY MOTHER FREAKING SHIT!" Even dogs are above her here, damnit she hated dogs. She was in for a good run to Sasuke`s house now. And God the dog can run fast as well. At least it wasn't raining anymore…

Contrary to popular belief, Uchiha Sasuke was not a patient man. Sure, he was a master at hiding it when necessary, but that was beside the point for he was currently in his personal mansion, expecting the arrival of a certain lady.

This morning, when he was finally able to have a proper sleep, for he had a stressful business related stupid meeting with a bald fat shit-headed heir of some insignificant company yesterday (Sasuke didn't even bother to memorize the name), that lasted 5 freaking hours nonetheless (the man couldn't take a no for an answer, Juugo, his personal secretary has called him…at 6 a.m in the morning, to remind him his new hired personal maid was arriving this morning.

And the bitch was 15 minutes late on her very first day.

If there was something Sasuke really couldn't stand on people, was them not being in time for meetings. He considered this treat to be unforgivable and defying. Uchihas were obsessed with punctuality. Well…they were obsessed with many things in general…like revenge. And this is exactly what his now 20 minutes late wannabe maid is going to get, if she didn't show his ass on the door right now.

He was brooding like a madman, he was hungry as fuck, he didn't have a decent meal since yesterday morning hence his grumbling stomach, he was equally tired, he felt his head throbbing and his room started to spin. He felt like a cocaine addict in need. And to add to the "fun", he arrived home at 2 a.m after a clubbing session, that included a load of booze, a drunk Suigetsu and some good looking blonde chick, who was daring and sexy and gave him a really good…

DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGG

She was here. He was already in his so famous glaring mode, ready to give her hell. If the woman thought he was a man that tolerated his workers such cavemen manners, she had another thing coming. When Sasuke was angry and was putting effort into it (he was most of the time angry so it came natural to him), people knew better than to cross his way.

He was an intimidating man in all seriousness, he rivaled Tobirama and Orochimaru, hands down. And the glare he sent to the others made grown up professional fighters and champions run for their lives. He was that bad. And to his stupor, apparently this "skill" was turning women on. There are many unsolved mysteries on the world apparently. Give NASA a lot of shit to research. They should start on this matter, the others are probably linked to it.

But nothing had him prepared for what he encountered the moment he opened the door (of course, in slow motion, to add to the dramatic effect and build up a solemn feeling). The moment he cracked the door open, he was promptly hit by something wet, small and pink, successfully pushing him into a little glass table with a cactus on it (what the hell was that plant there for anyways? It was ugly as hell and served absolutely no purpose).

But he wasn't given time to react, not that he was going to anyways, for he was too stunned and….his palm was slightly bleeding and aching. Fuck his life, in search for balance, he grabbed the corner of the table with his right hand and planted his left one directly in the ugly and big cactus…that wasn't happening… a loud high scream was piercing his ears like 1000 police sirens:

"CLOSE THE DOOR YOU MORON!" Apparently the unidentified pink wet object was equipped with a loud mouth…and a rude vocabulary. He was probably hallucinating…maybe the cactus was poisoned. Was someone calling him a "moron", in his very house?

After three seconds of completely disorientation Sasuke regained his composure…and balance for the matter and followed with his eyes in the direction of the said scream. His gaze landed directly on the said owner. The reaction immediate: eyes wide like saucers, jaw clenched like a shark's that caught his prey, thin lips firmly pressed together, perfectly shaped lashes knotted. Clenched fists. Straight pose. Screw the caffeine addicts. He was woke up in an instant. Anger level: ATTENTION! EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HIGH LEVEL! SYSTEM OVERLOAD! EVACUATE IMMEDIATE! He was fuming. He even started to show it on the outside. Whoever was watching him now would have sworn there was a purple skeleton surrounding his body like a shell. Devil was rising. No bird was heard in the nearby area.

There, in front of him, in all her glory, was his personal and now questionable hired famous maid. Her back on him, she was facing the door, a hand on the knob, the other on her heart. She was slightly trembling. She wasn't facing him, but she sure as hell sensed the murderous aura radiating from him.

If anyone was to see the scene happening, it looked exactly like those horror movies, where the main heroine has run through the forest like 5000 billion km, in the rain of course, there was always raining in horror movies, the clouds were that smart to pour rain on the perfect time, looking like she came straight from the II World War, ripped off clothing, wet as a rat in the shower, looking scared out of her mind and finding a house to hide herself.

Of course, realizing after a moment of false hope of protection, that she came exactly on the very said ghost or monster's home, sensing the danger on her back, and dramatically taking a turn to face the disaster, as in waiting for her painful death to come. Freddy Kruger and Jason were currently sending their compliments and congratulations.

For her part, Sakura was dealing with an interesting situation. After encountering that creature that was called a dog in all false modesty, she run like 10 minutes around the said neighborhood in search for that stupid boss of hers house. Normally, she wouldn't have any problems in dealing with multiple tasks at same time, for she was a freaking Sound agent!

But apparently being followed by an angry Pitbull and looking for a house that was non-existent was proven more difficult than she thought. Now dealing with the Pitbull wasn't supposed to be a problem after all, all she had to do was take a little poisoned Japanese senbon and shove it into the said creature's thick jugular. But she couldn't risk hiding weapons on her very first day and look suspicious. Apparently it was a dumb idea.

After she managed to spot the house (HOLLY MACARONI it was the most luxury house she ever laid her eyes on, in all her honesty, it was basically screaming "Uchiha freaking Sasuke stays in here"), more like the mansion, for it was the only building she overlooked while being chased by the dog, she run straight to the front fence. She truly prayed to all the gods in there, even some that were not invented yet, to the gate to be opened, it was the only chance to escape the now raging Pitbull. And it was, oh lucky.

But of course the front door was not opened, duh, go figure, man was chased by rabid fan girls 24 hours, so the Pitbull managed to open the fence somehow (the hell, was some kind of artificial intelligence implanted in that dog's brain or something?) and grab one of her legs, while she was busy ringing and banging her hands on the said fancy looking glass door. If she wasn't to be in need, she probably would feel sorry to touch the beautiful painted and classy decorated glass door. But that was out of question.

Luckily, while she was busy banging on the door and trying her best to plant a good kick on the unleashed dog's stomach (it was ripping her already garbage looking clothes), the very owner of the fancy looking door finally took pity on her and cracked the door open. But he was taking too much time. WTF was he waiting for, he was too slow she didn't have time for this. She at least managed to kick the dog and make him bleed, bark and run.

So the moment Sasuke opened the door she barged in without exactly having a clue of what she was doing. Sakura was in the shadows of what went after that moment. She collided with something hard and warm and she probably thrown that "thing" away of her path. She made a flashy grand entrance all right. All that was missing were the media and paparazzi.

So after the natural born instinct of closing that damn door kicked in, she had a moment of lucidity to take a grasp of the exact situation. And when she realized just how much of a disaster has just transpired, she wanted a hole in the ground to open up that instant and take her in.

"Well shit…" she was mumbling low incoherent words, her back still on his boss. Sakura didn't trust her guts to turn around. Her brain was promptly shut down. It couldn't have been worse than this. In just 5 seconds, she has basically ruined any chance of making a good impression. To a man like Sasuke Uchiha.

And she was feeling the murderous amount of killing intent coming from the said man all right. In all the years she worked as an agent, Sakura had no problem in admitting that Sasuke was the most frightening thing that she has encountered. And she killed serial killers, mafia and Lorane henchmen. Nothing even started to compare to him.

No matter how much she tried to act nonchalant like nothing cataclysmic has just occurred, she just couldn't. Her hand still on the door (she really didn't want to let it go, for she didn't trust that her legs won` t give away and fell), a hand in a vain attempt to calm her racing heart, her luggage dropped somewhere on the streets, she felt the hair on the back of her neck rising.

It was silent after that. No one spoke. One was cowering back in fear trembling like a scared cat (hellooooo, Earth to Haruno Sakura the top assassin, responding please!), another looking like he was about to murder something pink. The creepy atmosphere thick. One could possibly managed to cut it with a knife.

Sakura was feeling his boss anger slowly rising. And she had an idea of why was that: not only she literary trespassed her new boss` home, but she also pushed him, without even a proper greeting, and cursed him to make it all the tragically. Some god hated her up there.

Her skin had goose bumps, and she was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that she was still wet and sweaty. She was afraid if she turned her head and look over her shoulder, a giant black dragon is going to cut her head in half. For Heaven's sake, just what kind of man was Sasuke Uchiha, to be able to pull such a frightening vibe? And she snapped out of her frightened state of mind, when the very same man spoke for the first time.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

His surprisingly calm voice filled the air. If the situation was different, Sakura would have probably been enchanted. His voice was a low baritone, with a smooth, almost seductive note, but filled with venom. He practically spit the words to her. Ok, so he was mad at her.

And this was the exact moment she was pulled out of her frightened induced state of mind and turned around to face him. And when she did, she indeed saw exactly just what kind of man Sasuke Uchiha was. He was not a snobby heir, with bald or pimples or moles or ants. And definitely not a small one either.

There in front of her, stood a God.

And Sakura`s jaw promptly and unceremoniously hit the floor.

"O…..M…G".


	5. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

7.20 a.m, Japan, Tokyo, Uchiha Sasuke`s personal villa

_"__What the fuck do you think you're doing?"_

_His surprisingly calm voice filled the air. If the situation was different, Sakura would have probably been enchanted. His voice was a low baritone, with a smooth, almost seductive note, but filled with venom. He practically spit the words to her. Ok, so he was mad at her. _

_And this was the exact moment she was pulled out of her frightened induced state of mind and turned around to face him. And when she did, she indeed saw exactly just what kind of man Sasuke Uchiha was. He was not a snobby heir, with bald or pimples or moles or ants. And definitely not a small one either. _

_There in front of her, stood a God. _

_And Sakura`s jaw promptly and unceremoniously hit the floor. _

_"__O…..M…G". _

Sakura was petrified. She couldn't pull any muscle to move her body, or do something for the matter. She was not sure she was even breathing anymore. Never in her life would she have expected her boss to be…like this!

In her scared and now shocked state, she took her time to study Sasuke Uchiha for the first time in her life ok. Could anyone be so kind to explain to her just how in the world was it possible for a human being to look like her new and angry out of his mind boss and not be declared the eight world wonder?

Dear Lord, was he even human? She began to seriously flirt with the idea of him being an alien or some inter-dimensions traveler. Or maybe he was an angel fallen from the sky. She didn't even know where to start to stare. He was amazing, gorgeous, handsome like no other, even beautiful, he was perfect. It was the only known word to give him credit for how stunning he really looked like. Everything less than absolutely ravishing would be an understatement.

He was tall all right and his height only enhanced the absolutely delicious body he had. He was slim and extremely fit, not bulky like some obsessed gorillas that had a disgusting sense of pride of their pumped with pills and so called muscles. It was blatantly obvious that he was training.

His perfect sculpted muscles, lean and defined, with no trance of fat or misshape, were the best proof of this. His shoulders were broad and sculpted, as well as his hands. God the man gave Adonis a run for his money. The things he could do with those lean and long fingers of his…and those biceps were a sight to behold.

Sakura was not been able to see the rest of his torso for he wore a dark blue T-shirt with a V-neck cut, probably the pajamas, but she sure as hell saw the prominent and trained abs, protruding from the thin cotton fabric. And the man had an eight-pack to add to the breathtaking figure. She felt her mouth started to water and there wasn't any Tiramisu cake involved this time…

He had really long legs, and from what she was able to see, giving the black and tight shorts he wore, it was just as beautifully sculpted as the rest of his body. His defined calves were in perfect balance with his Adductor longus and Rectus femoris muscles.

Sakura was no fool, she knew just how many hours of work and complex moves one needed to have such a perfect figure. One should work all his body properly and all the muscles at the same time. And she had an idea of exactly what moves were required, for she was a black belt fighter herself. Not that her paralyzed brain was able to make the connections at that point…

Then another striking thing about him, was definitely his hair. God Sakura didn't think it was possible for a man or human for the matter, to have such a unique color. And she was almost certain the man was not changing his hair color like some rock star.

His hair was completely black and luscious. It was amazing; it looked exactly like the kind of hair men have in those shampoo commercials. But his was 100% natural. It was like a raven's wing. And it looked soft as silk as well. She suddenly felt the urge to go and run her hands on it to feel the texture. And not only was his hair the darkest and most beautiful shade of black she ever saw, but some locks had a hue of deep blue in it. Like a bolt of lightening.

And the hairstyle was definitely a big plus. In the most natural and nonchalant way possible, his slightly curly hair was sticking upside on the back and some longer asymmetric bangs were framing his perfect sharp face. A little messy, the man probably didn't have time to comb it (she secretly hoped he didn't) but it looked so perfect on him. She met anime obsessed people that were desperately trying to sport such a hairstyle, but he was pulling it like a pro, with no effort whatsoever. It was beautiful.

But probably the most breathtaking part of him was his face. God she only saw something so gorgeous in the portraits of John Singleton Copley, Rembrandt van Rijin or Caravaggio. Maybe one of the oil paintings has come to life. It took a genius to create such features.

Sasuke had a perfect shaped oval face, with strong defined lines. A sharp jaw line, high and defined cheek bones and a small and straight nose, gave him an enchanting and noble aura. My God, Sakura knew Uchihas were some kind of royalty, in terms of a long and glorifying history, but never did it come so shockingly obvious. In terms of regality and noblesse, this man looked like Caesar. She wouldn't be surprised if she was to find out he was the ruler of Rome.

His lips were just as beautiful as the rest. Not to thin and not too large, but full nonetheless and heart shaped. It was such a sensual sight , it made her question just how much would she be able to feel if she were to kiss him right on the spot.

And his eyes. Heavens, if they weren't strikingly gorgeous. They were almond shaped, but surprisingly not the small Asian type. They were big and full of energy. Sakura, as probably as the rest of the 99% of world's population, was honest when admitting that she has never seen natural and real black eyes in her life. She was sure it wasn't even such a color in the world, but a really dark shade of brown. And Sasuke`s were pure black, without any trance of doubt.

For a man, he had a surprisingly white, pale and clear skin. No scratches or blemishes whatsoever. Such a milky and probably soft skin, was exactly what it took for this man to make any woman jealous. Sasuke should be taken in the name of science, and studied under microscope. His genes were probably more miraculous for complexion than a snail` s slime, in terms of collagen, elastin and dermal components that repair the signs of photo aging. This man was the downfall of all cosmetic brands.

A barely visible hue of grey surrounded his irises. And the amount of emotion he was able to portray in those black endless orbs was frightening, but alluring, at the same time. They were basically alive! And to add to the perfect picture, his eyelashes were equally dark and long, perfectly framing his eyes and giving them even more attitude. He also had thin and perfect brows. It was interesting how Sasuke didn't seem to have any defined trait, in terms of belonging to a certain human race. He didn't look Asian, nor European or American. He looked like he had a little from all of them.

Sakura was now in trance. There was absolutely no way not to ogle this man. He was for the lack of better terms: perfect. He was any woman's dream man. Like Prince Charming mothers read about to their little girls. And now Sakura understood exactly that all the rumors of him being really sexy and handsome were not exactly really rumors. It was understatement. She should have studied his file better and damn it should she have take a peak at his photo. She was utterly shocked, she was aware that she was staring like crazy and….omg her mouth was shamefully agape. Please someone tell her she wasn't salivating as well…

For his part, Sasuke was staring at the creature in front of him with just as much interest. But his view on her was the exact opposite. So the little maid finally gained the courage to face him after her more than unpleasant entrance.

Sasuke would be one of the few people that can solemnly admit that no one ever laid a hand on him since he saw the daylight. He had advanced martial arts knowledge and he was definitely not afraid to show it. In his 25 years of existence, no one manage to harm him. At all. Not even Naruto his favorite sparring partner. Naruto has the guts to tell anyone they were equals. The blond idiot thought so high of himself it was disgusting. Uchiha`s ego was not one to mess with.

And this clown stupid looking servant had the guts to throw herself literary on his expensive limited edition glass door, shipped from Thailand, barge into the sacred temple that was his home, successfully pushing him out of her way, like she owned the place. And the fact that he was now harmed was not helping her case. If this was not the last sign of Apocalypse the Mayans were idiots. He hasn't been this angry in a long time. It took really much effort to anger him, he had almost perfect emotional control. Almost. For he was openly glaring at the scared looking woman.

But when he took a better look in her general direction, he began to calm down a little bit. If he was another normal and not always brooding young man, he would have probably been on the floor laughing his mind. What the hell was he looking at?

There, just in front of his eyes, was his maid. And she looked like she fell with her head in Barbie`s toilet. Where did she manage to find such a dye color for her hair , it was beyond his understanding, but in his opinion, it should be banned from commercial purposes. Never in his life did he see such an ugly shade of…was that pink?! Jesus. If that shit was natural, than he found the most unfortunate soul ever. She should have worked as a human lighthouse instead of a servant. In the Bermuda Triangle. No ship was going to be lost on sea anymore. She was visible on 100 km radius. Gosh, she was probably the only thing, except from the Chinese Wall that was visible from the Moon.

Then he took his time to study the way she was dressed. Either the young woman robbed a beggar in her way to him, or she was a walking fashion disaster. If the police fashion would have been something real, they would have had a field day. Her baggy Jeans were ripped, dirty and old. Were there bit marks on them as well? Was she auditioning for Resident Evil? An equally bad looking cardigan was practically drowning her in. And he wasn't sure what she was wearing underneath. It looked like a white now almost grey tight top. But he wasn't quite sure of it. And her muddy dirty sneakers were leaving prints on his expensive red, made of sheep's wool, cotton, camel hair, goat hair, and flax Arabian carpet. That shit took a load of money to be professionally cleansed.

But the funniest part of all was definitely her face. He wasn't really able to see much of her eyes, for she was wearing that ugly pair of glasses, that looked painfully like those of the geeks` he used to bully in high-school (along with Naruto and Suigetsu. Yeah they were bad asses and they knew it) and the bangs that were glued to her forehead. Gosh she looked like an alien. But he caught a glimpse of them, for they were intently watching him. A pair of green, wide like plates eyes was fixed on his face. He was able to read everything in them. An open book that she was. And her mouth was wide agape. She was basically eating him with her staring. She looked like she saw him for the very first time (Sasuke thought she had the decency to check on him when she send her CV).

She looked funny as hell. It was priceless, really. Maybe he should take his phone and record this shit, put it on a social hub and monetize it. His bank account will probably rise like Suigetsu`s dick whenever he spots a red-haired chick. The man had a problem that he was not even aware of. The looser. But friends are not the one to bad mouth.

But…Sasuke was a smart man, with a six sense for details and apparently minor things people usually didn't deem important. There was something about this girl that threw him off. Something he couldn't put a finger on, but was nagging his brain. Now he was not oblivious to the effect he had on the female population. Sasuke was more that aware of the lustful looks he got from women all the times.

But not Sakura. She didn't belong in the category. She looked shocked, but her gaze held a hint of curiousness and…admiration? And to his utter shock, he wasn't uncomfortable or annoyed with the way her little eyes were watching him. It is like she was watching the tomb-chapel of Nebamun at British Museum. It has been a long time since a woman gave him such a deep look. So she was a barbarian when it came to meeting people, but she was deeper and smarter than she looked like. Sasuke unclenched his fists and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

_"__Interesting"._

He was well aware he was scaring her and making her uncomfortable. He knew he was hard to deal with, especially when he encountered such situations. Contrary to what any would think, he didn't mean to be rude to her on her first day. A poor and probably scared now orphan girl, surrounded by classy people and luxury, was not one he would like mess up more than she already was. He was able to read it in her eyes. She was afraid of him and she looked like she was silently praying for the Earth to swallow her right there and then. She was slightly trembling and she was still glued to the door's knob. She was supporting herself with the other hand that was not resting on her heart anymore on the door. It looked like she tried to blend in with the glass.

He was torn between promptly throwing her outside for such an insolent behavior, or loosening up a bit and listening to whatever would she say in this situation. How would she handle the havoc she has created? That was the Uchiha wanted to find out. If she indeed was a smart and a quick thinker, he was more than willing to give her a chance. But if the woman started to bawl her eyes at him, begging for forgiveness, like her very life depended on him and he was some sort of twisted savior of this pathetic world, he is going to show her just how cold and frightening he truly was.

_"__Your interview has just started, Haruno. Prove yourself worthy and I shall overlook it…this time."_

So, putting up the calm but cold façade he was always portraying, with his arms still crossed and a not angry anymore, but somehow expecting expression on his handsome face, he slightly and almost unnoticeable raised his left eyebrow and waited. Let the fun begins. Did she have the same guts to face him properly, like she displayed when she barged in his home like it was the ultimate salvation, or was she another weakling to add to the already overdose?

If Sakura really though he was going to hire her just because she sent some stupid CV, describing her boring and questionable tragic life she had another thing coming. He didn't fall for her little "My parents owned an organic farm near Naples Italy before they died, but they took a loan from the Bank and couldn't afford to pay back, because, for an unknown reason, the soil became infertile. Apparently, it was poisoned with some substances." He was not considered a genius for nothing. But he will dig into the story later.

This "farm girl" was easy to read, like an ocean breeze in a summer morning. Just because she convinced Juugo to hire her from the others that sent their information (you would be amazed on how far those rabid stupid fangirls were willing to go in order to be in his proximity. From what he heard from his secretary, some even went as far as to completely change their appearance, even laser surgery in order to pose as poor and in need, to be hired. The world was coming to an end), didn't mean he was convinced as well. He had a lot of related business work to do, but he took his time to go over his aspiring to be maid's CV once. It was more than enough to give him a general impression.

But what she did next, was totally unexpected and successfully surprised him, for the second time this morning. And this time, in the good way.

After what seemed like forever, Sakura managed to pull herself out of the Sasuke induced trance and pull herself together. She was the top freaking Sound agent what the hell! Sure the man looked like he came straight from the cover of Men's Fitness magazine, but she had more self control and experience than this.

So, with strikingly professional movements, that rivaled the ones famous actresses from Palais Garnier Theatre are having, she changed her pose and expression in an instant, her CIA agent training now coming into the light. She let go of the knob she held for dear life until then, the trembling now successfully stopping, like it was never there to begin with. She straightened her back, acting more like a Leading Soprano female, than a poor farmer. Her surrounding aura has taken a dramatic turn as well. She pulled out a vibe that felt like she was about to perform _La clemenza di Tito _by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

She stood out proud and unfaltering. Her eyes were the very embodiment of her soul. She was like an open book all right. And the feelings she was displaying had nothing to do with the little scared for life mouse she showed just some moments ago. She fixed Sasuke`s glare, without any sign of backing off.

She was not trained by Orochimaru for nothing. Among other information she was able to collect about a people's behavior from her assassination experience, was to not bow your head or turn your eyes from the pray. It was the most obvious sign of coward ness one can show. And she knew how bad she screwed things up with her behavior. And her boss surely looked like a man that was expecting the very same aura of confidence he was carrying, from his workers.

She closed her mouth as well. Sure the man was droolicious, but she had more class than this. She was aware of the constant unwanted attention he had from various women that wanted his attention, so she wasn't one to join their club now, wasn't she?

Sasuke wanted her to be his maid, not another attention whore. She had the feeling he felt uneasy having a stranger to be around his personal goods all the times, so she must gather all the feelings of trust and confidence she could muster and silently tell him that she was there to work as a pro and he could relax around her. It was just obvious she hated him, like she hated all the other businessmen from his clique, but it was her mission and she wasn't one to screw it up now.

It slightly surprised Sakura that Sasuke suddenly and unexpectedly dropped the murderous intent, and decided to act more like Senju Tobirama than a serial killer. He was still staring at her, but his eyes were now devoid of emotion, his feelings confided. His pose betrayed nothing. He wore himself like a kokeshi doll. An impenetrable shell. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking about. He was now nonchalant, composed and was eying her expectantly. He had the same polished acting skills like hers. Maybe even better, for he was able to change his attitude so quick, from an extreme to another, without batting an eyelash. Either he was a damn good actor, or the man suffered from a severe case of bipolar affective disorder.

Sure Sakura was in a state similar to a panic attack until now, she knew very well she wasn't dealing unexpected situations very well, she was working hard under Tsunade`s supervision to correct the major drawback. But the results were not promising. It was a mystery to anyone around her, how from an outstanding and strong willed teenager, during the past years she became unsure of herself and with a lack of self-confidence that was often coming into the way of her missions.

Tsunade told her it was coming from the need to constantly seek recognition from the others. She was an orphan so the lack of love and warmth were making it hard for her to develop further feeling and build self-trust. So maybe she was secretly seeking recognition from Sasuke as well. Even though it was in the name of her mission, Sakura secretly wanted him to acknowledge her. But nonetheless, her agent's skills, which were imprinted in the depths of her inner id, were awake and observing things around her. So she knew her boss hurt himself when she collided with him. With a quick glance on her side, her trained eyes took in the main information she needed to know, her sharp mind quickly putting two and two together: a little glass table slightly moved from its place, its leg leaving a little mark on the carpet and a cacti that she identified as an Euphorbia was slightly broken and lacked a little part from the top leaves and some needles. And watching Sasuke`s left hand bleeding told her everything she needed to know.

She was Orochimaru`s student. The master of poisons and a genius in chemistry. She learned many things from his experiments; she was able to properly identify poisons of all sorts as well. It was a very useful skill in her profession. It almost always came in handy when she was in a tight situation. She killed many people with different inflicted with lethal poisons objects, such us needles or pins. And Orochimaru successfully perfected an extremely dangerous poison he pulled from snake's venom, and managed to custom it into nail extensions. With this newfound information in mind, she proceeded forward in her boss's direction. If Sasuke was confused of her reaction, he didn't show it on the surface. Although she was able to catch a flick in his eyes when she took small steps forward that told her she was having some kind of impact on him.

But it was gone in an instant. In three baby steps, she was exactly in front of him. She wished she was a little higher or wearing high heels. The difference in height between them was overwhelming. He was basically shadowing her. At mostly she managed to reach his shoulders. Ok, so he was an even more intimidating man when watched closer, but she couldn't back away now. It would be the end of her. She would handle it, like she did so many times before. She put on a barely there and practiced smile on her face, her full rosy lips slightly curved upwards, raised her right small hand and gracefully got a hold of his injured left one. He shockingly didn't push his hand away from her or tell her to get lost and don't touch him. And she didn't even stutter when she opened her mouth and addressed him, for the second time that day, in the most serene and confident way possible:

"Sir, that was a Euphorbia candelabrum Trémaux ex Kotschy. It is a very dangerous species of cacti people tend to grow on houses, but are not aware of how poisonous it can be. Its latex contains highly irritant ingenol diterpene esters. Ingenol and its derivatives show tumour-promoting activity, but also anti-HIV and anti-leukaemia activities. If I don't clean your cut properly and pull out the needless, you might risk serious effects. It can become quite dangerous if handled carelessly. And I am quite certain you are in a serious pain as well. I have seen people dying from severe inflammation of the walls of the stomach and intestine because of the toxin. So if you would be so kind to show me the bathroom, I am going to handle this?"

And she said all of this without even breathing. In a smooth, calm and professional tone. But serious enough to not let room for further questioning. She had caused a scene, so she was going to handle it the best she could. Sakura mentally applauded herself. Her inner self was dancing and tumbling of happiness. Ok, so she did her part. Now she was about to wait and see Sasuke`s reaction. If she was going to face rejection it was ok. She wasn't looking for one of course, but it was not like they were dating or something. She could always find ways to reach him after all. She was an agent, this kind of problems were common in the job.

Sasuke had no reaction whatsoever. Not that he intended to. He was truly impressed and he had no problem admitting it to anyone. It was exactly how he guessed. This little woman that barely reached his shoulder was a little spitfire. And a smart woman, all right. The way she composed herself in an uncomfortable situation, revealing tact and confidence she didn't seem to posses was indeed amazing. Apparently he wasn't scaring her that much anymore, for she was fixing his staring with an equally amount of energy. This woman had a strong personality all right. Sakura was indeed a character. And her knowledge was not something to overlook. But if there was a thing that caught him out of guard was the fact that she had no problem touching him.

Without proper introduction. Usually this might not be such a dramatically high problem. When he went outside having fun, usually women had absolutely no restrain in hooking him up. If he was in a mood for a quick fuck, Sasuke didn't even bother to ask for a name or anything for the matter. He didn't care nor did he want to meet any of those women. Sure they were all model like, a man like him was not satisfied with anything less than gorgeous, but they were all brainless sluts that only served for his pleasure and release. He wasn't going to play chess with them or share opinions about Shakespeare's hamlet or Schopenhauer. But they were daring with their hands and movements and quite good in what they did. And he was a young and healthy man with needs. But nevertheless he was surprised to see Sakura making a move on him. But she wasn't looking at him like that and her touch was not lustful or daring. And what she told him threw him off for real.

But the fact that Sakura, the supposed farmer girl had such advanced knowledge about plants and medicine was not the thing that set him off. It was the fact that she said it like it was the most natural thing for her. Like dealing with blood and scratches and poisons was something she did on daily basis. And Sasuke lived up to his reputation. He dealt with all types of people so he was aware about what kind of details should he look for in people. And her eloquence and calm demeanor were traits an educated woman like Hyuga Hinata possessed, not a poor girl like Sakura. Such elegance and grace in attitude was something that is to be accomplished after years of proper training. Apparently not in this case.

She was expecting him to say something, probably a rude or harsh comment given the circumstance. And the vibe she had was silently asking him to have a reaction of some sorts. Like daring him to push her aside. Sakura was well aware of what she was doing. This was the test she had to pass and prove herself. It was all or nothing. And the fact that Sasuke had no reaction to give his thoughts away and that was making it harder. But she found no other better way to prove herself worthy than gaining back her sanity and help the man when in pain. After all, she was supposed to be his maid wasn't she? Sakura had a good soul and she didn't like to see people suffering, especially is she was the one that caused it.

"Hn, come."

Surprisingly, Sasuke wanted her to follow him. Was he truly not mad at her anymore? Was he giving her a chance? Oh well...there was no other way to find out but follow him. So Sakura promptly followed his soon to be boss. They were probably heading to the bathroom or so she hoped. Sasuke' hand needed treatment. She knew the kind of poison. Sasuke was probably hurting, but he wasn't showing it. That looked a little suspicious to Sakura. Of course she knew Uchiha had an ego the size of Rome Coliseum, one would probably not find him whining or god forbid crying, but he wasn't faltering at all. Not even a muscle moving or any sort of reaction at all. The man had a bleeding hand, with needles painfully piercing the soft skin and a burning pain. And he looked like he wasn't even aware of it. It couldn't be adrenaline rush either.

"_Pfff...show off...quite the man"._

While following her boss, Sakura was having very intellectual activities: she was studying Sasuke's back. And she was well aware of what she was doing. But she couldn't help herself. The man had confident steps, he walked proud and bossy, like a real gentleman, his back straight. She could see his straight spine, a little curved in the lower region. And she couldn't help her eyes roaming on his ass. It was well toned just like the rest of his well muscled body. Sakura mentally slapped herself. What in the world was she thinking about? She was in the middle of the toughest mission; she was not supposed to ogle his boss. But Sakura couldn't explain what she was feeling. This man had a magnetic affect on her; she couldn't help herself around him. She was not that innocent and oblivious when it came to the opposite sex, she new she felt attracted to Sasuke, it was impossible not to. Any straight woman would find him sexy.

But she was slightly scared of the fact that she felt like this for no other man until now. And Sakura has dealt with many men during her missions. Sure, she wasn't conducting seduction missions like Karin, but she had a certain level of contact nonetheless.

In front of her, Sasuke was having a hard time suppressing a smirk. He was right when he said she was easy to read like an open book. He knew she was staring at his ass. But again just like before, he was not bothered by it. Sakura was trying her best to be discreet. Something he hardly found in women nowadays. Maybe this was one of the reasons he was truly considering to hire her. The woman passed the first stage of the interview flying colors. Of course he knew what kind of plants he had in his very home, he was not a rich snob that couldn't even draw smoke from his cigarette without the help of his advisors or secretary.

But hearing Sakura giving him a summary of the plant's effects, like a true botanist, was nevertheless impressive. So she had a brain under that hideous hair. And he found himself slightly curious of how far was she going to push his limits. She hasn't even started with a proper and well deserved excuse or introduction. No, the first thing Sakura did was to enter in full maid mode. Like she was already worked for him and their little unexpected and unfortunate encounter hasn't happened at all. Now Sasuke was not going to be a hypocrite and act like a bitch in hysterics. Sakura`s entrance was nothing that big after all. Sure it was weird and inappropriate and impolite and tactless, but he was not the kind of man to give a damn about this stuff.

Playing the almighty heir, with a constant disapproving attitude towards the others and a constant need to remind them how unmannered and primitive they were, was Neji Hyuga`s job. But Sakura wasn't the one to find out that anytime soon. She was here as a servant, not his equal, so she needed to know exactly what her place was. After taking some more turns (the villa was big all right) they finally reached an white marble wall with a glass pale blue door. Sakura saw no knob, but there was a little LCD screen beside it. Sasuke touched the screen, tasted a code and the door glided, revealing the bathroom. He turned his head slightly towards her, silently asking her to follow him. And so she did.

Now Sakura was no new to the life of luxury for she was a millionaire herself. But this was ridiculous! First of all, what they entered was not a bathroom, but a freaking room. It was huge! It was just like the ones the luxury spa hotels have. She truly considered the design being copied from some high class Dubai hotels. It was that awesome! Everything was covered in golden marble and the light warm lightning gave the impression of gold. It was basically glowing. In the middle was a little pool, with a crystal green water, some rose petals flowing and two pieces of white lotus (who knew the man had a taste for such things) and blue towels, resting on a bamboo tatami. There small fountains on the corners and small Buddhist statues, made of granite with blue eyes.

There were many Mosaic Handcrafted mirrors, enhanced by silver and gold leaf beaded edges, giving an impression of an endless room if she was to watch in them. And the room was packed with candles of all shapes and sizes. It was like an Arabian story. She spotted an Opalia whirlpool wood Jacuzzi bathtub, with underwater pink light. It was gorgeous and not in the cheap or exaggerated way. Everything was placed with refinement and taste. Give the man credit, he had taste all right. But she was abruptly pulled out from her reverie by Sasuke`s smooth but commanding voice:

"Are you done staring? If so, here".

He shoved a first aid kit at her and stared expectantly. He didn't have time for Sakura to stare in wonder at his bathroom. She looked like Alice in Wonderland. He had a lot of work to do today and he knew a certain obnoxious Naruto was arriving in Tokyo. He needed to preserve as much energy as possible. The very idea was giving him headaches.

"Yes Sir!"

Great, she was caught staring like a little child in the candy stores on Christmas. Second time that day. She was acting like a freak. And this man was rude and unmannered and was giving him orders like she was some kind of pest. Screw the fact that he was acting like a God and had a godlike lifestyle: she was contemplating the very idea of planting her shoe on his handsome face. Or anywhere would do the job. This was another reason why she despised businessmen. They thought so high of themselves, like they have invented gravity or something. Fucking bastard.

Without anymore delay, Sakura took the kit, motioned for Sasuke to stay on the edge of the bath tube (damn what kind of wood was that, it was so confy!), opened it, took a quick look on the contents, mentally listing what she was going to need and proceeded to work. Not until she quickly washed her hands and took a pair of white surgical gloves. She didn't want to risk an infection. She gently took Sasuke`s left hand and examined it. It looked pretty bad: the cut was deeper than she thought, it was still bleeding and now some blood started to dry, making it more difficult to extract the little needles. And it started to slightly inflame as well. God. Better make it quick.

So Sakura, like a true nurse, took a hold of Sasuke`s hand and carefully placed his elbow in between her legs (if only she wasn't that much of an oblivious virgin, the position was truly suggestive), in order to have both her hands free to work.

She took a tweezer in her right hand, held Sasuke`s left one with her left (oh the sweet coincidence) and started to pull the small cacti needless from the cut. She didn't find any anesthetic, but that was the situation, her boss should take it like a man. And he damn well did! Gosh, as Sakura was doing her job, she threw some glances at Sasuke to look for any sign of pain and she found none. The man was just staring casually at a certain point behind her. Probably pink unicorns. And then his gaze shifted to her. Ok, that was scary as fuck. Why was he looking at her like that….

After she successfully removed any sign of cactus needle, Sakura took an antiseptic cotton wool, applied antiseptic on it and as gently as she could she started to clean the cut. Again she was surprised that Sasuke hasn't moved a muscle. Before that, she addressed to the said man, promptly trying to make him aware for the pain that was about to come.

"Mr. Uchiha, this is going to hurt, but please try to bear with it for a while."

Did this man even know now pain felt like or he had absolutely no nerve into his body? She knew from experience how stingy that shit can be, then how come he looked like he was floating on clouds? Her boss was a vampire, she decided.

She was applying that shit on an open cut, after removing cacti needle and he was just looking at her, with those impossible black orbs as if trying to pierce into her very soul. It was frightening, it was throwing her off, it was making her uncomfortable and…it was turning her on. Oh god, not again, why was she having this kind of reactions whenever he was looking at her like that?

She couldn't even stand being in the same planet as him, she hated his guts and character with burning passion, but apparently her body had a mind of its own. She didn't know what was happening to her, she felt things she didn't know what were and she didn't have a word for the bothersome twisting of the stomach she was having while holding his hand. Of course, she did it solely for firs aid purpose, but she couldn't help but notice how warm it was, how delicate his long fingers were or how soft the skin from his palm felt under her digits. God it was alluring. He did things to her without even doing anything. Was there a term to describe what she was feeling?

Sakura decided she needed to put more effort in trying to gain control over herself in front of him. Apparently this evil smartass heir was unleashing his maleficent powers on her poor innocent soul. Maybe she should start looking for magic concoctions to keep herself away from his magic. Maybe some garlic would be helpful and…was there a crucifix as well? She decided to push this thoughts or whatever they were in the back of her mind and focus on her task in a desperate attempt to block Sasuke`s influence.

After she was content with the now clean cut, she took a bandage and professional wrapped his wound. She held his hand 10 more seconds before she let it go. She was Tsunade`s pupil all right.

"Ok, I guess this is it. I suggest some Ibuprofen or Naproxen as a pain killer."

She raised her head and she was now looking into his eyes, waiting. This was it. The end of her test. Was he going to throw her right on the very door she barged in, or was he going to acknowledge her work and give her some trust? She wanted to laugh at the thought. She felt like she was auditioning for the national ballet team, not for a maid job. Apparently, people like Sasuke had really twisted standards.

Sasuke was staring at Sakura. Then he was staring at his hand. Then back to Sakura. He played ping-pong with his eyes. He was impressed. The way she worked, like a total pro, she knew exactly what she was doing. And she was well aware of it too. Sakura now had an aura of confidence and contentment that was making his decision easier. Sasuke didn't want to admit it loud, but he really needed someone like this in his crazy life. Someone to be around him for little tasks like this. He thought of it as a maid's work, but he was no fool. Sakura was worthy of more than just cleansing his underwear or peeling him apples. And he couldn't help but wonder, just why in hell was she applying for such a job? He was sure she could have found a more appropriate job if she wanted too.

"You lied to me." He replied in a smooth tone.

Those four words almost made Sakura fall of the edge of the tube. WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?! What was he saying such things to her now?! God this man was going to be the death of her. From all the things he could have said, he chose to accuse her of laying to him. Now that made Sakura to slightly panic. Just what exactly was he trying to prove? He couldn't have discovered she was a Sound agent, it was utterly impossible. Then what…

"I am afraid I don't understand, Sir…" Oh good, she started to sound like she did earlier: scared and edgy. And it was Sasuke`s fault for messing her brains like a freaking psychologist. He should change professions; apparently he had more skills in other fields than business.

"You are not a farmer's daughter." He got her now. Sasuke restrained himself for screaming "EURIKA' to her shocked face. It was amusing him to no end, the way she reacted, her posture was giving her away, she tried in vain to maintain her composure in front of him. Apparently, he was breaking her walls without even putting effort into it. And here he thought she was more of a challenge.

"Mr. Uchiha, I wrote in the CV I sent to you that I own a farm in…"

"…Naples Italy? This is bullshit. There are no farmers there, because the economic crises that stroke 8 years ago successfully put an end to the unproductive vegetable's growing. Farmers were not able to send the necessary quantity of products to the big company clients. And besides…" Sasuke made a little pause in his speech for the dramatic effect and to make things even more interesting, he put up his famous devilish smirk on his beautiful face. Sakura looked like she was about to chock on air. "You said you didn't discover what kind of poison spoiled the soil, but you seem an expert in toxins."

"I…I….I am not…" God Sakura was going to have a panic attack. Just how much of a freaking genius this man was? Was he been able to see through her deception with just so little piece of information? It was impossible, his analytical skills rivaled even Orochimaru`s! She met him half an hour ago and he was already reading her like an open book! Those eyes…those impenetrable and vivid black eyes…they were watching her, almost scanning her, trying to discover her most sacred secrets. Sasuke was not an ordinary businessman, Sakura realized to her utter stupor. Someone should have warned her beforehand. Maybe she should have called Uchiha Itachi and ask him for some more details about Sasuke. Apparently, this little brother was not that foolish.

"Don't worry. I am not going to ask you why you chose to lie. But you cannot expect to gain my trust throwing me false information about you. Do not think so low of me."

He said the last words a little too harsh that he wanted, but it was the truth. He wasn't about to stay like a dummy in the shadows, watching her taking him for a fool. And besides, if Sakura truly wanted to work for him, she might come out clean. He was in a very delicate position, there were people outside that wanted him gone, he couldn't risk mistrust in his very home, from his personal maid nonetheless.

"You are right when you say the farming is almost non-existent now, because of the economic crises, but I told you I stopped working when my parents died. And I didn't tell you when they did. I have become an orphan eight years ago, when the crisis stroke. So, I wasn't lying to you on the matter, Sir."

Sakura wasn't about to back up from this psychological battle. Sure, she was caught of guard by his intuition, but she realized he was just taking guesses. And the fact that he was watching her every reaction like a hawk was the best proof that he was playing mind games, for he was studying her reaction intently. So he managed to find a loophole in the story (she was going to strangle Anko when they meet again for not building up a credible story about her, she should have wrote the damn CV by herself), but two can play the game. She was not stupid, not at all and nonetheless trained to face such situations.

After all, it was just like Sasuke said: she was not a poor farmer. But he didn't need to know this.

Sasuke, after hearing Sakura`s comeback, couldn't help but smirk again. Gosh wasn't this ugly looking woman interesting. And she told him exactly what he would expect to hear. Of course he knew she didn't mention her parent's dead in her curriculum vitae, but her reply was good and smart. She was a smart woman and it was a fact. And she managed to compose herself and not give a lame excuse. Again. So he realized the earlier events were no coincidence. She was more than she was portraying. And Sasuke couldn't help but have the feeling that Sakura was desperately trying to play the maid's role as good as she could. She was basically fighting for the job. That was indeed suspicious. And for the grand ending, Sasuke decided to make one last move on her.

It was probably around 8 a.m by now and he had an important business meeting today. The annual companies ball was coming in 3 weeks from then and there were details to be discussed. He didn't have time to play with the maid. So, he abruptly stood up (Sakura was still glued to the edge of the bath tube), came in front of Sakura and without any further notice he lowered his injured left hand, placed a finger under her little chin and successfully pulled her to him, making her stand up as well. When she was just in front of him and both of them standing, faces only inches apart, Sasuke asked her one more question, but in a low and almost seductive tone:

"Tell me where are you really from, Sakura?"

And he was well aware of the fact that he was calling her by her name from the first time since they met. Calling someone's name meant you have some kind of power over that person, like you were entitled to be demanding and in control. And it was what Sasuke did best. Control and manipulation. It was in his very Uchiha genes, it was natural, it was something beyond control. A frightening skill for an intimidating man like he was. Sakura for her part, was shocked again. This man was unpredictable and cunning, she felt like she was walking on coals. Sasuke made her feel on edges all the times. Was it funny for him? She wasn't even able to tell, he was impossible to read. And OMG his hands on her…

When he grabbed her chin she expected him to truly slap her of something. He was firm, but surprisingly gentle. He didn't want to hurt her or anything. And when she came right in front of him she realized just how close they were. She could basically feel his hot breath on her lips and it was amazing. Sakura could clearly smell him and even though the man probably didn't have time to take a morning shower, he smelt amazing.

No perfume involved, just his natural scent, and it was the manliest and delectable thing she ever smelt. Sasuke was a unique combination of ocean, fire and forest. It was enchanting; she unconsciously felt her legs turning into jelly. And she could feel the heat radiating from his hard body, surrounding her like a big fire camp, embracing it with his warmth. Sakura was fighting the urge to get even closer to him and lose herself into the heat. It was a mix of sensation she didn't knew she could feel. She was trapped under his spell and he successfully got her under his skin. And before she could stop herself and revise, she answered him:

"Ravenna, Italy. I'm from Ravenna Italy…Mr. Uchiha".

Great, she might as well started to tell him how she worked as a CIA agent for Sound, while she was at it. She was utterly stupid. And she didn't like how weak her voice sounded. She practically whispered the words. And judging after that omg-should-be-forbidden gorgeous smirk of his, Sasuke looked like he was expecting her answer. Jerk. She hated him, she hated him she so much and she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run straight to her house in Italy…that or hug him, her hormones were on fire.

_"__Hn, Ravenna…this is where Itachi was working for the past months as an insurance agent. Quite the coincidence. Might as well ask him more about Sakura, for she was probably using the company he was working at to insure her farm. "_

But watching her emerald eyes, he was able to tell she wasn't lying to him this time anymore. Or the first time, she was being honest and he appreciated it. If she told him another well placed and smart lie he should have ended the charade and promptly throw her ass out of his house and out of his life. But she smartly chose to be honest with him. And this was it. He wanted to see how far was she able to go, so why not give the woman a chance then? He let go of her chin (the proximity was making him uncomfortable and he didn't know why, but it was bothering him) just as sudden, turned his back on her and spoke, without even looking at her:

"I have a business related meeting at 9. I want something to eat and a strong black coffee. I like to eat tomatoes, the rest doesn't really matter. You can have the room from the end of this hall. The one with the light pink door, engraved with leaves. The other one is mine. "

And this time he threw her a glance over his broad shoulder when he told her his final words:

"Don't screw it up, Haruno".

And he left her. Just like that. And Sakura couldn't be happier. She did it! He accepted her as his maid; the mission could officially start now! She wanted to cry happy tears like the lame cartoons characters. But then she remembered she was dirty and wet and her luggage was lost on the paths of life. She bolted out of the bathroom. She needed to collect her luggage, the hell with the ugly clothing, she had her Sound equipment there. And her boss gave her a task.

"Tomatoes? Is he Dracula or he does creepy on daily basis?" Weirdo.

Sakura really hoped Sasuke didn't sleep in a coffin. But then she realized…she had no idea how to make black coffee…


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

9 a. m Japan, Tokyo, Akatsuki`s private villa

Uzumaki Naruto was staring at the wall above him intently. And no, he was not studying the architecture or the interesting orange painting; he was trying to figure out just why the hell wasn't he able to remember the past 8 hours of his life events.

His last memories consisted of a boring call from his team leader Itachi, then a very pissed off looking Neji, then an angrier looking Neji strangling his throat, then an unleashed very same Neji Hyuga in the bathroom, tying him up with God only knows what. From there, everything is unclear for his small brain. The Hyuga was fuckin insane, Naruto concluded. Instead of trying to kill him, he should focus his beloved hair on finding information about Lorane. But noooooo, if he wasn't making a fuss, Neji couldn't sleep proper at night. He was PMS`ing too much for Naruto`s liking. From this point of view, he was worse than Sasuke Teme.

He got up and tried to sit on the edge of the bad. How he got here was a mystery. Maybe they have parachuted him from the plane directly into someone's bad (he secretly hoped it was this what happened and not another nocturne adventure including a drunk Suigetsu, a very confused equally drunk Sasuke, a pair of triplets blonde women naked and lying on the same bad as him and overflowing abundance of beer cans and whiskey…and caramel syrup and lot of strawberries but Naruto didn't want to go there…). He stood up with much difficulty. His head was throbbing and the world was spinning. And he wasn't even high. His body felt ten times heavier. This was probably how Wolverine was feeling with his adamant skeleton.

"Fuckin shit and fuckin Neji, he was one of his best friends but he was going to kill him. And he was going to look for some pain killers. Or alcohol. Anything to take away the pain. God was he suffering…and he wanted ramen now!" With this thought in mind he opened the door and almost collided with Ten Ten. Naruto let out a not very manly high pitched scream. Not only was all his body aching but now he was scared shitless. Ten Ten looked bored. And she was holding a tray of food in her hands. And a small vase with a red rose. Why were people serving food with flowers was a mystery to Naruto. As if that shit was edible or something, wasting space for nothing. She should have put more food instead.

"Huh. Ten Ten, what are you doing here?"

No, it was obvious even for an idiot like Naruto that she was there to bring him food, but that was not the point in here. Naruto was trying to ask her about what the hell happened, without looking more ridiculous than he already did.

"Naruto, would you be so kind to move your persona from the door and let me in? Thank you."

And Ten Ten proceeded into the room without any further notice, successfully pushing him aside. They were already late because of him and Naruto looked like he came from Planet Zog. He was sporting circles around his irises. God Ten Ten secretly wished for Kisame to be there. The man had more patience to deal with the clown.

"Tennieeeeeee, I am serious what happened? Why do I feel like I have been hit by a truck and why am I here? And…where are we anyways?"

Naruto closed the door behind him and went after Ten Ten. He sit on the bad with her as she handed him the tray. Ten Ten has brought him milk and chocolate cheerios (his favorite ones, the ones that always came with a surprise toy as mini puzzles or computer games with red planes or green cars that turn into aliens. The the boy was 24 years old and had the mentality of a child, like his master Jirayia), French toast and bacon. And dango (they were in Japan after all). Without wasting anymore time, he shoved the spoon into the bowl of cereals and started to stuff his face. The man had the delicacy of a baboon.

"Gosh you look like you haven't seen food in you life, seriously…Anyways we are currently in Tokyo, in the villa Itachi has arranged for us. Hurry up, we are already 30 minutes late. Neji is already there, waiting for us to give him a signal. He specifically told me not to disturb your-I quote: "peaceful slumber". Oh God, Neji was already beeping her pager for the past half an hour and Ten Ten was seriously considering throwing it right on the trash can. It was annoying as fuck; her ears were now beeping on its own. She felt like she was doing scuba diving, while fighting the water pressure.

"30 minutes late…for what? Do we have to be somewhere today?" Naruto was now devouring his bacon. It was delicious. His stomach was not grumbling anymore. And his headache was not that painful anymore. He would have to thank Ten Ten for the meal. The woman was kind and caring. He understood exactly why Neji loved her so much. She was a treasure. And she was funny. And she was the second best cook from Akatsuki, after Itachi of course. No one can rival his famous buttery French pancakes. The man was a genius. Even Sasuke Teme loved his food. And he was always criticizing food wherever he went.

"Naruto haven't you paid attention to what Itachi told us in the plane? There is a meeting with all the heirs today, regarding the famous annual charity ball, held with the participation of the Major himself. And Neji has to be there as a heir himself. We have to keep an eye on him and the meeting to avoid any Lorane interference." They were late and Ten Ten was becoming impatient already. The trip to where the meeting was taking place was going to take some time. The traffic there was a killer. Maybe they should take the train instead. Yeah, it was a faster way. She didn't want to risk being caught in the traffic jam. People were rushing to their job; it would be like swimming in the pool in the hottest day of August on Sunday. People stayed like sardines.

"Ten Ten, you know I don't pay attention to anything the Teme`s brother has to say for the matter. The man speaks in crosswords. I cannot figure out a thing he says." And it was the painful truth. Naruto didn't understand a word from Itachi. And Itachi was an eloquent man and all, but Naruto was that much of an idiot. Apparently he was not able to remember phrases that had more than two words and that might be ramen and Sasuke. It was rocket science how his brain worked. It is like he had a hole in his head, because no piece of information was stuck there. And he was as lazy as Shikamaru when it came to reading a mission's file.

"Well, you know now, so finish your meal and hurry up. We must get there as fast as we can. I think we should take the metro, it is faster this way. Neji is constantly beeping me and _he _is quite annoyed with the constant disturbance coming from the others".

"…_he_…as in who?"

"Your friend, Sasuke Uchiha".

Ten Ten gave a small smirk at this. When hearing about his friend Sasuke being there, Naruto shoved the last piece of his remaining meal into his now grinning mouth and sprinted to the door, like he sat on a bed with burning needles. This boy was hopeless.

"Pffff…_men_". Ten Ten took the tray and proceeded after Naruto. She could hear the Uzumaki roaming into his bag, pulling out clothes. And she secretly hoped he wasn't going to wear that orange shirt this time, it was basically screaming "Lorane, here I am watching your ass, come and bite me". Oh well, they had work to do…

Same time, Japan Tokyo, Uchiha mansion

Sakura was very busy. After she somehow managed to make Sasuke some black coffee (she has Karin to thank for being a coffee obsessed best friend and keeping her updated with whatever strange flavors she discovered) and slice him some tomatoes (she was right, he was Dracula undercover! Now she should check if he slept during nights or went outside biting pretty women's necks. Maybe this would explain his sexual drive. The man had a reputation all right.) she went outside in search for the lost luggage.

_"__Whoa, it sounds like those stupid romantic movies where the main heroine is an emo in search for identity runaway teenager that went in Swiss Alps to find Heidi. Now Inuzuka Kiba would be of some help, for it is probably the only think he could do best." _

Sakura was muttering curses under her breath. After she made sure Sasuke left to whatever lame meeting he was having (he was brooding when he left, but then again, when wasn't he?), she bolted away from the house, on the streets. Just her luck, there were people started to roam aimlessly on the road. Some stupid looking old geezers that were brooding in her direction were walking their questionable looking caniches. God were the walking dust cleaners hideous. And the old people found it stylish to adorn them with shiny pink and blue dog clothes and ribbons. Sakura felt the urge to throw up. Those clothes were probably more expensive than what she was wearing.

_"__There are people starving in Africa you fuckin rich farts. Gosh I would like to shove my ninja Bo (Staff) down their throats and watch them chock on it."_ Sakura really hoped Sasuke was not sporting snobby rich men hobbies; she was not going to live the uproar. But the said man seemed to have quite a simple lifestyle, outside business. If only she knew…

Oh great, she spotted a gang of 9 or 10 druggies, dressed completely in black _"If they had red clouds on them they would have looked like Akatsuki. Now I know where did they get their ideas from"._ Sakura mentally laughed at the very thought. Sasuke has warned her about this particularly species of neighbors. He told her not far from his mansion, there was another smaller Victorian style villa, consisting of a gang of some youngsters parents spoil with money and luxury, but have no idea what they were doing. Apparently their hobbies included drugs consumption, a lot of alcohol and weekly wild parties, where they managed to collect even more druggies (Sasuke told her that he was in a really bored state of mind and counted them. There were more than 100 and they were still coming when he got to bed), loud music that terrorized the poor old people's ears, whores and strippers and the police coming in the mornings to throw fines and warnings. Not that they were somehow affected, for they had all the money in the world to pay the fines and shit. People were an important source of money on the local budget. She didn't want to deal with this right now, so she took a sharp turn on the corner in order to avoid them. She did for a moment; they seemed lost in their business to spot her.

Also, she passed some yuck couples that felt the need to show everyone around just how ridiculous they looked together. She couldn't understand how were they able to walk straight and not bang their heads on the trees, while shoving their tongues on each other's throats, all while keeping one hand on their asses and the other pulling their heads together for better access. Was that saliva leaking from their entwined mouths? If Sakura managed not to throw up from the skimpy dressed dogs, she was going to seriously need a barf bag now.

And she wasn't going to start talking about the amount of horns she was getting from the ultra shiny sport cars. Why on Earth was everyone tried to get her attention she didn't know. She knew she looked like she came right from a sewer, but they couldn't possible mistake her for a whore now. Don't this rich people have any shame nowadays? Oh god, one red convertible Ferrari, driven by a bald fat dimwit has just passed a puddle and managed to wet her from head to toe. And the motherfucker was laughing his ass out loud. Oh God, she hated this neighbor all ready. To her utter shock, it seemed like Sasuke was the only normal inhabitant here. And that spoke volumes. Her new boss was everything but normal.

Oh finally, after 20 minutes of intent search she spotted her luggage all right. It was thrown up in a corner, near a palm tree, but she didn't spot her handbag, and this was a problem because there she had all her equipment and devices. And her journal…and iPod. Sakura couldn't like without her iPod she was already fuming at the idea of it being broken. Her beautiful custom made pink encrusted with cherry blossoms and hearts iPod touch, filled with her beloved music must have survived or so she was going to do damage. Great, at least it was protected by rain. Or so she hoped. But unfortunately, it was opened. Probably as she dropped it while being chased by the big Pitbull (where was the creature hiding by the way? She really hoped he died of blood loss). It was already a little broken from the plane (yeah, being thrown under god knows how many more luggage and shaken for 8 hours did have an effect). And to add to the "fun", she spotted some street cats running around or climbing the trash with her lacy Victoria Secret's black, pink and red underwear on their heads.

And some people started to notice and point their fingers at her, while laughing. Why oh why was she the one doing the stupid mission? There were many other more appropriate people for this job: Itachi his fuckin brother, Naruto Uzumaki his best buddy or anyone else for the matter. But no, they had to send her of all the people.

Sakura really couldn't stand being the subject of others` fun. It reminded her of her past, where she struggled in poverty and hardly keeping up with her school. She appeared strong and unaffected, but deep inside she was suffering from the constant rude remarks of her rich classmates. She wouldn't forget Amy Watanabe and her monkey followers.

They were constantly picking on her, pulling crude pranks on her, like shoving her into the lock and locking her there for the night (thanks god the janitor, Ebisu, was a friend of hers, for he lived in the same neighborhood and knew about this and always left a key from the back entrance, he had that much trust on her) or cutting locks of he hair while she wasn't paying attention. She has never been able to grow her hair long during her school days because of this.

Only after she met Orochimaru and became part of the Sound she did grow it up long keeping her natural color, but with some locks to remind her she had survived. Sometimes, when they were in the mood, they were calling older guys that Amy used to fuck in order to surround her and beat her up. She was lucky she knew how to fight from her orphanage days, either way she would have been seriously injured. She did have some scars and scratches from their knives though. She swore revenge on them since then.

She hated this kind of people the most. They had no idea and didn't care about other people's suffering. They only looked after their spoiled asses, without giving a damn if someone was to die right in front of them. She was no sadist, but when she had a mission to catch corrupt people to send them to jail or kill them for the matter, she got utter satisfaction. It didn't matter that this murders were digging at her conscience's door, at nights especially. It was worth it, she decided.

And now some passersby stopped and were laughing and ridiculing her openly. This was not happening. She didn't have energy for this, not now. Sasuke was a handful; she didn't think she would survive their meeting. But those motherfuckers were asking for it…

"Listen up you rich brainless gorillas, if you would be so kind to take those laughing stupid looking faces from my proximity and kindly go die, it would be one step closer in creating a cleaner environment. And if you need help with that, I would be more than willing to punch the living daylights out of your fat bellies and watch you bleed until you die." She spit the words to them with as much venom as she could muster, her fists clenched and her body trembling with anger. She was glaring in their direction. She was no Sasuke on this matter, but she came quite close now. She picked up some useful glaring poses from Tsunade and Anko; she wasn't one to mess out with.

People started to leave, not after whispering and glaring at her. But they got the main idea not to anger her any further. Heavens, she loathed them all with burning passion. She wanted to go out and take a walk on Tokyo streets and be among normal people. How was it possible for the foreigner businessmen (she only spotted one Japanese woman, but she wasn't even looking at her, she was cleaning her windows) to spoil Tokyo's magical and friendly atmosphere with their ridiculousness and primitivism was beyond Sakura.

She started to get an idea of why was so easy for Lorane to bring down their companies. They were basically brainless worms with no purpose or skill for anything, except stuffing their faces (Fuck if they weren't all fats, you would expect this good for nothing retards had nothing else to do than working their asses on the gym, but apparently they were even lazier than they looked. She secretly praised Sasuke for not falling into the category). They deserved what it was happening to them.

So, with no stupid people to watch her, she started to collect her stuff, she made a mental note of what was missing and what needed to be thrown and replaced. It looked like she needed new clothes, the street cats not only were fan of Victoria Secret (she bought cheap looking clothes to mach the poor image of a maid, but Sakura would under no circumstance give up her expensive lingerie. That was for her to wear or know, it was her little secret all right, it made her feel more comfortable and sexy and she gained a little more self trust while knowing she had something beautiful and fitting on her), but they took pleasure in scratching and messing her clothes. Just great.

She decided to throw away most of the clothing and resume taking only the toiletries (packed up by Karin, in a way only she knew but it was really effective, they were really looking all right), some panties that left untouched and a bra (she was not going to sleep with the bindings or walk outside with them, she was only going to wear them in front of Sasuke). She pulled the zipper, took the unwanted clothes and threw them on the garbage. She took the bag and started to look for her hand bag. This was what she wanted to find the most.

She found her handbag all right. Only she did have some kind of problem, that consisting of a gang of little laughing brats, a pretty high elm and one hand bag hanging from one of the branches. It was not opened of course, she was not stupid, the bag was made up of a special ultra resistant plastic with a lock on it. But it was freaking hanging on a freaking high tree! Apparently the children found it really pleasurable to play football with her bag. Annoying demonized brats. They were just as bad as their parents, the future generation is fucked.

Great, so someone please tell her how in the seven pits of hell was she going to climb in that stupid tree in search for her bag?! Why were so many elm trees around here anyways? This street should be named "Nightmare on Elm Street" like seriously. Now, this might not be such a dramatic situation for a freaking CIA agent!

If only the circumstances were different, meaning: not being undercover as a freaking maid, not being in the daylight with people around witnessing and not having Lorane probably watching from the shadows! Her special ninja boots and her special made rope (one of Shino`s greatest inventions) were more than enough. She didn't even need all of them, she had the strength to climb by herself. But that was out of question right now.

_"__Fuckin great, I am going to sue every elm from the planet…"_

So, she promptly let go of the bag she had and planted herself on the ground, legs crossed, and thinking on the best way to take her bag without gaining unwanted attention. She had a little concealed kunai on a secret pocket in the bag she had but there were children and she couldn't risk it. Taking a rock and aiming was again out of question, the elm was in the front of a fence and on the other side, there was a car parked. She wouldn't want to risk the stone fall from the three directly on the expensive car. The havoc would be unnecessary. So she decided to take the safest road: climbing. Let the fun begin. But not after chasing away the staring brats, by threatening them she was going to call Santa and tell him he was not going to bring them Nintendos on Christmas (or she should have said BMWs instead, the devil's children were sporting Rolex watches).

So, when she made sure no one was around, took a hold of the tree and slowly and carefully started to climb. Of course, with her training, it was a walking in the park. She was up in no time. She climbed on a thicker branch above the one her bag was hanging on. She let go of the branch and was now hanging on the air, with her head down, supported only by her legs, having both her hands free, like a monkey. She threw away the stupid cardigan that was slowing her down. She managed to grab her bag all right. Ok that was easy, she concluded.

_"__Come to mommy babe..,"_ She kissed her bag and she didn't care she was acting like a crazy woman. She already looked like one, so why not acting like one?

But of course karma decided to be a bitch. When she was about to go down, her stupid and now extremely messy pink wig got caught in a branch she didn't see and she had no idea how, but just like it was made from elastic, it was pulled from her head and thrown away, landing in the street, right when the car that was washing the streets decided to pass, successfully pulling it under the brush and ripping it all. It was like the car was Barbie's pink horse that spit rainbows and pink bubbles and glitter…oh someone please tell her this wasn't happening…Sakura wanted to hid in a corner and cry of frustration. Today was not her day at all.

9.36 a.m Japan, Tokyo, Shibuya metro station

Ten Ten was watching the metro station map intently. Who the hell wrote that shit, she couldn't understand a thing. She couldn't speak Japanese and Neji was not around to help her. Taking the train was a bad idea after all. And to make it all the worse, Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Unbelievable. The last time she saw him, he was practically attacking a traditional ramen store they passed by.

Apparently, Japanese people were not so fond of fast foods, for they preferred healthier traditional food. And this was pissing Ten Ten off. Now they were royally late. What if something bad truly happens? Neji is going to give them hell. And she didn't want to see an angry Uchiha Itachi. It was like staying in front of the speed train she was expecting…whatever train it was. She had no idea, she needed help and she needed it now and damn right was she going to find someone kind enough to tell her what fucking metro should she take to Hotel Okura Tokyo. After she found Naruto of course…

Naruto was in Paradise. After he took a quick shower and got dressed (not in his famous orange T-Shirt, Ten Ten threatened him she was going to take her favorite nunchaku weapon and cut down his balls), he decided to listen to Ten Ten and take the metro.

Naruto was not new to Japan, he was born in Shizuoka and did his elementary in Tokyo, like Sasuke, so he knew his way around. Also, having all his relatives, including his parents, Japanese, he spoke Japanese fluently. But it was priceless watching Ten Ten making a fool of herself, with a metro station map, that she held on the wrong side, in her hands. He could clearly see her from the little ramen stand. Ichiraku or something along the lines, he didn't care about the name, but they were doing the most amazing ramen he ate until now. And he tried all the menus around the world, he was that obsessed.

Anyways, Naruto was having the time of his life, digging his now fifth bowl of ramen, acting like he didn't have a care in the world. And he didn't. He already knew that the metro was taking 15 more minutes to come, and it was departing from the line that was closer to him. Meaning the other side Ten Ten was. Maybe he should go there and help her after all, she looked like she was about to snap at some dude that was ogling her…

Meanwhile Ten Ten was not having such good time like Naruto, but was about to start throwing punches. As she was about to approach a nice looking older man to ask for directions, she was approached first by some stupid looking weirdo, that apparently didn't know the meaning of the word "fuck off" or what the middle finger gesture meant.

He was English, judging by the accent and he grabbed her right shoulder and started to shake her, while screaming at the top of his lungs that "aliens are about to fall from the sky and OZN`s are out there, kidnapping people from their beds, while the Government is eating popcorn and watching soap operas". She tried to shove him off, but man was he persistent. So Ten Ten like a good natured and delicate woman she was, took a hold of his hand, turned around and possibly broke his arm. She heard a CRACK and the man was whining in pain. Too bad, she should have punched his face after all; maybe he wouldn't be so annoying and loud anymore. But she managed to scare away the people and now her chances to ask for directions were ruined. She was furious all right. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed Naruto. She needed to find him soon, or the shit was about to go down.

"Stop getting impatient, Ten, I am right here".

Naruto decided to take pity on…the poor man Ten Ten was molesting. The woman can fight all right, he witnessed her fighting Neji at dojo, when they were all training and man hasn't been Neji that beaten up in a while. Naruto was still laughing at the memory, it was funny as fuck. So he quickly pulled out the last cash he had, paid for the ramen (gosh were it expensive, he knew Japanese were rich people, but seriously $120 was robbery!) and sprinted in Ten Ten's direction. She was already in killing annoying people mode.

"Naruto freaking Uzumaki if you disappear once again, I swear to God I am going to tie you up and make you my new punching bag. You know the old one is now broken."

"Ah don't be so angry, I am right here now, aren't I? And besides, here comes our train. Let's go, dattebayou!"

"…Naruto…do you speak Japanese?"

"Duh…I AM a Japanese Ten Ten, of course I DO Japanese."

"….and you are telling me this…NOW!"

"…you didn't ask me until NOW!"

"…Naruto…?"

"Yes Tennie?"

"I am going to brutally murder you and throw your dead body right under the train!"

"...but if you do this, we are going to be late. Weren't you the one in a hurry?"

Screw the Akatsuki`s code of conduct, Ten Ten was already planning ways to silently killing Naruto and dispose of the dead body. After they get in the metro. Man was it full already. And Ten Ten was reminded she was claustrophobic…

ATTENTION PLEASE! BECAUSE OF A SUDDEN ELECTRICITY BLACKOUT, ALL THE TRAINS ARE HEAVING A DELY. WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. ALL THE PASSENGERS ARE REQUIRED TO NOT PRESS THE EMERGENCY BUTTONS IF NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.

"Heh…Now they speak Japanese…", Ten Ten thought ironically…fuckin great. She was already texting Neji they are going to be late. Oh he was going to be pissed. And if Neji was pissed, he lacked sexual drive. And that was not good news for Ten Ten…not at all…she was silently thinking if Sakura was doing better…At the same time, Naruto regretted he was stuck in the train and not on the ramen stand. He was still hungry…

Same time, somewhere in Tokyo, Japan

Sakura was currently wondering on the streets with a very clear purpose in mind: find a hairstyle salon and fast!

After she managed to climb down the tree, with her two bags in each hand, she went back to Sasuke`s house to unpack. She didn't even have time to awe at the beautiful room her boss has given her (but she secretly wondered how come she didn't seep in another smaller room or in the kitchen or in the basement or wherever the hell servants sleep, but she won't start to complain now). She unlocked the handbag to make sure everything was all right. And it was. Her phone, her wallet with all the money and credit cards, her small hidden devices and weapons were all intact. Thanks God, she didn't need another unwanted surprise, it was not like she could order them from ebay. But most importantly, her beloved ipod. Oh life was already sweeter. She found a baggy long black skirt and an equally ugly looking blue top that were not wet or dirty or ripped and changed her clothes.

Not after she took a quick shower (she smelled awful, like a walking ZOO) with her favorite oranges and chocolate shower gel (yummy it smelled like Christmas and oranges chocolate bars, the most amazing invention along with Tiramisu). But while she was washing her hair as well, she realized she had a little problem. Now that the stupid wig was history she needed to do something about this particular cover. She wouldn't find another similar looking one (the wig was custom made from natural human hair, dyed with a special dye, one couldn't have guessed it was not her natural hair) if she looked for one and she didn't want to risk another wig involved accident. She didn't know what kind of situations would she be involved in, and a scenario with her wig falling right in front of certain people was not a pleasant one.

So here she was, dressed like a cheap version of a Goth girl (some rockers and gothic teenagers were smiling and showing her the hand sign of horns, nodding appreciatively in her direction), wondering on the now crowded streets of Tokyo, in a desperate attempt to find a hair salon that was casual enough to not throw her outside the moment she walks in. It was ridiculous, every salon she passed was high class and expensive looking. If she wasn't cosplaying Hotsuki from Juu Jigen Rippoutai Sypher-Aoki Tsuki no Suitei, she would have entered them no problem, after all, she was also a high class lady. But that was out of question now.

Suddenly, she spotted an interesting looking black door, with a red skull, surrounded by flames and thunder and a sign hanging above it with a pair of scissors. It didn't look flashy or luxurious. It was just what she needed. A poor girl entering a cheap looking salon. So she barged in without any further delay. But when she entered, she was quite certain Lorane`s basement would look just like that. It was more of a cave for rituals than a salon. It had black leather all-purpose chairs, huge rectangle mirrors with curved black shelf, styling stations with retail and chemical processors. From this point of view, it looked all right.

But the black painted walls with gothic designs and rock stars wallpapers (she spotted Sepultura, Black Sabbath and Rammstein-Sakura listened to a lot of rock when she was a teenager) and the red and green candles (were they celebrating Christmas in advance or something?) were definitely not ordinary. And the hairstylists were staring at her. But not in a bad way though. She would have laughed at the ridicule of it, the way she was dressed was probably according to their normal clients` way of dressing.

Suddenly, a very beautiful woman approached her. She was also a hairstylist, the apron was a give away. She had a light shade of purple hair color, a round black lip piercing, fair complexion, brown almond shaped eyes, purple make up to match her hair and a blue flower was complimenting her hair. She had a black tight top and a gothic Lolita red mini skirt, with white and black lace. She had some leather high boots, something like Sakura was wearing in her Sound uniform, only the heels were platforms and higher. Some tribal tattoos were adorning her left hand entirely.

The woman was slender, with defined curves and strikingly beautiful. Sakura was able to read her name on the tag: Konan, owner. Sakura secretly hoped the woman spoke a language she knew. Judging by her look, she was definitely Japanese. But the woman seemed to read her thoughts and addressed her in fluent English:

"How can I help you, sweety?" She addressed Sakura in a calm and polite tone. She also had a deep low voice, Sakura was able to tell. It only added to the mysterious aura she was sporting.

"I would like a haircut and a dye, please."

Konan watched Sakura intently before asking her to take a sit and wait for her. Now Sakura was not a cry baby, but the very idea of cutting her precious beautiful hair was making her almost tear. She took her time to take care of her hair, because she was not able to do so when younger, and cutting her now long wavy past waist hair was a reminder of a past she didn't want to remember.

This is a thing that angered her since she first started her mission: everything related to Sasuke meant a step back to the person she used to be in the past. She worked so much to escape the previous image and become a refined young woman, with moral values and confident and now everything slowly started to fall apart.

Sakura didn't want to go there anymore, the past was still haunting her, the days of poverty and misery still vivid in her nightmares, she was changed woman, but she still had inner demons to fight and she didn't need another reminder of a tragic and lonely life she worked so much to overcome.

The fact that she was going to cut her hair back short and dye her in the very color she used as a protest to the world she used to despise was a hard kick in her conscience. But she had no choice, she had to do everything to accomplish her mission, like she always did, even meaning to awaken a part of her she wished was dead and gone. Lost in her thoughts, Sakura didn't see Konan standing behind her, a hand caressing her very long hair with light curls and watching her with knowing eyes.

Working with so many different people, Konan was really good at reading their inner soul. She saw it in this young lady's eyes: sadness and loneliness. The lady in front of her was not here to cut her hair; she was here to cut roots with her past. She was fighting an internal turmoil, and it was not necessary for the fact that she came here to just cut some hair that would grow up anyways.

"So tell me sweetheart, what exactly do you want me to do?" Konan was somehow curious. This woman was not an ordinary Gothic looking girl, that probably came here to ask for a weird and eccentric hairstyle to add to the look. It was her vibe. She was more than what she was portraying on the outside and the way she seemed to consider the situation, was telling Konan she wasn't stupid either. And what she told her next, truly caught her out of guard.

"I want to cut it short and dye it pink". Sakura answered after a moment of what looked like she was seriously considering what she was asking for. It was a déjà vu. She did the very same thing eight years ago, under different circumstances. And it was not nostalgic in the slightest. Sakura didn't have any pleasant memories from her past life, with the except of her lost childhood friend Isaribi and sister Carlotta Veronica, a blessed nun that worked as a Latin teacher in the orphanage she used to grow in, that loved the two little girls and secretly took care of them. Sakura wanted to look for her when she started to work for Sound, but she heard the nun died of pneumonia, in circumstances that were still unclear.

Konan was silent for a while. She was looking at Sakura`s hair: wavy and extremely long, but healthy nonetheless (Konan was a pro, she knew for a fact that this girl used expensive and professional hair treatments), v asymmetric cut, extremely soft and luscious, thick as well, with an interesting shade of caramel brown and some lighter almost blonde tugs on the roots and a thick dyed pink lock on the back. Konan saw thousands of people and just as many hair types, but this woman's hair was top 3. Her hair was absolutely gorgeous; the woman was probably turning heads wherever she went. Why was she asking for such a dramatic change Konan had no idea.

"Are you sure? I can just fix the split ends for you if you want and maybe dye some more locks if you want…" Normally Konan was not the one to question her client's request, but her eye for design and style was stopping her to just take the scissors and proceed to work. It was such a shame really. She didn't want to consider this young girl being in a moment of depression or turmoil that clouded her judgment and searching for a way to ease the sadness.

"I am sure, please proceed." Sakura answered without faltering. Why was this good looking woman asking her so many questions anyways? Sakura didn't think she will be able to be this confident once more. Of course she didn't want to do this, she loved her hair, the way she attracted attention whenever she went to a salon before a very important ball or gala was her and Karin's passion. All the looks and styles she was able to wear during these years were now history. But she had no choice, she had to do this. Her beautiful hair turned people's heads and she didn't need this kind of attention now. It was too risky.

"Look, taking into account that you have a slightly natural curled hair, I am going to do an asymmetric mid length bob. The longest part is going to be right above your shoulder. You have an oval shaped face that would look really good with longer bangs as well. And regarding the color, I am going to keep your natural color, but add more pastel pink locks on the ends. I don't want to damage your roots. Is this ok?"

Ok, so from what this girl was saying, Konan understood she wanted to have a dramatically change in appearance, like she wanted to be unrecognizable. But Konan was not going to damage her reputation as a stylist by doing a hairstyle to rival the Simpsons. Also, Konan saw the ugly looking glasses and she didn't understand why this woman was so adamant in hiding herself. Was she hiding from someone or was she part of the _witness protection program?_

_"__Sakura was taking into account what Konan was telling her. She was a fashionista all right, she, Karin and Tsunade had girls night outs and were usually watching fashion shows and magazines, so she knew exactly what she was talking about. And she realized that despite the crazy appearance, this Konan girl was a pro. She was able to come up with an alternate solution that would both change her appearance and not raise suspicion. And it was not like she wore in the past as well. She started to like the woman. She accepted. She was going to tell Sasuke she was a woman with needs that felt the need for a change in looks as well, considering the fact that she had a change in scenery. That was believable enough. _

_"__Yes, this is ok, thank you". Sakura caught the woman's smirking face in the mirror, as she took her instruments: her scissors, hair brushes, hair drier and some substances to prepare the dye. This was going to take time…_

_"__You know dear, you don't need to be so formal, we are not in some sort of business meeting or church or expensive salons were Paris Hilton and company goes. You can call me Konan. Your name?" Konan was going to have a lot of work. The cut itself is going to take her at least 40 minutes. And then there was the dye. She wanted people to relax around her, she hated those expensive saloons and the people going there, their false smiles and the overdose of sugar was sickening her to the max. _

"Sakura, nice to meet you, Konan". Sakura found no problem in giving Konan her real name. After all, she was just a hairstylist that was trying to be friendly with her, not that they needed to meet again after then. And the woman was likeable and friendly. She was not pretending and Sakura was reminded of her red headed friend. Gosh, she missed Karin, she had to give her a call that night and tell her the events so far. Karin was hungry for this stuff; she was going to have a field day. Sakura hoped she was not in a mission thought.

9.40 a.m Japan, Tokyo, Hotel Okura Tokyo, meeting room

Uchiha Sasuke was really bored. Like really bored, the kind of boredom that makes your bones hurt and cracks your mind. 40 minutes into the meeting and he was already considering taking his stuff and leave. It was that bad. He was gripping his Montblanc Meisterstuck 90 Years Classique Ballpoint Pen as hard as he could, in a vain attempt to calm his nerves. It was only making him more nervous.

On the chair that was on his right side, a similar bored looking Neji Hyuga was doing exactly the same thing. Only, being the well mannered educated man he was, he was not as obvious as Sasuke. He was shoving the tip of the pen in his knee, under the table. Sasuke mentally laughed at the scene, because for someone that wasn't in the angle to see what he was doing, the way he was moving his hand up and down, was suggesting he was doing an entire shameful different activity. Gosh he was such a moron.

Sasuke was used to this kind of meetings and he was a patient man. But he absolutely hated this kind of public events. The annual company related charity balls were a tradition among heirs and were usually held here in Japan. Business people from all the ages and countries were attending the event. It basically consisted in a really big high class party, gathering the richest people, that donated large amounts of money for charity work, meaning raising funds for poor countries or unfortunate people that suffered from natural disasters that year. For instance, last year the event managed to raise 5 billion dollars for 13 million people from India that were left homeless in the country's northeast after being hit by the Phailin Typhoon.

Sasuke was having no problem in doing charity work, he was already famous for his philanthropic activity, along with his Mother Mikoto that was currently in Africa, as a Japanese Ambassador for peace, fighting for women and children's rights and donating money. He was not showing in on the outside, but Sasuke hated the idea of poor people striving for making a living and little children dying in poverty, or suffering from incurable diseases because they lack a shelter, water or food. He was the kind of rich businessman that lived in luxury, but was not thinking low of the others that were poorer than him. This is why he wasn't looking down at Sakura his poor maid. Sasuke really valued a person's character and intelligence, for he understood that society needed to invest in human resource for further development.

What was really bothering him was why in the world was it necessary for such a stupid and useless, from his point of view, event to take place. Why couldn't they just put the money in some bank account and transfer it to the people in need, instead of coming together and spend a ridiculous amount of money to organize it. Seriously, they should have just saved the money or sent it to the people in need instead.

He considered it to be a way for the snobby rich stupid idiots to show off. Like anyone really cared that they have managed to buy an isolated island god only knows where, that cost a fortune and was full of Anopheles mosquitoes that transmitted Malaria, like it was Halloween candies or wild dangerous animals, or they have managed to get a hold of a 1942 Rolex Chronograph and that there were only 12 of them ever produced. Too bad it didn't come with a brain included…

Just the idea of being surrounded by these losers was giving Sasuke headaches. And to add to the horrid situation, Naruto was going to be there. And he loved this kind of parties, and if you add their friend Suigetsu in the equation, the result was cataclysmic. He almost always had to take them home (it was usually his home) because they were too drunk to support themselves, or cover for them when they were in dark corners, pleasuring hot rich women.

Sasuke was having his fair share of good looking women as well (it was the main reason he went to this balls, along with donating money), but the idiots were too loud for their own good. He somehow wasn't bothered by Neji Hyuga, he was more stoic and quiet, just like him. He only suffered from superiority complex, but, giving the fact that he had an ego that could comprise the planet Mars, Sasuke overlooked the fact. And his fiancé was making a damn good job in keeping him on a leash. Sasuke smirked at the thought, the Hyuga was whipped.

At least the mayor was going to be there as well. He liked the stoic man, he was smart as hell and knew exactly how to conduct this kinds of events and temper the idiots that were too excited in showing their stupidity to the world. He graduated from Harvard and was a man with large knowledge in various fields, such as mathematics, philosophy or religion. And he fluently spoke four different languages. The man was not to be taken lightly.

Back to the main point, Sasuke watched with the least of interest at the scene in front of him. There were two fat businessmen, one was the head of some restaurant chains and the other was the head of a large waste management inc. _"Hn, the king of garbage", _that were arguing over the problem of food. Somebody please shoot him now. They were stupid as fuck. How did they do their business was a mystery to Sasuke, they were so dumb they probably needed GPS device to find their faces in the morning when they shaved. Compared to them, Naruto was Stephen Hawking**. **Apparently, the "king of garbage" thought it was a better idea to serveAlmas caviar because it went pretty good with the white vine, while the other imbecile thought it was better to have Wagyu Steak, because it was local specialty.

In all seriousness, who the fuck cared about that, they were ridiculously expensive and tasted like glue and spoiled milk. There were better things to do with the money and if the rich people really wanted to eat that shit, they could just go to some fancy restaurant and stuff their faces with as much expensive food as they wanted and not spend the budget for this kind of lame things.

And they were shouting at each other calling themselves idiots (Sasuke couldn't understand how an idiot can call another idiot an idiot…oh well…it took an idiot to know another) for the past 30 minutes or so. He couldn't take it anymore, he was going to snap. He or Neji, the man looked like he was going to jump on the table and strangle them. Sasuke knew the Hyuga, he was calm and collected, but had a violent nature. Sasuke threw Neji a quick glance. He was not going to stop him.

Neji was pissed. And he was afraid he wouldn't be able to contain his anger anymore. And the freaking Uchiha was smirking at him, knowingly. The cocky bastard. Sasuke looked just as bored and pissed as him and he was taking pleasure in seeing Neji suffer. He was going to throttle him first, then he was going to strangle the people here. All of them, except the mayor's poor old secretary. The man looked like he died. Was he breathing anymore? Neji couldn't be sure, he was too far.

Not only did he need to pay attention to whatever this people spoke about, but he was worried because Ten Ten and Naruto were stuck in the train. He got Ten Ten`s e-mail message so he knew there were some delays. He also found out about the little incident with the weirdo at the station and he knew it was not good, for they didn't want to attract unwanted attention. But nevertheless, he was worried about his finance. She was a strong woman, but she attracted trouble…and men, like a magnet. God.

Neji secretly prayed that nothing was going to happen during the meeting, it was only him and a bunch of 50 or so businessmen, all of them the heads of their companies, including Sasuke. If Lorane or any other killer was to show up, it was going to be difficult for him to handle. Maybe Sakura was around, considering the fact that her mission was to guard Sasuke, but giving the fact that she has landed in Tokyo around the same time as them, he doubted it.

Now he was here, alone, bored out of his mind, annoyed by the now screaming people (were they arguing over food of all the things? Neji was going to die.) that couldn't come up with a good idea to solve the most trivial problems and all they did good was curse one another to hell and back. And they called themselves gentlemen. The hypocrites. Neji hated them all, like he hated his family members. They were acting like little children at circus.

OMFG there was an old skinny dude with a stupid accent that stayed in front of him and started to complain about the "_low quality music, that made him ashamed to ask his delicate wife to dance a __Viennese Waltz or a tango"_ and they should hire a lie band from Austria. Neji suddenly found the idea of getting a hold of the bottle of mineral water in front of him and throw it an the annoying man's face really appealing. That, until Sasuke`s deep voice was heard in the background successfully silencing the annoying audience.

"How about we order Kaiseki ryori as meal? It is both traditional and popular among aristocratic circles, as well as it consists in thinly sliced, raw fish, usually served on a bed of shredded daikon and grilled fish or meat, so we don't have to worry about the problem of meat and it is accompanied by soup, simmering or stewing vegetable, seafood, deep fried in a light flour batter, a savory egg custard flavored with fish stock, that contains small morsels of mushrooms, chicken, ginko nuts and dessert, such as local or seasonal fresh fruit or sorbet, for the people that are vegetarian.

The restaurant's chef is a master in Kaiseki Ryori, so not importing the meal from other country will help us saving money that can be used to add to the already low music budget. And we can ask the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra to come and play in order to solve the problem of music. Not only are they one of the world's finest orchestra, but they are known for charity work, so I am sure they will have no problem in coming an give a performance."

Neji smirked at this. The audience now mouth agape. Not only did Sasuke come with the best solution given the circumstances, but he managed to satisfy all the people's ridiculous taste and requests. He truly lived to his reputation, the man was a genius and he was doing it so nonchalantly like he was talking about football scores. Thanks god he decided to interfere, either way they were going to stay here another three days.

As for Sasuke, he let out a sigh. Finally, after not being able to take the torture any longer he decided to put an end to the imbecile's suffering and help them find the light at the end of the tunnel. He was slightly surprised Neji remained quiet. Usually it was him who bashed the people that were acting like they were children at playground, arguing about one of them falling with his ass on another's sand castle.

But a quick glance told him what the problem was: Neji was busy sending messages to someone. Probably Ten Ten. That, or he was playing Angry Birds, Sasuke wasn't sure. The now awake mayor's secretary (that had the audacity to fake being asleep in the middle of the meeting, to avoid being questioned) was nodding approvingly in his direction...and a Venezuelan young lady that was in charge with the flower arrangements was ogling him and battling her eyes, successfully gaining his attention. He gave her a little knowing smirk. The woman was really hot. He couldn't wait for the meeting to end…

10 a.m. Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán, México A secret underground location.

They didn't want any uninvited guest to disturb the sacred meeting. It was not for the atheists to spoil the holly atmosphere. After all, they were all brothers in spirit and mind. A sacred ritual, conducted to purify the soul and open the mind. One must discover God, struggle to become one with the Divinity. After all, all the poor tainted souls fight to find an answer and rise from the ashes to towards the Light, towards God and seek solution from the Providence of Heaven.

The brothers were all dressed in expensive black suits. Barefooted, for the human shall be humble in front of God. A dark long equally black robe adorning their frames. Their heads were bow. They were listening to their Master Mason reading from the Holly Book of Freemasonry.

"My brothers, there are many things in us of which we are not distinctly conscious. To waken that slumbering consciousness into life, and so to lead the Soul up to the Light in one office of every great ministration to human nature whether its vehicle be the pen, the pencil or the tongue. We are unconscious of the intensity and awfulness of the life within us."

The conceited from light Master Mason was reading from the "Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry" (by Albert Pike), as it was prepared for the Thirty-Third degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States and published by its authority. The very morals of all the Master Masons to follow in their way to light and peace. The audience was silent. No one dared to question, they were just listening, trying to grasp the information and find the way to acquire infinite knowledge, trying to escape the Darkness from their minds and struggle to the Light. Darkness meant darkness of mind, the lack of knowledge, meaning the mind was not able to fight the limitation of human kind. Light was God's knowledge. One should struggle to find perfection like in the beginning of time.

"No symbol of Deity can be appropriate or durable in a relative or moral sense. We cannot exalt words that have only a sensuous meaning, above sense. To call Him a Power or a Force, or an Intelligence, is merely to deceive ourselves into the belief that we use words that have a meaning to us, when they have none, or at least no more than the ancient symbols they had.

And it may be doubted whether we have succeeded either in communicating or in forming in our minds any more distinct and define and true and adequate idea of the Deity, with all our metaphysical conceits and logical subtleties, than the rude ancients did, who endeavored to symbolize and so to express His attributes, by the Fire, the Light, the Sun and the Stars; all of them types of what, except by types, more or less sufficient, could not be expressed at all." (Quoted from "Morals&amp;Dogma of the Ancient &amp;Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry", by Albert Pike, page 330)

The fraternity was created to reward devotedness, patriotism, bravery and obedience, summed up in the simple mandate: "Protect the oppressed against the oppressor; and devote yourself to the honor and interests of your Country" . (Quoted from "Morals&amp;Dogma of the Ancient &amp;Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry", by Albert Pike, page 97). All Masons are taught to be faithful and act with disinterest and in case of wars, struggle, disputes or dissensions they are to act like peacemakers. In the name of duty, a true Mason brother is guided by his honor, reputation and is to be rewarded accordingly if his inner Light starts to shine. The very same Light that is guiding him on his path through life, successfully showing its brightness in times of need and help him performing the Holly Duty in the name of his devotion, not for expecting any reward.

A Master Mason shall be generous and not selfish. He should return what he gets, in order to balance the benefits and not think he is above the poor ones if he wasn't able to return a favor that was dishonored.

"If a Master Mason is wealthy and has large sums invested and the mass of whose fortune consists in obligations that bind other men to pay him money, he is still more so to whom may owe large returns of kindness and favors. Beyond a moderate sum each year, the wealthy man merely invests his means: and that which he never uses is still like favors unreturned and kindness unreciprocated, an actual and real portion of his fortune" (Quoted from "Morals&amp;Dogma of the Ancient &amp;Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry", by Albert Pike)

"My brothers, we are to fight with the hearts and spirit to bring the Light upon this world that struggles in darkness and show the people who are snobby and shallow what is like to be a gentleman, to be strong in front of the wind of change, to welcome luxury like a part of a reward for kindness and liberalism and not make it the very purpose of your lives.

Keep in mind do not wonder in Darkness, do not obey the inner demons that crave for inclination and not duty, do not limit your mind by the overreaching businessmen or corrupt politicians, that are interfering to the true meaning of kindness, peace, love, devotion and passion. This are not the people to led us to the Heavens and thus we shall not be corrupter by them!" His words harsh and bitter. The change is about to come.

This world will know the true meaning of peace. The people must be kind and affectionate in their common relation and in search for God. A good Mason is to bring people closer, bond them in their common suffering, endeavor them to think better about one another, persuade foes to give up the hatred and come together as friends, fight for the rights of the most unfortunate ones and turn cruelty into justice.

"But only after…they know true meaning of _pain_".

The meeting was over. The Master Masons started to leave the place with their minds cleansed of the impurities of a decadent world. Masonry was the great Peacemaker Society of the world, its sole savior. That is why they must never disobey the Freemasonry, for they would not disobey their morals and convictions. The world was struggling, its ending nearer and corrupt people were bringing it down, step by step, slowly but surely. And they must not let it happen. Pain will make people understand each other by binding them in darkness and suffering, successfully pulling them together into the Light.

Three people remained behind the others. They knew what their mission was. In the name of justice and peace, they were not to oppose the Order. It was the call of duty, a sacred oath they made with their hearts, bodies and souls in the name of God, written in the Holly Book, engraved in blood and they were to make sure of the successful result. And the targets sound and clear. The unholy alliance of people that had a deprived life, ruled by pleasure and luxury, in the name of their own twisted and selfish ambitions. The ones that lived in Darkness. They shall not be forgiven, but they were to pay for the insolence of opposing the accomplishment of true peace. They were going to be killed: the business people form the annual charity Ball. The three men now in their own private limos.

Destination: Japan, Tokyo.


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

10 a. m Japan, Tokyo

Sakura was walking on the street, thinking. After she left the hair salon she started her hunting for clothes. She needed to hurry up, for she didn't know how much time would it take for her to buy clothes, go home (how did she travel so far from Sasuke`s home was a mystery to Sakura. She should have taken the metro…or not), install her equipment and start investigating Sasuke`s contacts and surroundings.

And that Konan woman was a genius, she decided. Sakura was now wearing probably the most stylish hairstyle around. And that was not good. She had a middle cut bob, just like Konan told her, with a gorgeous looking color: Konan kept her natural color on the roots and dyed the length pastel pink. The result was incredible, the color was not ugly nor weird or eccentric looking, it was so classy one would have sworn it was made in a high class salon. Sakura wanted to ask Konan why was she working in such an obscure salon when she was qualified to lead any other luxury salon she wanted, but a quick glance told her the woman was independent and free. She wouldn't have accepted limitations and bindings in her work. Sakura envied her for that…

Actually if Sakura was to look closely, the length was just like the wig's, only the shape was definitely more stylish, but considering the circumstances she met Sasuke (messy hair, wet to the bones, dirty), he wouldn't be able to tell the difference, nor in color or length. He was a man after all, they don't pay attention to this kind of stuff, do they? And the color was a lighter shade as well. But the way Konan has stylized it and the cut itself was a work of art. It was modern and classy, asymmetric and curly, it enhanced her face perfectly.

Now Sakura looked even hotter than before…and considering the fact that she had to keep a low profile and more importantly keep away from Sasuke…it was a disaster. And Konan has put hair styling gel. All the passer byes were gawking at her. She had to take a shower quick. But for now…shopping…and maybe Tiramisu (she didn't have her daily Tiramisu cake and she was already getting frustrated, for Sakura Tiramisu was a must! Sakura worshiped Tiramisu just like Naruto worshiped his ramen).

She spotted something that looked painfully like a mall, she couldn't tell exactly because she didn't speak Japanese, so she went with the instinct. And when she went inside, she was suddenly surrounded by lights and glitter and a sea of smiling beautiful people. She stopped for a moment. It was the same atmosphere similar to the one on the metro station. People of all the ages were rushing, trying clothes or eating. The mall was big indeed. At least 3 floors and all the shops you could think of. There were many food stands with different cuisine: French, Italian, traditional, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, and even German. Sakura was glad for this, she was a fan of Italian food (duh, she was from Italy after all) and her stomach was angry. It was more than a day since she last ate, and although she was a thin girl she was not on diets on something. She had an appetite all right.

Then there were many young girls trying different sorts of jewelry. Not the expensive type, but the cute ones, they were watching shiny necklaces, glitter and pink feather adorning hair bands and they were adorable. Sakura smiled sadly at this, she has always wanted to do this with her friends as well when she was at that age. Unfortunately she didn't have any friends…or money for the matter, and when she joined CIA she didn't have time. Of course she and Karin were always shopping in their free time, buying all the expensive rings or earrings or necklaces they wanted and Sakura was having a lot of fun, but it was the simplicity of action that Sakura was secretly missing…but she wasn't going back now. She was a grown up, the child days were long gone.

Oh, she spotted a casual looking shop. She could hear Karin screaming at the top of her lungs at the abnormality of wearing that kind of clothes. She walked in and started to look for plain looking t-shirts, Jeans (she hoped that she won't encounter any more furious dogs from now on, maybe that Pitbull worked for fashion police and chased her to fine her) and she decided for sports wear as well. But she knew she should avoid the branded ones. As she was roaming through the shells, Sakura saw a weird looking shop, on the windows.

It had a sign in English as well and it stated: Cosplay world. Sakura started to laugh like crazy. Wouldn't it be funny as hell to go there and purchase some costumes? She was sure Sasuke would just love to see her dressed like some anime character all right. Maybe they had some adult types as well. Karin was a fan of manga and anime. Sakura was sure the woman had all the collection of manga, even the ones that weren't released yet (knowing Karin, she probably threatened the writer to give her a copy in advance).

And almost all the times, Karin spoke about her favorite characters, who was hotter, who was stronger, who had the ability to cut down mountains or knew body transfer techniques (what was this shit anyways, do kids really read something like this? Sakura knew they were crazy…) or who had the most impressive death (and all of them were about one sacrificing for the others that apparently had godlike powers, but for some reason their powers didn't work in that exact moment). She called Sakura whenever a new manga release happened, and considering the time zone it was almost always during the nights. God sometimes Sakura really felt like chocking Karin in her sleep, with her favorite pillow (Pink, fluffy with some emo looking dude with a weird sword from Shaman King).

So being Karin's best friend, Sakura, although she loathed those things, knew quite a lot of manga characters. And she knew for a fact that parading in front of Sasuke dressed like Valentine from Cowboy Bebop or Boa Hancock from One Piece, while doing laundry or cooking would make quite and impression. Sakura truly wanted to see Sasuke`s face when he realized he wasn't going to get any…because she didn't have a crush on him nor did she find his body to be the hottest she has ever seen…she was that delusional.

Oh well…she carried on with picking clothes. It was not like she was that kind of girl anyways. Seduction was for women like Karin, who carried an aura of sensuality like second nature. Sakura was more of a refined and classic beauty; also she was not initiated in the art of luring men. Sure she was a goddess, but she didn't know how to make good use of those qualities nor did she ever feel the need to do so.

It was always the men who kept chasing after her and tried to gain her attention at parties or clubs or the ones that were more daring tried to flirt openly with her in coffee bars or even malls. She purposely avoided thinking about that perverted category of deprived postmen or electricians or plumbers. They were the worst. Trying to barge into a single decent woman's home under the pretense of hearing the pipes leak somewhere in the bedroom was the lowest behavior. They wanted to check some pipes all right, but not the ones from the house…Sakura promptly beat the hell out off them…and then called the police.

After she found the clothes she needed, Sakura paid for them with her credit card (oh well, she didn't have any cash left, she should look for an ATM) and this time the cashier wasn't rudely glaring at her. She liked Japanese people, period! But just when she exited the door and wanted to go and eat something (she was so hungry she could dig in a horse) she spotted something that made her stop dead in her track. And some customers that wanted to exit the shop as well, collided with her back, successfully pushing her two steps forward. Of course the said people fell directly on their asses, successfully creating a commotion and gaining the attention of the very people she didn't want to spot her.

So Sakura, like a true agent she was (screw the cover, she was now fuming, she was going to beat something or someone or both soon), quickly gained her equilibrium and barged into a shop that was the closest and hid behind some shelves that were the farthest. And when she threw a quick glance around, she saw exactly what kind of shop she entered: a sex shop. WTF?!

"_Oh, freaking amazing, from all the shops around, it was this kind of shop that was the closest…just my luck…"_ Sakura cursed her bad luck all right.

Again it was a difficult situation for Sakura. She was a virgin for God's sake, she hasn't even had her first kiss and she was honest when admitting she hasn't seen a naked man before. She hasn't even had a boyfriend! And she was surrounded by the strangest things ever. What were they anyways? She spotted some weird looking toys (were people playing with Barbie or something in bed? She thought they were having sex…), some apparently torture devices (was that a whip? What could people possible do with a freaking whip? She didn't want to think they were shipping each other during…omg the mental images…and there were pink feather cuffs in a box…was it even legal to sell cuffs to civilians? ) and…was that what she thought it was?

"Holly shit…You have to be kidding me…"

That was not happening…that was not happening…that was not happening…_they_ were heading her way! From all the shops they could have entered, they had to pick this particular one. Sakura really thought there was some really bored God that has picked an interesting hobby: making her life more miserable. But as she was about to take a quick turn in a vain attempt to get out of the shop as fast as she could without being seen, Sakura lost her balance for a moment, and grabbed the closest thing to her, and that meaning a box full of toys, in all their glorious shape of men parts, successfully making it fall with a THUD!

Oh God, she really attracted a lot of trouble whenever she went, and she was supposed to take care of Sasuke, when she needed special attention herself. It was too late to turn back now, so she grabbed a box of what she really hoped were condoms and not some fancy looking Swiss candy, straighten her pose acting like she didn't have the "beware of the clumsy virgin" sign glued on her forehead, took down her ugly glasses, her emerald eyes fully uncovered to the world to see, now glistening with confidence, and she was in full agent mode. No trance of faltering and no sign to show how embarrassed she really was. The perfect doll façade, just like she did so many times before.

After all, wasn't this what everyone wanted to see from her? Who wanted to see a poor suffering lonely girl Sakura (except Karin, when they were crying their eyes out while watching Lion King or a really sad Latin soap opera, stuffing their mouths with butter pop corn, coffee and caramel ice cream or Tiramisu) at her lowest, everyone wanted to see the mighty killer _Athena_, the woman everyone desired and adored and were secretly jealous of (Sakura knew the way other female agents were watching her and she also knew the things they said behind her back, when they thought she wasn't hearing them. And she sure as hell was not the agency's whore that bedded all the higher ups and agents in order to gain their trust and use it in her benefit), the woman that succeeded in almost every mission and had no remorse in following every order. After all, the scars she had were for her to see, not for the others to know.

And she was the perfect picture of calmness and composure when she took her time to go to the cash register and pay for what she took from the shameful shelves. People that saw her little incident with the toys (Sakura was sure she was never going to look at toys the way she did anymore. Children had no idea how corrupted they were, really they should play Lego or something more brain challenging) and were laughing like crazy, were now silently ogling her, when they have realized she was not a crazy Goth in the wrong section of the universe, but a godlike looking young woman, that was walking with so much sensuality and grace like she wasn't even aware of (and she wasn't, Sakura didn't have much self confidence to begin with).

This was the exact attitude Sakura had when she promptly stopped in front of Naruto and Ten Ten, head raised, her chin upwards, a mixture of bitter and irony in her voice, her staring the very embodiment of iron, like she demanded an explanation and she was entitled to get one all right.

"It is always such a pleasure to see Akatsuki around, and it is always under the most _interesting_ circumstances we always meet. But this time, I don't spot any emergency situation; at least, not coming from a third unwanted party".

Sakura was angry and she wasn't in the mood to hide it from this people. So Akatsuki, like the monkeys there were, came here after she has just started her mission and had the guts to show their faces in front of her, like she needed babysitting or something. Were they following her or what? They should go and die for all that she cared. Sakura was given this taught mission because she was one of the best agents, and she sure as hell didn't need backup from this pathetic excuse of CIA branch, that almost always needed cover or help, for they weren't able to solve a case themselves.

Ten Ten really hated this woman in front of her and watching her annoying piercing emerald eyes, told her she was having the same feelings. Who didn't know the famous Sakura Haruno of the Sound? And Ten Ten was well aware of all the rumors circulating around her and they weren't pleasant in the slightest. Now Ten Ten wasn't the kind of woman to listen to what the others said, but seeing Sakura acting like a total bitch was telling her that there might be some truth behind the whisperings and jalousie that surrounded her.

But what really threw Ten Ten off, was the arrogance Sakura was sporting when addressing them like they were some kind of pests, that didn't have the right to coexist with her in her little princess castle. And she had the guts to point out the fact that the Sound came to their rescue as if they weren't colleagues working for the CIA.

"Trust me, the pleasure is all mine and I am surprised that we manage to bump into each other under this really interesting circumstances. I didn't know the mighty Athena of the Sound was given such a _challenging_ mission, but I am sure is a walk in the park for a woman with your _skills_"

So Sakura wanted to play the dominatrix here? No problem, Ten Ten was not the one to back away from a challenge. She and Naruto, after the blackout passed, were so late that the meeting was almost over, so they decided to meet with Neji here at the mall to talk about the recent events. And when they spotted this shop it was Ten Ten who dragged Naruto inside (he refused to be seen alive in those kind of shops, for he wasn't into that kind of stuff when it came to being intimate with someone), because she wanted to surprise Neji for his birthday party (Ten Ten and Neji were really creepy and sadistic in bed). But the world promptly fell apart when they spotted Sakura here from all the people. What was she doing there anyways?

"My skills are more than enough to help me complete a mission successfully, unlike other people who need to be watched closely because their incompetence gets the best of them all the times. Or maybe it is their incompetence that helped them survive until now."

Deep down Sakura was hurt. So this is exactly how everyone viewed her. A whore that was seducing her way to success, not the little naïve girl that worked her ass ten times more that all the others to rise from the misery she sank and become the best. She knew that hardworking was the key to succeed and so she did. She didn't have time to play around and make little friends, she was aware of all the hate she got from the others that thought she only acted this way, because she thought she was better than them, and Sakura was anything but.

It was not like she thought low of them, even if she was practically throwing their failures on their faces, but she had always been alone, so she wasn't used to people around her. Human contact was something still new to her. She lost the ability to feel connected to people since she left the orphanage and found out Isaribi died at a short time after. Bonds were only making one weak, this is what life has taught her. And she learned the painful truth the hard way.

Karin and her were a special case, Karin was just like her she understood her. She was also an orphan searching for salvation and shelter from CIA, even though she was Naruto`s distant relative. They weren't close, they never were, Karin was considered to be the black sheep on the Uzumaki family, her family has disowned her before her parents died and she basically grew alone in a private all girls' school. But unlike Sakura, Karin was strong, wild and rebel. She had power, both mentally and physically and that was reflected in her attitude. She was exactly like Sakura used to be, but the struggles of life didn't make Karin weak, on the contrary, she grew stronger all the times. And she tried her best to make Sakura be aware of her own value.

"Really now? And I suppose the fact that you are in such a shop, working on your hobbies, has nothing to do with such a crucial mission that was given to you?"

"On the contrary my dear, I am currently working on my mission and me being here is exactly for this particular reason. Now if you will excuse me, I don't have time to wonder, messing with other's lives. If you will excuse me."

Sakura turned her back and proceeded to the cashier. She couldn't stand being in the proximity of such people. They had everything they wanted; they didn't know the meaning of striving to make a living. And they had the audacity to criticize her whenever they met, and now they probably thought that she was going to lure Sasuke and seduce him as well, under the pretense of keeping an eye on him. She saw it in Ten Ten`s eyes like she saw it so many times before.

The way she looked at her, like accusing her of having something that didn't belong to her. It was not like Sakura stole the glory under their feet, it was only her dedication and endless hours of training that ensured her path. She wasn't going to ask for forgiveness for something that rightfully belonged to her. And that pained her and made her have even less confident. But she wasn't going to show it. Not in front of them.

Naruto, from his part, choose not to say anything. And he wasn't goofing either, like he would normally do. He watched Sakura`s retrieving back intently. He was more than surprised to meet her here from all the places, he was expecting to see her at Sasuke`s, when he went to visit him, and he saw what she bought as well.

Naruto was not a fool like everyone thought, he knew what kind of man Sasuke was and he secretly didn't trust him around a woman like Sakura. And the fact that he had a little crush on her didn't help the nagging feeling in his stomach. But Naruto really didn't think Sakura was the woman everyone said. He saw it in her eyes: deep inside she was lonely, hurt, fragile and breakable and she lacked the self confidence she was showing on the outside. He was able to read it all in her very soul, because she was just like him. Sakura was a lonely soul that didn't find someone to raise a hand towards her and pull her out from the endless darkness that was caused by loneliness.

"Huh, I cannot stand that woman, she is so rude. I don't see why anyone is praising her, she is not that great."

"She is not a bad woman Tennie, she is just misunderstood. I am sure she is nice and has a good heart."

"I don't understand why you defend her Naruto, she doesn't deserve to have a good man like you praising her, she is just a mediocre woman, with a nasty attitude and an arrogance that is only topped by her whorish behavior. I bet she throws herself at every good looking man that crosses her way. This is why she is here, isn't she?"

"You don't know her Ten Ten. I see it in her eyes. She is not a whore like you or anyone says. I bet she doesn't even want to be here, she is not that confident like she wants us to believe."

"Oh, so she is not only utterly annoying, but she is a poser as well? This is even worse, it means there is nothing real at that woman, not even her bad attitude."

"No…it is not the way things are. She has a wall around her heart; she is just like the Teme from this point of view. She won't break in front of the others, her guts tell her to stay strong, she needs to be strong because this is a face she thinks she must show to the world. But…I know this is a lie."

"Since when have you become an expert in Sakura? How do you know she isn't faking? Isn't this what the Sound are best at? Deceiving people?"

"It is in every move she makes, even in the way she walks: her hands on each side of her, fists slightly clenched, like she feels the heaviness of not having someone to hold her hand. And I know what is like to feel like _that_…"

"?Like what?"

"_Alone_."

12 a.m Japan, Tokyo, mall 

Sakura was tired…and angry. After her little encounter with Ten Ten and Naruto, she paid for that goddamn condoms (god the cashier was a young man and was winking suggestively in her direction when he saw what she has bought, not only that but he offered to help her pick some lubricants from the same brand, to go better with the condoms and "increase the friction and intensify the pleasure" like he told her, in what he expected it was a seductive tone, but it came like the voice of a puberty hit teenager that discovered the wonders of being a man and have two hands at his disposal.

She promptly told him to take the products and shove them down his perverted ass, but the man only seemed to grin and wink more. Apparently it was not the most appropriate thing to say to a sex shop cashier, whose voice was nothing like the low husky and sexy baritone Sasuke used when he asked her where was she from.

Sakura stopped her train of thoughts after that, she was again thinking of her boss and it was bad and unhealthy…and arousing and she was stupid as hell), then went to buy some toiletries ( mainly hair mousse, she needed to mess her hair a bit and make it look ugly and ridiculous, instead of catwalk like) and food (she saw Sasuke`s fridge and it was like a black hole: nothing came from there, except from some tomatoes and water, there was nothing in there, maybe he was eating space food stored in toothpaste-type tubes, like Yuri Gagarin).

Now, she was sitting on a two people table at an Italian restaurant from the mall. There were many people out there, talking, laughing and eating pizza (without using forks and knives, but with their hands instead, Sakura thought the bacteria were having a party), and they were still gawking in her direction whenever they were sure she wasn't watching. Idiots…

Sakura had her fair share of Spaghetti Carbonara (she loved spaghetti all right) and now she was taking her time in savoring a mothering Tiramisu cake. Man, wasn't it good? She felt refreshed in an instant, the moment the cocoa feeling invaded her tongue. She was certain Tiramisu could cure any illness, it was that amazing. And it calmed her away.

Not only did she have so many incidents and the day has only began, but she encountered Akatsuki as well. Sakura knew she had to have a long talk with Orochimaru about this. Akatsuki were interfering in her work and she didn't need them. She could watch Sasuke alone without any help. Sakura knew that Naruto was Sasuke`s best friend and the fact that he was in Tokyo only meant he was sent here to keep an eye on Sasuke as well and find information about Lorane. But the idea of having a constant flooding of Akatsuki members at Sasuke`s house whenever she was around was pissing her off. She took another big bite of Tiramisu cake.

"_Those annoying motherfuckers…always nagging into our business. They should pick up another hobby instead. Fishing would be good for parasites like them…"_

She was going to question Naruto on this matter as well, the moment she was going to meet him (she was certain the blonde idiot was going to sprint into Sasuke`s direction the moment he finishes his business with Ten Ten-why were they there anyways, Sakura knew that Ten Ten was engaged to Neji, so they weren't there as a couple…maybe they were buying Sasuke a present, he was a player after all), but for now she was going to enjoy her cake in silence. Her "mascarpone covered lover" was begging for her attention.

Meantime, same mall, bistro café

Naruto, Neji and Ten Ten were currently at a small café, in the same mall, talking. After they encountered Sakura (to Naruto`s dismay, Ten Ten was still cursing Sakura and called her names), Ten Ten quickly picked some alien looking accessories for Neji (Naruto wasn't even paying attention, he was already having mental images invading his brain, and non of them were pleasant) and called him to meet them at the said mall.

Naruto was slightly disappointed that Sasuke didn't come along, but when he asked Neji about him, he said that he wanted to talk to Sasuke as well, but as soon as the boring meeting was over, Sasuke left abruptly with some hot looking chick from Venezuela that ogled him the entire meeting (she thought she was discreet, but half of the people there saw it). No one questioned Neji any further; they all knew what kind of man Sasuke was. He was probably at some expensive hotel room, fucking the woman's brains out.

So they were currently talking about the meeting and the upcoming main event: the charity Ball. It was indeed a problem, the event was huge, a lot of important people were going to be there, as well as target number one, their friend Sasuke. And then there was the problem with Sakura. She has already found out they were in Tokyo and sure the woman put two and two together. She was not in the slightest content with them tailing Sasuke as well.

"So the annual Ball is in like what…3 weeks from now?"

"Yes, this is the required amount of time for everything to be prepared. There are still many things to be dealt with and so many other details to discuss. It was a miracle Sasuke managed to solve some of the main problems, otherwise we would have been in serious trouble."

"HAHAHAHA I wished I was there to hear Teme making a fool of the other businessmen and heir weirdoes there."

"Well I am sure you will have plenty of that at the Ball, you know how Sasuke is, he hates this kind of stuff and he isn't afraid to show it. I am sure you do remember the last year's Ball, don't you Naruto?"

"Awww man that was epic ness in the purest form, the way Sasuke punched that Gorilla man in the face and shoved his head in the punch was epic as fuck BWHAHAHAHAHAHA"

It was indeed a Ball that no one was going to forget. Everyone who was close to Sasuke knew that he absolutely loathed every kind of public events, for they always included a sea of idiots that were annoying the hell out of him. And there was this particular tall and bulky man tha, at the age of 26, was a rich as hell young Hotel Chain heir, that still believed in Santa and Fairy Tooth and found it funny to make fun of Sasuke, for being only a trainee in his father's company, because he "was too much of a dumb idiot to be a heir like himself" and his hair (no one exactly remembered what the man said, he was stupid as hell and talked in an alien language that was nor English or Japanese or anything known for the matter, the man was probably having too much fat in his throat to talk properly).

And Sasuke, being the generous man he was (and a little too drunk from all the Whiskey-that ball was indeed boring), he granted the poor man's killer wish (no one in their right mind was making fun of Sasuke Uchiha if they wanted to still have all the parts of their bodies in their rightful places) and as bulky as the man was (he was still smaller than Sasuke, although he looked like an air balloon), Sasuke punched the man straight in his ugly face, with so much force that the man flied straight in the giant bowl of punch. It was amazing how he managed to cross such a distance at such speed. He looked like the Hubble Satellite when hit by a meteor. Naruto couldn't remember when he laughed more than that day. He was right behind Sasuke, as well as Suigetsu who, sensing Sasuke`s murderous aura, took his Smartphone and recorded the event. Naruto was still having that recording and watched it whenever he was down. It was the best way to cure depression.

Everyone was left mouth agape, but they knew better than to mess with the younger Uchiha. And the women present seemed to be even more attracted by his bad boy attitude. Naruto was chocking on air laughing, Suigetsu had a hand on hir phone and the other on his stomach, tears in his eyes, and the others were trying to stifle their laughter, but fell miserably. Even his brother Itachi laughed. The only ones that weren't impressed nor laughing were his father Fugaku and Neji`s uncle, Hiashi. They only looked bored, like they were used to see heirs being punched at public events by their shitfaced children, on daily basis. And Uchiha Mikoto looked like she was about to faint. This or die of embarrassment.

As for Sasuke, he didn't have any reaction whatsoever. Even drunk as he was, he was keeping the same cold and collected façade, like nothing even happened. After he gained his senses back, the said punched man (he really thought high of himself and had a confidence boost for he was an amateur boxer of something) wanted to take revenge and started to march into Sasuke`s direction with a clear intent, but a glare from Sasuke, that was glaring daggers at the said man told him he should back the fuck off and run for his life, if he knew what was good for him. The man was avoiding Sasuke at public gatherings like plague since then, saying that he didn't want to harm the Uchiha, but everyone knew he was just scared of him.

"Yes, you don't get any other form of entertainment from such events. They are just a waste of time and money. I understand Sasuke`s aversion towards this Balls."

"Oh, c`mon Neji, they are fun and you get to know a lot of classy people, they are not so bad, half of us met at this kind of gatherings, remember?" Ten Ten loved the Balls, they were so much fun and she got to wear her beautiful night gown (she has already decided for one) and force Neji (every time, the man has no say in this) into dancing with her. And she was enjoying being there with her funny clown friends from Akatsuki, they were almost always causing troubles and Ten Ten laughed at them all the times. It was the most fun you would get when being rich and a CIA agent.

"Yeah, not to count the amount of beautiful women present. By the way Neji, your gorgeous and I hope still single cousin Hinata is going to be there as well, right?"

Besides Sakura, Naruto had a crush on Hinata Hyuga as well. Neji didn't really care for he really hated his family members and didn't have much contact with them. He didn't loathe Hinata anymore since he was made the head of the family and the rightful heir of the Byakugan (it was his father who created the company), but nonetheless they weren't best friends either. He didn't care that Naruto was ogling her, so he promptly told him that she was probably going to be there, hiding in some corners. Forget Sakura, this girl had serious self confidence troubles. She was scared by everything that moved.

"Hinata? I thought you liked Athena. Are you changing sides or something? Not that I mind, Hinata is cool, I prefer her better." Ten Ten liked Hinata, they were really good friends and even though the Hyuga girl was a little shy sometimes, she was smart and trustworthy and had the most embarrassing stories of Neji. This is where Ten Ten took her Neji blackmail. Not forget the pictures of Neji when he was a child: at the playground with his head in the sand, in the snow, on the toilet or her favorite, in the bath tub playing with his blue ship and golden duck. Neji didn't have any reputation left in front of Ten Ten.

"Well I like Sakura-chan as well, but she is for people like the Bastard, Hinata-chan is cuter and not so scary and sweet and knows how to cook, especially ramen and those adorable heart shaped butter and cocoa cakes that taste like home and love and she is soooooooo adorable when…"

"Naruto shut the hell up already you are giving me a headache. You are more annoying than the two people that were arguing over food at the meeting." Neji didn't need to hear Naruto`s ranting about his lame crush on his lame cousin. He was always the poor star struck idiot that went after every good looking woman that looked in hir direction. Neji was really lucky to find Ten Ten, he was pitying his best friends: Naruto, Kiba, Suigetsu and especially Sasuke, were womanizers, that had a reputation as players and it was embarrassing for Neji really. They had no restraint when it came to ladies.

"Anyways, we have a lot of work to do. It was not going to be just a fun party where we go, dance, drink and pretend we like the people around us. Many heirs are going to be there, and where heirs are, Lorane is there as well. Not to count other assassins that want to target particular businessmen. We are going to be very busy, because keeping an eye on everyone on such a large place was going to be handful. Not to mention Sasuke is going to be there. We all know who is Lorane`s first target. We can't afford to have him shot or kidnapped. We have to pay attention."

"I agree with you Ten Ten, we are going to prepare the equipment as well as secure the area. I am going to talk to Itachi and ask for his advice as well. Even if he is not going to be there, he can still help us. I am going to unpack the device we got from Shino as well. He said he has new prototypes we can try that are really useful and smaller, make it more difficult to be tracked."

"And don't forget Sakura-chan is going to keep an eye on Sasuke as well."

"Athena is working as his private maid, I really doubt she will take the risk of participating to the Ball undercover. But I am sure she is going to keep an eye on the event from the shadows. It is a good thing that the Sound is going to be there as well, we need as much help as we can get when it comes to Lorane."

"Yeah, but the little encounter from earlier threw me off. Can we really trust the Sound?" There was absolutely no way Ten Ten is going to rely on Sakura or anyone from the Sound, except for lady Tsunade. They were too trapped on their mission and too committed to their work to risk a failure. They came to their rescue many times all right, but they were too selfish and too dark too be trusted.

"That my dear, we are going to find out."

After Sakura finished her meal she took her bags (god she had 6 of them and only 2 hands, why was life so unfair? She wished she was born a spider) and got out of the mall. She had already spent too much time there and she didn't want to risk any more unpleasant meetings (she spotted the little Akatsuki gang on a nearby café and that annoyed her to no end), so she promptly dashed out on the streets, straight into Sasuke`s house direction. She was tired as hell, her feet hurt, she had a headache and she still had a whole luggage to unpack. Not to mention install her tracking devices and act as the capable maid she wasn't.

Now Sakura was not a snobby rich woman, she knew some recipes she used to prepare for herself and cleansed her house. But when it came to properly clean a house, prepare god only knows what kind of food Sasuke wanted, prepare him tea and coffee (she had to call Karin for some techniques and recipes on this too) or ironing and cleaning men clothing, she had no idea what to do.

Oh well…how hard could it be anyways. From what she was able to see, Sasuke didn't have any other maids around, she was sure there were only the two of them living in the house, but everything was sparkling clean. No spot whatsoever. And his back garden and pool looked really good as well. Maybe they were coming once or twice a week, who knew, she was going to ask him about this as soon as he came home.

Sakura decided to make the journey faster. She spotted some buildings that have narrower and darker streets passing in between them, and knew that she was going to be there in no time if she takes the shortcut. She wasn't afraid of gangs or perverts, Japan was one of the safest countries with one of the lowest criminal rate and besides…they were unlucky if they were to step her way. Sakura had her ninja Bo and some poisoned senbon needles.

She wasn't too much of a fire guns fan. She took them only when on a mission. The Sound agents were specialists in ninja arts and weapons, the ones that used guns more often were the Akatsuki. Plus Lorane were fans of ancient weapons as well (they found fire guns the most insulting thing for the disasters they caused and viewed them as a main reason why people couldn't find peace), mainly swords as well, so the Sound were preferred when it came to dealing with them.

But just as she was about to pass the said streets (damn were they narrow and there were many windows on all sides of the buildings. They looked more like catacombs than streets honestly, the kind of places where bad things happen, Sakura was not going to be surprised if a zombie was to appear from the garbage and demand a piece of her head) she heard some strange noises coming from one of the apparently opened ground floor window.

Now Sakura knew better than to go and peep on other people's windows, she had more class than to barge into their privacy but there was something particularly strange about that kind of noise that caught her attention. It was a feminine voice that was for sure, but it sounded strangled and low and…it was a moan. And it was not only one, but the said unknown woman seemed to be in some sort of pleasurable torture, because she was louder and louder and her moans were coming faster with each passing moment and uncontrollably. There was a thin white window curtain that was not promptly pulled and was barely covering the window, basically giving free access for every curious eye to see what was happening inside. And the slight breeze was making it easier to see through. Sakura was having the perfect view on the intimate couple.

And it was in that particular moment she was sure her heart rate was going to make her whole body explode. Her shopping bags fell from her now trembling hands, but she hasn't even realized. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, her own posture rigid. She didn't even know if she was on Earth or Moon, because her feet didn't feel the gravity pulling her on the ground. Her bones turned to jelly in an instant. And the million of invisible needles that were piercing her every pore took hear breath away. She was sure she has just found out that physical pain…was not the worst of them.

There, in that little room, in front of her was a couple all right. And the fact that she recognized the male was making it all the worse. Jet black raven spiky hair, flawless face, muscular body, godlike features, the unmistakable strong and manly aura belonged to only one particular man: her boss, Sasuke Uchiha. And he was in a very heated make out session with a woman whose face Sakura wasn't able to see, but she looked really good, her body toned and curvy, she was taller than Sakura and had a skimpy looking outfit…or what was left from it, for she was barely dressed anymore.

Sasuke had the said woman pressed with her back on the wall, his right hand was pinning her own on the side of her head, and his left one was massaging her uncovered breast, his mouth on her neck, nibbling and biting the soft skin, making the woman moan even more. She had one of her long legs on his waist and they were both rolling their hips in the same time, successfully increasing the friction between them. The said woman was only in her lace panties and a pair of black leather boots and her boss was still dressed, but his white shirt was unbuttoned giving a profile view of his delicious torso. They seemed lost in their own lust, no one being aware of a pair of emerald eyes watching them.

Sakura was glued to the ground. She was silently praying for someone to come and pull her out of there. She couldn't move she didn't want to see this; she wanted to turn around and run. She was shocked but she couldn't move her eyes from the scene. It was the most sensual thing she has ever seen and it was certainly not the said now almost screaming whore that was making it this way, but her sexy boss Sasuke. They way he moved his hands, his body language was so full of sexiness it was almost painful to watch, he knew exactly what to do to make the woman scream his name, it was like he was able to put a part of him in every touch. He didn't seem like the block of ice she has met this morning, he was rising the air temperature with his hotness.

Just when Sasuke abruptly pulled the woman from the wall and threw her on the bed, successfully removing the last article she wore, Sakura was able to come into her senses, take her discarded bags and leave. She wasn't supposed to whiteness that, she wasn't supposed to be there and she should have taken the long way, she realized she was really stupid and…it pained her. What was she feeling she wasn't able to put it into words. What did she just saw? She knew it, she knew Sasuke was a player but she wasn't ready to see him doing what he did. She wanted to take a stone, throw it at the window and break along with the glass, taking a part of their little love shelter with her.

Sakura didn't have a name for what she was feeling, it was not anger, anger was something she felt when she realized Akatsuki was involved in the same mission, and the fact that she didn't know what she was feeling was making her nervous and out of her element. Sakura wanted control in her life, she was certain she knew her feelings and soul and the fact that a man she has just met was stirring feelings in her she shouldn't feel was…painful.

This indescribable disappointment Sakura felt was immense, she was stupid she realized, stupid because she projected an image of her ideal man, on a godlike body that was nothing like that. She didn't want to cry, she had absolutely no reason to cry and it was not burning jealousy she was feeling. But the salty liquid she felt in the corner of her eyes was a sign her heart was betraying her. And for the first moment since she came in Tokyo, she realized that while she was surrounded by an ocean of people…she was alone. She was in the land of the rising sun, but her heart was sinking in darkness. Her very soul was the core of her own version of Paradise Lost. She was surrounded by happy people and she was crying alone. She was pathetic.

Sakura didn't remember how she got at Sasuke`s house. Nor did she remember how she took a really hot shower (she wanted to burn the nagging feeling in her mind), unpacked her things (namely took the clothes from the bags and shoved them in the dresser with the help of her trained legs), but she did remember the scene of her boss` hand pleasuring a woman he has probably met. Her mind was playing the events like a broken tape. And it was exactly the reason why she grabbed her phone and typed the number she knew by heart. The only person she was able to give her some answers. God gives you a heart, but you don't get an instruction book for it.

"Hey sunshine, Karin here, what is new?"

"`Rin thanks God you answered it!"

"Cherry? OMG Cherry is that you? Fuck my head is throbbing, I had the worst night ever I swear…honey are you ok, are you crying?"

Now Karin was panicked. She had a mission that was a pain in the ass, for she needed to seduce a young mafia heir that was drunk and made her do things that made even Karin ashamed of and she almost missed killing him on time. And she had to dispose of the dead body as well, meaning taking him in the middle of the night, in her red convertible and being dressed in only her lingerie. It was a handful and she was tired as hell. She was sleeping and she almost hasn't recognized her best friend's voice. But to hear Sakura crying on the other side of the line and her voice almost whispering like she was chased by demons was something new. And Karin was sound awake in an instant.

"No Karin I am not crying and I am not jealous because Sasuke was intently making out with that whore and I hate him for making me feel uncomfortable and…I feel alone and like shit and I WANT TEQUILA AND GIN AND TIRAMISU AND I WANT TO HUG SOMEONE AND…"

"Sakura dear, stop screaming into my poor ear, it has suffered enough. Take a deep breathe and tell Karin everything, from the beginning with details, because I need a full image of the situation before I take the first plane to Tokyo and beak somebody's balls with a meat cleaver."

So Sakura did as she was told. She took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm herself and told her everything that happened from the moment she left Italy until then. And Karin did surprise her, because Sakura was expecting her to die of laughter when she told about her luggage experience or her disastrous encounter with her boss, but Karin was not laughing. She listened to whatever Sakura had to say, without interrupting her. And when she was finished, Karin asked her the one question that turned Sakura`s world upside down in a second:

"Sakura, are you in love with Sasuke Uchiha?"

And for the first time in a while, Sakura found out that not even a single world left her mouth. Like she was in a comatose state, when she was able to see a pale light and hear people surrounding her, but she couldn't communicate. And she knew what exactly was the cause of this: her mind and body were not one anymore. Sakura realized that there was no zen meditation to balance the feelings with the rational part of her. She was thorn in a half and she didn't have a name for the overwhelming heat that she felt inside whenever she thought of her boss, nor did she knew why was she feeling like she was riding a rollercoaster.

"I…I hate him…I don't want to be close to him and it angers me. I have a mission to fulfill and my brain hurts and it is only the first day. I don't know how to act around him Karin…"

"Sakura listen to me, if this was only a little crush then there was no problem, but you act like you lost a member of your family and it is not a normal thing honey."

"I know `Rin and this is why I called you, because this…things I feel are completely new and make no sense to me. I am here to protect him and what do I do instead? Fantasize about his body and follow him from the shadows, I am worse than Lorane."

"C`mon Sakura is not that bad. Look, you had a really difficult day and what you feel it is only normal for a person that had changed environments. You know how all of us act when given a mission that requires moving another country and work undercover. As for Sasuke thing, don't give too much thinking about it. You are just disappointed that you have seen such an important man acting like a horny teenager fucking women in dark corners. I would have been pissed myself if I were you."

"You really think there is no problem then? Should I carry on like that didn't happen?"

"Of course, it is not like you could go and ask him if he needed condoms for another round. Ignore it, they guy doesn't deserve it, he is a player and everyone knows it. Besides, who would want a guy that has touch more women that one can count in a lifetime? PFFFLEASE You deserve better Cherry trust me."

"Gosh Karin I love you, I love you so much you know that don't you?"

"Duh, how can you not love me dear, I am adorable and we both know it."

"HEHE you're right `Rin, you are truly adorable, you are so adorable that I feel like hugging you."

"I know Cherry, I love you too. Listen I need to go, I have an entire mission report to do and explaining why were you driving at nighttime, with a dead mafia heir, half naked and slightly drunk, looking like Frankenstein's bride on her period, requires a lot of talent and patience I don't really have. But I will give you a call tomorrow and we can bash your manwhore of a boss until we run out of curses, ok?"

"Yeah, I am going to wait for your call then. Thank you Karin."

"I love you dear, bye."

"Bye."

And Karin knew that the things were not that simple. Her best friend was falling in love with the only man that she wasn't supposed to have romantic feelings for. She was Eve getting a taste of the forbidden fruit. And Karin knew that everything was not going to be alright, her friend was falling hard and it was going to be a disaster. Sakura was mistaking love for hate and the poor girl was not even aware of what she was feeling. Karin got a handful of her red hair and pulled. This had disaster written all over it. She had to be prepared. Karin knew for a fact that from now on, she was going to get more late night calls from Tokyo. And it will not going to be any soap opera or teary Disney Movie involved this time.

Sakura was not feeling better. The confusion was more present than never. And what Karin asked first, if she was in love with Sasuke made her really scared. Love was a strong thing, it couldn't be this the thing she was feeling. One cannot get in love with a person on the first sight. That was only happening in movies, but this was real life and she has thrown her sanity right on the window the moment she saw him for the first time.

That night, Sakura fell asleep with the in ear stereos and music blasting into her tormented brain. And she had the playlist of sad love songs on repeat. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, she had the same nightmare she had over and over again when she was a teenager: white snakes covering her body trying to steal it and her soul leaving her body.

Sasuke was not going to be at home that night. He called her and told he was having an urgent business related problem to solve. And Sakura knew for a fact that it was definitely not the alcohol speaking for him.


	8. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Next day, 8 a.m, Japan, Tokyo, Sasuke`s villa

After the previous` day events Sakura couldn't find her sleep at all, so she took her time to install her tracking devices into Sasuke`s home. She put microphones and mini cameras in key points: his room (no, she wasn't that much of a pervert to peep on the privacy of his room…ok maybe she was, but that was not the point, his safety was more important than moral values, she decided), his office, on the entrance door, in the garden and on the main hall. She discovered that her boss` villa was really big on the outside, but it was not full of rooms and halls on the inside. In fact, it was quite roomy.

The villa had only one main hall, with two big stairs that were connected in the middle, like a giant dragon, creating an interesting effect, 4 additional rooms, a main bathroom and only two floors. He wasn't that much of a cliché bachelor that was living alone, but had a mansion of 20 rooms. The man was practical indeed.

The house was unique and beautiful in terms of architecture (it had the shape of a hawk's wing) and it was spacious all right. It was like an opera hall. Maybe Sasuke was claustrophobic or something, he really preferred spacious rooms and opened spaces (half of the villa was separated from the yard by only a giant glass window and the pool was half on the inside and a wing on the outside).

Then, after she installed the equipment and made sure it worked (the action itself took Sakura 2 hours) she prepared her own devices and weapons. Sakura wasn't one to take many devices with her, that was too risky for her cover, but she liked to wear the basics, like earrings with microphones included, her retractable Bo Staff that was her weapon of choice and could be hid into her shoes, some poisoned needles and mini track devices that could be glued to almost every surface. Shino was a genius and created all the devices, along with his office partners. He was one of the best.

She had only encountered a little problem that was racking her brain, but she hoped it was not much of a big deal and could be solved with a little effort. It was the devices from Sasuke`s private office room. For some reasons Sakura couldn't explain, no track device, microphone or camera seemed to work inside. Every single signal was blocked by a powerful electromagnetic field.

She had measured the electromagnetic fields inside with an EMF meter and the level was off the charts there. She was curios and took the device and measured the rest of the house, even the surrounding area of the house, up to the main fence and the electromagnetic field was on the charts there, so she concluded that the abnormal electromagnetic field surrounding his office was not a DC current, that occurs naturally in the Earth's geomagnetic field, but it was probably generated by AC currents, meaning those emitted from man-made sources and she was certain it was not generated by air conditioning, cordless phone, power lines and electronic appliances. It was way too stronger and not to mention, too unhealthy for someone to stay so much time in such an environment. Then why was Sasuke….she had to call Shino and ask him.

She took her time to properly arrange everything and that took her almost half of the night. But it somehow distracted her mind from another unpleasant events and gave her time to reflect more about what was about to come. After she was ready with everything she took a really long bath in the main bathroom's high tech Jacuzzi (she had only a shower in her room, water saving be damned), using Sasuke`s spa products (if he wasn't a notorious player, Sakura would have thought he was gay) without really caring (she was having her revenge on him, ha!). Well it could have been a really good idea to take her towels as well, but no, her brain decided to take an unexpected holiday.

And so she was crossing her boss` home, wet, dressed in his navy blue expensive towels (Sakura was slightly dizzy because they smelled just like him and that was…bad for her mental health, but she took her time to smell them like the idiot she was) and again she wasn't bothered by it.

Sasuke was not home, he was probably challenging the world Guinness record for the highest number of orgasms given to a woman in one night, so Sakura was taking her time in parading naked in his home. She felt tempted to take the towels off and take a dip in the inviting pool but she was too tired to wash her hair again.

It was 4 o'clock in the morning when Sakura decided it was time to give her exhausted body its proper rest, shoved two sleeping Ativan pills down her throat (Orochimaru and his warnings about Difficulty keeping balance or Dizziness and other horror side effects be damned) and literary threw herself on the bed, on her tummy with her head sank on the fluffy pillows….her iPod on repeat and still naked with only Sasuke`s towel around her torso. She threw the one from her wet hair…somewhere (she really couldn't remember exactly where…maybe Orochimaru was right about the pills` side effects).

Sakura managed to get some sleep, dreaming about stupid things without any relevant connection between them: the ocean, a parrot and the pink ice cream car. She didn't know the sleeping pills worked as drugs as well.

This until the stupid mobile phone alarm decided to be a bitch and wake her up.

RIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG….BANG!

A clumsy thrown punch was trying to target the annoying ringing device. No avail. Sakura was not even aware that since yesterday morning, she wasn't in her bad, in Italy, but she was now in Japan, in a bad she wasn't hers. And she wasn't accustomed with her surroundings, and that resulted in a punch thrown not in what she believed was her mushroomed shaped alarm clock, but a very hard night stands her sleepy mind didn't register.

"_HOLLY MACARONI FUCKING SHI…huh?! Where the hell am I? Have I been kidnapped or something? I am going to punch the bastards right on their…oh"_

Sakura realized two things while being in a zombie like state, after she was brutally pulled out from her dear sleep, by her traitor of a cell phone: one, she was not in her house and two, she was dressed in a wet towel that smelled like a man. OMFG! She promptly jumped off the bad, landing directly on her butt.

"_AWWWWWW that hurt!"_

She watched around in horror. She couldn't have slept with a man and not remember anything, that was impossible, she was not Karin for Heaven`s sake. But then again, maybe it was a hot dude she hooked up with at some club and she was too drunk and…no, that was impossible, she was never that drunk to not remember something like that. Then what in the world…aha. She was starting to gain her senses back. She was in a man's house all right and she was tainting his towels as well. But it was not any man; it was her bastard player of a boss's home.

"_Gosh what an awful day…I feel like I was hit by a high speed plane in the air, while being hit in the head by a kangaroo at the same time…my head hurts as well…and I need food…"_

Sakura now had quite a clear vision of the day before yesterday's events. She couldn't believe she even survived the horror. Meeting her new boss, being accepted as a maid by him after an inquisitional test, meeting Akatsuki then seeing her boss in a hotel room with a stranger. Gosh that sucked major balls.

Now you know how you have a really bad day with stressful things happening, and if there is a sad event as well, first you feel like you want to die and sink in misery…or alcohol, but then the next day, you reflect on things, and the depressed state of mind has passed and in the final you just feel bored and angry? This is exactly how Sakura felt in that particular moment.

She realized she was either suffering from an extreme case of emo-ism or she was bipolar. How could she have been so down just because she met some stupid people that insulted her or she found out how much of a manwhore Sasuke really was? No, she wasn't giving a damn anymore about that. She had a good sleep, she wasn't one to sleep much anyways and now the only thing she needed was some food in her stomach and her daily Tiramisu.

She opened her room's door and proceeded to the kitchen to hunt down food. In her rush, she put the ugly looking glasses (she has slept on them after all) and her bad hair, that was not dried properly, was sticking in all directions, like some broken compass, successfully making her look like some drunk beggar. Perfect. She hasn't even realized she forgot to dress up as well. Maybe it was because of the hunger.

She went down the stairs (her room was upstairs) and was about to go into the kitchen. She bought some whole-grain toast, eggs, musli, vegetables, white grapefruit and oranges and Prague ham. And a large piece of Tiramisu, all bought with her money (she thrown the money Sasuke has given her somewhere in a dresser on her room, she didn't bother with that too much). God was she salivating already.

But as she was crossing the dining room and attempted to walk into the kitchen she saw something that caught her attention. Oh Lord. There, on the big grey Le Colbert Christopher Guy sofa was her boss. And he was dead to the world. He was on his back, his right hand under his head, the other one on her chest, his legs crossed (he was Dracula, Sakura knew it, the Vampire Prince was just too tired to go upstairs and sleep in his coffin).

And even asleep as he was, this bastard of a boss managed to attract Sakura to him like a magnet. She went straight to him and stopped right next to him, arms crossed, eyes intently studying the specimen in front of her. Oh how much Sakura wanted to give him a good morning round kick in his sleeping figure. Or take a bucket of hot water and throw it at him. God, Sakura felt an immense wave of hate rushing through her body. She was sure she was projecting it on the outside as well. She even thought she saw the walls started to melt like lava. She really wanted to beat him to a pulp, pull his eyes out, cut his body in half, then shove a poisoned senbon in his jugular and put an end to his miserable career of a total womanizer. And then hang him with his now lacking tie.

But as she was having these maleficent thoughts, she also felt the urge to touch him. She dropped on her knees, being at the same level with his sleeping face to take a closer look. And she couldn't help but watch in wonder just how handsome he really was. He looked dead tired, he had bags under his eyes, his mouth was slightly agape, his clothes were a mess, his dark hair spread all over the little throw pillow and he smelled strongly like whiskey and something else Sakura couldn't tell what it was, but it was quite clear he had a lot. Even in these circumstances, he still managed to look amazing.

Sakura couldn't help herself getting closer to him, his intoxicating scent clouding her mind. His natural unique scent, combined with the strong drinks and his expensive cologne, was a killer for any woman, it was utterly impossible to resist the combination. And the barely there woman perfume and the red lipstick marks on his neck was a proof of this fact. Of course, after all he spent the entire night with that woman or maybe with many others if he went outside to drink this much (she was almost certain they didn't drink in the hotel room).

As gently as she could (she couldn't have him waking up ), she got a hold of a longer lock from his bangs and curled it on her finger. God, it was softer than she had imagined it, like it was made from the finest silk and it was luscious as well, it felt amazing on her delicate hand.

And as much as her inner self, the one that absolutely loathed this man, was banging her head with a hammer, Sakura lost the fight to get a hold of herself and stop doing such dramatic things. She touched some more locks of his hair, the ones that weren't in contact with any skin and it was so amazing she secretly felt envious, for a man having such an amazing hair texture and she as a woman needed so many hair products.

As she was now absentmindedly playing with his rebel hair, she let her eyes roam on his body. She followed every rise of his chest with every breath he took, the simple action was so arousing and she was able to catch a glimpse of his neck and a part of his pectoral muscles, because of the slightly opened shirt. This man screamed raw sexiness in the most masculine way possible. He had such an amazing figure, he was just like a black puma and he somehow projected such a strong power on the outside that was almost overwhelming. Sakura was certain her face was as red as his favorite tomatoes and she was certain her body temperature raised a few degrees as well.

It was in that moment Sakura realized that she was barely dressed to being with. And all the warmth Sasuke`s hard body was projecting was engulfing her skin, piercing every pore, right to her heart. She felt like staying above an erupting volcano and it was the most overwhelming thing she had ever felt.

This man was making her feel things she didn't know were possible, she wanted to hug him and get lost into him, melt her skin on his pale one and get burned by his fire. She felt goose bumps on her uncovered skin and she was certain it was not because of the coldness of the air.

And when she raised her head and watched his face, Sakura thought she was seriously going to loose it for real. How was it possible for a man to be this perfect it was beyond her. His strong features were so regal looking, his lines so perfectly cut, like all the features he had were made by the finest jeweler. He was a living work of art. She was sure there weren't even five centimeters between them anymore, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Sakura couldn't only stare at his slightly opened mouth and his oh so kissable lips. She could feel his breath on her own face and lips and felt the same fire within him radiating on his every exhale. So close, so little space, she was only one breath away of destroying whatever trance of sanity was left on her mind and crash her lips on his.

She didn't know how a kiss felt like, she hasn't kissed any man in her all life and never did the urge felt more intense to do so, like in that very moment. She wanted so much to kiss him, it was forbidden, it was wrong and it was the biggest sin, but that very thought made Sakura feel so much pleasure, she thought she would die if she didn't do it right there and then.

It was not possible the way he made her lose herself around him and she never thought she was able to feel so attracted by someone she was certain she hated. She had two types of passion inside her heart: one that hated him with burning passion and the other that made her want him with burning passion. She realized in horror, how easy would have been to destroy everything in a moment of succumbing to temptation. Was it worthy being thrown away from Paradise?

She gently touched his left cheek and to add to the already impossibly irresistible attraction, he slightly, almost unnoticeably, leaned into her touch. And Sakura` s world exploded into billion of colors and fireworks, the sensation electrifying, she was walking on the clouds, her mind was shut down, her body was sinking in the prolonged agony of staying separated by his soft inviting lips, that almost inexistent distance that was going to be the death of all she accomplished until now and she couldn't bring herself to care right then.

She was almost sure she was going to spit unicorns and rainbows, her whole body was a giant torch and she felt little honey and sugar rivers flooding through her veins. It was a different kind of happiness and excitement, the way she felt was gravity defying. And she was barely touching him, how would it feel the real thing? How much more could this gorgeous man be able to make her feel?

But just when Sakura was about to completely loose it and do something regrettable, she was pulled out of the Sasuke induced trance, by a soft stir coming from her boss, followed by an incoherent mutter.

Oh dear Lord, he was starting to wake up. Sakura jumped at least 3 meters high on the sky, like he burnt her for real (and Sakura was sure he did, his hotness was able to do that, she was quite certain in another time, Sasuke was a strong ninja, dominated by the fire element…and lightning, the level of electricity she felt when touching him was like she stayed outside during a storm).

And of course she had to hit the Pelleas luxury Nella Vetrina Italian coffee table, with a beveled glass top and a stainless steel base, with her hip. Not only that, but in her desperate attempt to turn around and get her almost naked body out of Sasuke`s vicinity, she also hit the little decorative Greek statue's heads, that rested peacefully under the table (who the hell would put such a thing under his coffee table, it looked weird, like a voodoo practitioner lived there, not a single businessman) with her leg.

Fuckin Zeus, he had to be there from all the places, now she was going to have a deep painful bruise. And to add to the already screwed up situation, she successfully managed to stumble on the Laptop's cable (she didn't even see that Sasuke`s laptop was on the table too, of course she didn't, she was busy having erotic fantasies of him) and fell, successfully pulling the towel from her as well. If that was not the most embarrassing situation ever, Sakura didn't know what else could be more disastrous than this.

"Fuck…my head hurts…"

Oh correction, this is the most disastrous situation ever: her being spread out on the floor, naked and looking like shit and her boss now awake. If there was some alien or OZN around, Sakura silently prayed it would land on Sasuke`s yard and kidnap her. She wouldn't mind, anything to make her vanish from there.

She wanted to scream of frustration, she always managed to embarrass herself in front of her boss and that annoyed her to no end. She hated him like seriously, the magical mood now long forgotten.

"Shit..."

Sakura grabbed the towel, covered her naked body, threw a glance in Sasuke`s direction-oh he was not completely awake, good-and promptly sprinted out of the room on the stairs, with only one thought in mind: get dressed as fast as possible, how could she have been this distracted not to do this in the very fist moment she woke up, she didn't know.

Maybe it was the fact that she was used to live alone and walk naked often when she was in her house in Italy. She couldn't do this anymore of course. But no, as she wanted to promptly jump on the first three stairs, her boss decided to be a cockblocker:

"Haruno…"

Oh dear, please someone tell her he didn't see her hitting the mighty God Zeus` head under his expensive coffee table (it was no joke, everything this man had was branded and imported from the top luxury brands producers), or stumbling like a moron, with his towel around her from all the things. And she didn't want to think about the possibility of him being awake when she was harassing him…no that would mean the end of her.

"Y-Y-Yes Sir…"

Great, she was stuttering like some child that was caught with his hands in the peaches jam. Could she be more obvious than this? Gosh she was really stupid, stupid, stupid. And she was chanting in her mind for him to not rise from the sofa and look at her, cos she sure as hell knew that watching your maid walking around in your towel was anything but pleasant.

Not to say an act of extreme defiance, and Sasuke made it clear what kind of boss he was. And it was really weird and ridiculous and she has already embarrassed herself in front of him. Life hated her.

"Hn…bring me some cold water and painkillers and make it quick."

"Of course, Sir, I will be right back."

"_Bah…the human walking ice cube wants cold water to fuel his stupid cold heart. Fucking imbecile, I am going to plant my foot in his demanding mouth. See if he feels the need to drink anything. I hope he dies of hangover. Jerk…"_

Sakura cursed Sasuke all the way up to her room. She opened her drawer (God Katrina hurricane threw a party there and invited its friends Sandy and the Great Miami Hurricane, it was a total mess in there), picked up a long plain apron, took some hangover medicine (another of Orochimaru`s creations, it was his gift for Tsunade when she had her 50th anniversary.

Everybody died of laughter, it was a priceless memory and they haven't seen Tsunade that drunk angry before, the woman spit fire from her nostrils and chased Orochimaru with a banana in her hand-she thought it was a dagger- it was funny as hell) and went downstairs into the kitchen. She remembered putting a bottle of water into the fridge, for she also preferred her water to be extremely cold.

She went to the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle. She then went in his suffering boss` direction. The jerk was still dead on the couch. He didn't even move, he probably felt like falling from Kilimanjaro.

Sasuke felt like he was going to die. Everything in his body screamed S.O.S. Of course he had to receive a call from Naruto telling him he arrived in Tokyo and he wanted to meet as soon as possible. The blond idiot has called Suigetsu as well, as if one moron wasn't enough.

And Sasuke acting like the good friend he was, promptly told him to fuck off because he was busy, but the loud dobe told him if he didn't show his ass at some bar (Sasuke was too drunk to remember the name, nor did he care anyways, he was not going to go there anytime in this lifetime), he was going to tell everyone about some crazy fangirl that apparently had pictures of him running naked from her apartment and being chased by her poodle. It was ridiculous because Sasuke was sure he didn't encounter such an experience, but then again, he had many women and he was drunk almost all the times so one cannot be 100% sure. He would dig into the story later.

So, he went with the said dobe and Suigetsu at the said bar and drank his liver until he couldn't take it anymore. And Naruto, being even drunker (Sasuke was sure there wasn't even possible for a human being to be drunker than he was, but Naruto was perseverant in his stupid ness) wouldn't stop his loud mouth. Heavens, he talked about the stupidest things in the world and to make it worse, Suigetsu talked as well…in the same time.

That was a reason Sasuke drank like a sailor, the two imbecile friends were giving him hell. They were loud and drunk and he was too drunk to beat them up. He was able to escape them at some point when they left with some chicks (it might have been guys for all he knew, he was drunk and his mind was in La La Land), but he couldn't enjoy his drunken state because some hot brunette took the empty chair on his left, said something in what she hoped was a seductive low voice and out of nowhere she put one leg on his lap, grabbed his collar and shoved her tongue down his throat.

He made out with her for a while but she was too skimpy even for his taste. So he paid for the drinks (his and his gone friends as well, god they spent 1000$ on drinks, they were insane), took a taxi and went straight home. It was 5 in the morning when he threw his alcoholic body on the couch and entered a semi comatose state. Now Sasuke wasn't sure, it was most likely a dream, but he could have sworn he felt someone playing with his hair and touching his face, and judging by the softness of the hand, it belonged to a woman.

And it felt amazing, it was nothing like the women he bedded, this hand was gentle, almost caring and it was caressing him in a way only a lover would do, and it was soft as a feather, like the unknown woman was tasting waters and it was luring him in her direction, like a mermaid calling for the soul. And he couldn't help but lose himself in the feeling, it was as if the almost barely there touch was taking away his pain.

And the way she was playing with his hair, it was nothing like those whores did when they tried to pleasure him, by pulling his hair, as if that would be a major turn on or something (the only thing that they manage to turn on was his anger), it felt similar to what his mother did when he was a little child and he was sleeping in her arms, it was lovingly, motherly, like a gentle summer breeze and stirred something warm inside of him, something he didn't think was possible to feel for a woman. But he was too dizzy to register what exactly happened, he wanted to say something, urge her to go on but it only came as a mumble. Damn the stupid hangover. And the touch vanished as well.

Then Sasuke was abruptly awoken by a loud noise, like something hit his coffee table or something really close to him and then run away. And when he indeed started to wake up, the previous night's 20 drinks came and hit him full force. And almost unconsciously he called his maid's name and asked for medicine.

He felt like he was about to throw up every moment since then, but somehow he heroically manage not to. He felt like he was about to die. Maybe he should have called his life insurance company. He was too tired and to dizzy to even look her way. Not like he truly wanted to see the ugly looking woman's face first time in the morning. The alcohol was giving him enough nausea.

"Here you are Mr. Uchiha, your water and some medicine to cure the headache. I am going to prepare something to eat as well, it will help the nausea go away faster."

Sakura wanted to laugh at the irony. She knew tomato juice was extremely good for hangovers (she and Karin were partying every weekend and although Sakura wasn't a fan of getting drunk or drinking in general, you couldn't possibly go out with Karin and not get drunk, it was blasphemy, so Sakura knew exactly what was good for stomach and headaches. Not to mention she had Orochimaru and Tsunade to ask for medicine) and her shitfaced boss just happened to be a fan of tomatoes. Oh dear God, maybe that taste wasn't coincidental.

"What is that pill anyways, it looks weird. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Of course not, Sir, it is just a harmless traditional medicine from my country. Nothing to worry about."

"_Yes, I would like to poison your pretty hangovered ass you conceited son of a bitch, and if I wanted too I sure as hell would be able to do so, but I wouldn't be this merciful, I wouldn't have chopped off your head and feed the sharks."_

"Hn…like it would make it any different, I already feel like I am about to pass out any time."

Who cared about what kind of drug this maid was giving him, in that moment Sasuke would take anything that looked able to take away this stupid sick feeling. God his head was killing him and his stomach was a roller coaster. He was going to kill Naruto and Suigetsu, it was all their damn fault. And he had so many things to do as well. All he wanted was to go to his room, take a shower or even a bath and then die peacefully in his confy bad. He could feel the calling all right and it felt so far away. Damn this big house, why couldn't the bed come down and take him? And Sakura said something about food…

"Go get me some food, I will be in my room trying my best to take a shower."

"Need any help?"

"Hn…wanna _give it_ to me?"

"Wha…"

Oh Dear Heavens, what the hell did she say? Sakura really wanted to die of embarrassment, she just wanted to be polite and she realized the innuendo when it was already out of her stupid mouth. And of course his boss was being himself and happened to have a kinky remark as well.

Damn even in his state, his perverted mind was fully alert. Was he Jirayia`s illegitimate child or were indeed many perverts in this world? Oh the nerve of this man…yeah she wanted to give him something all right, and it started with a mix of Arsenic and Cyanide.

"I`m sorry I didn't mean it like this…I uh…am going to prepare breakfast, take your time Sir…"

And she sprinted to the kitchen leaving a really tired and really smirking Sasuke behind. Oh this was priceless, he realized he was having too much fun mocking the little ugly fake farmer girl, the was she was reacting to every innuendo was making him mentally laugh, she basically screamed "virgin" and that amused him to no end. But first, he had to take a shower, fast.

Meanwhile, Sakura was intently preparing breakfast. And she knew exactly what his intoxicated boss needed, so she promptly cooked him French Herb Omlette, additionally putting some ginger, tomato juice and a banana. She was sure a man in his shape wasn't a fan of musli (he was most likely going to mock her telling something about him not being a damn horse to eat cereals) and yoghurt.

She wasn't a chef master, but so many years of living alone made her quite a good cook. And if that jerk was going to complain she was going to plant the eggs spatula down his throat. You know…to raise the level of iron in his system…all for his good health.

Sasuke came down from the shower and a strong smell of home cooked food hit his nostrils. God, it had been so much time since someone really cooked something for him, it was his mother that did that when she was visiting, but since she and his father decided to move away from Tokyo to Narita, that didn't happen so often anymore and he was quite sick of ordering food.

He didn't have time to make a decent meal, he was always on the road, taking care of his damn company, so his meals were always fast food from work (the sandwich machine vending was the best investment ever). And even as he was a really picky man when it came to food (he had the money to eat in the most extravagant places what the hell), it was making him salivate. So he went into the kitchen where Sakura was putting a good looking omlette into a plate.

"Hn…so I didn't hire you for nothing after all, that looks good."

Sakura was caught in her work so she didn't hear his boss enter the kitchen, but she realized she hadn't been scared like she should normally be. There was something in his oh so alluring deep voice that made her feel relaxed even enchanted. Oh well…what part of him wasn't alluring to begin with…oh really now, now she was associating every thought she had with this whore of a man. She should go and do some brain checking, maybe someone hacked her system.

"Thank you, Sir."

"…why this unusual combination? Bananas, really? Do I resemble a monkey or people give Darvin too much credit?

"Bananas are good for raising the Low levels of potassium, caused by the alcohol, which drained your body from water and makes you feel your muscles shaky and weak. Tomato juice contains simple sugars to get your glucose levels up and running again, in order to cease away fatigue and bad mood and the cysteine from eggs destroy toxins your body wasn't able to."

"Forget the maid part, I am going to hire you as my own dietitian."

"Eh…when you have friends like mine, you become quite an expert in hangovers. And I like to keep a healthy and balanced diet, I don't want to add toxins in my body. I have more respect for it than that."

"Hn…when you have friends like mine, you also need people like you around. I am sure working at the "farm" keeps you healthy, isn't it now?"

"That among…other things…"

Sakura was starting to feel nervous again. She wasn't exactly sure why Sasuke was having a casual conversation with her so early in the morning, he seemed to be more like the quiet type, but apparently he felt the need to mock her. Of course he was going to push her to slip the truth to him and he was quite good in luring people and turning the tables into his favor, but she wouldn't be trapped. He was a smart man, she was aware, but she wasn't a stupid woman either.

"Other things you found really convenient to skip from you CV, I suppose."

"I only shared the things I deemed important to qualify me for the job, Mr. Uchiha."

"That is for me to decide."

"But you have already decided Sir, and you decided to hire me."

"Hn…I decided to give you a chance, hiring would be a little too stretched."

"So it is up to me to prove myself worthy then?"

"No, there are many other worthy people out there, I want you to prove yourself trustworthy."

"I assure you Sir that I am a woman you can trust."

"You say it, but you don't prove it, Sakura."

Again, he said her name the way he did the day before, in the bathroom. He knew exactly what he was doing, the cocky bastard. He was playing his twisted mind games with her, he was cornering her, trying to start a casual conversation to make her let her guard down, gain her trust and make her tell him everything he needs to know, without her even realizing it.

Sasuke was the kind of man that knew exactly what to do to manipulate her into thinking she was in control and that would automatically lead to her being more self confident and open up more, that meaning spilling out more hidden things about herself. Sasuke knew exactly how to interpret things and any slip of tongue would mean he was having a clearer view of what he wanted to know. He was the one pulling the strings there and to top it all, he was a damn good actor as well. His mood swings were enough to mess with his "prey's" head. Sakura had to be extremely careful.

"So you are giving me a chance that is more like a final test to prove myself worth of your trust?"

"Hn…Listen Sakura, trust is something you rarely find in people, when you are a heir of a billion dollar international company, like me." Sasuke stood up from his chair and headed to a very confused Sakura.

"There are people out there that want me gone and for this particular reason, they are willing to do anything to approach me, gain my trust and then, take advantage of one particular moment when I won't have my guard up" He then stopped right in front of her, arms crossed, black eyes piercing her emerald ones.

"I cannot afford the luxury of playing trust games with you Sakura, and nor I have the time for this."

"And I cannot allow to be the object of your own insecurities and mistrust Sir, I am here to properly do my job in the spirit of good faith and dedication, but I will not play the role of your mystified conscience as well."

Sasuke was intrigued by the ugly little maid in front of him. This woman was so different from all the other people he has encountered. It was like she was holding back in front of him, acting like the humble servant that she wasn't and she was well aware of the fact that she could do more, but for unknown reasons, she tried to show him a completely different face. Like she had another person hidden deep inside her that was fighting to come to the light. This is what Sasuke wanted to know: how much exactly was this Sakura holding back?

And as usual, he knew exactly how to play his cards and break through her wall of confidence and lure her id outside his shell. She was clenching her feelings with her teeth in front of him; like she was going to break any moment and the aura surrounding her was constantly changing, like she was having an inner turmoil she was fighting as well.

Sasuke wanted to smirk at the very thought. She dared to mentally battle him with such little self confidence and so much inner conflict? Didn't she know that a little boat has no chance of crossing the ocean during the storm?

She was not the strong lady she appeared to be, although they way she spoke betrayed she was composed in her behavior, her mind calculated, like she was following his every step and try to come up with the best counterstrategy and he could feel her eyes on him, fully alert and almost edgy, like she was expecting him to read her soul and see the vulnerability. Why those insecurities? And he couldn't read into her very core, she had the windows shut and then it stroke him exactly how could he have a clearer vision of her inner thoughts.

So Sasuke took two more steps forward, coming closer to a very confused Sakura, his impossible dark eyes never leaving her face, successfully pinning her into his spellbound. She looked like she wanted to back away from him, but she refrained from do so. She didn't want to appear weak and faltering in front of him. Sasuke didn't hide his devious smirk this time.

Good. Sasuke stopped only when there were only less then ten centimeters away and with slow and calculated movements and the gentleness of a feline, he moved his digit to Sakura`s left cheek and as slowly as he could, let it slip to her ear and proceeded to take the ugly glasses from her eyes. All the times his smirk and endless dark orbs never leaving her own. She played hard to get, very well, two could play the game.

"Hn…If you are to accede to what Cicero said, then Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi. I wonder what your eyes would speak about, if you were to not constantly confine them from me all the times, Sakura…"

Meanwhile, Sakura`s mind had a crack. Not only her boss was invading her private space again, but he was too impossibly close and irresistible and…he wanted to take away the glasses. A strong grip grabbed Sasuke`s hand just in time.

"While it might be true that the face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter, I personally wouldn't give too much credit to Cicero in terms of human emotions; after all, his philosophy was subordinated to politics. I wouldn't involve such a delicate subject to such a shallow topic."

If Sasuke was shocked by her action, he was good in hiding it. "Really now? You would be surprised of how many things have a political meaning nowadays, Sakura."

It was exactly this view of things people like Sasuke had, that pissed Sakura to no end. Always trying to find what was better for them, giving the others a hypocritical appearance of concern. Gosh that man was odious. "It might be, but only for people that are too maudlin and licentious to see the deeper meaning of the things."

"Do you suggest that I fall into the said category? Be careful, it is your boss you are calling insensitive."

"I don't mean to sound rude, Mr. Uchiha, but I will not abandon my convictions in favor of sounding servile and dig my way to success. It is not the way I was educated."

"Hn…and here I thought you didn't play the part of my conscience…"

"_Conscience my ass…this jerk doesn't even know the definition of the term…and the bastard didn't take away his hand…"_

"I don't. But I don't understand how a maid's opinion matters for such an important man like you, Sir." She was getting impatient and nervous, why was this man asking such weird questions, when he only needed her to prepare him food and do the laundry. This was not what Sakura had in mind when she started the mission.

"Your way of thinking is quixotic and childish, this is why you do not see the bigger picture, Sakura. But I am glad I managed to force a honest remark from you, even thought I know now what kind of man do you think I am." Sasuke didn't even try to stop himself from smirking at her puzzled expression. This was one interesting woman.

"Allow me to tell you that your ways of interviewing people are tiring and unconventional, Sir."

"Hn…I am an unconventional man." Sasuke turned his back to Sakura, easily slipping his hand away from her strong grip and went back to the table. But instead of sitting and finishing his meal, he took the plate and the bottle of tomato juice and threw one more glance at her, before exiting the kitchen:

"I will be in my office for the time being. I need to be at work at 11:30 a.m. As you probably saw, you are the only maid I allow to stay into my house. Twice a week there are people coming to dust my house entirely, take care of the swimming pool and garden, so you don't not need to be concerned with these things. I want you to take care of the meals and clean my room and my office. And try to stay away from things are not of your concern, I do not like people to interlope with my business."

"Of course, Mr. Uchiha."

Sakura watched her boss` back until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she let her body promptly fell with her back on the fridge (she didn't remember how she got there in the first place). Her face was on fire and her pulse rate was so high she thought she was going to have combustion.

"_What in the world…this man is crazy as hell! Damn annoying prick and his twisted mind games."_ Of course Sakura knew what kind of game was he playing, after all no other normal boss would permit his maids to talk so rudely to them, but Sasuke didn't seem to mind she was basically insulting his guts.

But he seemed more interested than insulted. God he was a weirdo. And why the hell was he interested in her way of thinking? Sakura wasn't aware that maids nowadays must have a philosophical thinking while cleaning dishes. Gosh she had more chances to survive a plane crush. And his hand was so warm and felt so good on her own…

Sakura was intently thinking about the early conversation while washing the dishes (she hated using the dishwasher, she never knew the proper quantity of detergent required and she didn't want to turn Sasuke`s kitchen into a foam party) and unconsciously her mind was drifting from the conversation to his handsome boss and their close proximity. And once again, she found herself caught into his spell. She was so trapped.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was finishing his meal into his private office thinking about the same things as Sakura. And he couldn't help but think about why in the world was she hiding her appearance as well? Did she really think he would make a move on her and risk a media scandal with him engaged in his maid's abuse?

"Hn…silly girl."

And of course, the way she spoke and her vast knowledge were not ones you would find in a maid. This is exactly why she lured her into opening up and talk to him, daring her to oppose him and reveal her true personality. You wouldn't find a maid speaking Latin and know about Roman philosophers and politics. He was right, she was hiding something. And this intrigued him to no end.

"_I am going to figure you out little Cherry Blossom. You are not that much of the smart woman you think you are..."_

RIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"Hn…"

"_I thought you were not going to answer this line anymore. Busy?"_

"State your business, I don't have time to play."

"_Ku Ku Ku…and here I thought we could use some time to catch up. I miss our little chit-chat. It is hard to find challenging people nowadays."_

"Just make it quick. I am sure you didn't call to make up for the lost time. A man like you always has an ulterior motive."

"_I see you still have that sharp mind of yours. But remember, patience is a virtue. I am sure you know the implications of rushing things, don't you?"_

"If you called just to lecture me, I am hanging up. I have better things to do than wasting time talking to relics of the past."

"_That hurt, you know. Very well then, I will tell you the reason why I contacted you. I am sure you are aware of the fact that things are getting a little heated."_

"Some pests are not going to slow me down."

"_Be careful, their actions have became erratic. We cannot properly predict what their next moves will be."_

"I am not going to be caught off guard like the other fools."

"_Heh…you still speak with confidence. But I am sure those are not just empty words."_

Smirk. "Hn, you know me."

"_And this is precisely why I tell you to take care. You tend to become a little too excited."_

"I don't need babysitting. Mind your goddamn stuff."

"_Heh…That could be debatable…"_

"I am sure you know better than to underestimate me"

"_True. But remember, I am keeping a close eye on you."_

"Hn…"

BEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Sasuke slammed the phone on the desk. Now he was pissed off. He heard it from his brother, from his teachers, from his older brother and even from his friends: he needed to take care, to proceed with caution and to stop being impetuous. Like he was some silly child that needed to be watched closely.

"Fucking imbeciles…"

Sasuke went upstairs, threw some casual clothes (he was the almost there CEO of the company, he didn't give a damn about rules or what others thought of him), grabbed his car keys and went downstairs. He was going to take his time and study the market and his almost non-existing business competitors, until the idiot he was about to meet that day to talk about the upcoming charity Ball was going to show his ugly face to his office.

But as angry as he was, Sasuke couldn't contain a small smirk upon seeing the lunch box that awaited him in the hall, on the same small glass table that supported a very poisonous famous cacti. And the message was even cuter: _"have a great day at work Mr. Uchiha. The apple is for the daily riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B-6 intake to keep the nervous system in good shape. Sakura"_

"Hn… silly girl." Sasuke took the lunch box and exited his house. At least he was not going to punch the sandwiches vending machine anymore. That thing was getting old.

Upstairs, Sakura sighed in relief. Gosh she thought he was not going to take the lunch box. She had inserted a nanoscopic scale tracking device in the apple. It consisted of a small capsule, coated by a polymer barrier, mainly containing Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose phthalate, that made it resistant to the highly acidic ph of the gastric acid.

When Sasuke would eat the apple, he would ingest the device as well, enabling Sakura to keep an eye on him whenever he went, by having a satellite view. And it was harmless for the body as well, because the device was made to be non resistant to alkaline ph and was removed naturally from the small intestine after 24 hours.

She activated the tracking device and then opened her special Laptop. She needed to find out what was wrong with the high electromagnetic field from her boss` office. She turned the computer on and inserted the password, then dialed the number of The Directorate of Science and Technology. All the agents were calling each other from their phones or Laptops using a broadband internet connection that was extremely safe and difficult to hack.

_DIAL IN PROGRESS, PLEASE WAIT FOR REPLY_

_HELLO, YOU HAVE DIALED THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY RESTRICTED NETWORK, PLEASE ENTER YOUR PASSWORD AND ID_

_ ID: Sakura "Athena" Haruno_

_ Password: Cherry-233256442123-Sound_

_ Enter_

_WELCOME TO CIA`S EXCLUSIVE CALL SERVICE MISS HARUNO, TO MAKE A CALL PLEASE PRESS 1 KEY_

Sakura pressed 1.

PLEASE WAIT FOR AN OPERATOR TO TAKE YOU INCOMING CALL

"_Hello, my name is Lucy Adams and you are now using the CIA network, how can I be of your help?"_

"Put me to DS&amp;T."

FORWARDING CALL IN PROGRESS, PLEASE WAIT

"Your call has been forwarded to The Directorate of Science and Technology. Please press key 23. Have a great day."

_Press:23_

_DIALING_

"_This is Idate Morino from the DS&amp;T, how can I help you?"_

"Hello, Idate, this is Sakura Haruno from the Sound. Give me Shino Aburame."

"_I am sorry Miss Haruno, Mr. Aburame is having a meeting right now and cannot answer your call. Would you like to leave him a message?"_

"Yes please, I would like him to analyze the level on an electromagnetic field. I am going to send you the results of the EMF meter. Tell him to contact me as soon as he has the results. Please tell him it is urgent."

"_Of course Miss, I am going to make sure he gets the message as soon as possible."_

"Thank you. Goodbye"

"_Have a nice day Miss Haruno."_

_END CALL. NETWORK CONNECTION SHUT DOWN_

"_Oh well…now to baby sit Sasuke-chan. Hehehehe I should call him Sasuke-chan more often, he deserves it after all, he is just like a brooding child."_

_BEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS_

"_What now?"_

Just as Sakura accessed the satellite connection to be ready to receive the signal from the device as soon as her boss was going to eat his lunch, she heard a loud BEEPPPPP from her emergency pager. That was an universal pager that all the CIA agents from all around the world had and was used to send an SOS in case of emergencies for all the agents in the nearby area to come and provide backup. It usually meant something really bad happened.

"An SOS from Tokyo? But the only agents in Tokyo are me and the Akatsuki….wait a sec…Akatsuki?! And the signal is close to where the Mangekyou`s main header quarter is located…SHIT SHIT!"

Sakura took exactly 3 minutes to take her agent clothes and be ready. If Akatsuki encountered troubles in Tokyo it was probably not ordinary killers or mafia. And not ordinary meant Lorane and she knew what Lorane was after.

She was out of the house in a second, already dialing Orochimaru`s private number.

That was bad.

….

**Author's Note: ****_Many thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows:*_**

**_Also, to answer some of the questions: _**

**_Yes, Sakura is supposed to always keep an eye on Sasuke, but it doesn't necessary imply being with him all the times. Sasuke doesn't trust her so much at this point, but they will get to spend more time together in the future. Also, it would be too risky for both of them to reveal Sakura`s true identity. And no, Sasuke doesn't know Sakura._**

**_I apologize if the story was boring up until now, but the details were necessary to clarify some things. I promise there will be a lot of action from now on. _**


	9. Chapter 8

_"An SOS from Tokyo? But the only agents in Tokyo are me and the Akatsuki….wait a sec…Akatsuki?! And the signal is close to where the Mangekyou`s main headquarters is located…SHIT SHIT!"_

_Sakura took exactly 3 minutes to take her agent clothes and be ready. If Akatsuki encountered troubles in Tokyo it was probably not ordinary killers or mafia. And not ordinary meant Lorane and she knew what Lorane was after._

_She was out of the house in a second, already dialing Orochimaru`s private number._

_That was bad._

CHAPTER 8

11 a.m Japan, Tokyo

"Neji, are you able to locate the bastards?"

"_Yes, you have three of them in the red tall building that is the closest to you and Ten Ten. It is the Shiseido Ginza building. The other two are heading north."_

That morning Neji, Ten Ten and Naruto got an emergency call from Itachi, telling them that they have some information about a possible murder attempt in Tokyo, but they were not able to discover the identity of the killers, nor if they truly belonged to Lorane. According to Itachi, the Akatsuki were able to catch a Stealth aircraft on their special designed infra-red search and track system, that has landed near Tokyo the day before and it was not a military plane.

There were five men that got off the plane, all wearing black assassin outfits and masks, which made them impossible to be identified in the _Criminal Records_ Information System.

Also, a quick look told Itachi that they didn't seem to belong to Lorane, but then again, they were really good in concealing their identities. The said suspects got in a big black van and drove to Shinjuku, the major commercial and administrative centre, located in Tokyo Metropolis, where they managed to jam Akatsuki`s 5.115 MHz. M-Code GPS signal.

And if a group of five killers in Shinjuku, where the busiest train station in the world was, as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, was not already bad enough, the fact that Uchiha`s Mangekyou headquarters was also located there made it a high level danger alert. So as soon as Itachi has given the signal to his agents, Naruto, Ten Ten and Neji had spent the entire night trying in vain to locate the said van in Tokyo. Only in the morning they got a satellite printed copy of a back van that had a fake car plate number, somewhere near Shiseido building, from the Sound (Itachi was sure that was going to piss off Tobirama really bad). That was the reason why Ten Ten and Naruto were waiting in their own armored bulletproof Infiniti QX56 SUV, for Neji to confirm the position of the suspects and give them the signal.

"North? Fuck they are heading to the Teme`s corporation."

"_We do not know for sure, remember we aren't able to tell if they are Lorane or not. There are three more buildings till they reach the Mangekyou`s HQ."_

"Neji, keep an eye on the other two and if they try something funny stop them. Naruto and I will take care of the other three."

In the meantime, Neji was on a nearby roof top of a high building, that provided him with a better view on the said buildings and also he was able to keep a better eye on Naruto and Ten Ten. He was spying them using his high tech spyglass that had the same principle as a _**Catadioptric telescope, consisting in a **_specific combination of shaped mirrors and lenses to form an image with an overall greater degree of error correction than their all lens or mirror counterparts, with a consequently wider aberration free _**field of view**_. The short focal length system provided a greater optical power, enabling Neji to have a better view.

"_Ok, try not to kill them, we need at least one alive for interrogation. And Ten Ten, you and Naruto both take care. They are probably armed."_

"Leave them to us. You make sure the others do not get close to Mangekyou."

"_Understood. I'm hanging up."_

"I am counting on you, Neji…Naruto move your ass and let's go and get the motherfuckers. Neji said they are somewhere in between the fifth and the sixth floor."

"Just a sec Tennie, I will access the other network and see if I can get a closer satellite view…damn there are so many interferences around here"

"Hm…probably because of the many radio aerials and paraboloids. I will download the building's plan into our phones and see what floors are the ones that Neji mentioned…ok, I have it! Naruto are you ready"

"Almost there, 20 more seconds… I see them on the GPS, they are on the sixth floor, believe it!"

"Finally, get your in-ear nano receiver and c'mon, we cannot afford to waste anymore time."

"Yeah, do not let Neji wait too much, man is he impatient."

"Heh…tell me about it."

Using the satellite connection, Naruto was able to fully locate the assassins on the sixth floor of Shiseido Ginza. Fully dressed in their own agent suits, Ten Ten and Naruto searched for a back entrance in the building. It was not like they could go and parade on the main entrance, successfully attracting everyone's attention.

That was an emergency and they had to be as discreet as possible. Not to mention it was morning, when all the people would see them, making the assassins tracking even more difficult.

They managed to find a back door that according to the map, was leading straight to the basement. "Seems that this is the only way in, without announcing everyone we got in and prepare the red carpet for us." Ten Ten was keeping an eye on the GPS and from what she could see, their targets were stuck on the sixth floor.

Meanwhile, Naruto tried the little green door's lock and he was not surprised to find out it was locked. Go figure. "Damn this shit is locked. I cannot force this lock with a senbon without breaking it, is too small. I need to blow it up."

"Are you nuts Naruto? You cannot blow up an iron door, in broad daylight in Tokyo nonetheless. It is like announcing everyone we are here. Back off, I will handle it." If there was someone that was a specialist in weapons it was Ten Ten. She had a proper device for every situation and not only that, but she was also good in predicting what was the best equipment required during a mission.

Not to mention her partners, usually men, were too loud and always managed to attract unwanted attention on them. They didn't seem to know the meaning of being subtle and discreet. So Ten Ten took a red encrusted Chinese hair stick from one of her famous buns, with a retractable small sharp needle at the end and tried the lock, successfully breaking it in no time.

"After you little man."

"PUH….show off." Naruto was really pissed when people didn't let him handle the situation as he wanted. He was loud and straightforward and jumped right in the middle of the fray, without thinking beforehand. The silent approach was cramping his style.

After pushing the door open, the two Akatsuki members found a spiral staircase that led to the basement. It was difficult to see because the whole basement was only lighted by a small bulb hanging on the wall.

So they used their flashlights instead. The basement was pretty big but surprisingly dirty for such a famous and luxurious building. The painting on the walls was peeling, it smelled like sewer and there was some water leaking from above. And web spiders and some rats were decorating the already depressing looking place.

"AUCH what the hell…get this thing of my nose!"

"Naruto what are you doing, stop screaming in my ears for God's sake."

Naruto was following Ten Ten`s leading through the basement's only corridor. It was pretty narrow and poorly lighted and Naruto stuck his face in a large spider web. Everyone knew Naruto was only playing the strong man role, but he was a scaredy cat and he was avoiding spiders like plague, since a really angry Giant Crab Spider bit him two years ago during a mission in Africa.

The poor man had an incurable arachnophobia since then, the Akatsuki were always mocking him, they even bought him a spider shaped birthday cake, but when he promptly fainted they forced him into therapy.

"Oh what the…Naruto don't you dare fainting on me right now or I swear I am going to throttle you when you wake up…come here." Ten Ten took the offending poor creature from a now white as a ghost Naruto`s nose and took the lead once again. Damn the corridor was pretty long.

"Well I am sorry I am not a fan of those monsters. I don't even understand their mission on this planet. Damn annoying creatures."

"Stop complaining already and look for a small door. According to the map, there must be a food elevator that runs from the basement to the last floor."

"A food elevator, really Tennie? At leas you are not making me walk in the ventilation passage. I still have the marks on my but."

Ten Ten was claustrophobic and they idea of riding six floors in a food elevator was scaring her shitless. But she couldn't start complaining now, could she? She was tempted to send Naruto and take the emergency stairs instead…yeah, that seemed like a good idea. "Shut up, you know I am claustrophobic so don't make it any more difficult that this."

"…you know Ten Ten, you could take the emergency stairs and meet me on the sixth floor." Now the blonde idiot was playing the good caring friend. Ten Ten knew Naruto was more than capable of handling three men with mid difficulty, but this was no time to risk.

"You talk too much, as usual. And where is that damn elevator anyways, it should have been in here, near the third fire extinguisher. Naruto are you able to see a green button somewhere on your left?"

"Just hold a sec, is difficult to see anything in this darkness, damn such rich people cannot afford to put a stronger light bulb…Tennie on your shoulder level I spot a green squared button, check it out."

"Ok, this is it, lets hope it works." Ten Ten pressed the said button and almost immediately a muffled sound was heard, followed by twang. Something was coming down. A small door opened on their right, revealing a questionable looking food elevator.

"That doesn't look too good…should we try the emergency stairs instead?"

"No Naruto we don't have time for this and…OMG the GPS signal is not properly functioning on here, the signal is weak. C'mon, we don't know how much time they are going to stay in there. Neji can you hear me?"

"_Yes Ten Ten, I am following the other two suspects on the main street. They are not doing anything suspicious yet, but they seem to be expecting something, because they are walking in circles."_

"Naruto and I are inside Shiseido Ginza, but we are on the basement and lost the GPS signal. Can you check them for us and tell if they are on the move?"

"_I have already done that and I can see all of you on the satellite. Hurry up, one of them is coming down, he is using the emergency exit. If you take the food elevator that is near to you, it will take you right in front of him."_

"Thanks a bunch Neji, I am hanging up now."

The suspects were separating ways and that was no good. They were outnumbered if you counted Neji, who was chasing the other two, out. But they had no time to waste, it was only Ten Ten and Naruto and somehow they had to do everything to take on the three men alone.

"What did Neji tell you Tennie?"

"This is not good Naruto, the other two are still on the sixth floor, but one of them is heading downstairs, using the emergency exit. According to the map, if we take the stairs we could cross paths with him."

"Then you take the stairs and I will take the elevator to the sixth floor and take care of the other two."

"No, that would not be good, I don't want to come face to face to him, we don't know what kind of weapons they have and what their purpose is. And I am almost certain they have their eyes on us as well, considering the fact that they were able to jam our GPS system once. They are not ones to be taken lightly. I want to have the element of surprise."

"But Ten…"

"No buts Naruto do as I say and go already, do not let them exit this building." Ten Ten was already in the said mini elevator before Naruto had a chance to oppose. She knew that between the two of them, it was Naruto who had a better chance of taking down two killers.

She pressed the inside button and the small door closed. She was already starting to sweat. It was too narrow for her taste and it was riding too fast. She felt like promptly throwing up.

Meanwhile Naruto stood ten more seconds to make sure the elevator worked fine and then run to the emergency stairs that, according to the map, were situated at the end of the corridor. He was able to spot them in no time and started to climb them with caution. They were small, slippery and old, he didn't want to risk them fall under his weight.

Damn he was getting tired and it was only the first floor. Naruto truly hoped that in a building full of people, no one was going to take this stairs or run the food elevator. They would have a really hard time in explaining what where they doing there, armed and dressed like they were cosplaying.

Now if the Sound were more traditional weapons oriented, the Akatsuki used modern weapons, mostly firearms. Naruto had a Colt M1991A1 Compact ORM pistol with slide locked back, hidden in the orange and black green vest pocket. Another Tenring Custom Colt was hidden in his boots.

He also had a United Cutlery 2671 Marine Force Night Stalker Bowie Combat Knife, made of a Massive AUS-6 12" stainless steel blade and non-reflective black coating on razor-sharp blade.

The hell with swords, stars and senbon, Naruto didn't really understand how in the world were the Sound so successful in their missions, using mostly (they had firearms as well, but refrained to use them so often) that shit. Naruto viewed them as ancient useless toys.

"Tennie, can you hear me? Where are you?"

"_I am on the third floor Naruto and according to the GPS system, the son of a bitch stopped on the fourth floor, for a reason I don't know yet. I am almost there; I will contact you as soon as I get him incapacitated. Be careful."_

"Ok you too, be careful Tennie and contact me if you need backup, I will be there in no time, believe it."

"_Stop the ego boost and better not screw it up this time, or else I won't survive another Tobirama ranting. Take care."_

As soon as Ten Ten made sure she was on the fourth floor she pushed the little red button above her head (it was more like pressing on her head, damn was that elevator small) hard. A loud CLICK!

And the said elevator stopped, the small door successfully opening. Ten Ten promptly jumped outside, thanking all the Gods up there she didn't faint this time. She was slightly dizzy and she didn't have the pills with her. She was always forgetting them home.

She quickly gained her senses and took in her surroundings. Apparently she wasn't exactly on the normal fourth floor, where, according to the GPS, the offices of the CEO and his Vice were located, but on a small storage room that had many boxes and shelves, all wearing the Shiseido logo.

Apparently this was a room where all the cosmetics were stocked. Oh the irony, she was in a room, surrounded by branded cosmetics and she had a killer to chase nonetheless.

"_What is he doing here anyways, trying to be the first to test the new red Lipstick?"_

But the GPS wasn't lying. Someone was here, most likely her suspect. Ten Ten didn't have her flashlight turned on, God forbids, she wasn't an idiot like Naruto, but she was barely able to see two meters in front of her, because of the small pale neon light that was hanging in a faraway corner.

She was on guard in no time, one of her arms was already resting on her own pistol and the other was touching a nearby wall, one that didn't have any shelves, only some smaller boxes, for support. She would avoid using the fire gun though, because she didn't want to attract attention from the other people in the building. That would be too risky, so she would use traditional methods instead. She took small steps, trying to be as silent as possible. She couldn't see well though and someone probably already knew she was in there and was watching her from the shadows.

And to add to the already tight up situation, she didn't know what kinds of guns he used. If they were firearms, she was already in his target which was bad enough and if he was indeed a henchmen working for the Freemasonry, then he used traditional weapons, probably swords, which was just as bad, because although Ten Ten had training with many different weapons, she wasn't exactly an expert in night combat. Damn it.

She sharpened her hearing as much as she could, turned down the tracking device and GPS (she didn't want her to scream "I am here, please shoot me") and took more careful steps. She could feel her pulse rising, her heartbeat loud and clear in her ears. She was tensed as well.

But her train of thoughts was interrupted as a punch coming from nowhere landed on her face, forcing her to take two steps backwards and almost making her lose balance. She was lucky she had a hand on the wall.

Another punch was about to come, but this time Ten Ten was ready and avoided it just in time with an upper block and just as fast, she successfully punched the unknown man in his abdomen with a powerful front snap kick, making him stumble three steps back.

Ten Ten wasn't about to give him time to recover, so she attempted to kick him again with a three punch combination, but only two were successful, because the masked dude managed to block her last one inside outward with his forearm, successfully getting a hold of Ten Ten`s arm and performed a back-fist strike on her chin, then a jumping front kick on her stomach, successfully throwing her on a box full of powder boxes.

"_Damn that hurt like a bitch…"_ Now Ten Ten was not new to pain or kicks, but the man was strong indeed, she needed to focus more if she wanted to beat him to a pulp, or else she was in serious trouble. She managed to rise up with mid difficulty, a slight pain throbbing in her chin and a more painful pain in her lower abdomen already starting to form.

And she had a barely there nosebleed from the first punch. She looked at the man, he was already coming her way and from what she could see, he didn't seem to have fire guns or any other weapons to fight her. So he used hand on hand combat.

Ten Ten knew that if she was to have a chance against him, the man was at least two heads taller than her and much stronger, she had to lure him to the other side of the room, that was more lighted.

She wasn't like Neji who seemed to have a 360 degrees vision and night view and could fight in any sort of environments, from extremely lighted to total blackout, with no problems (no one knew exactly how he did it, the man had x-rays instead of eyes). She needed to see him if she wanted to aim to his vulnerable pressure points and kill him. Just incapacitating him didn't seem like an option on the moment.

As subtle as she could, she slightly pushed one poisoned senbon needle, from her sleeve. She was going to attempt and insert the needle in a deadly point on his neck, preferably under the Adam's apple.

But she had to be extremely careful when getting close to him and succeed on the first strike. She couldn't risk stabbing herself instead, that would be a disaster.

As soon as Ten Ten made sure she had the needle prepared, the said masked man came straight forward, attempting a fore-fist straight punch on her solar plexus, but she predicted his move on time and dodged with a forearm block stepping in and tried a fist-hammer strike, but the man used a reverse wedge block, successfully catching both of her arms in between his own.

Ten Ten took the opportunity to front leg thrust him in his groin, only the said man saw it coming and used a leg hooking block, successfully blocking both her hands and one leg.

"See if you can manage another kick with only one leg left babe." The said man was now mocking her and calling her names. Oh that pissed Ten Ten off really bad.

"See if you can talk with a broken rib you perverted gorilla."

Ten Ten promptly focused her energy in her right leg that was the only one left available and used a jumping side kick, successfully punching the said man with her knee on his ribcage, breaking his fifth and sixth true ribs, making him let go of her arms and left leg and collapsing on the ground, holding his now damaged ribcage.

"You bitch…you are going to pay for this stunt!"

The masked killer was up in no time and attempted to catch Ten Ten out of guard. How was he able to move with two broken ribs was a mystery to her, but she already confirmed he was strong and well built.

So Ten Ten run to the other side of the room, with only on thought in mind: luring him to the light and shove the damn needle in his throat. He was not showing it but he was already in pain and the kicks he managed on her were less severe. Ten Ten had a slightly advantage in the fight.

She run as fast as she could, considering the lacking of the light and started to throw cosmetic smaller boxes behind her, in a fake attempt to slow him down, but in reality she wanted to appear scared of him and make him chase her. Good. He was following her right behind, slightly wincing in pain.

"The motherfucker took the bait. Gosh, hope Naruto is doing better…"

Meanwhile, Naruto successfully arrived to the sixth floor, where the GPS signal indicated the other two unknown men's positions. But something was fishy there and Naruto wasn't sure if he should go straight forward or take another route.

The signal indicated the said men where there all right, but it also shown that they haven't moved for a while. Where they posing as furniture or something?

Without making a sound, he climbed the last stairs that led to a long golden painted hall, which according to the map was the only hall that connected all the sides of the building. To access the other offices and rooms, one needed to either climb the side stairs or take the elevator.

But right after the corner from the end of the wall, what he saw almost made Naruto`s bile rise in his throat: a middle aged woman and a young man laying dead on the floor, blood spread all over them and the wall behind, their mouths and eyes agape, probably they wanted to scream for help but they weren't fast enough and what was even more frightening was their clothes, that were ripped on the middle of their chests where a deep cut, probably made by a very sharp sword, was made in the sign of a pair of compasses, pointing to their hearts.

And then Naruto realized just how bad the situation truly was. There was only one organization in the world that was using this method of killing and that was none other than Lorane. When their Master Masons killed somebody they left such a mark on their chest to symbolize their logo: the pair of compasses erect at 30 degree and the square.

Almost unconsciously Naruto took his pager and pressed "SOS" to alert every Tokyo agent, as well as the Akatsuki. Whatever backup was there, it would be more than welcomed.

A powerful smoke smell hit him full force suddenly, followed by something that sounded like an electric panel humming, on his left side. He was too absorbed and disgusted by the murder in front of him to notice the now broken electric panel board. Almost all the cables were cut and just as sudden, the whole hall and probably the whole building were thrown in a blackout.

"Oh…give me a break man…"

Naruto watched the completely destroyed panel. There was no chance to stick the cables together and repair the electric panel. That was a mess. Naruto wasn't fan of facing Lorane in a night combat. And they didn't even take their panoramic night vision goggles that allowed them to see in darkness. Who thought they needed that during mornings…

"…why is it so dark in here anyways, where are the windows or the electricity generator? Damn it…Neji, Ten Ten can you hear me?"

Naruto was starting to panic, there was a small buzz coming from their in-ear communication devices, but no sign of Neji and Ten Ten had her own device shut down.

"C'mon guys…"

BAM!

"…What the…"

Naruto was just in time to avoid a sword's kick aiming at his head coming from behind him, by turning around and jump on his right side. But just as sudden, another sword aimed at his shoulder and almost caught Naruto out of guard. He managed to dodge it somehow and the damage was not so great because he was partly hit in his bulletproof vest, but it made a cut nonetheless.

"Heh…so you finally decided to stop hiding and show yourselves." Naruto knew that he was in great disadvantage. First of all, it was completely dark and he couldn't see a thing, so he had to rely on the other senses, mostly hearing, speed and reflexes.

He was fast there was no doubt about that, but when it came to reflexes, this was something Naruto wasn't so great at and he unsuccessfully tried to improve himself during his training sessions.

Second, this people if they were truly working for Lorane, were swords masters and he had absolutely zero sword fighting skills. Usually when Naruto encountered traditional fighters, he, either fought them using hand to hand combat, or pulled out his fire arm and shooted them.

But using his gun was out of question now because it was dark and he couldn't see a thing, moreover if he missed them, not only will he run out of ammunition, but the assassins would use their swords and quickly impale him.

It would have been better if Ten Ten was the one fighting them and not him…and there were two of them and both using swords. He truly wished for a particular Tokyo agent, with exceptional traditional martial arts fighting skills, to come and provide help.

"Heh…no time to complain…"

Naruto pulled out his own knife. He knew he couldn't do so much damage against the two opponents using that, but at least he could block their attacks somehow, until he figured something out.

He had to lure them from the darkness to a window or any opening that would provide any source of light, in order to be able to see them and shoot them. But a window was out of question in the hall they were in, so his only option was to try on one of the many doors and see if any of them were opened.

"_Easier said than done with two professional sword killers on my back…"_

Another attack came, aiming to his neck with the edge of the blade, but Naruto moved diagonally forward and stepped across, rotated his body 180 degrees by crossing the front foot across the back foot, successfully turning into place and dodged the sword, by using his own knife, the sound of metal clash piercing his ears.

Naruto managed to avoid a deadly hit, but the blade of the sword was longer and made another cut on his knuckles, thin rivulets of red liquid now leaking down his hands.

Naruto didn't waste the opportunity of being close to the man and even though he couldn't see him, he was quick to perform a front leg thrust in the man's sternum, attempting to break it in two down the middle.

A load cry was heard from the said man as he took a step backwards, but Naruto was sure the kick wasn't strong enough, for he didn't have the time to rotate his hip and increase the force and speed, but it was good enough to create an opening and throw another fore-fist in what he hoped was his chin, forcing the masked man to take two more steps backwards, but still managed not to fall from the impact.

That surprised Naruto a bit, he knew he was strong but this man was clearly not weak either.

He knew that there were two masked man with swords, but Naruto was now sure that they didn't have night vision devices either, because they didn't attack him simultaneously, meaning they didn't see him well either and didn't want to risk hurting each another instead.

He could use this piece of newfound information to his advantage. He could not deal with both attackers on the same time, but he would survive taking them on turns.

Another frontal attack was aimed at him, but Naruto successfully performed a low-leveled roundhouse kick, by swinging his right leg around in a circular motion, using his foot to strike the thigh, just above the knee joint to limit the killer's movements.

Although, before falling on his knee, the said man performed a fleche, bringing his rear leg in front of the now injured leg and sprinted past Naruto, delivering a vertical cut on his hip, right below his bulletproof vest.

Naruto quickly jumped backwards, a hand on his injured hip. He wasn't able to see, but he felt blood starting to pour from the cut. It was pretty deep and he was unlucky it hit him in an unprotected body part. He felt a big throbbing pain starting to rise and he knew that was going to slow him down a bit.

"Kuso…"

Naruto was too absorbed in the fight to take a notice of the small electrical buzz coming from the broken electrical panel. He turned his head in the noise direction, on his right. So he could not see the two of them and they were using swords made of metals.

He was no Einstein and had almost zero physics knowledge, but even he knew that metals were good electrical conductors, so it implied that a human body holding a sword made of a high quality metal was an even better electrical conductor.

Now if Naruto could make good use of the broken electric charged wires and give the mother fuckers an electric shock…at least he could try and kill one of them like that. Two were utterly annoying.

So, he took a lower level combative posture, concentrated on the air vibrations around him to catch any sounds from his attackers and as soon as he sensed an attack coming, he bent his body to avoid a stab performed by the enemy by stepping and lunching towards him, in a fast patinando, followed by a snap kick with foot edge aimed under his chin, which Naruto avoided with an X-block, but the said swordsman brought his sword down and delivered a sideway horizontal cut with the short edge of the blade on Naruto` s thigh, barely avoiding the femoral artery.

"Awww damn…."

"HAHAHAHA and here I was told you people were better than this. This is child's play!"

But the now almost wincing in pain Naruto, as subtle as he could, slightly turned his head and took a quick look over his shoulder, making sure the electric panel was behind him, and as soon as the said masked man lunged forward to stab him in the chest and finish the job, without taking in his surroundings, Naruto used his uninjured leg and with his last remaining energy, managed to jump on his side, landing on the ground, on his shoulder.

In an instant, a powerful electric buzz pierced through the darkness, followed by an explosion of what looked like fireworks, which lightened the surrounding area, giving Naruto a clear view of the horrifying scene in front of him.

The swordsman stabbed the panel right on the middle, causing him to be electrocuted by the powerful electric flow from the cables, electricity piercing his body in a rotating motion, making the man scream in agony. When his body was not able to take in more electrical charge, he was thrown backwards with such a great force that he hit the wall behind him with a loud thud.

A strong pungent smell filled the air, making Naruto sick, the decaying scent of burned flesh hit the back of his throat, like a powerful delivered punch. The man was dead, but his muscles were still violently convulsing, making him look like a zombie ready to rise.

Out of nowhere, a loud high pitched voltage sound was followed by a pale blue-ish light coming from the neon lights. Apparently the electric generator found a very good moment to start working, successfully illuminating the area.

"About the damn time…"

Naruto was able to take in the surroundings and saw the other masked man standing about 6 meters away from him, he too puzzled by his the tragically death of his partner. Now that he was able to see, Naruto promptly felt like throwing up.

He killed many people, but the way that man looked like was abominable. His head was bent in a weird position over his shoulder and the flesh started to peel of, revealing the bones that had a black-purple color. Ironically enough, the now dead assassin was close enough to the two innocent people he killed, not to much time ago.

"You! You will pay dearly for this you asshole!"

Naruto turned his head on the now enraged screaming man and studied him. His attire was similar to his own, he wore a completely black leather outfit, a pair of white gloves on his hands, black combat boots with spikes, his face fully concealed under an equally black leather mask, except for eyes and nose.

Naruto would have laughed out loud at the situation if he wasn't in a deadly situation: he looked exactly like a ninja from a manga he was reading. Only this one character was not that cute.

"Heh…so you guys are familiar with the term amity? If you miss your friend, don't worry, you are going to join him soon believe it!"

"Hmpf, such arrogance…make it happen then!"

Naruto attempted to stand up, pull out his pistol and shoot the bastard right in the head, like he did with the human targets he used to practice on. It was his only chance to kill him now that he could see him, missing the target being out of question.

He didn't even need both hands to steady the gun and have more accuracy, he only needed to hold his weapon in the firing-ready position using his dominant right hand, align the front sight with the rear sight, click the safety off, move his finger onto the trigger and jerk it. And he could do it in three seconds max, with a perfect head shoot.

So this is exactly what he did, while the ninja-looking-killer sensed the danger approaching and lunged forward, holding the sword (damn was it long, sharp and thick and no…no innuendo crossed Jirayia`s beloved student's mind right then) with both his hands over his shoulder, attempting to hit him full force.

Naruto got a hold of the gun with his right hand, the other one resting on the deep cut on his hip that was bleeding and hurt like it was burning him, made sure it was loaded, fixed the gun on the killer's foreheadand clicked the safety off. The man was three steps away but Naruto had more than enough time.

Just as he was about to move his finger onto the trigger and shoot the bastard, Naruto was hit by a wave of strong dizziness, the world around him starting to spin, successfully making him loose balance and drop the gun.

Also he felt a stabbing intermittent pain in the right upper and lower abdomen and he knew that that one was not caused by the cut, it was way more violent, as well as a nausea followed by a violent need to vomit. He gave out a long agonizing scream.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH…."

Naruto couldn't figure out why in the world was he feeling like that, but he felt like he was going to die right there and then. Also, that would not be a problem because, even in his dizziness he knew the sword kick was about to come any moment from the said killer. He closed his eyes whining in pain, a hand on his abdomen, the other was supporting his head.

He was lying on his knees on the ground, the pain growing more and more violent, the symptoms even worse. He was shaking violently, too tired to even scream, tears forming in his tight closed eyes. He knew he was going to die, but he didn't want to, not like that.

Only the expected sword's kick never came.

He couldn't raise his head anymore to see what was happening, but he heard a loud clatter, followed by a scream, then another series of clangours, like the blade of the sword was hit by something, also followed by other several short noises like two hard surfaces collided together and a whack from someone that was hit full force, proceeded by a bone cracking sound and a piercing scream that sounded like the masked man's, but Naruto was now starting to slightly hallucinate, so he couldn't be so sure. Then complete silence. He could only hear his ragged breath and his own muffled crying.

He felt a gentle but firm grip on his shoulder pulling him backwards in an attempt to lay him flat on his back, but that only made the pain grow tenfold. He let out another loud scream. Also in his almost unconscious state, he didn't realize what was happening or who the mystery person was. It was only him and the killer there so go figure…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH…"

"_I know it hurts, but please hold on still, it will be over soon…."_

A soft feminine voice spoke to him in an attempt to calm him down, assurance present in her tone. Naruto really thought he died and went to Heaven and angels came to take away his soul and lead it to the After Life.

He felt a hand palpating the median cubital vein from his upper left arm, then a gently cool wiping followed by a strong scent of alcohol and a small pinch when a needle was inserted, followed by a cold liquid flowing through his vein. Naruto cracked an eye open and followed the hand that was pressing something soft and cold on his newly punctured vein, but the image was too blurry.

He was now promptly hallucinating, the violent abdominal pain thrown on the back of his dizzy mind.

And the last clear thing he managed to see was _pink_.

SHOOT!

A gun shoot was heard from the top roof of a really tall building. People were panicking and screaming, trying to hide from whatever danger there was, hiding in their cars or nearby shops. Another shoot filled the crowded area, causing traffic to stop and block the streets. More panic, more screaming, older people trying to hide, the younger ones following the noises with their curious eyes.

"Naruto, Ten Ten can you hear me?"

Neji was currently caught in a cross fire, with one of the two assassins he was following. How in the world did he manage to lose one of them was a mystery to Neji.

They were walking aimlessly along the street, like walking zombies, in what looked like a Brownian motion, coming right in between the Mangekyou and the Shinjuku Granbell Hotel that was near the said company, but never getting closer to the Mangekyou than this, which was really suspicious to Neji, who was trying to figure out just what their plan was.

They were dressed entirely in black outfits, with their faces uncovered, parading on the streets like two extremely dangerous unknown killers in their assassin outfits were spotted on Tokyo on daily basis. Maybe they were blending with the anime looking teenagers that were parading on the streets. Neji thought this generation was screwed up.

And they were also pretty young, no more than 26 years old if Neji was correct (of course he was, he was a Hyuga, they were always correct even if they were mistaken, because the mistake didn't have the courage to tell them they got it wrong).

But nonetheless, they were armed and Neji couldn't spot any traditional weapon, so either they had them concealed, or most likely they had fire guns, which was really bad, because they were on broad daylight on a rush hour, with so many people around, making it even more dangerous.

Not only Akatsuki would blow up their cover, but also innocent people would be involved in a tight situation. He didn't need any hostage scenario, Neji loathed that kind of missions. They were always ending with people being killed.

And suddenly, just as they were supposed to come from behind the hotel, only one of them came to the light, the other vanishing in the air, successfully jamming the GPS signal and managing to escape Neji`s vigilance. And what was even more frightening was the fact that Neji caught his track just in time to see he was already on his way to the stairs that connected the last floor with the rooftop.

So when the small red rooftop door opened, Neji was already hiding behind the rooftop air conditioning unit, a firm grip on his gun, waiting for him to show up and shoot, being aware of the fact that the said five men knew exactly the Akatsuki were going to be there, so Neji already lost the element of surprise.

Without any further delay, as soon as the door opened and he was able to see the killer's shadow, Neji lunged forward, the safety already clicked off, his finger on the trigger, the target in his sight.

But apparently the said mysterious killer had the same idea as Neji, because he also had a fire gun in his hands and as soon as he spotted him, he also pulled the trigger, in the same time as Neji did, at the same time lowering his body to the ground. And it resulted in both of them trigging in the same time.

Neji missed him because he aimed the head and when the said man dropped to the ground, it shoot in an parabolic antenna, that was situated on the other building's roof top. The suspect successfully shoot Neji in his chest, because he too aimed the head, but Neji jumped on his side, on his left shoulder, hiding behind the air conditioner. He was lucky it hit his bulletproof vest, either way he would have been dead.

"Ten Ten, Naruto, are you guys in there? Damn it…"

Neji knew three things right then, neither of them good: one, his friends were both not answering his call, not only that but he lost their GPS signal (apparently it was jammed, again…) and he heard a buzz coming from the speakers, followed by muffled unidentified sounds, two, he was caught in a cross fire, with an assassin, in broad daylight, in a public place and he was sure that created commotion on the streets, which meant the police was going to be there as well, which was just as bad and three, there was another killer out there and he was free to roam wherever he wanted, with no one to stop him. Who knew what their plan was? Those people had fire guns and they had no problem in doing their business with civilians around.

"Fuck this is bad, Tobirama will skin us alive…"

But the most frightening thing was the fact that someone had used the SOS pager signal to alert all the available Tokyo CIA agents and Neji knew the chances for either Ten Ten or Naruto to have done so were at least 90%.

He was frustrated he couldn't track them anymore, because there were powerful electromagnetic interferences in the area, probably coming from the said killers. It was like they already knew Akatsuki were going to be there and prepared a surprise party for them.

He attempted to pull out his phone and send Itachi an emergency call to ask for whatever back up he could provide, but another shoot in his direction made Neji change his mind, pull out his pistol and aim in the direction where the bullet came from, but that was unsuccessfully as well.

Neji`s mind worked fast as he formulated his plan. He needed to kill this man fast and get out of there, before the police came. He too knew the killers would do the same, they probably didn't want to attract anymore attention as well.

With that thought in mind, Neji unzipped his vest, as well as his bulletproof vest (the bullet stopped in the last layer of the vest, slightly making a bruise on his left pec), took a poisoned senbon needle from his combat black boots and prepared his gun.

Thanks God he had a semi-automatic firearm, he didn't want a series of roars filling the space, causing more havoc between people in range.

He then took the senbon in his left, closed his eyes and focused. Neji`s martial arts were unique in the Akatsuki, because he knew how to properly balance his inner strength, by rotating his energy and make it flow through any part of his body.

He successfully managed to do so after countless years of yoga and advanced meditation, which increased his accuracy and speed. His reflexes were also superior.

After he felt an electrical discharge of energy in his left hand, Neji took his vests in his right arm and threw them on his right side, successfully catching the said killer's attention, who thought it was Neji trying a counterattack and shoot them instead. Neji waited until the said man continuously fired a round of ten bullets, _"Heh, the bastard has an automatic firearm…just great."_

And when the loud bangs stopped, Neji didn't waste anymore time and lunged on his side, throwing the needle in the assassin's direction, that was trying his best to load the gun, successfully hitting a pressure point on his wrist, making him drop the gun and shoot him right on his forehead, killing him in an instant, blood spurting in every direction. The now collapsing dead assassin looked like a fountain in Vegas.

"Naruto, Ten Ten, do you guys hear me?" Neji was desperate to make sure his friends were safe and alive and get them out of the building. They had to get out of there and fast, their covers now questionable.

He took a peek from the roof top and watched on the streets. It was as bad as he thought it was, there were people screaming, running and pointing to the building and a multiple vehicle collision was blocking the boulevard.

He heard the sound of Ambulances, but it was difficult for them to pass thorough the crashed cars and help the injured. In other words, it was a complete mess.

Neji packed his devices and attempted to locate the last remaining suspect and contact his members once again. He knew the situation was really bad and it would only become worse when the police would arrive there.

He saw commotion from the Shiseido building as well, but for some unknown reason, it looked like no one was able to leave the building, probably because of the locked doors.

"Naruto, Ten Ten if you hear me please ans…"

"_Hyuga…You have to come here…ASAP…I found Uzumaki and he is…"_

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

He didn't hear the end of the sentence, coming from the unknown person that was talking in Naruto`s in-ear receiver, and neither the said person had a chance to carry on the message.

They both heard it loud and clear. It was a series of three powerful gun shoots, coming neither from where Neji was standing, nor from the Shiseido Ginza.

And Neji turned his head in the direction of the sound, coming at an angle to the right of his face, eyes wide as plates, mouth slightly agape, heart pounding in his chest, watching in horror.

"Oh God…"

It was coming from the Mangekyou`s HQ way.

…..

**Author's Note: **_I truly apologize for all the mistakes, I go through what I wrote, but there are things I do not notice. _

_Also, to clear any confusion, no, Sasuke has no connection to Akatsuki and he is not part of the CIA, even if he was asked to join at some point. _

_As for the part of him roaming through Sakura`s stuff…I cannot answer that at this point, you will have to be patient. _

_I do not own Naruto. All the credit goes to the rightful owner. _


	10. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

12 a.m. Tokyo, Shinjiku

Two people that were no longer alive lying on the ground, a pool of blood around their bodies; judging from their attires, probably company workers. Another man, wearing a black leather outfit, was also lying dead not far from the other bodies, but this one looked like he was being electrocuted, and the humming electric panel just confirmed the suspicion, as well as his burned up clothes, peeling purple skin and black bones, a weird looking sword thrown somewhere in front of him, probably his.

About five or so meters away from the "dead gang" one sun kissed young man, that looked painfully alike the one and only Uzumaki Naruto, was screaming in agony, a hand on his bleeding abdomen, another was supporting his head, dropped on his knees, like he was sending prayers to the Heavens, looking like he was about to pass out any time.

Not far from him, another unknown dude in an outfit similar to what the other one was wearing was watching the scene somehow shocked, but this one was alive, had a scary looking sword in his right hand and looked really angry, probably because his partner decided to be a bitch and "sleep" in the middle of the party. That or he was killed by the wincing in pain Uzumaki. Probably both. Then the said man started to threaten Naruto, like he was some action movie super hero, ready to beat the hell out of the bad guys and save the planet.

This is the scene that Sakura has come to, as soon as she climbed the side emergency stairs and run to the end of the golden hall, a poor illuminated area was being witness to whatever atrocious battle has taken place there, probably from the electric generator.

Her emerald sharp eyes quickly assessed the situation in front of her. It didn't take a genius to realize Uzumaki was fighting the masked dude in black with a sword like he came straight from a history book and he was losing badly, so as soon as she sensed the said assassin lunging forward, gripping the sword tightly, in a position that looked unprofessional for a sword fighter, but screamed murder intent, she didn't waste anymore time.

Sakura run as fast as she could and in an instant she was in front of her Akatsuki colleague and rival, performing a butterfly kick, her delicate body spinning horizontally in a circle, like an aerial cartwheel, legs perfectly high angled horizontally, lifted from the ground and swung around.

Her small back arched, using both her hands as a support to increase the speed and help the rotation, successfully stopping the frantic assassin, by kicking him straight in the face and throwing him backwards. The said man landed on his back with a loud thud and a short scream.

He attempted to stand up and attack her again, but Sakura wouldn't have it, so as soon as she landed, she pulled out her Bo Staff, balanced it between her hands, stepped forward with her left foot and stroked forward cutting the distance between them, in a blink of an eye and hit his hand with her Staff, breaking his bone, successfully making him throw the sword.

Then with a final downward thrust, Sakura raised her right hand, lowered her left one, so that the staff was tilted at about a 45-degree angle, extended her right arm by bringing her left one across her chest, forcefully thrusting the low end of the staff downward the man's solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him, causing a great damage on the bunch of nerves, creating a great pain. But just as sudden, she pushed a short senbon needle, used for acupuncture, in one of his neck pressure points, incapacitating him.

Now that she made sure he was not going to be a bother anymore, Sakura focused her attention on the suffering CIA Akatsuki. She assessed the situation, taking in the symptoms: he looked like he was going to pass out any moment, screaming at the top of his lungs (which was abnormal for such a skilled agent-yeah Sakura didn't quite like the Akatsuki members, but it didn't mean she was not giving them credit) in agony, clenching his teeth, a hand was gripping his lower abdomen, like his very life depended upon it.

Sakura run to him, placed a hand on his shoulder attempting to make him lie down to have a better view, but he started to scream and cry out more, shaking violently. She usually didn't feel pity for the other agents, it was their mission after all and they were doing it on their own free will, but the way Naruto looked like stirred something close enough to pity inside her heart. And a sudden unknown instinct to protect him kicked in, making her wish to do something to soothe his raging pain.

She tried to be as gentle as possible when she talked to him, telling him everything was going to be all right, but his eyes were unfocused, like he had difficulty in taking in his surroundings. It was like he was making a great effort to stay conscious. And the sudden pain and the cut that he was covering with his hand…everything started to fall into place for Sakura ` s sharp mind.

As gently as she could, she took his hand away, assessing the cut: it was deep and horizontal, looking like it was done by something long and extremely sharp. She looked on her left and spotted a blade with blood stains on it, that looked fresh.

Of course it was the dead masked man's, but it could have been used to kill the other two civilians. Sakura concluded it was probably used to kill them and cut Naruto.

She quickly put two and two together: a deep sword's cut, a stabbing pain in his lower abdomen, strong enough to make a man like Naruto cry like a newborn, dehydration symptoms, vertigo and slightly delirium and he looked like he was about to throw up any moment from there, only led to one conclusion:

"Arsenic poisoning…shit…"

So the sword had arsenic on its blade, and when it stabbed Naruto, it did more than cutting him, it poisoned him as well. That was bad, if there was a high dosage running through his system, which would explain the sudden symptoms, shock and dead would soon follow.

So she quickly pulled out a small vial of dimercaprol, took a syringe from her back pack (she always had medication with her, it was something she was taught by Tsunade since her first training lessons) and injected the said substance in Naruto`s vein.

She knew she was not so late, because she too received his SOS signal, successfully managing to track it on her own GPS, although it was partly jammed, but that could have been either from the aerials around or from an unknown source, maybe from the suspects that attacked Akatsuki.

A quick call to his boss Orochimaru confirmed her suspicion: Akatsuki team was following what looked like a black van, consisting in five masked men that might have been Lorane, by using a printed copy of a satellite view of the said black car, took by the Sound.

Sakura was aware of the side effects of the chelation therapy, as well as it was required to be administered with care, but it was the only way to avoid an imminent death. And where the hell were his partners anyways?

"Fuckin useless idiots…c`mon Uzumaki don't die on me, I don't want to explain your sudden departure to Neverland, to your brooding boss and frustrated Akatsuki members…"

But the said Uzumaki looked like he was already in La La Land, playing with pink aliens on Pluto…well he was always looking like he had a melon instead of a brain, but now it was ten times worse than usual. At least, he wasn't shaking that bad anymore, which was good.

Sakura heard a small buzz coming from his ear, so she took a peek and spotted his in-ear receiver. Oh good, his useless team mates were trying to communicate. She took the small device and answered the call, hearing a deep manly imperative voice at the end of the line, which probably belonged to the famous Hyuga Neji.

So Sakura promptly cut him off (oh god that was probably hurting his ego and Sakura was mentally applauding herself for that) and attempted to inform him about Uzumaki`s critical condition "Hyuga_…You have to come here…ASAP…I found Uzumaki and he is…"_ but she stopped when she heard three consecutive shrills piercing the air.

"God, this is more annoying than the fireworks from the independence day…"

She quickly checked her tracking device to check on her playboy of a boss, that had the decency to make her job easier and eat his lunch as soon as he arrived at his company, successfully ingesting the now active small GPS device.

Good, he was safe and sound in his office, along with two more people, probably his company colleagues or business partners. So the shoots were not coming from the Mangekyou. Sakura exhaled, relief washed through her, heart thumping on her chest, forcing her to take sharp breathes in attempt to calm down the adrenaline rush.

For a moment Sakura thought that he…no she didn't want to go there. She was slightly scared that they might have heard the gun shoots, but then realized the building was probably soundproof. Sasuke looked like the type to prefer working in a silent and calm environment.

She once again focused on the injured Akatsuki member, the cut on his hip was pretty large and still bleeding and she spotted another one on his thigh. God he was made a human piñata. She quickly appliedantiseptics on the cuts (she was glad she didn't take peroxide, the cuts were deep and that would have only intensified the pain) and bandaged them.

She took a better look at the hip and the tight. Both looked pretty bad, but although the hip cut was deeper and bigger, the tight was bleeding faster and more. She quickly made sure it was not coming from the femoral artery, because if that happened the said man would have been dead and gone soon.

But it didn't, he was lucky the said swordsman had barely missed it, most likely hitting the femoral vein instead, which raised another suspicion: the Lorane were skilled swordsman, but somehow the one that made the cut didn't seem to posses great abilities. Weird…

She quickly removed one of her elastic pink arm sleeves, folded it into half to make it tighter and thicker, elevated the injured leg, maintaining the pressure on the bleeding wound using a cloth, searched for a pressure point and applied pressure against the bone and applied the tourniquet. It was the only way to stop the bleeding.

She then focused on the hip cut. God it looked really nasty, the skin was pierced and bruised, blood dropping in big rivulets. Sakura`s mind sized up her options: she needed a large cloth to make a triangular bandage for hip. She only had small bandages on her backpack.

The Sound agent quickly stripped the light pink miniskirt she was wearing over her tight black biker shorts, folded it in a triangle shape, torn the point to the base, then tied the two points around Naruto`s thigh. She then pulled the skirt up till his waistline, folding the ends.

All this time, his cries never ceasing, also it looked like he wanted to tell her something, but he choked up his words, because of his cry. He was trembling and all his body betrayed agonizing pain, salty liquid filling his half opened eyes, his tears rolling over his pale cheeks. Almost unwittingly she placed a gentle hand on his forehead, in a protective manner. This seemed to calm him a bit, for he moved his head slowly, trying to follow her hand, but somehow couldn't.

"God damn it Uzumaki…"

He needed to be taken to hospital immediately, but she alone couldn't move him and bring him down, where she knew some ambulances were providing first aid for the civilians caught in the car crashes. Sakura needed Neji for that, so she attempted to contact him once more, this time using her own devices, because Naruto`s was slightly cracked.

"Hyuga, can you hear me, this is Haruno Sakura speaking."

"_Athena? Where are you, is Naruto with you?"_

"He is with me, I gave him first aid, but he is badly injured and delirious. He needs medical help ASAP."

"_Are you using a device to block my GPS signal? I cannot see you in the building."_

"Yes, I do. But I will turn it off for you to see me. You have to come here quickly, the police is on the road. They will be here in no time."

"_I can't, the other suspect I was following has shoot three times, from where the Mangekyou is located. I have to make sure he…"_

"Don't worry about him yet, I checked on Sasuke, he is fine, your man is not in the Mangekyou, he is probably nearby. "

"_Ok, I can see you both now, as well as the other two men, which I supposed were taken care of. I will be there in no time. "_

"Roger that."

Sakura hung up on the Hyuga and took another look at his fallen comrade. She has managed to bandage his wounds and inject an antidote. He was going to make it somehow, although he needed to be taken care of immediately. She stood up abruptly, proceeding to the first two dead bodies. She pulled out her special phone and took some quick pictures.

She has seen the cut on their chest, but something didn't sit right with her. She was going to take a better look on the photos later, also she was going to ask Orochimaru to take a copy of the police's criminal investigation report, send it to her and study every detail.

She took some more pictures of the swordsmen and their swords especially. At first glance it looked like Lorane, but Sakura wouldn't jump to conclusions without further investigation.

She knew the one she has incapacitated was not dead, she has made sure of it, he was going to be unconscious for at least 24 hours so Akatsuki could take him and perform a full interrogation on him. This or leaving him to the police officers, is not like they were able to take one more incapacitated man with them. But he was valuable. Any information that could lead to Lorane was priceless.

"…mmmpppmm…r-r-raaamen….I…am….rammmmmmen…." the said delirious Uzumaki started to hallucinate, and go guess about what his little brain was thinking about. Sakura didn't know if she should be worried about his not so happy state of body and mind, or to slap herself.

"God really now…" she got closer to him, kneed on his side and checked his pulse. His heart was thumping in his chest, pulse higher than normal. Sakura really hoped his comrade would come in time, or else Naruto could develop ventricular tachycardia. She knew that in his delirious state, what the poor man tried to ask for was water. He was dehydrated because of the arsenic poisoning. And she didn't have a single drop to give him either.

Sakura studied his fingernail pigmentation and it was slightly changed. He was sweaty and extremely pale. At least the convulsions were not that severe anymore, which was good, because it was a sign the antidote was working properly. "Really now, how do you guys always find yourselves in such situations…"

She checked the GPS tracking device one more time to make sure the Uchiha was in no danger and then pulled out her phone and dialed. They needed a cover soon, it is not like they could go in hospital and tell the doctors "Well, you know, we have an extreme case of arsenic poisoning, because we encountered some Freemasons that wanted to kill us with poisoned swords, but this is ok, we are used to it, shut up, do your jobs and do not blow our covers. Oh and by the way, be careful they could come and kill you too because you helped us."

"_Cherry, what is going on there? Tobirama is driving the Akatsuki crazy"_

"Papa Oro, I found Akatsuki and they are in serious trouble, we need help."

"_How bad?"_

"Uzumaki Naruto was poisoned with arsenic, by one of the man he was fighting. I impaled the other one, but there are also two other dead civilians in the hall we are in. I called Hyuga for backup. His teammate needs to get to the hospital."

"_I can see you all on the map. The Hyuga kid is coming your way using the emergency stairs, also there are two more people on the fourth floor, stuck in what looks like a storage room and one of them is not moving."_

"Do you mean there are more assassins here than the ones Uzumaki and Hyuga were fighting?"

"_I cannot say for sure, it might be their other Akatsuki teammate, Ten Ten. Either way, one of them is heading your way, using the stairs as well."_

"So one down, the other is heading my way….then is most likely Ten Ten…or I do hope so, I cannot stay here any longer, Uzumaki is injured and I have to keep an eye on my stupid boss." Sakura was following Neji on the GPS, praying to all the Gods up there the man was going to show up quicker. She didn't have any opening in the hall and didn't know the situation outside.

"_Cherry, __the __Tokyo__ Metropolitan __Police Department__ has just received an emergency alert. It looks like they have been informed about the murderers from Shiseido Ginza, as well as the one from Shinjuku Granbell Hotel."_

That dumbfounded Sakura who tried to formulate an escape plan. There had been activity in more buildings? And the said hotel was just near Sasuke`s Mangekyou which was more than bad news. What if the assassin heads to the company and attempt to murder the Uchiha heir as well, taking advantage of the tumult? And wasn't Neji supposed to keep an eye of him? This is why he was not in the Shiseido building after all…

"Do you mean there are more murder attempts out there? Do you have more details?"

"_Not at the moment, I am doing my best to gather more information and try to track the killer, but he is probably long gone by now. How is the younger Uchiha?"_

"He is fine, I can see his signal loud and clear. According to the building's map, he has been in his office for three hours now, along with two other people."

"_Do you mean you are able to see him on GPS?"_

"Yeah…well not exactly on the normal GPS, I used the nano device on him, by inserting it into his lunch. It started functioning this morning. Thanks God he doesn't skip lunch, or else I wouldn't have been able to back Akatsuki up. Why do you ask Oro?

"_Maybe it will sound strange, but I cannot quite see anything inside the Mangekyou on the moment. I get the satellite's L1 carrier frequency signals but I cannot demodulate the binary sequence. The Golden Code doesn't work for unknown reasons."_

"What?! Have you tried both the Coarse/Acquisition Code and the Precision Code?" Now that threw Sakura off. What powerful signal was her sensei talking about? It couldn't have been a normal security system all the buildings usually used, that could have easily been jammed. Was it coming from the suspects? Were they concealing their identities?

"_Yes. But apparently there is a very powerful foreign signal interfering with the satellite, using a higher frequency, that causes a more powerful Doppler effect, making the demodulation impossible. I will get Aburame to look onto that later."_

"Now this is truly weird…then how am I able to fully locate him since the GPS doesn't get the signal from the satellite?"

"_Because your device is using X-Ray technology. It does not entirely work on the GPS principle. It was smart of you to use that device Sakura."_

"Well it was more like pure luck. I didn't get the chance to sneak a tracking device on his clothes or hack his phone."

"_Well I cannot help you with that Cherry, so keep a close eye on him. Also as soon as the two Akatsuki get there leave immediately, the police will be there in about 2 or 3 more minutes, depending on the traffic. Do not worry for anything else, I have everything covered. Just make sure no one sees you."_

"Roger that, thank you Papa, I will call you later." As soon as Sakura hung up on her boss, one very sweaty and angry looking Neji Hyuga appeared in the hall, looking like he was participating in the 100 meters sprint race.

"Athena!"

Sakura turned her head and looked into the Akatsuki member's direction. He was running towards her, a gun in one hand, his own GPS tracking device in the other, looking like he was chased by angry monkeys in the Jungle.

"It was about damn time Hyuga, the police will be here in no time, we have to get out of here now!"

"I know but apparently there has been another murder in the Shinjuku Granbell Hotel. I am sure you have heard the firearm shoots as well." He wasted no time in picking Naruto up, taking a hold of his torso by sneaking his right hand under his armpit and leaning his head on his broad shoulder. He was in no condition to stand on his feet and looked delirious as well.

"I had to make sure it was not coming from the Mangekyou, but I couldn't see anything inside on my GPS. I caught a weak signal from the black van and it was already on the move."

"So you lost him?" Sakura was now picking up her own devices and shoved them into her small backpack.

Neji was already on his way to the emergency exit, having difficulties in supporting the Uzumaki, which was not taller than the Hyuga, but he was bulkier. Sakura came and took a hold of Naruto from the other side, attempting to support half of his weight, making it easier for Neji and proceed faster. They were on the six floor and they had to hurry up.

"Yeah, but I put a small tracking device on their plate number, this is the reason I haven't come to you as soon as I got your call. The GPS is working, there are heading the opposite direction." Even if he didn't show it, Neji was more than glad Sakura came and helped them.

She didn't need to do that, it was not her mission after all, but she came nonetheless. They were now on the fifth floor, taking care in not injuring the Uzumaki further. He was speaking gibberish, like Mars aliens came and brainwashed his head.

And just as they were about to step on the last stair from the fifth floor and proceed to head down to the fourth floor, they came face to face to a tired looking Ten Ten. She was shocked to see Sakura there as well and she didn't bother to hide it.

"Neji, Athena, what the hell guys?"

"Ten Ten thanks God, why did you turn your in-ear off? I was dead worried I couldn't communicate." Neji almost had a heart attack when he lost the in-ear communication with his fiancé. Also he knew she was fighting someone on the fourth floor, which made him ten times more worried.

Sakura took a quick glimpse of the Akatsuki female member. She had small drops of blood on her nose, probably the remaining of a nosebleed, a bruised check, a hand on her other upper arm and she was limping. "I was a little busy there Neji and I didn't want to be heard. It was dark inside and I could barely see the bastard and kill him."

Ten Ten had one hell of a fight with the masked dude, until she had finally managed to shove the damn needle in his throat and kill him. He managed some very painful kicks on her until she was able to catch him with an axe kick and put him down. But she injured her leg as well.

"Which reminds me…why was the electric generator on?" Even thought it was in broad daylight, for an unknown reason this weird looking red Shiseido building didn't have many openings, so without proper lightning it was quite dark inside. Maybe because they were keeping cosmetics inside which needed a proper temperature and be kept out of the sun rays. Either that or they were all Goths.

"How should I know, there was a moment of blackout then the generator started to function. Maybe Lorane cut off the electricity to stop the security and the CCTVs." Ten Ten really didn't care why in the seven pits of Hell was there a blackout, she had more urgent problems to take care of. It was not like she was able to see much in the storage room anyways.

"Are you sure this guys are Lorane members?"

"Who else? Haven't you seen them? Black outfits, stupid looking masks concealing their identity, weird swords, great fighting skills, killing innocent people? It sounds like Lorane to me."

"Well it is not that obvious to me. Until I see the police's crime report, I will refrain from such dramatic conclusions."

Ten Ten was injured, her teammate looked like he was hit by a truck, they were in desperate need to get out of the building and that despicable woman had to be there from all the places. She really hated this Sound agent's guts. Like Ten Ten needed to be given opinions from her of all the people.

"Well I say this is quite obvious. And what are you doing here anyways, shouldn't you be a good maid and cook some food by now? I know how picky Sasuke could be." The hell with gratitude and cordiality between CIA members, she despised this woman.

Sakura didn't understand what this girl's problem really was. Yes, she wasn't the friendliest and most polite woman in the Universe, she was aware, but to accuse her of being dense and poke her nose into other people's business, when she had just saved one of their partner's asses twice that month was unacceptable.

"Well, I am doing what you were supposed to do, meaning saving your blonde friend's life. Do I need to apologize for not letting him die of poisoning or decapitation? The man I killed looked more that willing to shorten his height."

They were now on the first floor, realizing the reason why they didn't encounter any worker during the "little party" was that all the doors were closed. Probably the security system was engaged or it was all the killer's doing. Either way, their only option was the small door the Akatsuki came in, which meant they should head to the basement.

"HMPFFF…I am sure you didn't even need to do much. Naruto is more than capable to handle his own job." That was a blow to Ten Ten`s ego. The Sound had to step in and save them again. There was no way she was going to thank that woman for that, after all she was there to do her job as an agent. Although, deep inside, she knew she was being hypocrite with Sakura, but she didn't find it in her to care. Not at the moment.

"And in what moment did he look more than able to do his job: when he was screaming his lungs out of pain or when he was three steps away from losing his head?" God if there was someone Sakura hated more than her stupid boss Sasuke, was probably the female CIA population. The men were annoying yes, but the jealous and resentful attitude she got from the other women in the organization was cutting deep inside her.

"Ten Ten drop it already, we were lucky Athena was there and saved Naruto. He would have been long gone if not. C'mon we have to cross the basement and use the door Naruto and you used to enter the building. Let's just hope it is not secured by the Police, or either way it would be a really interesting encounter. "

They were already in the said basement which was poorly illuminated by the electric generator. And Naruto didn't stop crying and winning in pain. Apparently he started to gain consciousness, because he started to stir and attempt to open his eyelids. And he wasn't chanting his favorite word anymore. Which was good a good thing for both Neji and Sakura`s ears. Damn was the blonde idiot loud, he should have auditioned for opera.

"We are going to get Naruto to the hospital using our van. I am sure there were not going to be more available ambulances. Plus, it is faster this way. The ambulances are having a hard time passing the crowded place."

"Only if you are sure you will get there faster than them. Don't risk his life by trying to conceal our identities, it is not worth it."

If Neji was surprised to hear Sakura using such sympathetic words when talking about Naruto, he didn't show it. Maybe this woman was not that bad after all. Either that or she was just being reasonable. "I am sure, besides it is really close to where we are, we are going to be there in no time. Ten Ten get the coordinates for the hospital and set the GPS."

"Already done that, I have found the faster route from here. We need 15 minutes to arrive there, including the traffic signs."

"Ok. There is the door, is now or never."

Neji slowly pushed the said door open and was more than content to find out there was no police officers there. He could have sworn he heard the other members sigh in relief. Nevertheless, he heard police sirens coming from the streets, also the crowd of people was dispersed. Neji really thanked his inspiration to park their SUV right on the building's parking lot.

As soon as they got out, they went to the car and put Naruto in the back seat, in a lying position. Neji quickly went to the driver's seat, already turning the ignition on, not bothering to put on his seatbelt. Ten Ten got in the back as well, supporting Naruto`s head on her lap, taking his hand on her own, whispering soothing words.

"Athena, are you coming with us?" Neji left the passenger's seat opened for Sakura. He didn't mind her around, she helped them when they were in a very unconformable situation and she had medical knowledge. Everyone knew she was Tsunade and Orochimaru`s apprentice.

Sakura was slightly taken aback by his request, but she was good at concealing it. "No, I will stay here and take care of the Uchiha. I will hack Shiseido`s security system and erase the CCTV recordings as well. And I will try to get a grasp of whatever happened in the other building." She was holding her tracking device in her small hand, never once losing sight of her boss, her emerald orbs already following the direction of the Mangekyou.

Sakura unzipped her backpack and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, drafting something fast." By the way, if you have water with you, be sure to give your colleague as much as possible, he is suffering from excessive loss of body water. Arsenic poisoning can do that to you. "She gave the small piece of paper to Neji who was following her with his curious lavender eyes. "Here."

"What is this?"

She took her red notebook and turned it on. "I wrote the type of antidote I administrated to the Uzumaki, as well as the dosage and the time I injected it to his body. Give it to the nurse as soon as you get to the hospital." She was already typing her password and entering a special designed hacking program. She hoped she would make it in time, before the police would access the system.

"And by the way, Papa Oro said not to worry, he got us covered. Yes!" It didn't take much time to hack their system and start to download the recordings. She was going to need that to study what exactly happened, before erasing everything. She needed to make their traces vanish."

"Okay then, we will go now" Neji thrown the SUV into reverse and removed his leg from the brake. "…and by the way…thank you for your help…Haruno." He stepped the throttle and literally flied off the parking lot.

Sakura watched the black SUV breaking the speed limit and disappearing on the streets, a small smile was playing on the corner of her pink lips. It has been a long time since anyone that was not a Sound member has thanked her. Of course, she didn't help them because she expected something in return, but nonetheless Neji`s small sign of gratitude was welcomed.

She then checked the downloading status and saw it was almost complete. The Sound agent took her ugly pair of glasses from the backpack, undid the small bun she did before coming to the rescue, unclothed her red vest and folded her neatly to fit into the backpack, now wearing her black pants and an equally black top.

Thanks god it was spring and it was pretty hot outside, or else she would have looked like a crazy woman. Well…now wearing the ugly glasses and disheveled hair she was sporting the look quite professionally…oh well, at least she didn't scream CIA AGENT from ten km radius anymore.

After hacking the security system and deleting all the recordings, Sakura took her backpack and blended into the crowd, taking in the scene in front of her, the signal from her tracking device showing the Uchiha was on his company, safe.

Four police cars were already parked on the street, police officers breaking into the two buildings, Shiseido Ginza and Shinjuku Granbell Hotel, securing the area and chasing away the curious people. She has also spotted the prosecutor and the forensic doctor, taking samples and barking orders. She only spotted one ambulance. Some other officers were taking statutory declaration from witnesses or taking care of the cars involved in the crashes. It was a circus out there.

Sakura found a bench under a cherry tree (oh sweet irony), not far from the Mangekyou, put the tracking device on her lap and took out her player and phone. She was going to be there for God only knows how much time and she had a stupid game with a bunny looking for carrots to play.

"_Oh well…they are grown ups, they can handle this alone…better check on my dear Sasuke-chan. See how he copes with the uproar. I bet he is bored out of his mind, the poor man looks like nothing can satisfy him anymore…with the exception of alcohol and women…and tomatoes. Jerk"._

Sasuke Uchiha was bored out of his mind. But not only bored, he was irritated as well. And all because of the stupid specimen in front of him, with a suit that looked like Elvis in Vegas riding a purple elephant and a hairstyle that rivaled Fred Flinstone`s. And boy was he dumb as fuck.

"Mr. Uchiha, I would like to ask you to repeat the transaction details one more time. There are more things I need to clarify." The said stupid looking moron watched him with the most serene expression on his face and a little smile to add to the grotesque picture. Sasuke felt like banging his head on the hard surface of his large desk.

Oh how much the Uchiha wanted to plant his foot on his ass and throw him away off his office, manners and education be damned. That was the main reason Sasuke hated 99% of the rich men from his entourage. Not only they were brainless monkeys that couldn't solve a business related problem even if their pathetic lives depended on it, but they were spoiled and arrogant as well.

And they thought they were better than him which was breaking his ego bad. And no one messes with an Uchiha`s ego. They could become emotional. And no one wanted to see an Uchiha expressing emotions, it was usually implying a face, a fist and many bandages. And blood. Of course, no blood no fun.

"Mr. Hannibal (oh Sasuke was mentally laughing at the discrepancy and ridiculousness between the historical character and the walking amoeba, that had the guts to call himself the heir of a large IT Holding), I thought I made myself understood when I said all the money from the fund raising are going straight to a Swiss bank account." No, Sasuke was fuming inside, he couldn't take anymore minute in this character's presence.

He was more interested in what happened outside, at that spoke volumes because usually Sasuke didn't give a rat's ass about the others. There has been a commotion for an hour or so, because there were many people running, police officers flooding the streets and a many car accidents. He was informed half an hour ago by his secretary Juugo, that there has been some incident at the nearby hotel, involving gun shoots or something, but he couldn't be sure.

And of course the businessman in front of him had been in panic mode in no time, pulling his questionable looking hair and hollering at the top of his lungs "OMG WE ARE GOING TO DIE SOMEBODY IS OUT THERE TRYING TO KILL US AND I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO DRIVE MY NEW CUSTOMIZED CONVERTIBLE", all the time pacing in Sasuke`s office in a manner that resembled the rainmaking ritual.

"Would you please stop panicking and have a sit, before you break a hole into my laminate floor. There are some things I would like to discuss and I would like to do it before the upcoming Ball, if possible." No, Sasuke didn't intend to hide the sarcastic tone.

The said man watched the Uchiha with disbelieving eyes. How could the man in front of him look like he reached Nirvana, when there was a psychopath with a gun just at their door, was a mystery to him. "B-B-But Mr. Uchiha…there is someone there…with a gun…we should run or hide or call an helicopter…or the…"

"…_or the mental hospital…_I can understand your concern, but I can assure you we are in no danger in this building. Now if you would like to have a sit and carry on from where we left, before we got interrupted…? _until I punch the living daylights out of your ugly face from my office and give you a real reason to fear for your life…"_

And so there he was, explaining for the millionth time that morning how all the money from the Charity Ball will be put in a Swiss bank account, in the name of the foundation they were trying to help. What was there that this man didn't understand it was beyond the young Uchiha`s understanding.

But his patience was on a thin line right now…he was mentally tired and he still had a lot of work to do. And it was not even afternoon. He found himself watching on his soundproof huge window at nothing in particular, his mind drifting to his personal maid…he should call her and ask her prepare him some pasta. Boy was he craving for some Italian food. And her mozzarella toast was really tasty. He gave a small smirk at this, she had put extra tomato sauce. _"So silly girl…"_

"Sir, there are still things that are not quite clear. For instance, why do we put the money in a private bank and not one of the two largest banks in Switzerland, also I thought it was going to be anonymous, I mean we want to help those unfortunate people, not brag about it…" now the said stupid man looked really offended, he crossed his arms and continued his assault, driving Sasuke nuts "and why must you open the bank account through the postal service and not internet, I mean isn't it safer this way?"

It was decided that all the money from the charity Ball would be donated to 200 African families that live in poverty and lack water, sanitation facilities and health facilities. The poor children there only had only meal a day and were forced to skip school and beg for food, so the funds would be used to provide them food supplies and water resources, as well as supplying the local hospital with medical equipment and Sasuke was chosen by the organizing committee to be in charge with the money transfer in a Swiss Bank account, that implying opening a bank account in his name, where all the money will be put, and the dude in front of him was the witness.

That would not be a problem to the raven haired man, for he had almost all his bank accounts in Switzerland, but the other one looked like he had never heard of opening accounts procedures or accounts in general. Not to mention legal issues, that was alien language to him. Did he have all his money stuck under his bed or something? Sasuke was tempted to say yes.

"Mr. Hannibal, the private banks offer their services to their private clients, myself included, so the procedures will be easier, faster and safer this way. Also,

According to the Swiss law, you must provide your identity when opening a bank account, as well as you must confirm you identity and it can only be done in person or correspondence, for foreigner potential clients, this is why we cannot do it via internet." Sasuke was gripping his Laptop as hard as he could to refrain himself from venting his nerves on the dumb imbecile and beat him to a pulp, like he deserved.

"…AAAA…okaaayyyy…hm when I opened a bank account in France the steps were different and the legislation was more permissive, but let's say Mr. Uchiha I do trust your abilities to handle the transfer and make sure it goes smoothly."

"_This is because they are separate countries you retard!..._Well then, if you do not have anymore obscure points, I will fill in the IRS and send it to the bank, if that is ok with you." Sasuke was already filling his name in when the dense individual decided to break the world record for the first human living without cerebrum.

"….if you would be so kind to explain Sir…what is ISR?" and the Uchiha could have sword his eyes turned red and saw himself in the future strangling the man in front of him. He couldn't be stupider than this.

Another place, same time…

He was looking intently at the large screen in front of him, his hard stare burning with anger. He lost one man that day. They were not blood related, it wasn't necessary, they were brothers in mind and spirit, serving under the same oath of servitude and sacrifice, in the deepest of connections possible. In the fraternity, they were all brothers, they were each other's sole family and support.

Dedicated to the sole principle of creating a world ruled by peace, sacrifices were mandatory. That day a brother was killed. That day his energetic impenetrable gaze sworn revenge on the ones that stood between the new global ordeal and their holly mission.

RIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGG

"Hello?" His low robotic voice never betraying any sort of emotion. He was the pillar that never faltered in front of the storm.

"_You failed!"_ The other man was just as rancorous, his fierce voice dripping venom. He was mad and as usual, he wouldn't refrain from showing it.

"I shall remember you that your men were also there. Do not put all the blame on my brothers."

"_Don't come up with lame excuses, it was one of my people that managed to do his job and return safe and sound. And here I thought you were the ones trying to change the world." _

"Are you questioning the ways of a God? The atheists should be banned from the upcoming unblemished existence. The road to light is sinuous."

"_And the road to incompetence is way easier nowadays, since all of you the so called brothers seem to share the same trait. One of your idiots was caught and will most likely be interrogated. How do you plan on dealing with the situation?"_

He was gripping the phone tightly, his knuckles white and his all body shaking with fury. He and his brothers were making fun of, by this brute of a man. "I will not allow you to take us lightly. I am going to send someone to deal with the problem."

"_Of course you will. And try not to screw this up as well or I am being forced to take drastic measures"_

"I will proceed with caution since _they_ are interfering with our plans. I do not want to lead them straight to us location and give them anymore clues. You from all the people should be more prudent."

"_Stop making woeful excuses, you were being made fun of a bunch of children. And you call yourself a God. It makes me wanna laugh."_

"I will handle my own matters. I do not need to be taken care of you, nor do I desire for your supervision."

"_Then stop acting like a fool and do your damn job."_ A loud thud. The line went dead. That man was never mannered. He was ruthless and demanding and didn't tolerate mistakes. Not when they came from his subordinates.

BEEEP BEEEPP BEEEPPPP

He turned his eyes to the big screen in front of him, where his loyal subordinate was waiting for further instructions.

"Good work, unlike the other losers. You proved yourself worth of my time."

The other young man was beaming with pride. His boss was known for his pride and high demands. He was not one to randomly compliment people, which only burst out his ego_. "Thank you boss. I apologize for my colleagues not being able carry on the other mission."_

"Leave it to _him_ to deal with the consequences. It was all his stupid henchmen's damn fault. See if their Gods are going to make up for their mistakes."

"_Boss, I tried to track the other heir as well, but for unknown reasons, the device you have given me was jammed. I couldn't catch any signal coming from him in the nearby area."_

"Really now? That's really weird. Doesn't matter, we are not hurrying things more than necessary. I will further scrutinize the data you have sent me and look into the matter. I am sure it was just a coincidence."

"_Yes, Sir."_

"I have one more job for you. I cannot afford to be disclosed just because some idiot has decided to be caught off guard. I will e-mail you the map of the Keishichō building. You know what to do."

"_Of course Boss."_ The said man ended the conversation. He has been given an order and he had to be prepared. He knew there were skilled agents out there keeping an eye on him.

The steady man watched the now black screen in front of him, a frown on his face. There was a little delay in his plans and that didn't sit right with him. Why was he surrounded by such imbeciles he couldn't understand. "This is why this world is going down. People lack an iron hand to lead them." A devious smile cracked on his face. It didn't matter, the fun has just begun.

"I should separate the sheep from the goats when I will be appointed as the Leader of the new world. Cannot afford my nerves to be damaged any further. But for now…" He turned on his advanced computer and took a sit on his expensive desk. He had some serious research to do.

3 p.m Tokyo, Shinjiku

Sakura was following the fuss all the police officers and civilians were making. She tried to find out what exactly happened there, but no piece of information was leaked. Apparently there has been a murder all right, but the prosecutor was taciturn. He didn't give any declaration to the media.

Sakura opened her laptop _"It must be someone important, I can feel it."_ She turned it on attempting to enter the hotel's management software and check the list of the ones that were accommodated there when a loud beep made her almost drop her device on the ground. _"What the hell…"_

When the Sound agent installed her equipment into her boss` home, she has also connected her phone with the home phone. It was not like she could have told the Uchiha that his poor maid was having a phone that was probably worth his two weeks salary. She checked the number and it was his phone number all right (she had his mobile phone number from the Uzumaki).

"Oh great, His Royal Jerkiness is calling me to worship his ass. I wonder what does he want now…" She knew he was still in his office so she answered the phone.

"Hello, Uchiha mansion, how can I be of your help?" Is this how the servants were answering their master's home phones? Sakura had no idea. Nor did she give a damn about it anyways.

And she wanted to send him to hell the moment she heard his smooth velvet voice on the other side of the line. _"Are you really that willing to help any random stranger, or is your hospitality on high levels all of sudden?"_

"Mr. Uchiha, I was not aware of the fact that you were a stranger of your very own home. And besides, I thought we already established my hospitality will be at your service for the moment." Oh God, he was mocking her again, the pathetic excuse of a man. The young agent wanted nothing more to go to his cursed company, barge into his office and shove the phone down his long throat, mission be damned.

"_Hn…I see you wear that sharp tongue of yours 24/7. I wonder if you have what it takes to back up your self-reliance."_ He told her in what sounded like a bored uninterested tone.

"_wanna find out you simpleton_…What can I do for you, Sir?" She was not going to play his game. Let him talk like he was in some lame TV shows for as long as he wanted. And his simple request make her promptly drop the laptop that was resting peacefully on her lap, successfully turning it off, hotel's check in list now deleted from the hard.

Her pale cheeks grown red with fury, plump lips in a big pout, green eyes blazing with rage, her hand gripping the phone like she wanted to break it into pieces. Sakura was certain she had lasers coming from her emerald orbs. She had cursed the young Uchiha in his mind until she ran out of curses, making fierce gangsters and mafia leaders be ashamed of her vocabulary.

"_Bring me some Spaghetti Bolognese. And make it quick. Don't forget to add extra tomato sauce."_ And he hung up on her just like that.

Sakura took her devices, shoved them into her pack and marched on the streets, back to her boss` home, still mumbling and talking to herself like a crazy woman, making people around turn their heads and stare at her.

"Someday…I am going to choke him with pasta…and add extra tomato sauce as well."

…

**Author's Note**: Many thanks for adding me to favorite and follows, as well as for the encouraging reviews (especially one particular person that has shown much interest in my story, which I thank very much for the kind words! I am glad to help, if you have anymore questions, please ask me).


	11. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

3.30 p.m Uchiha mansion

Sakura was cooking spaghetti. No, correction, she was murdering some spaghetti, imagining it was her boss instead and burned them in extra virgin olive oil. Normally that particular activity would have brought her a great pleasure.

She absolutely loved Italian food, pasta especially. It reminded her of great moments when she used to trip to Venice with Orochimaru or Karin and have dinners in a small classy restaurant, in the vicinity of the Foscari Bridge, eating Spaghetti Napoli and traditional Venetian cookies with almonds and pistachio nuts.

It was pretty hard for a CIA agent to clear his busy schedule and spend time with the dear ones, but they tried to make the best of it, enjoying each other's company, in those small but precious moments.

But not a single peaceful thought crossed Sakura`s mind on that very moment. She was practically killing the innocent spaghetti with the wooden spoon. "The son of a bitch...who does he think I am, the delivery girl?" she was almost spilling the olive oil over the stove, her small hand gripping the pan as hard as she could.

"If he wanted food he could have just ordered it or I dunno…wait until it fell from the sky…or from the fangirls that are stalking him…or he could just go die of starvation for all I care…" she was talking like a demented woman she was aware…but that was what one got when working for the one Uchiha heir.

After she has cooked the spaghetti as well, Sakura took them out and mixed them with the sauce, adding parmesan as well. She has used 6 tomatoes instead of 3 to make the bloodiest tomato sauce one could have found.

It looked like that slime bloody substance the troubled teenagers used for Halloween decorations. The Sound agent burst out laughing. Her boss had issues and he was not even aware of them.

"…now how in the world do I pack this shit to keep it warm and tasty looking and make sure it doesn't turn into a mess until I arrive to his damn Mangekyou…" While she was looking for a food storage container in the kitchen cabinet she found out an interesting wooden lunch box. She took a better look and saw it was pretty old, but it looked in really good shape, probably because it stayed in a dark corner, far from the sun rays and humidity. She took a better look and couldn't help but stare in awe.

"Wow…this is beautiful" She studied the decorative design. It looked like wooden lace was carved in it, in the shapes of phoenix birds and really detailed fractals, painted in bright red, green, white and gold.

She realized it was handmade, using the fretwork technique. The person that has done the box was really skilled and had refined taste. "I bet it is really expensive…"

She decided to pack Sasuke`s lunch in that beautiful box. Maybe that would brighter his mood. The poor man was constantly brooding and it was just a shame to such a gorgeous face to have wrinkles. Sakura was mentally laughing at the idea of mixing his after shave lotion with anti aging cream.

Instinctively, Sakura turned on the radio to find some music, but instead she only heard some weird noises made by the most tone deaf people in the Milky Way, that were giving some interviews to the local station, about how they plan on going international starting that summer and become the most legendary band ever. They sounded like cats on heat and their band name was so gay.

"Is that the kind of music teenagers nowadays listen to?" She attempted to turn off the radio, because it didn't help calming the atmosphere, when a feminine voice interrupted the interview.

"_WE ARE INTERRUPTING THIS PROGRAM TO ANNOUNCE THE LATEST NEWS FROM TOKYO: KEN DAVIDSON JR., 28 YEARS OLD, KNOWN AS THE HEIR OF THE AMERICAN MULTINATIONAL RETAIL CORPORATION WALMART WAS FOUND DEAD THIS MORNING IN HIS ROOM AT SHINJUKU GRANBELL HOTEL._

_THE POLICE OFFICERS REFRAINED FROM GIVING ANY INFORMATION REGARDING HIS TRAGICAL DEATH. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSESS, THREE FIREARM SHOOTS WERE HEARD THIS MORNING FROM THE SAID HOTEL, AS WELL AS SOME OTHERS COMING FROM ANOTHER CLOSE BUILDING TOP ROOF._

_NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY IF IT WAS A MURDER ATTEMPT, BUT WE CANNOT OVERLOOK THE POSSIBILITY OF A SUICIDE. ACCORDING TO OUR …"_

The young agent turned off the radio and bolted to her room. She pushed the door open and took out her laptop, turning it on, typing the young dead heir's name on search bar and pressed ok. She left the laptop opened on the bed and closed the door behind her, with the key Sasuke has given her.

She had a special program that looked for any information available concerning the said man, in every world system that had some data about him.

Sakura was no fool. She knew what happened in there. And it certainly had nothing to do with suicide. That heir was killed by a professional assassin, that was skilled enough to create a diversion and shoot an important person, passing his security guards and hotel's own security system, in broad daylight, fooling even Neji Hyuga and managing to escape them nonetheless.

Thank God the Hyuga heir has put a tracking device on his van. Akatsuki will be able to follow him everywhere and stop him, before he leaves Japan.

She took a pair of ripped baggy jeans and didn't even bother to undress from her agent black shorts. Also, Sakura has found some really large black T-Shirts on a questionable looking shop, near the hair salon that were drowning her in and hid her curves and chest, so she didn't have to wear the stupid chest bindings and attract hungry stares from unwanted people.

But she didn't remove her boots, out of vigilance. She had her Staff and two needles inside and god only knows when it could come in handy.

The young woman took her phone, the lunch box, a bottle of cold water, threw one more glance in the large hall mirror ( she was really skilled if she managed to look so horrible in such short amount of time) and went outside, closing the door behind her.

She was really lucky her boss lived 15 minutes of walking far from his company, otherwise it would have been really difficult for her to cross a larger distance in time. She had made it in 7 minutes straight running, after all that was how she has managed to go and save Naruto in time, after getting the SOS message.

But this time she took her time and walked in small steps like a true geisha, iPod in her ears, blasting at the volume limit, enjoying Eddie Benitez and his magical Latino jazz guitar songs.

Her bastard of a boss was hungry? She didn't have enough fucks to give about the matter. Wasn't he involved in charity or something? Let him experience how the poor living in poverty children were struggling every day. _"Cocky jerk…"_

4 p.m Japan, Tokyo, Mangekyou HQ

Sasuke was studying some files in front of him intently…with one eye. The other was glued on the Swiss wall clock in front of him. His maid was late. Why on Earth was she so late, was she growing the tomatoes at that moment or was she doing it on purpose. Sasuke knew it was the former.

He threw the file he was trying to study for half an hour on his desk, not bothering with the fact that some of the papers flew in all directions. It was something stupid anyways, like he was interested in the upcoming Ball's schedule or menu or music or whatever was written there.

It was just waste of time and paper in his opinion. Those trees used should have been spared. Oxygen was vital to him, silver imported cutlery was extreme dumbness.

But the worst part of it was definitely that year's party thematic: a masquerade ball…he wouldn't be caught dead wearing a costume of any sorts, that was for imbeciles like Naruto, who had their costume prepared in advance.

"_If those imbeciles wanted to parade in an expensive hotel, dressed like faggots and stuffing their faces with creepy looking food and drinks, they could have waited until Halloween."_

The young Uchiha was really hungry and that made him even angrier. He could hear his stomach begging for attention, but he would be damned if he went downstairs to eat another sandwich from the vending machine.

After having a taste of Sakura`s home made lunch, he couldn't understand how did he survived with that pathetic excuse of food until then. Those sandwiches had the aroma of dirty socks and glue.

And of course he couldn't waste the chance to corner her and tease her. Sasuke didn't understand why, but he felt the need to talk to her, know her better, uncover her secrets and make her show him her true colors.

It was astonishing for him to find out he wasn't bothered by her rude behavior and the false respect she was showing. He crossed his hands in front of his face, elbows planted on the desk thinking.

All his life, the raven haired Uchiha was used to have people to worship him, kiss the ground he walked on and praise him for everything he did, be it good or bad. It was his life as a rich heir after all, he was living in luxury and he was breathing luxury.

He had everything he wanted at his dispose, without even asking for it. And no one ever dared to oppose him or god forbids insult him, or mock him, with the exception of his stupid dobe of a best friend and brother. But they were pathological cases so Sasuke didn't take them into account.

And this little poor young woman came into his life like a tornado and turned every rule he knew about being a rich man upside down. She was a fire cracker he knew that much and the fact that she wasn't afraid to show it to him shocked him.

It was undeniable she didn't give a damn about the fact that he lived in a completely different world than her and that surprised Sasuke a bit. Unlike all the other normal people, her life purpose was not to be like him or live like him, just because she was struggling in debts.

And it was precisely that attitude over rich people she had that impressed him and determined him to want to know her better. She was not a superficial dumb poor woman. She was more than that, she had solid moral values, she had a deeper meaning of things than average people.

And her glaring intelligence was also something to look out for. Sasuke dealt with many women, in all possible ways, being them his co-workers or the lascivious ones he used for his pleasure when he felt the need to loosen up and have fun.

From that point of view, the little Haruno girl was far superior. She was better than them in terms of intellect (he was certain she could give any of his coworkers that had ten diplomas in business and economics, but couldn't get the meaning of trading and holding, a run for their money any day) and even though she looked like she was playing the leading role in a movie with killer sharks, that terrorized beaches and ate people, she was more interesting to talk to. And the fact that she had a small retort to everything he said was spicing things up.

Although, the fact that she was concealing her identity still remained, nagging at his brain. She was honest when she told him she needed the job and was more than willing to be his maid, but he couldn't find it in him to trust her.

Why was she hiding her past from him so desperately? Was she ashamed of being poor? That couldn't be the case, judging from her behavior.

Did she have family issues? That sounded more likely and it was making more sense. She was a smart lady, she was aware of the low chances of being respected having alcoholic or foster abusive parents, for instance. But did she really think he was that kind of man to judge someone on such superficial terms? Probably, she didn't know what kind of man was he, maybe so was just being cautious.

But how did this Sakura girl reached the unfortunate conclusion that she was going to gain his trust by lying to him? Sure, he had no right to judge her or poke his nose into her business, it wasn't his job to question her matters, but he was in a delicate position as a multinational company heir and future CEO, she should be able to understand his need to trust his people.

And that involved knowing them better. But Sasuke was more intrigued to her than he should be and he really hoped he wasn't making the mistake of his life by letting her in his home and consequently in his life. That reminded him…

He took out his smartphone and dialed the number he (unfortunately) knew by heart. A smooth low voice, so similar but somehow different from his answered almost immediately, probably not wanting to miss the chance to taunt him like he always did since he was a child.

"_Why if it isn't my foolish little brother calling because he misses his beloved younger brother."_ Oh god, he was talking like they were a married old couple, making holiday plans. Sasuke felt the sudden need to take the sharp pen that was resting on the table and stab his hand.

"Beloved is a little far from the truth Itachi, but try weird, unpleasant and dumb instead, that would suit a guy like you better." Now, Sasuke was not going to be a hypocrite and say he didn't love his older brother, because that was not the case.

But when Itachi decided to be a runaway bride and fly from Japan in search of his identity or whatever the hell his reason was, the brothers were not that close anymore.

Itachi loved Sasuke more than he was willing to admit, but the change was in his little brother that has grown colder and colder towards him, becoming more like his father.

"_Thank you little brother, after all it takes a weird, unpleasant and dumb man to recognize another."_

"Hn…I would like to tell you to go to hell, but I need you to confirm something and besides, I know you are not quite fond of hot places. If you are lucky, they put air conditioners."

"_Ah…you always knew how to be so kind and polite when addressing people little brother. A trait you were so adamant to preserve during the years."_

"Cut the crap Itachi and answer me this: are you still working as an insurance agent or broker or whatever lame job did they appoint a lazy man like you to?" Of course Sasuke didn't buy the crap with the insurance agent, Itachi only fooled his family and friends.

Sasuke was certain his big traitor of a brother was somewhere in Italy, dressed in black leather tight pants, riding a chopper and being part of an international organization.

Probably criminals or mafia. He sported the look quite well. But given the circumstances, it was worth a shoot. He couldn't research himself. It was riskier…and more troublesome.

"_As surprising as it may sound, they are making good use of my lacking abilities. Why do you ask little brother?"_ Itachi was currently drown in a sea of files, his phones beeping constantly. Since the incident involving his team, Tobirama was on fire, giving him more hell than usual.

Itachi had numerous things to take care of, he needed to focus on not loosing the track of the unknown black van Neji has put a tracking device on, as well as gaining information about the most recent events.

And one of his men was in critical condition. The last thing he needed was one brooding foolish little brother to question him. Why in the world did he need to know if he worked as an insurance agent or not? (Itachi even forgot what job did he tell people he worked at, when he left his family and position and joined CIA).

"The world is going to an end if they need your skills. Whatever, I don't give a fuck about that. I need to know if your company provides insurance policy to farms."

Now Itachi was taken aback. Farms? Did his foolish little brother has a newfound hobby in growing up vegetables, pigs and cows or did he wanted to give up his title as a heir and go cowboy all of sudden?

"_My company gives insurance policy to every individual that runs a business, no matter the type. It depends on what are you really interested in."_ Itachi could have bet all his bank account that his foolish little brother was stalking someone, which was a scary thought. It was usually the other way around.

"I am looking for a certain someone that owns a farm in debt and I want to know if she used your services."

So it was a person Sasuke was looking for indeed. Itachi really found that really weird. A man with his brother's connections could have found out about anyone he wanted, with mid difficulty and some phone calls. Why was he asking him of all the people?

"_You do realize any information of this kind is private, right?"_ Did his brother say "she"? So it was about a woman…Itachi was not surprised at all, he knew Sasuke was a player. In fact, every breathing creature knew how much of a manwhore his ototou was…even aliens.

"I am not a dumb idiot like Naruto, of course I am aware of the privacy matters, but I want to know if that person has a policy or not. If she caused me damage, I am entitled to know the name of the company to contact and take the insurance money." Sasuke was getting impatient. Leave it to his imbecile older brother to play James Bond. The man had too much free time at his disposal.

Oh, so his foolish little brother knew how to play his cards right. Itachi was not considered a genius for nothing. He was not one to be cornered like that. But he was slightly interested in why was the younger Uchiha so impatient to find out about that woman so he played along.

"_Heh…I knew sooner or later, it will be a woman the one to bring you down…but let's say you are my brother and I love you and I feel generous today, so I might be able to take a peek in the computer and look for the said woman."_

Oh, took him long enough, Sasuke really despised talking to Itachi and he was getting hungrier as the time passed by. And it didn't help the mood he was in. "If you are finished playing the erotic line, can you stop wasting my damn time and tell me what I want to know?"

He was wasting his time? Itachi has just found out an important heir was murdered near his little brother's company that morning and was about to drop the phone from his hands. And his boss was shouting on the large screen something Itachi wasn't hearing, because he had the speakers on mute.

But it was funny watching Tobirama moving his lips like a fish out of water. "Tell me her name." And he really thanked all his battle training for managing to keep his balance and not fall from the chair when he heard what woman was his brother interested in.

"Sakura Haruno."

WHAT?! Itachi`s mind went dead. Why was his little brother asking if Athena from the Sound owned a farm in Italy? But nonetheless, his sharp mind put two and two together.

So that was the cover the Sound used for the young agent, when she was send to work as Sasuke`s maid. Smart, but apparently not enough. Itachi was getting slightly worried. Did Sakura act suspicious or slipped some information to make Sasuke check on her?

Sasuke was surprised his brother wasn't saying anything when hearing the name. Not even a smartass or cocky remark regarding why was he interested in some insurance money from a farmer girl. Weird. The young Uchiha only took a guess when he called his older brother, he knew there were countless insurance companies in Italy to choose from, but he didn't expect to hit the nail on the head.

"_Sakura Haruno you say? It doesn't sound familiar at all. Where is she from? That would help the search filters better."_ Now Itachi was interested in how much Sakura told Sasuke about her and what was the actual truth. If she was smart she told him a random location.

"She is from Ravenna." Ok, so she wasn't smart. Itachi was certain the Sound agent told his brother a false address, but somehow his cunning little brother had found her out. Ok, one more problem to add to the already overdose. Fuckin great.

"_Ravenna? You do know that there are no more farms out there left after the economic crises, right?"_ And the Sound was calling Akatsuki stupid, when they couldn't even come up with a believable story to cover their secret identities. Maybe the snake man Otokage was getting senile. Well…in Itachi`s view, he was never sane to begin with.

"I don't need you to teach a history and economic lessons Itachi, I want you to tell me if you know the woman or not. Are you that much of an idiot that I need to make a drawing for you to understand?" God Sasuke was certain some God really hated him up there, for every person he was close to was either a moron or a total looser. Or both, if he was talking about Itachi.

In all his twisted honestly, Itachi was somehow amused by the situation. Sure it would have been a disaster if someday and somehow his little brother was going to find out about CIA and his secret life, but man if this wasn't funny as hell.

Here a so called maid had managed to make his player of a brother so interested in, when model looking women were worth only a good fuck in his eyes. Itachi was mentally laughing. It was funny as hell.

"_I am afraid I cannot help you on that little brother, she is on no list. I don't have any information including Miss Haruno." _

"Miss Haruno? How do you know she isn't married? She could have been Mrs. Haruno instead."

Oh god Itachi was fighting the urge to bang his head on the large LCD , where his boss` scary looking face was talking to his invisible audience. Like Itachi ever listened to whatever that man was saying. He was too loud and vulgar for his taste. How could he have forgotten he was talking with his little counterpart?

"_I only took a guess and here you are jumping on conclusions. You have to loosen up a bit little brother, either way, you are going to end up like father."_ Okay, Itachi needed to end the conversation and fast. He started to understand how Sakura managed to give away her birthplace in the first place.

He knew how much of a smart man Sasuke was, but Itachi couldn't remember him being so…he didn't have a name for people like him. Oh, wait, he did have. He was just like that freak Orochimaru: always on guard. Itachi was sure when they went to toilet they paid attention to the cunning toilet paper and its evil thoughts. Antisocial paranoid freaks. And his father was just as bad.

"Hn…is this why you ran away in the first place as soon as you got the chance? Was father that much of a demanding bitch or you were too high for such an unimportant job?" If there was something Sasuke won't ever forgive was his brother's coward ness.

He ran away when Sasuke was still young and full of hopes (he didn't give a damn about business or shit, it bored the hell out of him), successfully destroying any chance for making his own living, for he had to take his place and suffer the consequences and the blame for snatching his brothers rightful position as the head of the company.

"_Now let's not talk about such depressing subjects. Besides, I see you are doing just well. I bet father is really proud of you. He knew you are better suited to lead the Mangekyou than I am."_

The older Uchiha knew that deep inside, his little otouto was always seeking his father's attention. But Fugaku only had eyes for Itachi and ignored Sasuke almost all his childhood. Sasuke has always been hurt and felt somehow betrayed.

Upon hearing that statement, Sasuke grew angrier, gripped the phone with all his might and slowly raised from his chair, taking a handful of his black locks, pulling it hard backwards in a vain attempt to refrain from throwing the phone right on the big glass window.

"Stop the bullshit Itachi, oto-san doesn't give a damn about me, like that was something new. I bet he is still sulking about you not being here to play the older capable brother. You are just a bastard of a coward that took away his toys and left, not giving a damn about whose life you are going to ruin."

Itachi was really hurt to hear Sasuke talking like that. He was practically hissing the words, venom dripping from his mouth. He even raised his voice an octave, sounding unleashed. The older Uchiha didn't regret being in Akatsuki, it was his dream job, but he knew that he took more than one dream when he left that October night with the first flight.

He could forget his mother's burning tears and prayers to him not to leave and he cold live with his father's harsh words of being an embarrassment for all his ancestors. But the disappointed stare he got from his brother's cold dark orbs were plaguing him every night.

"_Listen Sasuke, you from all the people should know that is not the case. You are way better than I would ever be, anyone with a decent brain can see it. Do not become just like father, he was blinded by his pride and narrow mind. And I know that…"_

"You know nothing about me. Go treat your guilty conscience some other place, I am not interested in hearing your excuses. They are always pathetic and make me sick." He was talking low, calm and dangerous.

There was a darkness radiating from the way his little brother was speaking and Itachi was not sure what it was, but it was cold. It was too cold…and scary.

Sasuke was right. Itachi didn't know the person he was talking to anymore. _"What happened to you foolish little brother…" _

But he didn't got the chance to speak any further with his brother, because as soon as he finished his statement, Sasuke pressed the end call button and promptly thrown his expensive phone on the door, the said device leaving a scratch on the wooden surface and falling with a loud thud on the floor, breaking into pieces.

The raven haired man was now standing, supporting his body with his hands firmly planted on his desk, head bent, black locks falling into his eyes, concealing his pale face. He was breathing hard, heart thumping painfully in his chest, mouth slightly opened, taking large breaths of air.

"Fucking loser…" That was the reason why he was always displeased with the idea of talking to his older brother. They were both grown up adults, the childhood days long gone. There had been a drift between them and Sasuke was almost certain they would not be able to ever mend their wounds and close the distance between them, becoming a big happy family again.

They were too different now. Everything has changed. And it was his dear brother that changed everything, from the night he decided to walk away from his family. From him.

Itachi never knew, but when he left, Sasuke has suffered from major depression and his family wasn't there to support him. He hid it from his mother because he didn't want the poor woman to have another thing to worry about, for she was already upset with his brother's childish behavior and sudden departure.

And his father was never there to begin with, only having harsh words and critique attitude towards him, somehow accusing Sasuke of being the one to blame for Itachi`s attitude.

He had Naruto and Suigetsu by his side, but they weren't enough to fill the hole Itachi has left in his life. Plus, Naruto was having difficulties himself, dealing with his father's sudden death and Suigetsu`s parents went through a horrible divorce, spending years in fighting for their child's custody.

That was the reason why the younger Uchiha moved to Virginia and enrolled in Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, being a top graduate in mathematics, science (organic chemistry and quantum mechanics especially) and technology (the man took Accelerated Integrated Geometry and Accelerated Integrated Precalculus courses, Naruto couldn't even spell the names correctly, he always thought his bastard of a best friend was going to build a rocket and fly in search for other galaxies, someday).

It was a mystery to everyone how in the world was Naruto able to graduate the same high school, but he enrolled in psychology and foreign languages courses. The dobe was apparently good in reading people, as well as he spoke English, Japanese, Chinese and Italian fluently, so he had no problem in passing his courses.

Of course he failed his math exams 6 times, until Sasuke couldn't stand anymore of his complaining, took that damn calculus book, made some weird schemes and diagrams and explained everything to his idiot friend in one night, leaving everyone dumbfounded when the said blonde dobe was finally able to pass with a score of 70%.

And Suigetsu was also there, studying oceanography and marine biology, they even shared a room in campus, all coming with the wildest parties, a lot of alcohol and of course countless women.

They had a reputation as bad guys, but no one dared to oppose them, because of their wealthy well known families, as well as their popularity. They had a lot of fun nonetheless, but it didn't help Sasuke`s already damaged temper so much. He grew even colder and more distant to the others, except his two friends.

It was at that time when some Tobirama Senju dude has sought Sasuke telling him about how he saw his immense potential and wanted to offer him the opportunity to improve himself in CIA, but Sasuke gave him the finger, turned his back to him and promptly told him to go fuck himself, because he had other things to do than play Batman and Robin and left, not once looking back.

And he was still laughing at the memory of the stoic man and his secretary's wide as plates eyes and gaping mouths, when hearing his rude remarks. Damn imbeciles had no idea who they were dealing with. As if Sasuke gave a damn about the fact that he was insulting a CIA higher up. In fact…there weren't many things he gave a damn about at that time.

And it was then when the dark haired young Uchiha heir has met _that_ person. And his life has taken quite an interesting turn. At least, there were some good parts as well.

He sure as hell wasn't suffering from depression or any sort of illness that involved strong emotions anymore. Sasuke has thrown all the feelings he had in the back of his mind and locked the door, closing his heart from the other people, growing the perfect picture of coldness. He became worse than his father Fugaku from that point of view.

The young Uchiha closed his eyes tight, took three more deep breathes, cleared his mind of all the bothering thoughts and open his dark orbs, looking at his desk. He took a piece of paper and his pen and started to write down his thoughts. He was not sure if he was going to stay sane enough to remember it.

"_So…Itachi is in Ravenna, lying about his job ( the man said he was a selling agent, then suddenly he discovered his passion as insurance agent, bullshit to the max). Sakura is from Ravenna, lying about her past, which means they both hide the real reason why they are there, but both telling the same location, means they are not lying about this fact." _The young Uchiha has designed a diagram, trying to connect the events.

" _Itachi said he doesn't know Sakura, but he knows she is not married (yes, Sasuke has thrown his brother the bait, and his imbecile older relative has took it like the loser he was), which basically contradicts his previous statement."_ Sasuke was thinking about every piece of information regarding the two people.

"_Sakura is hiding her identity and Itachi acts like he doesn't know her, which only leads to one logical conclusion: The retard of an older brother of mine and my stupid looking poor maid have met at some point, at least once, but not only met, they had some form of contact, either ways, Itachi would have told me he knows her. "_

"_So if Itachi knows her but refrained from telling me the truth, it means they had more than one encounter and he knows about her life._

"_And now the real question: if that damn weasel knows Haruno girl, why in the seven pits of hell is he protecting her as well? If she was hiding something important and dangerous for me, than he would have warned me immediately, so au contraire what she hides is beneficent for me…"_

"_So it means that what Sakura is hiding is not harmful, but important enough to keep me in the shadows…interesting…it could be the fact that hey have some kind of history together…were they a couple or something…"_

Now Sasuke really had difficulties in picturing his hideous looking maid and his effeminate brother together…that couple would have been like Frankenstein and his bride, cosplaying Morticia and Gomez, when they got married.

"_So they were not together, that would have meant the end of the Universe…maybe friends or…colleagues? Is my little spitfire of a maid working with Itachi? Then why hiding it from me then? Are they working for mafia or something more shameful than this? Don't tell me they are strippers at some night club…are they that ashamed of what they do?"_

"_No it is more like…they don't want me to know what they do…which is even more suspicious…and Sakura`s reaction when she saw me for the firs time looked like she didn't know me at all…didn't Itachi tell her he has a brother or she just faked that one as well? She is a good actress after all…"_

The Uchiha`s head was getting hard and he was having a barely there headache as well. It was too much damn information and he was tired…and so hungry…

"_So…Itachi and Sakura know each other and have a connection I don't get at this point. He knows her past, knows it is doing me no harm but he doesn't want to tell me. If my traitor brother knows the poor maid, then it goes both ways."_

The young heir was pacing through his large empty office, hands in his pocket. The situation was getting him annoyed. He felt there was something in the story he overlooked, something important but he couldn't put his finger on and that frustrated him to no end.

"If I wasn't so sure I didn't tell anyone about the fact that I am going to hire a maid, I would have thought Itachi sent Sakura especially to baby sit me…which is ridiculous!" He went to his large window, looking at the crowded city in front of him, a frown on his beautiful face.

"This is fucked up…what are this two hiding that is so important? What is so special about Ravenna anyways?" Sasuke put his left arm on the glass, resting his forehead on it, a wicked small smile playing on his lips.

"It doesn't matter…I am going to figure those two out somehow." And when his charcoal eyes looked down, right at his company's entrance door, he swore his angered mood had a 180 degrees turn. If he was some other person, he would have probably been on his knees, gripping his stomach, laughing his head off, anime tears in his eyes.

But he was Sasuke Uchiha and he didn't do laughing, so he was only smirking widely and shaking his head.

His amused gaze was resting on his little pink dyed maid, that was screaming at one of his bodyguards probably to let her enter, stamping her foot on the ground, waving her fist at him, attracting a lot of attention. Apparently his guard was not so fully convinced to let an electrocuted looking caniche, dressed in an emergency tent, with the attitude of a caveman hunting for mammoths, near his company.

And of course, giving Sakura`s unexpected short temper, the situation escaladed quickly. Now the panicking bodyguard took the decision to end the commotion, by putting both his hands on the girl's shoulders and promptly shoved her away, forcing her to step back and almost slip on the stairs. But it looked like the much smaller woman was not at all surprised by the man in front of hers violent behavior, for she quickly gained her composure and answered his "polite" gesture with an original retort of her own.

So when the said heated woman took a hold of his bodyguard's hands, that were still on her small shoulders gripping a little harder than necessary and performed a flawless reverse wedge block, bringing the said man closer to her and knee kicking him right in the groin making him let go of her and bent his body at 90 degrees, holding his throbbing area with both hands comically, Sasuke lost it for real.

He started to laugh like his very life depended on it, not giving a damn about the fact that someone could come in any moment and see him. That was the most hilarious thing he has ever seen, and that spoke volumes, considering the fact that he was friends with Uzumaki andHōzuki.

He was already with his finger on his office phone, calling for his secretary Juugo to go and bring her to his office, because of course no one would know she was working for him (and no sane person would ever believe it). Only, to his utter shock, he couldn't stop laughing…

"_Hai, Mr. Uchiha?"_

"Juugo….PFFFF…let my maid…HAHAHA…" WTF Sasuke decided to go get a full check up. Apparently his brain decided to betray him, because he truly couldn't finish what was he going to tell his secretary…in all honesty he couldn't even remember, all he saw in front of his eyes, was his kick ass maid. Screw that, Sasuke was going to hire her as his bodyguard.

That woman could fight all right. And Sasuke has realized he wasn't in the slightest shocked. Nothing coming from that woman would surprise him any longer. For all he knew, she was going to pull down her ugly glasses and start shooting lasers from her eyes, melting rocks and breaking mountains.

Maybe Sakura was the short coded version for Superwoman and the ugly clothes were covering her superhero attire. Still laughing (boy if only Naruto saw him then…), he opened the last drawer and took out a dusted photo, that no longer held any meaning to him, in order to be kept on his desk or anywhere on his sight: it was a picture of him and his family, when Itachi and he were children.

He stopped laughing. The young Uchiha didn't even know why was he still keeping the family photo, it was probably for the fact that he still didn't find it in him to dispose of it. It didn't matter, he placed it temporary on the desk with a very good purpose.

Juugo was heading downstairs to place some documents in the archive, when he heard some commotion coming from the outside. Judging that morning's events, involving the death of that heir, he was the first to run and see what was happening. In fact all the employers stopped working, watching with interest the scene in front of them.

One of the guards was molesting a young woman, that looked like Tarzan's daughter. And she was acting like that as well. When he took a better look, his mouth almost dropped on the floor: it was Sakura Haruno, his boss` newest private maid. The tall man knew Sakura, because he was the one that choose her, from the other candidates.

What was she doing there was a mystery to Juugo, but he thought it was probably the young Uchiha heir who called her, so he promptly pushed the little gang of workers that were gathered in front of the door watching the show away, with the sole purpose of putting an end to the absurd situation, before someone was going to be hurt.

Unfortunately for the guard, he wasn't fast enough to prevent a well placed kick to the whining in pain security man. Nevertheless, he was too shocked too burst in laughter like all the other co-workers did, when watching the small funny looking young lady making a fool of a well built man, that had ten times her weight and was practically shadowing her.

It was first class entertainment. Juugo was sure some were even cheering on her. And when the Uchiha` s secretary answered his phone call he really thought the end of the world was coming for real. His unemotional detached boss was not able to finish his statement because he was…laughing?!

Dear Lord, now the gentle man Juugo didn't know what to do first: put an end to the ridiculous show outside, or go to his apparently high boss, and stop him doing something he would regret. Yeah, the answer was simple for Juugo: get the crazy maid to her equally demented boss. Sounded legit!

"Excuse me please, make space, thank you!" He gently, but firmly forced his way to the revolving door, marched to the furious looking maid (Juugo was taken aback by the way she looked like, it was ten times worse than in the photo she sent along with her CV), grabbed her arm and took her inside, leaving every viewer mouth agape. He asked the other security guards to disperse the gathered people.

"Please tell me you are my boss` secretary Juugo, because either way I feel really generous in sharing my punches with the other people today." Sakura was fuming on the inside, not only she couldn't enter his dumbass of a boss` idiotic company, but she was pushed roughly outside as well, by one of his guards nonetheless. Wait until she was in front of him, the mother fucker was going to get it for real, boss or not.

"Yes, I am his secretary indeed. I am sorry for the unpleasant incident Miss Haruno, I was thinking about today's meeting and forgot to announce your coming to the guards. Please accept my deepest apology." They headed straight to the elevator, got inside and Juugo released Sakura`s arm and pressed 19. The doors closed with a ding and the elevator rode up.

Now Sakura was slightly surprised by the tranquil looking man. He was intimidating with his muscular frame and height, but he was gentle and his voice soothing. And he was polite, compared to the presumptuous bastard of his boss. Too bad there were not so many people like this guy on the Earth. He was MJ`s impersonated dream of universal peace.

"Well, no need to apologize, after all, me coming here was quite unexpected…_and unpleasant as hell_, but thank you for coming and help." The young Sound agent gave the tall man a small sincere smile which he surprisingly returned with one of his own.

"Don't mention it, besides, it didn't look like you need my rescue after all, you looked perfectly capable of taking care of yourself."

"Eh, you only say that just because you don't want to offend me, but we both know my earlier demeanor is in complete dissonance with how a person must act in the civilized society. "

Sakura crossed her arms and closed her eyes, speaking like she was the owner of the…elevator.

"But I don't give a damn about what the others see me as, I will allow no one to lay a hand on me without my permission." She crossed her hand on her frizzy bangs to remove it from her eyes. Sakura was sure she put too much hair foam. That think was getting sticky and smelled like berries. She was a walking birthday cake.

Juugo looked at this woman that was three heads smaller than him in awe. He indeed thought she was a peasant woman, coming straight from her small farm, without any knowledge of manners whatsoever.

But the way she has behaved and spoke were in total opposition. Like she was playing the unmannered woman just for the heck of it, and then becoming a refined lady all of sudden. And that smile she has given him…not only was it sincere, but also…not suited for a poor woman.

Juugo wanted to smirk at the thought. He sure as hell found a worthy maid for a man like Sasuke Uchiha. He could bet all his wage for two months his boss was having the time of his life dealing with this pink haired creature. She had attitude all right. Juugo already liked this woman.

After what took like forever, another ding, followed by the elevator coming to a halt and the door sliding open, got the two people at the 19th floor of the tall building. Sakura took the small lunch box from her backpack, holding it in her small hand.

"_Just how many floors does this building have anyways? Stupid arrogant vampire in disguise jerk, he lives in a building as big as his ego. Hmpf…like a stork building its large stick on a post"_.

Sakura was watching the long hall intently. There were not so many office doors in there and all of them were only on the same side as the elevator, because the other side had giant mirrors instead of walls, giving an impressive view of the surroundings and provided a warm natural lightening.

It was also really silent in there, but not the frightening type. _"This place basically screams Sasuke stays here…"_

"We are here Miss." Juugo stopped in front of a big door, covered in black leather, knocked two times and opened the door, allowing Sakura to enter first. And when she entered his boss` office, Sakura didn't even bother to mask her astonishment. Not only the office was freaking huge, but it was entirely made of Carrara marble and glass, illuminated by a mixture of white and blue neon lights and the floor was laminate.

Note for herself not to slip on it like a nitwit. The furniture was a mixture of black and white and there were some exotic looking plants as well (she really hoped there was no cactus involved as well). Everything looked expensive as hell, it basically radiated luxury.

The young girl felt like she was in an UFO. It was that amazing. She didn't know where to start looking at. Oh well…when she caught the sight of the man she was looking for, she knew exactly where to start let her eyes wander.

In the meantime, Juugo was watching her reaction with interest. He was really entertained by the way her eyes were moving in all directions like gyroscopes, not knowing where to focus first. She looked like a child in a candy store. Well, the tall man couldn't actually blame the farmer girl, for he had the exact reaction when he first came in. Only he wasn't this obvious.

"Leave us." Came the smooth but commanding voice of the Uchiha, who was facing the glass wall, his back on them, hands in his pockets.

"Of course. Please excuse me." The said man bowed slightly (Sakura almost snorted at this, who the hell was Sasuke, some kind of crowned prince?! Man was he arrogant as hell) and exited the office, closing the door behind him. Sakura realized it was soundproof (it looked even bulletproof if she was being honest).

"I am glad you finally decided to show your face around, Haruno." The said woman turned her head in the direction of her boss. He was still not facing her, his tall and straight posture giving her a delicious view of his back…and ass (Sakura really wanted to bang her head on the door Juugo has just closed. She was becoming a pervert freak because of this man).

"I was stuck in the traffic." She replied just as smooth. God if she didn't abhor that man's guts. Like he was entitled to have everything at his feet whenever he wanted it. Well, giving the fact that he was a fuckin spoiled rich heir, that was probably how things went for him, but if he really thought she was going to built an altar in her room and worship him, he had another thing coming.

"Really now? I was not aware of the fact that my body guards resemble cars." He slowly turned around and faced her, actually putting some effort in making sure he looked like he was posing for photo shooting and considering his gorgeous looks and how the sun was shining on his back, creating an interesting light effect, it was a total success.

"I thought they were too lively to be considered walking objects." Oh boy, he couldn't help but smirk at his maid's reaction. Where was his camera, he needed to record her face, he was sure it was going to go more viral than Gangnam Style.

Sakura was having difficulties in keeping her mental sanity. Seconds ago she was still having fantasies of her beating the stupid man in front of her until he begged for mercy and strangling him, but then he decided to be a bitch and ruin her fun.

Why in the world was that person with the attitude of a wild boar has to look like a freaking Adonis was beyond her understanding. Karma was trolling Sakura really bad. Because the moment the Uchiha turned to face her (was he posing for a swim suits photo shooting or something?) she really thought her body was going to melt on the floor.

He was dressed casually, not in the slightest as the future CEO, in a pair of dark blue classic Jeans, a white shirt, with one sleeve rolled up to his elbow and slightly unbuttoned, revealing his long neck, but Sakura could have sworn he never looked so sexy and elegant as then.

And he had that amazing face to add to the already breathtaking looks. His raven hair and equally dark eyes that made a strong contrast to the white shirt and pale skin, that only enhanced his beauty even more (Sakura didn't think that was even possible).

And when he started to approach her not moving figure, revealing his lean muscles that were visible in that white shirt he wore, Sakura swore her eyes went the shape of hearts.

"_Oh dear Lord. C`mon Sakura stop looking like the fool you are and get a hold of yourself, stop ogling him like a brainless fangirl…"_

Sasuke came right in front of a stunned Sakura, a little too close for her well being (not for her liking, because Sakura wasn't sure she had the strength to deny she didn't want him to be that close to her), crossing the arms in front of his chest (of course the bastard did it to enhance his chest muscles even more, not that it was necessary to begin with), his dark eyes looking for her hidden behind the glasses and hair green ones.

The pink haired Sound agent was well aware of the game he was playing, he was doing that every time he was around her. He had her trapped in his spell, piercing her entire body with his coal orbs, like he wanted to read every letter written deep inside her.

And he knew that she was very attracted to him physically, that was impossible to deny, even for her. She might have been a prominent CIA agent, but she was also a grown up woman with raging hormones, and being in a close proximity of such a droolicious specimen was screaming danger.

"And I was not aware of the fact that your security guards were trained to molest innocent people as well. If that is not written in their job description, I will not consider their barbarian behavior close to humanity." Sakura really couldn't understand how in the world did she manage to keep her sarcastic tone and not stutter, because she was certain not even a single neuron in her brain was focused on anything else than throw the young Uchiha on his big desk (even destiny was chanting at her to do it! No Neji Hyuga intended) and jump him right there and then.

She was certain she heard Karin screaming from Italy that she has just embarrassed the whole female race for not doing it the moment she laid her eyes on him.

Sasuke was aware of the effect he was having on this woman, and the fact that she was fighting to keep her cool and look like she wasn't bothered in the slightest was admirable. He couldn't refrain from smirking at her. She was one of a kind.

Also, in a more serious note, Sasuke was really shocked at how she defended herself. Her body reacted the moment she was attacked, without her giving too much thinking to what was she doing, and her perfectly executed moves betrayed the fact that she was not an amateur.

He was no fool. She had advanced martial arts knowledge and adding it to the newfound piece of information about her connection to Itachi, only added to the mystery.

"Hn…I am sure they are going to remember it. That kick looked like a really good lesson. I applaud your manners. You really know how to express your opinions and frustrations in public."

Sakura`s eyes grew wide upon hearing that. Did he see her beating his security guard? God that was bad, now she had another thing to cover up and it was already a disaster, because he figured out she did not own a farm in Italy.

They had serious trust issues, and that didn't help their situation at all…she knew she had screw it up big times when she attacked that man, but she couldn't help it, it was the agent instinct kicking in. She didn't have time to think beforehand.

"That would teach the too enthusiastic men a lesson about never underestimating a single woman." God he was staying a little too close for the Sound agent's liking. And his expensive perfume was invading her senses, successfully making her slightly dizzy.

Whenever she was close to him, she felt like she had another brain kicking in and screaming at her to close the distance between them. She unconsciously stared at him upside down with a hungry gaze.

Sasuke uncrossed his arms and as slowly as possible, he touched her forearm with his fingertips, from her elbow to her hand, getting a hold of the lunch box she was gripping like she wanted to support her body on it, but not removing his hand, making sure he was touching her fingers as well. All the times, his dark orbs never leaving her face, smirk plastered on his face, watching her every move like a hawk. The reaction he got was immediate.

Her body went even more rigid than before, she raised her shoulders a bit, opened her mouth slightly, like trying to inhale more oxygen in her lungs, pulse higher than normal. She looked like she was torn between turning around and run or hug him. And it amused him to no end.

"I know you cannot take your eyes off me Sakura, but I thought ogling was not your style." He dropped his voice an octave on purpose, sounding even more sensual than normal. And the way she closed her mouth tightly told him he hit the nail in the head.

Sakura was aware of the fact that she was a goner from the moment he touched her, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. So she bent her head on her side attempting to watch on the outside telling him "I…I was…ah…admiring the view."

"…I am sure you did, Sakura…" Sasuke watched how his maid's face, or should he say, how much was he able to see from her face, because of the hair and glasses, was turning into all the hues of red know in the visible and invisible spectrum. So she has realized the double meaning of what she has said.

God she was so predictable when it came to him and that provided Sasuke with endless opportunities to mock her. View? Bah…the only view she had was his face and body because she was ogling him like he was walking on water barefooted.

He then, with the most serene attitude ever, took the lunch box from her now trembling hand and walked to his desk, leaving the woman rooted to his floor. He was slightly worried that he would have to water her like he did with all the other plants in his office, but this particular one sure as hell didn't give off oxygen.

Who cared, he unpacked the lunch box, glad that he was finally able to give his poor in need stomach the deserved food, after such a horrible day, but when he unfolded the cloth he was really surprised to find out what lunch box did his plant maid packed his lunch in. This woman…

Sakura really didn't understand what happened, because she couldn't remember anything from the moment in all her glorious moment of extreme intelligence basically gave away her fangirl thoughts to her boss, to the moment he was resting at his desk, frozen in place looking at the lunch box.

It wasn't her fault thought, the way he acted towards her, like she was his puppet and he had her strings, was making her insecure. He was toying with her, he knew exactly what she was thinking about and that was scaring Sakura because she didn't know what to expect from him.

He was always two steps ahead, cornering her whenever he had the chance, successfully combining his intelligence with his charms. And what is with him and his flirty attitude? The moment she felt his fingers on her bare skin, she thought she was going to drown in the sensation.

He left a trail of goose bumps all along her forearm, not only that but her body was trembling and it sure as hell wasn't from fear. She wasn't afraid of him…at least not in the physical way.

And to her utter shock, she realized the painful truth: she was not afraid of him, she was attracted to him so much it was physically painful. There was no point in hiding it and Sakura knew her boss was aware of his effect on her, successfully making good use of it.

The bastard…She slowly came into her senses and saw his boss looking intently in front of him, his eyes fixed on the lunch box. Now what…

"Sir…is everything all right?" In the little time spent with him, Sakura learned something about Sasuke Uchiha and that was his eyes were really expressive. She could see the level of energy radiating from his gaze like it was coming from a faraway star.

When Sasuke was in a playful mode, his black eyes were glowing, just like burning coal, melting her whole body. When he was serious, his stare was hard and cold, just like a black hole, nothing came out from it and it was impossible to see through it.

And it was the former attitude he had on that moment. He was not saying anything, his eyes not once leaving the box, his hair shadowing his face. He was drawing lazy circles on the wooden surface with his fingers, looking lost in thoughts.

Like he was reminiscing a past event. God Sakura really hoped she didn't screw it up once again, by trying to surprise him. She took some steps towards him, stopping in front of his desk, watching him intently.

"Mr. Uchiha, are you…"

"Where did you find this?" Even his voice seemed somewhere trapped in a past memory. He didn't lift his head, his gaze still fixed on the box. The way he was looking at it was…she hasn't seen that look on him and thought she was imagining it, but Sakura was almost certain he was watching it in a caring way…almost lovingly.

"In the kitchen, in one of the cupboards. It was laying in the back of a drawer. I was lucky to see it." She knew how to deal with a playful Uchiha and she was not so scared about an angry one (ok, maybe she was, but she wont ever recognize it to the world), but she didn't know how to deal with him expressing emotions. The Sound agent was sure he didn't even have feelings to begin with. It was something new and unexpected.

"My mother gave it to me…when I moved to the U. S. She had it from my grandma. It is a family treasure."

So the young woman was right, it really was expensive and meaningful. She curled her lips upwards slightly, a small smile making its way on her face. So the ice cube had something dear to him after all, he was not the emotionless manwhore he was making the others believe.

She really wondered if there were people out there knowing the real Sasuke, the one that was hiding behind memories and caged feelings. His friends maybe?

"It is really beautiful Mr. Uchiha, the fretwork design is impressive." She was speaking the truth. The wooden box was really pretty and now that she knew it had a deep meaning as well, made it even more amazing.

The young Uchiha raised his head and watched the woman in front of him slightly surprised to hear her confession. Now she was an expert in wood designs and had good taste.

And to think she has found that box from all the things, when he didn't even remember he had it anymore. And that smile of hers…it was one of the few things she was not faking…that and her discomfort when he was teasing her.

"Hn…you are a walking wood detector. I couldn't remember where I have put this lunch box." Sasuke opened the box and started to eat the good looking spaghetti ( it was covered in tomato sauce people, he felt like Jerry the mouse jumping in the apple pie), without any further delay.

And when he took the first bite he swore his horrid day has just become brighter. This maid knew how to cook. "You should make good use of your nose and go look for lost people or drugs, as a police dog. Go work for FBI or CIA or something."

Sakura really wanted to come up with a smart retort, but she was too stunned to say something intelligible upon hearing his last statement. She really wanted to die right there and then. Either this man possessed telepathic abilities, or he was just spitting universal truths without even being aware of. Good thing he wasn't looking at her, she grew paler than Casper.

Her boss was frightening. She needed to sit. And water. For some reason her mouth was dry. And her boss was slightly rolling his tongue whenever he opened his mouth to eat the pasta.

"_Is it getting hotter in here or my boss is a Green Peace fanatic, trying to save energy by not turning that damn air conditioner on?"_ Sakura decided the man in front of her was the reason of the global warming. When the Antarctic ice sheet is going to melt, he will be the one responsible for getting everyone wet…

5 p.m Tokyo Hospital, ICU

"How could this have happened…Neji?"

"It was our fault. We have been careless and they took the opportunity to corner us."

"Have you talked to Itachi?"

"I have sent him an email and briefed him about the situation. He is going to investigate further. Only he lost the GPS signal of the black van. It looks like our man is way smarter than we thought."

"…this sucks..."

"…yeah…"

Ten Ten and Neji were staying outside the ICU, where Naruto was getting intensive medical attention. After they left the Shiseido Ginza they headed straight to Tokyo hospital, making it in record time.

And it looked like it was just like Sakura told them, the Otokage Orochimaru had everything covered, because as soon as they parked their car, four nurses were waiting for them, taking their injured friend straight to the ER, where doctors were already expecting Naruto and his gang.

They were taken by surprise when the nurses told them they are really sorry for the unfortunate event with the rats pest control. It seemed like the snake man Orochimaru had some sort of twisted sense of humor, because when he called the hospital and told them Akatsuki were trying to put poison baits for rats, but ended up poisoning one of their friends with arsenic instead and the cuts were made by a hole in the old floor that broke under their feet, because it couldn't support all the weight.

As dumb as that sounded (and humiliating because the Hyuga and Uzumaki families were famous in Japan), it was the perfect cover for their CIA identity. The nurses also treated Ten Ten`s injuries. Apart for some scratches, she also had a sprained ankle, but nothing serious.

Neji refused to be taken care of. He didn't have a scratch on him, except for the painful bruise made by the bullet that hit his bulletproof vest, but it was not like he was going to show that to the doctors, it would only raise suspicion.

So there they were, Ten Ten and Neji outside the ICU, lying on the empty chairs, waiting for the doctor to come and inform them about their "exterminator" friend's health condition. Ten Ten was resting her tired head on her fiancé's shoulder, holding his hand tightly. With the adrenaline rush gone, they were both dead tired and all they wanted to do was find out about Naruto and go home to take a good 12 hours sleep.

"I feel like I have been drinking and partying for three days and three nights straight. My head hurts like a bitch."

"I know. I feel like that too."

"Do you think Naruto will be fine? I mean he is strong right? A little poison wont kill him now…"

"I don't know honey, I hope that too. We were really lucky Haruno was there to back him up otherwise…"

"ARGH stop talking about that damn woman in front of me, I had enough of her today."

Ten Ten really didn't need to be reminded of their painful failure and the fact that a Sound agent helped them AGAIN was making it even worse. And it was Sakura the one to cover them nonetheless. Ten Ten was going to be sick, she was sure of it.

"Stop acting childish Ten Ten, we were lucky she made it in time. She has her own mission to take care of, but she came to our rescue without any further question. You are all exaggerating when it comes to her, she is not that evil like everyone says."

Neji was aware of all the rumors regarding the Sound agent, but he was a man, he didn't give a damn about that. Besides he was a Hyuga and Hyugas had their own opinions, they didn't need to be told about how the Earth revolves.

It was not like he was a fan of her, but there was some truth in what his blonde poisoned friend was saying about her being a good woman. And he wasn't a woman, so her fiancé's jealousy on her was a mystery to the Hyuga heir.

"Are you defending her now? Don't tell me you have a crush on that vixen like Naruto and the others. Do I need to remind you that she is most likely at Sasuke`s home, talking to that snake freak of her boss, laughing their asses off and bashing us about how much of a losers are we and how they need to step in and save us all the times? Are you for real or the bullet has hit your head and you are not aware of it?"

Now Ten Ten was furious. She didn't understand why were all the men defending that bitch of a Sound agent. Maybe she did voodoo on them or some kind of black magic ritual for her own selfish purposes.

"What are you talking about, of course I do not have any romantic feelings for her whatsoever Ten Ten, do not be a hypocrite. That is Tobirama`s job. The CIA women have no solid proof to back up their imbecile accusations, do not listen to what they say. Athena is a hardworking agent and one of the best we have, of course they are jealous on her." In all honesty, all the rivalry between the CIA offices was bullshit to the Hyuga. They were acting like little children and that annoyed them to no end.

Their little argument was interrupted by a doctor coming straight from the ICU room. They both stood up, looking expectantly.

"Mr. Hyuga, I have good news, we have managed to treat Mr. Uzumaki`s injuries, without developing any complication. He was really lucky to have his femoral vein cut instead of the artery, either way it would have been more severe. You did well in providing firs aid help.

Also, the chelation therapy is taking effect. We started the 2,3-Dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid administration through IV and he is responding to the treatment. It was a miracle to have one of your neighbors working as a nurse and administrate him dimercaprol, as well as noting down the hour and the dosage. It was of a great help."

"_Neighbor?"_ Ten Ten wouldn't call Athena quite a neighbor, that was used for people who were close to each other, which couldn't be said about the two woman. "How much is he going to stay in the hospital, Dr. Yoshihiro?"

"As much as necessary to make sure the arsenic is fully eliminated from his system. If everything goes smoothly, I would say a week or two. It depends on how fast is Mr. Uzumaki`s body going to form ligands with arsenic ions and eliminate the poison."

"Can we see him?" The Akatsuki woman agent didn't catch a thing about what the doctor tried to explain. He was talking in a language she didn't understand, nor that she cared. She wanted to see her friend, because it will take her some time to forget the image of him crying on her lap, sweating and trembling.

"Your friend is going to be transferred to a private hospital room by tomorrow morning. I will be there to do the basic check up as well at 9 a.m. You can pay him a short visit after that." The doctor replied in a soft and friendly tone. He knew those young people, they were famous heirs after all and he was slightly surprised to find out about such a weird occurrence.

In all his 40 years of medical career the said doctor couldn't remember a heir poisoning himself with arsenic by accident. Murder attempt was another story.

"Is he conscious?" Neji really wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with his dumb blonde colleague's brain. He was already stupid to begin with, any further damage would have been cataclysmic.

"We have put him in a semi-induced coma to let his body recover. He is bound to gain consciousness by tomorrow, or maybe tonight. I can assure you he is going to be watched 24/7."

"Thank you doctor, you have been of a great help." Neji shook the said doctor's hand firmly, already planning in take his fiancé home to rest, then return to the hospital. He knew there was a killer out there watching them and Neji didn't want to risk Naruto`s safety.

"It was my pleasure. If you will excuse me now, I am taking my leave." The doctor smiled politely and proceeded to go, when Ten Ten`s voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Excuse me doctor Yoshihiro, was it good for our neighbor to treat our friend with such a strong antidote, I mean wouldn't it be harmful for him in any ways?"

At this the said doctor turned his head, put his hands in his white coat and gave them a smile. "You can tell your friend that he has a guardian angel Miss. She has saved his life." The man left, leaving two dumbfounded Akatsuki members behind.

Ten Ten looked at her lover who was staring hard in her direction. It was a look the said woman knew all too well. "Pffff…I know I know…but I am not going to do it tomorrow. I wanna mentally prepare myself." She crossed her hands and let a small pout. She already loathed the idea.

Neji closed his eyes and shook his head. Why was he even trying with that woman, she was hopeless and stubborn. Neji really hoped their children will have his personality, either way he will go bald in no time.

"…Ten Ten…I think you and Anko Mitarashi are distant relatives."

Beeep Beeep Beeepp

"Itachi?" Ten Ten was fast in coming closer to his fiancé to listen to the conversation. Whatever their team leader wanted to tell them was urgent, if he didn't wait for them to arrive home.

"_Where are you guys?"_

"Tokyo Hospital. They treated Naruto and Ten Ten."

"_Are you all right?"_

"We will be fine."

"_I am glad to hear it. You guys scared the hell out of me."_

"We underestimated them. It was our fault."

"_No need to place the blame on anyone now. We are dealing with it. Only…there is a small problem that has just occurred."_

That piqued Neji`s interest. Another problem? Is there even an end to that, or someone there just don't want them to rest at all. And they had just lost the GPS signal of their suspect, what else was there to be worried about? "What kind of problem?"

"_One of the assassins that you guys managed to incapacitate and was taken in the police's custody has been found dead in his cell. It appears that his body had __spontaneous human combustion."_

Neji really thought he was going to faint. That was a huge problem.

...

**Author`s Note: **Sorry, but I am saving Naruto`s reaction for later:)


	12. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

6 p.m Tokyo, Mangekyou HQ, Sasuke`s office

"Ahm…Mr. Uchiha, you know I really appreciate your undying generosity…_you wish you jackass_, but I think I should go."

"Hn…I told you I will take you home, so stop protesting already, you are giving me a headache."

"I am not complaining, I am just being reasonable." After giving her boss his much craved pasta, Sakura wanted to promptly sprint out of his damn office and head straight home, to meditate about how much of a loser she was…that and talk to Orochimaru about what happened that day. He was probably waiting her call.

But noooooo, her self proclaimed genius of a boss decided to be the caring man he was not and give her a ride home. "Why Sakura, if I didn't know better, I would say you are trying to avoid me." Smirk. She really wanted to escape him at all cost. And the young heir knew exactly why was that. Too hilarious.

Sakura didn't think she could become more uncomfortable than she already was. Leave it to the human ice cube to mock her every two fuckin seconds, like he didn't have a social life or something. He should join a therapy group for people suffering from extreme antisocialism combined with communication skills retard and an overdose of self esteem, to the point you want to murder him with bare hands.

And he was smirking at her, that oh so gorgeous too much practiced devious smirk of his. The motherfucker. "Why would I try to avoid you Sir, I am your maid after all, isn't it my job to be at your service?"

Now he wasn't looking at her…again. The Sound agent was doing the exact thing for an hour: sitting (more like leaking) in the big chair in front of him, while he was writing god only knows what on his laptop, telling her he was going to be ready soon. His view about time was really interesting.

She took her time, roamed through his office, looked at everything possible and gaped at everything possible, but then she grew disinterested and took a sit on one of the chairs at his desk. She didn't stay on the comfy sofa because the Sound girl was more than certain she was going to fall asleep. Hell was she tired.

Sasuke told her he was going to be ready in no time and take her home, but he was probably delaying it on purpose, just to laugh at her. She was really bored and all she wanted was to jump on her bed and sleep. Only, her brain was a spoiled child and wasn't listening to her, because all the time she did her best not to stare at her boss` face, but ended up failing miserably.

And there she was glued to that damn chair (her back was killing her), elbow prompted on the desk, supporting her head, ogling the man in front of her. She would have liked to blame it on the boredom, but after her revelation she knew that was not the case.

And of course the arrogant Uchiha knew exactly what she was doing, because sometimes, he was throwing knowing glances in her direction, catching her dumb staring at him, smirking, then proceeding to work like nothing happened.

She was like a teenager hit by puberty, watching a documentary about age transformation scenes. She hastily slapped her forehead, hitting the big glasses instead (she really forgot she was wearing them), scratching her nose. Someone please kill her right there and then.

Meantime, Sasuke was barely containing his laugh. Just watching his maid's reactions was giving him the time of his life. Not only the young lady was acting like she was mentally killing herself for being a woman attracted to him, but her antics were so natural and childish that it was impossible to not keep an eye on her all the times. Like a good quality comedy show you don't want to even blink while watching, afraid to lose a scene. _"Silly silly girl…"_

The Uchiha was long finished with his stupid report about how the meeting with that dumb pathetic excuse of a heir went, but he was re-reading it just to annoy Sakura. And it was working just fine, she looked thorn between jumping him or curse him to hell and back.

Sakura decided she needed a new hobby….and fast. The situation was humiliating and ridiculous. So she quickly diverted her attention from her good looking boss to…anywhere else was fine. But something on his desk has caught her attention. It was a photo in a golden frame.

Now this took the Sound agent by surprise. She hasn't seen any photo in Sasuke`s home or office. Not even one. He had expensive paintings and abstract decorations, but not a single photo of his family or friends or any close people for the matter. Like he couldn't stand the idea of them surrounding him.

She tried to be a fly on the wall and respect his privacy, but she couldn't stop her hand when she took a hold of the said photo and studied it. It was a family photo all right and when Sakura took a better look, she was able to understand just how was it possible for a man like Sasuke to be that handsome.

It was obvious the regal strong features were thanks to his father's genes, but his angelic features were definitely from his mother's. Not even on catwalk has Sakura seen such a stunning woman. The silky long raven hair, the equally dark eyes, full red heart shaped lips and perfect pale skin made that lady the embodiment of a goddess. And that smile was brightening her aura even more_._

"_Oh my God, she is gorgeous, no wonder the smirking bastard is a walking Greek statue!"_ She then caught the sight of a little Sasuke staying in between his parents smiling. _"Awww he was a cutie!"_ It was obvious he was his mother's son, because he was staying closer to the said woman and her delicate hands were resting lovingly on his shoulders.

His father looked bored, solemn and uninterested. And he was brooding as well. _"Guess I know where Sasuke got it from…"_ But what caught her attention was definitely his older brother Itachi. Oh the pink haired girl knew this one Uchiha all too well.

His posture and attitude in the picture showed that he was not that close to his family, like he didn't want to be there in the first place. His cold demeanor, somehow similar to his father's, told Sakura that there was much more history behind that, and the events were not necessary pleasant.

She knew the older Uchiha has blatantly refused to take over his family business, gave up his position as the next in line heir and run away. Everyone knew what happened, it was world wide news, but no one exactly knew why he did such a dramatic worth for gossip thing.

As much as the Sound agent loathed Akatsuki, she couldn't deny the fact that Uchiha Itachi was not a man to run away from problems. He was a workaholic and a dedicated man, always there when his team needed his help. Never did she saw Itachi back away or give the ones in need the cold shoulder.

And of course she didn't know the relationship between the two brothers, but her instinct told her the younger Uchiha was not that content with his brother's behavior. Now she was going to take a wild guess, but Sakura would say that being the future CEO of the Mangekyou was not exactly Sasuke`s dream job.

She could picture him like a businessman all right, he was more than capable to run his company, but it didn't quite suit him. Like he was born for something more important…but she didn't have a name for it. She wouldn't start questioning him now, would she? Besides, Itachi was working in the CIA just like her, so any information leak would be disastrous.

"Found anything that interests you Haruno?"

The said woman was so lost in thoughts that she almost dropped the picture when she heard her boss` low baritone voice addressing her. "Wha…no I…I am sorry Sir, I didn't want to be rude…I.." She quickly put the picture back on the table. Now she had another thing to add to the already bad impression she made.

Of course Sasuke was expecting her to watch the photo, that was the reason he put it there in the first place. He was mentally challenging her to do it, study his family and try to enter his world.

The young Uchiha had the feeling that the ugly maid wanted to figure him out just like he wanted to do to her. And she took the bait. Good, part two of the operation "prove Haruno and Itachi they share the same IQ as the round worms" was already in progress.

"Hn…I don't mind you looking at my family, but Sakura it has to be the other way around as well."

"Huh? I don't understand Sir…?"

"Now don't play dumb, you know what I mean. You want to find out about me, but you don't tell me anything about yourself. Is it fair?"

"Fairness is just a matter of perception Sir, since no human holds the universal truth. So as long as we don't have a standard to compare the facts, is just a matter of opinions."

He gave a smirk on that one, slowly rising from his seat and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I would have built you a temple to teach philosophy, but you forgot to write sophist in your CV, when you listed your skills."

Sakura was sure he was going to start questioning her past and the sneaky bastard didn't miss the opportunity to force the words out of her mouth. She really hated his attitude it was even more tiring that jump in the fray and save the Akatsuki. And more troublesome (working with Shikamaru did have an effect on the CIA members).

"Mr. Uchiha, you are too quick to jump into conclusions, here I was studying a beautiful picture, no other ulterior motive intended."

He turned his eyes from her emerald ones to watch the family photo." A beautiful picture…and? Did you find something worth of your humble interest?"

Now the young Sound agent was bothered. Of course his question was not that innocent as he made it sound. Nothing this man did was coincidental and Sakura learned it the hard way. What did he mean by something interesting? His parents? That was a possibility, he did accuse her of wanting to know more about his past, so that would be the most reasonable thing.

But she was having an Uchiha Sasuke in the equation, so nothing was reasonable when it came to him. Was he ashamed she saw his younger self? Nah…this man was the notorious Don Juan reloaded, the word shame was seen as spam in his brain's inbox. Then…oh no…he couldn't be talking about his older brother, no way!

"Actually I did." Oh God Sakura thought she was going to die soon. Her boss was not only standing, but coming her way as well. Smirking. That was not good. Sasuke smirking=one neuron dead in Sakura`s brain. He was obviously planning something, but this time she was prepared. Let the bastard come and spit pink unicorns towards her.

Now Sasuke knew exactly what was crossing his pink maid's mind. Just how much amusing this woman could get, she looked like she was mentally prepared to take part in the final fight in Narnia. So she was bracing herself now, was she? Oh she was so asking for a good one, and who was Sasuke to deny her?

"Really? And what would be that interesting to keep you so captivated?" Sasuke was not sure if Sakura realized it, but she was mumbling and smiling like an idiot while she was watching the photo.

He was now right in front of her, hands in his pockets, shadowing her small frame. She looked like she wanted to become microscopic and hid behind the chair.

"T-That you have your mother's beautiful black eyes." If the window was opened Sakura was almost certain she was going to jump and make sure she wasn't going to say anymore idiotic things. From all the stuff she could have said, it had to be that particular one.

Not only was she giving him an ego burst, as if the imperious bastard really needed one to begin with, but she has just admitted aloud that she found him beautiful. Well, she was only complimenting his eyes…but that was beside the point. He knew what she meant with that one.

Small smirk. "You know…there is only one person beside you that ever told me I resemble my mother in any way."

"And who that person might be…if I may ask?"

"My grandpa. He used to tell everyone that that particular trait in my mother's family was the reason he fell in love with grandma, at first glance." Oh Heavens, Sasuke was laughing inside like a madman. It looked like not only her face was tomato read, but even her pale skin was starting to rival his favorite food.

"Ahm…that is very romantic Sir but…" No, the Sound agent swore to herself (more like trying desperately to convince herself) she was not going to fall for any of his traps. Her boss wanted to play his best cards?

No problem, she had some tricks in her sleeve as well. Although…deep inside, she knew she shouldn't be doing that…didn't matter, he was always invading her privacy. Even then he was a bit too close. "…that is not the only thing that stands out for me, regarding the photo."

Now that made Sasuke curious. So she had a serious thought about the said picture as well. Good, he heard her heart talking. Now let the logical part impress him further. He raised a perfect shaped eyebrow at her, daring her to continue with the statement.

"Your brother stays a little too far, for a family picture. He is the only one that doesn't have any sort of contact with the other members."

Silence.

For a moment, Sakura could have sworn she saw a mini explosion in her boss` dark orbs. He said absolutely nothing, but nonetheless his body language was more than enough to tell her she probably should have just carry one with her confession about how handsome she found him to be, than saying what she said. Apparently, now the young agent could promptly admit she was painfully stupid as hell.

How many years in prison one would be charged to for murder? Ten up to twenty five if he was not mistaken, maybe less if one has alibis. That was the exact thought that crossed the young Uchiha`s mind when hearing what came from this woman's mouth. And no, it was not the statement itself.

Of course what she said was logical and reasonable for any living with a decent brain and a pair of working eyes. But the problem was the hidden meaning behind it. Sasuke knew that every single damn person on that planet knew about the huge scandal in the Uchiha family, it was the hottest topic for weeks. Itachi`s refusal to become the CEO of the Mangekyou made him more famous than 1D.

And the hypocrisy to have stated the most obvious thing in the world was what almost made Sasuke want to strangle her. He planted his hands firmly on the chair's arm rests and leaned towards Sakura, his head a bit higher than hers, successfully trapping her between his hard body and the chair, his fierce gaze never leaving hers. He was no more in playful mode.

Too bad the now frightened maid had that damn hair to cover her face and mostly eyes and the young heir was not able to see her full reaction, but that was not a problem at that time.

"How perceptive you are…for a supposed country girl…Haruno. Seems like you know quite a bit about my brother, don't you now?"

Sakura was frightened and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. His boss had a mood change suddenly and it was nothing pleasant. It was the same attitude he had when they first met. That dark aura surrounding him was now piercing her every pore, she could feel it on her skin, it was murderous and dangerous and so cold, like he wanted to slash every part of her up to her core and freeze her soul. Ok, she went so much far than necessary and she knew it.

"I…only know what everyone knows...about Mr. Uchiha…Sir…" Her voice was cracking and she didn't even bother to hide it or mask it. No need to play the courageous woman now, he looked like he could pulverize her in an instant and damn he had the power to do it if he wanted to.

"And…what do the others know about him?"

"What it was circulating through the media at…that time…" Sakura was too scared of that man to even breathe. And she couldn't look into his eyes, they were burning her skull. She could have sworn they became red at one point, they were that heated.

"…at that time…" Even the way he talked was scary in the maid's opinion. Like those horror movies that take place in an old sinister castle, and the spirit of its past owner is haunting some gang of teenagers, talking in a robotic low tone that echoes through the night and turns the walls into living monsters.

"…ahm…a..I….just…." She could as well kiss goodbye her job as a maid, she was sure. Damn her big mouth. She got it from her friend Karin. That woman was just as bad.

"He…run away…like the bastard he is…like the media said. But do you know the real reason why he did it?"

HUH?! Was he going to give her an explanation? The pink dyed Sound agent was certain his next words were going to be somewhere along the lines of "you are fired" or" you are so dead", of course, not that nice.

"I don't…"

"You do not know?" He leaned even closer to his said maid, barely leaving ten centimeters between them, practically hissing the words in her concealed face. "You are lying…like always."

Sakura didn't know how her heartbeat has escalated so fast from barely normal to omg someone connect me to an automated external defibrillator pronto! Was it because she was too scared to think about her boss` next move or his proximity was playing tricks on her again, because the way he was leaning towards her was not only like a tour on the house of horrors, but sensual as hell. God that man was hot even if he was angry.

"What would I lie about Sir?"

"You are lying because you know him...and not from the media."

Now the young lady was panicking and really bad. Ok, she knew he was forcing the truth out of her, by taking guesses and using his emotional intelligence to read the answers from her reactions, but to what extent was he able to do so? She knew she had to recover what was left from her sanity and pull herself together.

"You are wrong Mr. Uchiha, I do not know your brother at all." Of course she didn't, she only had like 30 joined missions with his platoons, knew him since she was fifteen, cursed him and his guts to the hell and back along with Karin and Anko…more than once…but that isn't enough to get two people close so that didn't count as lie…right?

Somehow, in his raged mind, Sasuke had still found her amusing…and that started to worry him. Was he spending too much time with his imbecile friends, or was idiocy contagious all of sudden?

"You do not know Itachi…interesting…and you know why?" He leaned even further, coming closer to the said young girl's ear, almost touching her skin and whispered in a dark low tone the very sentence that almost had Sakura jump from the chair she was gripping for dear life.

"W…Why?" For some unknown reason, Sakura found it appropriate to the thick atmosphere to whisper her question as well, like she didn't want to perturb the disturbance…yeah nothing made sense in her brain anymore…and she was able to feel his warm breath on her ear and neck and fuck it if it didn't send electric jolts from her head to toes.

And of course she was able to smell him and feel his toned body and the young lady didn't know how much self restrain did she have left. He was drugging her and make her lose her mind, in order to spit the answers he needed.

"Because I talked to my older brother today…and he told me he knows you and you know him as well."

In Sasuke`s twisted mind (no one said he was a sane one to begin with), he was sitting on a big stage, clad in an expensive suit, in front of a huge audience, receiving ovations and red roses and a round of heated applauses. He was a genius and he was too damn arrogant to state any less. He didn't even need to watch for any reaction, and he didn't because as soon as he threw her the bait, he closed his eyes.

Sakura didn't know if Sasuke had a ghost farm in his office, but she was sure something has pricked her butt with a needle, because when she heard his statement, she jumped from the chair like it was burning her, straight in her boss` frame. And of course he didn't even move an inch, forcing her body back on the chair. God she felt like she collided with a wall, she had no idea he was that strong…and warm.

"…and not only you know each other…you are close acquaintances as well."

"WHAT?! Say that again because I am sure you said something I have only heard of in SF books."

Neji really thought he was going to faint. That was a huge problem.

"_I said, one of the assassins that you guys managed to incapacitate and was taken in the police's custody has been found dead in his cell. It appears that his body had spontaneous human combustion. C'mon Hyuga, do not make me repeat myself like I am talking to Naruto, I expect more from you."_

"I am sorry leader, but I do not think my mental state and tiredness is ready to take in this kind of information."

"_I assure you is the truth. It happened while you guys were heading to the hospital. The prosecutor is working on the case but they are just as shocked. There is chaos between the police officers and they are having difficulties in keeping it from the media."_

Neji put one of his hands on his temple and massaged slowly. What the hell were they talking about?

"Look, I am not an expert, but I am sure there is no such thing as SHC, everyone knows that is caused by the wick effect. Maybe a dumb careless police officer forgot a burning cigarette or something around the assassin and he burst into flames."

"_There is no video evidence from the CCTVs, because for unknown reasons no electronic device worked during that time, but there is a corpse in ashes in the cell and there was no fire source around him. Not only had that, but the two company workers from Shiseido that were also killed had the same fate."_

"…you are kidding me right?…so you say we have three fucking people, one alive, the other two dead, having SNC, in the same time, on different locations?"

"_To make long story short, yes."_

"Fucking unbelievable…did you at least manage to reestablish the GPS connection with the suspect we were following?" Not only they were dealing with a dangerous secret society, the Freemasonry, but now they had paranormal activity as well. Neji was expecting Itachi to tell him he lost the trance of the last killer, because his van turned into an UFO, covered in glitter, in the form of Justin Bieber`s face and vanished.

"_No, unfortunately I couldn't. He basically vanished from the Earth's surface."_

"…please tell me there is no UFO involved in this."

There was absolutely nothing that could have shocked the Akatsuki member at that time anymore. It was a circus out there.

"_Let's not jump to such drastic conclusions Neji. We do not have any solid proof of anything right now. I am going to send a CIA affiliated forensic specialist from Bangkok to study the case and send us a complete report."_

Ten Ten who was also listening to the conversation was too having difficulties in understanding what the hell was their team leader talking about. Human combustion? "What the hell Itachi, did that man drink oil or he had small gnomes inside his body that are having a BBQ?"

"_Ten Ten I can assure you of nothing right now, but we have to talk and fast. There are many things to be discussed but I cannot do it while you guys are in a freaking hospital."_

The Hyuga heir didn't waste any moment when hearing his leader's serious tone. He took his fiancé by her hand, careful not to injure her further and proceeded outside to the SUV. Itachi was right, they needed to talk about the most recent events and that was definitely not the suitable place. There were some old people passing the hospital hall they were in, eyeing them suspiciously and Neji was sure they would only attract more attention.

"We are already heading to our car. I will talk to you as soon as we got home."

"_Got it. I am hanging up."_

The two Akatsuki members were already in the hospital's underground parking lot, where Neji left the SUV after Naruto was taken in the ER. The Hyuga helped his injured fiancé to climb in the passenger seat, then he went on the other side, climbing on the driver's seat, that time putting his belt on. Better safe then sorry or what the hell people said. He put the key in the ignition but his right hand froze on the emergency brake.

"Neji?" Ten Ten was watching her loved one intently. She knew he was worried and confused. The amount of bad happenings in such a short amount of time was taking a toll on him. The said man took a deep loud sight, closed his lavender eyes tightly and slammed his head on the headrest.

"This is fucked up."

She put his hand on his one that was resting on the parking brake, intertwining their fingers in a tight hold. "I know…but we are going to solve this somehow. I am here to help you." She gave him a small tired smile. Ten Ten knew her fiancé was a strong man and seeing him down was making her heart clench. The said man opened his eyes and turned his head on his right facing her.

He studied her face intently, aware of every scratch she had from her fight as well as her swollen cheek. Neji felt bad he wasn't there to protect his colleague and fiancé when they were in danger. The Hyuga retracted his hand slowly from hers, took a hold of her check gently, caressing the soft skin with thumb and leaned in, capturing her lips with his own in a quick kiss, the woman responding his movements instantly, her then free hand making its way to the back of his head, pulling him closer to her.

They broke apart, both panting, eyes closed.

"Thank you dear, you are the best."

"Heh…we both know who is the boss in here."

The said man gave a knowing smirk. "I wouldn't stand getting orders from anyone that is not you, Senju and Uchiha be damned."

"Careful not to damage their egos further, otherwise we are going have another two cases of sudden combustion." Neji, pushed the emergency brake down and pressed the gas pedal, the said big car making its way to the exit. Once they passed the building's big gates, Neji turned the GPS on and headed west, on the left, with one purpose in mind: going home and talk to Itachi. Man they had a lot of shit waiting for them.

"Honey…do not even mention it. I need at least one sane person around me."

Was there a possibility for a thick fog, electric charged to come and make her disappear like USS Cyclops in the Bermuda Triangle, and make her appear in another universe? Cos Sakura would really appreciate the unfortunate occurrence. Her cerebral activity turned into a straight line, any thought left flying on the wind.

"_WHASHDKSHDKHF WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?! Is Uchiha Itachi that much of a dumb idiot or is imbecility a family trait?! That is impossible, no way would he have given away my cover, no matter how much the Akatsuki hates us, mission comes first!"_

God, the Sound agent couldn't believe the man in front of her, or dare she say…the one hovering over her (his lips were still dangerously close to her ear and the raven cunning haired man didn't even budge a freaking millimeter). It was crystal clear the older Uchiha didn't give away any information regarding their link, she knew that he himself was concealing his CIA identity from everyone, so his younger version was probably trying his luck with her.

She could have predicted he was going to call his brother for information about her, but she really hoped Itachi wasn't that much of a dimwit to tell him his true location. And Akatsuki called the Sound dumb. They were even worse than baboons.

And the way he was speaking….he was beating around the bush, he was only taking guesses. But even so…Sakura couldn't believe the kind of person Sasuke was…She met him two days ago and he was able to find out that much about her already. He was no ordinary person that was for certain.

"How can I be close to your brother if I have never met him personally?"

"Are you suggesting that I lied or…he lied?" Sasuke already found out what he wanted: his maid and brother had a hidden connection. It was just obvious from the way they reacted to his question. What he was doing further was just payback for her guts.

He was still really angry, but he couldn't lower himself to vent on the ugly looking fragile creature in front of him, his all ancestors would have turned in graves of shame. The young Uchiha would give Suigetsu and Naruto (where was the blond dobe anyways?) a call later for a round of shots at the bar…among other things. It has been quite a lot since he had any.

"I am not suggesting anything, I am talking just for myself. If Mr. Uchiha doesn't grow vegetables somewhere in Italy to state we are neighbors, then he might have been talking about another person that shares the same name as mine."

She truly started to sweat, the heaviness of the situation suffocating her. Sasuke tilted his head a bit, gently rubbing the tip of his nose on her earlobe, making sure the young woman felt his every exhale fanning on her. He could feel her small frame going even more rigid and the hair on her arms rising with every move he made.

The Uchiha heir could feel her own body heat radiating, mixing with his own and could see she had troubles keeping her cool and breathe normal. Her lips were partly opened, trying her very best to take in every gulp of air available. Like she was underwater inside a sinking submarine. If the situation was different and the girl in front of him was a completely other person, Sasuke would have found the atmosphere quite arousing.

Like a romantic scene in a movie where the leading actors were waiting for the producer's signal to connect in a heated final kiss. But he would be damned if he touched that maid of his in any way possible. If she being a commoner was not a shame to a man with his social status, the way she looked like was definitely a hot gossip topic.

"And how would you know…he doesn't have a farm somewhere in Italy, hm?" He didn't move in the slightest from his previous position, maybe he leaned his body even more, almost touching her own. Sakura was resting somewhere underwater, on Titanic, drinking cocktails with Edward Smith's spirit on the main deck, a choir of violins playing in the background.

Holly hell she couldn't even focus on anything right then and her body was acting in a funny way. Her mind was slowly getting dark, senses more accurate. She could feel things she normally wasn't aware of, like the pins and needles on her lips when his hot mint breath was enveloping her or the sound of his heartbeat.

Sakura didn't know why, but it became impossible to stay put, her body growing heavier with each passing moment and she felt her muscles constrict like she was running the marathon. And also she felt an unknown burning sensation on her most sacred regions, like there was something missing from her, expecting to come and fill her every body cell and the young woman realized it was all caused by the one and only Uchiha Sasuke`s too close proximity.

Of course, she was a woman and he was a man, she reasoned it was a normal reaction, but what was not normal in her opinion was the fact that she was not bothered by the small distance between them, she was certain she wouldn't mind him being even closer to her. And that was scary, because she was not aware of the level of attraction she felt towards him.

"I don't know. You are making guesses forcing me to tell things that are not the truth." In her moment of dizziness, Sakura forgot where she was or the position they were in and, acting on pure instinct, turned her head in the direction of the sound, slamming her forehead on Sasuke`s, her small nose touching his own, successfully bringing her rosy lips impossibly close to his own mouth, taking both of them by surprise, because she and the Uchiha froze in that position.

Sakura swore she was flickering like the Olympic torch and her body was definitely screaming for water. For the lack of better term, she was on fire. Her all senses were screaming at her to put her hands around his neck and close that barely there distance between them. There was nothing she was aware of, except the man in front of her, time long forgotten in a distant universe.

Little did she know, the young heir was having similar thoughts as her. Sasuke couldn't understand how things took such a turn, but he wasn't expecting him to be this worried by the situation. He lost the count of women he had long time ago, his experience speaking volumes, meaning never losing control no matter the situation. But to feel like wanting to lean in and slam his lips on this maid's ones was another story.

Someone should explain his apparently dumb brain how in the world was he feeling any sort of attraction to someone that looked like the Little Match Girl from Hans Christian Andersen's story. She was a blob of uncombed hair, her clothes looked like they were taken straight from the garbage and her general appearance was absolutely revolting. She was just like the poor children he was raising funds for.

Then why… Unconsciously, he fixed his gaze on her parted lips and what was visible from her chin and cheeks and couldn't help but notice that despite the fact that she looked like a beggar, the pink haired woman had the most beautiful lips he ever saw, in the color of a pink rose, full and luscious, like the softest velvet, almost inviting him to have a taste.

And her fair pale complexion, like a precious pearl, glowing in the depths of the ocean, looked just as inviting as her lips. For a second, the thought of her concealing her appearance as she was doing with her past crossed his mind. Sasuke truly cursed that messy hair and big glasses for hiding the view of her all face. The raven haired man really wanted to discover all of her. He could feel Sakura`s own hot ragged breath mixing with his own, like she wanted to breath her life into him, and the fact that her small nose was touching his own didn't help his train of thoughts either.

It was a miracle how in the world did they have any control not to go for it. Probably the fact that they were frozen in shock because of the unexpected situation. Sakura didn't know how much time did they stay in that position but she was sure as hell didn't find it in her to care.

She was too engulfed in a fusion of new sensations washing through her system to be aware of how awful the situation really was. Just what in the world was her boss thinking about? She wasn't sure he was angry at her anymore.

But she would be damned if she raised her emerald eyes and look into his dark ones, cos she knew if she did that, she was going to be a lost cause. But just as she was having her own fantasies started to root inside her brain (damn Karin and her pleasure in corrupting her poor innocent soul with her seduction advices and tips-always too detailed for her poor heart, that woman had no boundaries whatsoever when it came to being intimate with someone-), her boss stood up and turned his back on her, combing his raven locks with his hand.

"I finished my business here. Let's go."

It was his enchanting low voice that has made Sakura snap from her reverie and get a hold of herself. _"Oh shit THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS…"_

"Are you coming or not?" Her bastard of a boss was already at the door, laptop bag in his right hand, car keys in the other, a black leather jacket over his white shirt. Wow wasn't he a fast one! Sakura jumped from her seat almost losing balance, stumbling till she came right in front of her expecting boss.

He threw one more glance at her, like he wanted to confirm something, shook his head once, opened the door and exited his office without further notice, with Sakura tailing after him, taking the same elevator she used when she came with his secretary, neither of them talking or even sparing a glance towards each other.

Sasuke was resting his shoulder on the left side of the elevator, Sakura glued to the other side. They looked like a troubled young couple coming from a marital counseling. Luckily no one used the elevator while they were in it. The situation was more than awkward. When the elevator doors opened, Sasuke was the first to bolt out after he spared her a quick glance.

The Sound agent followed his boss suit, slightly curious of where were they going, because Sasuke wasn't heading towards the first entrance. While they were crossing the large main hall of the company, she couldn't help but feel annoyed of the hateful stares thrown at her from the apparently jealous woman around.

She couldn't care less for she was sending dark vibes in their general direction as well. She looked at her boss who seemed oblivious to all the attention he was getting. He walked like a prince in his castle, not bothered by the fact that woman were trying to undress him with their lustful stares, his posture straight and unfaltering, his hard stare fixed right in front of him, a hand in his pocket.

The way he was dressed and his attitude made him look like the head of a feared gang leader or like the hot bad guys that terrorize the high schools in teenagers movies. He was basically radiating sexiness and the effect he had on his workers was so obvious that it was almost laughable.

Sakura was certain those drooling women would have been willing to work for free there just to see him everyday. They took some more turns, then went down the stairs to what looked like the basement. Correction, it was not a basement, it was a huge underground parking lot.

Of course, the annoying fellow was doing only big things. And he was driving a freaking black Maybach Exelero! "_HOLLY HELL THIS SHIT IS WORTH $8 MILLION!"_ Sakura was rich herself, she could afford anything she wanted no problem, but that man lived on another whole level of luxury. The only people so rich she knew were his brother Itachi, the Hyuga kid and Orochimaru.

Not even Senju Tobirama was that excessive. God, she quickly opened the door and slided in the passenger seat. The interior was even more spectacular. That moment threw Sakura 7 years back in time, because she felt so small all of sudden. That man's life was so different from hers in all the aspects. He didn't spare her a single glance while starting the ignition and slamming the gas.

He maneuvered the expensive vehicle swiftly through the parking lot. And when he pulled out a pair of brown Ray Ban aviator sunglasses Sakura really felt like an actress on a movie. Her boss was sporting the Hollywood look like a pro. And he truly drove like a pro. It was funny as hell watching people, especially youngsters stopping in their tracks and watching in awe at his car.

The young agent used to do that when she was poor. She was used to Karin's the manic of the roads driving, when Sakura truly felt like she was at a rock concert, because she was headbanging in the passenger seat whenever they came to a stop or a zebra crossing.

Not with her boss, because Sasuke was a smooth driver. She secretly asked herself if he was that gentle and careful when doing other stuff as well…god she wanted to slam her head on the door…but better not risk a scratch…on the door.

To her utter surprise, Sasuke was a role model in traffic. And having a car, worth more than most people gained in a lifetime, passing on the streets at the speed limit was definitely a sight to behold.

But just as they arrived to the last intersection before the neighborhood Sasuke lived in, entering the roundabout in an attempt to take an U-turn, a car that didn't have priority came from their left at a high speed, almost colliding with the car Sakura and her boss where in. God only knows how the Uchiha managed to avoid a collision by swerving to the right and slamming the brake, the car coming to a halt, almost throwing both of them from the chairs, if not for the seatbelts.

"Fuckin imbeciles."

Sakura turned her head to her boss, but he wasn't looking at her, rather then on the window, following the said car that didn't even stop to check what happened. She did the same and almost wanted to get off and throw a senbon in their tires. Of course she recognized the killer car that almost hit them if not for Sasuke`s incredible reaction time. A black SUV, looking like a house on wheels.

It was Akatsuki`s car, they probably left the hospital Naruto was in and were heading home. Now Sakura could understand why Neji (she took a guess it was not that Ten Ten woman driving, Sakura knew she had an injured leg) didn't stop the car to check on them. He probably saw who was driving and wanted to avoid any question or conflict.

The Sound agent knew her boss` suspicion on everything surrounding him, so it was pretty obvious the Hyuga heir wanted to avoid any unnecessary conversation. She knew they were probably in a hurry to talk to their leader, just like Sakura wanted to go home and have a chat with her Papa Orochimaru about the latest events, that was why she decided she wouldn't give them a surprise call and curse them to the hell and back for almost winning her a ticket to the hospital.

_"I knew they were trouble…"_

Sakura looked at Sasuke one more time to see his reaction, but she was surprised to find none. _"What the hell…"_ He didn't look scared in the slightest, like things like that happened to him on daily basis and he didn't even flinch. Instead, his hard stare was intently following the speeding car.

Sakura knew he couldn't see the driver or anyone in the car because the windows were dark tinted and he was too busy avoiding a collision to even take a front look so what was he focusing on, the Sound agent had no idea. Well…he was a strange one to begin with.

"…hn…" The raven haired Uchiha gave a small smirk (Sakura really looked at him like he has grown up green horns), turned the wheel and started the car, exiting the roundabout, not in the slightest worried or bothered or whatever reaction normal people would have. He didn't even look angry. Overwhelmed by the occurrences the young Sound agent didn't even realize what the Uchiha was really looking at.

Of course, Sakura has seen that there were many people starting to gather, because seeing a luxury car almost being involved in a collision was not an everyday occurrence and probably her brooding boss wanted to avoid people realizing who was driving it. That and there was already a traffic jam forming.

But what really threw her off was his following question. "Are you ok, Haruno?"

"_Huh?!"_ Why the hell was he asking her that?! Of course they took a violent turn, but it was not such a big deal anyways, it is not like they were hit or something…"Y-Yes it was nothing Sir, t-thank you."

Oh, that was it. Sakura then realized, she was slightly trembling and stuttering. She watched in the mirror and saw she was slightly pale and sweaty as well. She wasn't even aware of the fact and here the Uchiha heir saw it from the beginning, when she was certain he didn't even spare her a glance.

Sakura knew exactly why was she reacting that way. It was because she was involved in a terrible car accident three years ago and she barely escaped alive. She collided with a drunk man on the highway that came from the opposite direction, her car being thrown on a pillar, smashing violently.

The said woman spent four months in the hospital, three weeks in the ICU. Orochimaru was dead worried and Anko didn't left her hospital bed until the doctors said she was going to be fine. It was a miracle she escaped that one, so her body was reacting that way whenever she was reminded of that incident.

"Hn…I am not driving a wagon, nor I am the dobe. You are safe."

Sakura was speechless. Did he just try to make her feel better? Because as stupid as that sounded, it worked. Hearing his husky voice, speaking soothing words really had a calming effect on her and she didn't know why, but the young lady believed him when he said she was going to be ok.

He had an aura that screamed strength and comfort, which was twisted because she was the one that had to protect him, not the other way around. At least, he was talking to her, pretending like the almost kiss they had in his office never happened, so the atmosphere wasn't an uncomfortable one any longer.

"Y-es Mr. Uchiha, thank you." She took a look at his profile. He was really relaxed, having his left hand on the wheel, the other on the armrest. And those glasses and the jet black jacket, the same hue as his hair…God Sakura knew that the AC was not the only thing turned on in that car…

"Neji are you nuts?!" Ten Ten was really scared. What the hell, they almost collided with a car (it was not just a car, that thing looked more expensive than their villa in Italy)

"Shut up woman, I am driving."

"Driving? More like trying to get ourselves killed! What the hell was that?"

"I was in a hurry ok? We have to get home fast, I don't even know where his car came from. Damn bastard, he was always incognito."

"His? You mean you know whose car was that? And we didn't even check if they were all right NEJI!"

"Don't you know? That was Sasuke`s new Maybach Exelero." Neji really couldn't understand the Uchiha`s hobby to spend money on stupid shit like that. He was more for investment than throwing his income on the window.

"OMFNGNSDFMDS WHATTTTTT! So you almost hit Sasuke`s car?! Oh my God you idiot you know how bad that would have been?! What if you hit him for real?! How funny would have been to explain to him what the hell are we doing driving a bulletproof SUV like maniacs on the roads, dressed like this and hurt?!"

"Yea yea I know stop screaming into my ear, besides I managed to avoid him on time."

"Avoid?! Uchiha probably slammed that brake with all his might to stop his car…and what was with the move he did on his right to avoid collision?! That was freaking amazing, I only saw that during car racings on TV!" Ten Ten was the one closer to Sasuke`s car and she saw the whole scene, but she couldn't even explain how the said man managed to avoid them with what looked like minimum effort.

"How should I know, it was probably the car's advanced braking system technology doing for all I know. One problem after another, fucking hell…" Neji was really tired and angry, he didn't even see Sasuke and his car taking the U-turn in the roundabout, but the idea of almost hitting him was…he didn't want to go there. Just explaining it to his older relative was giving Neji the headache of the century. That man was a beast when it came to his younger brother.

"Technology my ass…we are lucky he avoided us God only knows how." Ten Ten crossed her arms on her chest, pouting comically. Damn was she pissed.

"Yeah…whatever…you are not hurt, aren't you?" In all honesty, Neji didn't quite like the young Uchiha too much. Sure, they were all family friends, but he was closer to Naruto and Itachi then this one Uchiha.

He didn't care that much if he hit his car, his new ultra-expensive toy would have probably taken the impact, without any serious material damage (the ego was something else). But his fiancé was another story…

"No…I am not…good thing I wear the seatbelt." She put her small hands on her face. "Damn I am fucking tired…just how far is that damn villa anyways, I wanna go home and sleep for a month?"

"We are almost there, hang on."

"Neji…are you going to guard Naruto tonight?" She asked him on a more serious note.

"Yes, I intend to. Now taking into account everything that happened, we cannot be sure of Lorane`s next move. "

"You are tired."

"We do not have a choice."

"…let me help you, I can guard him the other half of the night and you can rest."

"Stay put Ten Ten, I need you to go home and sleep. You are injured."

"But Neji you…"

"Just listen to me honey, we don't have time to play around, this is serious. No more screw ups."

Ten Ten really hated the Hyuga`s stubbornness. She knew he was more than tired, he looked like he would collapse any moment from then and the fact that he almost collided with Sasuke from all the people was a sign he wasn't in top shape.

But there is no point in arguing with that man when he spoke in that throaty commanding tone. "…seriously Neji you are even more stubborn than the Uchiha."

"Yes, but you love me nonetheless."

"…fuck you Neji!"

"Maybe later dear."

8 p.m Sasuke`s home

After Sasuke parked the car in his garage, he went straight to his room, mumbling something about taking a shower and he expected something to eat (he sure eat a lot for a man with that toned body and honestly Sakura hasn't seen him training or something…yet), so Sakura went in her own room, changing clothes, washing her face and hands (she wanted to drown her head in cold water to calm herself), then headed in the kitchen thinking on what would the human ice cube like to have as dinner (besides tomatoes of course).

"Bah…this man is impossible, how should I know what the hell does he want to eat, he ate two hours ago for Heaven's sake!" She stomped a foot on the ground, crossing her hands in front of her chest, brooding. "Stupid freak driving me nuts…I bet he does it on purpose just to piss me off."

"ARGH forget it! I am going to ask him!" So the Sound agent headed back to the stairs, up to his room. She knocked twice, no reply.

"Mr. Uchiha, what would you like for dinner?" She knocked again, harder, no reply as well. She was tempted to kick that damn door. But she refrained from doing so and slowly pushed it open.

"..Ah…I am sorry Sir, but I wanted to know what would you like to…" She didn't finish her sentence because when she proceeded to open the door more, a firm hand grabbed the knob and cracked it roughly, forcing her to stumble forward, almost colliding with the owner of the room.

Sakura gained her balance quickly, avoiding a collision. "I am sorry for barging in Mr. Uchiha, I tried to knock but you…" Her breath hitched in her throat the moment she raised her eyes from the ground.

Her dear bastard of a boss was basically naked, except for a dark blue towel around his waist, hanging dangerously low and a smaller one on his damp hair. Apparently she was disturbing his showering.

"_OMG" _Sakura was mentally jumping for joy, screaming like a damn fangirl at the sight in front of her. She knew Sasuke was a fit man, but god damn it him without a shirt was completely another story_._

"_Look at those muscles just how many hours does this imbecile spend in the gym? Or can a living be this toned having so much sex? I need to ask Karin about that…"_ No matter how much she tried Sakura`s eyes were glued to his abs, her mouth hanging open like a loser. _"He has an eight pack are you shitting me?!"_

Sasuke was eying the creature in front of him…amused to the max. The way she was ogling him like he wasn't even present in the room was too damn funny…and adding it to how she looked like…god she had problems in containing his laughter.

"…I heard you the first time Sakura, no need to be so…persistent." Of course he dropped his voice on purpose, sounding even more sensual than usual. He wanted to avoid teasing her after what happened in his office, but screw that shit, he couldn't help himself to mock her.

Sakura snapped from her staring and shook her head like the rotor head of an helicopter. She felt the urge to bang her head on the door.

"Ah,…I…wanted…you…I mean…dinner…" She slapped a hand on her forehead, her head hung in shame. Why was she becoming an idiot in front of him all the times was a mystery to Sakura.

"Just go make a sandwich or something, do I need to baby sit every step you take? God Haruno, here I thought you were smarter than this."

"I….y-yes, I am…ah…going to make a sandwich…" And she run to the stairs, vanishing from the sight, leaving a smirking Uchiha behind, leaning his frame on the door, towel drying his raven hair. _"Such a naïve and silly girl."_

The young heir called Suigetsu inviting him (more like telling him to move his lazy ass to the usual place) to a session of drinking until their livers screamed SOS.

He needed to drain his thoughts in something, and what better way to forget an awful tiring day than going to the club, with an imbecile to mutter the most idiotic things ever heard, drinking everything he could think of and find a beautiful woman to keep him company…and give him a good fuck. His hormones might have been in depression if he has fallen that low, to flirt with his ugly maid.

Sasuke called Naruto as well, but for some unknown reason the blonde dobe of his best friend was having his voice mail on. He left a message, but didn't get a reply which was weird.

Usually if the idiot was with a chick he would have been finished by then (the Uchiha basically made a hobby from teasing his small dick, well the Akatsuki agent was not exactly small, but compared to Sasuke or their sailor friend Suigetsu he was not that impressive) and call him back, but that time, he didn't.

"_Where is that damn dobe anyways…"_

The younger Uchiha grabbed some clothes from his drawer (contrary to popular belief, he didn't quite care about image, he looked like a male model in everything he wore), dressed up and went to his office, locking the door. He pulled out a tablet from his drawer and turned it on, opening a searching program. He then typed in the search bar a number he memorized.

_Search_: -G34 1079D US Government -

_Type Enter_

What the raven haired Uchiha really looked for when he almost collided with the SUV was obviously his plate number. And the fact that it belonged to the US Government didn't escape his sharp eye.

He also recognized the code belonging to Virginia, which he knew all too well because he has studied there. _"What a damn coincidence…"_ He pressed Enter and waited the information to load.

"Hn…now lets see who are Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, his friend."

A list of results appeared on the screen, followed by wide wicked smirk playing on Sasuke`s lips. He turned the tablet off, shoving it back on his desk.

"_So that's the way it is huh? Refuse them once and they will come back to bite your ass when you last expect it. The fucking retards…"_

Well, the young heir was really good at ignoring them, like he did in the past. He had more important things to focus on like tasting his maid's delicious sandwiches. He hoped they were just like the ones she made that morning.

Sakura watched his boss eating his toast with what looked like self satisfaction. It was weird cooking for someone else and be appreciated. She secretly liked the fact that Sasuke enjoyed her food, but she won't admit it loud.

"I am going out and I will come home late. You don't have to wait for me, I will probably be here in the dawn…_if the woman I am going to fuck senseless will be worth the trouble_…"

"_Unfortunately, I will not be able to do so even if I wanted to you motherfucker, because I have to baby sit your pretty ass_…of course, Sir."

"Hn…by the way, you didn't give me your number, is bothersome to call you on the home phone."

"_Oh shit I thought he wasn't going to ask me about that_…I am afraid I do not posses such a device."

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking skeptical." You don't have a cell phone?"

"I am a poor woman remember? Those damn telecommunications companies are robbing people and I refuse to spend the money I do not have on their stupid services. Technology is overrated."

"Yeah, and living in the caverns would be a good alternative. I didn't know you entertain the life of a hermit Sakura." He stood up from the table, put the plate on the sink and exited the kitchen.

"I am leaving, please try not to burn down my house, the architect that designed it has passed away and his son doesn't show brilliant skills for the matter." He called for a taxi and exited the house.

Sakura wanted to take off her shoe and throw it at his back but refrained from doing so, choosing to spit some colorful chosen curses, picked up from Karin when she was at salon, doing wax. " I would only burn this damn house down only if you were in it you brainless Godzilla."

The Sound agent checked her GPS, making sure the nanoscopic device was still working and headed upstairs, calling Orochimaru. Her paternal figure's face appeared on the laptop's screen.

"_I thought you weren't going to call me anymore Cherry, I grew worried." _

"I am sorry Papa Oro, I got caught with…problems." She was pouting like a little child, making Orochimaru laugh softly. She was his spoiled little girl and she didn't have to hide from him.

"_Problems? You mean the Akatsuki or the young Uchiha?"_

"BOTH! Gosh I don't know where to start from. Are you updated with what happened today?"

"_Of course, I have been following you guys since I got the SOS signal. It got really bad."_

"Tell me about it…those Akatsuki members are fucking retarded."

"_I am sure they were caught out of guard. I have been studying the prosecutor's report and the pictures you have taken."_

"What do you think Oro, does it look like Lorane to you?"

"_The cuts on the two Shiseido employers` chests and the weird swords could make one think to Lorane, but there is something else that caught my attention."_

"What exactly?"

"_Do you remember the man you fought, as well as the other three suspects that fought the Akatsuki members?"_

Sakura knitted her brows at this. She tried hard to remember. "Yes. There were two swords fighters, but I am not sure the others were as well. According to what the Hyuga and his girlfriend said, the others used firearms and hand to hand combat. Also, the man I was fighting was not skilled in swords fighting."

"_Exactly. We know Lorane are swords masters and the fact that there were only two using swords is even more suspicious."_

"I am afraid I don't get what you want to say Papa…"

"_What I want to say Sakura, is the fact that the two suspects might be part of the Lorane, but their colleagues belong to another organization that apparently has joined forces."_

"…really? But I thought Lorane only used their henchmen. They are also really skilled in fighting arts. What would they need back up for?"

"_This is what I am trying to figure out as well. Also, the assassins that were attacking the Uzumaki were quite young and inexperienced, so I assume Lorane found it to either be an easy mission or they didn't want to use their best men as baits."_

"So you say that the real deal was the one that killed the Walmarkt heir, right?"

"_Yes."_

"God…this is fucked up, if Lorane has joined forces with mafia or some other organization, then is twice as bad news for us."

"_I am afraid that is not our only concern Cherry. Have you found out what occurred an hour ago?"_

Now Sakura started to panic. Another event? Just what in the world was with that particular day? "No, I was stuck with my bastard of a boss in his office and couldn't follow the news."

"_I see. I am not aware of the details myself, but it looks like the suspect that was detained in the police custody, as well as the other two deceased civilians that worked for Shiseido, were found carbonized. It looks like they had a SHC."_

Sakura, who took a sip from the orange juice she prepared, almost spit the beverage all over the screen. "What?! This is impossible, there is no such thing as spontaneous human combustion, that is only a theory for God's sake!"

"_I assure you Cherry I am not a stranger to the subject, but I have seen the photos sent by Akatsuki with the said corpses. I know it sounds surreal, but it looks like a possibility,"_

The Sound agent was having problems processing the news. "WHOOOO hold on Oro. So…you say that the only killer we managed to catch alive and use for interrogation is now in ashes, as well as the other two dead people that would have been really useful for investigating the cut in the shape of the pair of compasses and the blade of the sword used?"

"…_Yes."_

"Holly mother freaking shit, so we are basically left with no trance to investigate. And those imbeciles of Akatsuki members lost the last member's track. Just freaking great!" Sakura was fuming. Basically Lorane and its now questionable ally has successfully trolled them really hard.

"_That is not true. Akatsuki is going to send a CIA expert to investigate and send us the report."_

"So…back to the paranormal activity happening here, because I see we have to call the ghost hunters now…correct me if I am wrong: for someone to have SHC, two things are required and that being intensely high heat and a flammable substance."

"_Right. Two things the human body does not have, under normal circumstances, of course."_

"So, if we look at what the scientists say, all the cases have some things in common: they were either alcoholics or had a small contact with a flammable substance, as well as greasy residues and fetid ashes left after the combustion."

"_Do not forget that further investigation showed they were close to fire sources such as lamps, fireplaces, candles or cigarettes, as well as materials that have the ability to retain melted fats, like laminated flooring or carpets."_

"So it was basically a case of wick effect! Those bodies were melted in human fats, acting like candles. They burned up like Christmas Trees when they came in contact with a fire source!"

"_That might have been an explanation, only there were not such objects involved in this case. You might have been tempted to believe there was a candle or even a forgotten cigarette near the suspect, in his cell, but there was no such thing at the morgue near the two dead workers."_

Sakura was not the woman to believe in SF explanations, she was never a fan of unconventional theories. "What about the recent theory with the digestive enzymes present in the human intestines, ignited by the methane gas?"

"_I am not a fan of that theory, because the damage caused by the ignition is greater on the outside than inside and if that theory was right, it should have been the other way around."_

"Then it is all bullshit! I bet it was a trick played by that last killer that managed to escape us. He probably infiltrated into the cell and morgue and set the bodies on fire himself."

"_Yes, that is a good explanation, only it is a little bit incomplete."_

"Incomplete? Papa Oro do you have something in mind?"

"_I do have in fact. Remember the strange electromagnetic interference that jammed our GPS systems?"_

"You mean the one from the Mangekyou HQ?"

"_Exactly that one. I have found out there were two different things happening in the area, between the Mangekyou and Shinjuku hotel, meaning a powerful electromagnetic field surrounding the young Uchiha`s company and a powerful electrical charge in the atmosphere near the said hotel."_

Sakura was even more confused. Nothing from what Orochimaru was saying made any sense or had any relevance to the case.

"Ok, that is quite weird to know, but I don't understand where you are trying to get with that one. What is the link between spontaneous human combustion and electromagnetism or electric charge?"

Orochimaru gave a small smile at that, leaving the young lady in front of him even more thrown off.

"_Actually my dear cherry blossom, there is a very good connection between this events. Have you heard of Dr. John Abrahamson__?"_

The young agent shook her head no. "Never heard of."

The pale looking man crossed his arms, leaning further in his big chair.

"_He was a good friend of mine and colleague and a specialist in nanoparticle, mostly electrostatic dipoles on solid particles and aggregation of natural gas hydrate particles, all leading to the conclusion that SHC is caused by a ball lightening as a result of a buildup of __static electricity__ inside the human body."_

Sakura`s jaw hit the floor upon hearing that one. Leave it to a freaking genius to come up with such a conclusion, Orochimaru was one of a kind, no wonder he was the Otokage.

"No way!"

"_Exactly."_

"So you suggest that the suspect was there all right, but he didn't enter the morgue or the cell, rather than stayed confined somewhere around, using the same electric charge or electromagnetic field to cause those people to combust, as well as jam all the security systems and alarms, because I assume the fire sprinkler system didn't work either, alerting the other officers."

"_I couldn't have said it any better myself Cherry. Yes, this is my theory."_

"Papa you are freaking awesome I swear! It would have taken me ages to put the things together!"

"_Heh…it was nothing that impressive. Do not forget we still have problems and the suspect is still out there, probably long gone from Japan. They won this round all right and that heir and those innocent people remain dead. Be twice as careful from now on Cherry."_

"I know Papa, I know." Sakura let her back fall and hit the soft mattress of the bad in a tired manner.

"_So tell me my dear, how do you find your mission so far?"_

"IHHH Fucking amazing really, Sasuke is such a lovely and adorable man!" She took a pillow and covered her face with it, letting out a small agonizing scream. Orochimaru left out a short laugh seeing her antics.

"_I am sure he is an interesting man to keep you so fired up Cherry."_

"This is not funny at all Papa, he is basically driving me nuts!"

"_Well I am sure he knows how to treat a lady, giving his reputation."_

"Oh you have no idea! He is a manwhore in all the slutty meaning of the word. And he figured me out."

Orochimaru suddenly become serious at that statement. _"What do you mean he figured you out?"_

"He knows I lied to him and I am not a farm owner from Italy, as well as I came from Ravenna. He forced the confession out of me, as well as he spoke to Itachi on the phone and managed to god only knows how figure out we are connected in some way."

"…_this is not a good thing to hear Cherry. You cannot allow him to discover you are an agent."_

"I know Papa I know! But I don't know what to do, he is basically cornering me every time he gets the chance to make me sing like a canary. And he is way more cunning than Ibiki Morino, using both his charms and intellect.

Why didn't you tell me the stupid arrogant freak is just as much of a genius as you Papa Oro?"

"_I am sorry to hear this Sakura, but please hold your ground. We already have enough problems. I am going to talk to Uchiha Itachi about this as well, see if I can figure something out."_

"Thank you. Oh and one more thing: I need a means of transport."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in a questioning matter_. "A means of transport? Are you sure you absolutely need it? It would be quite difficult to send one to you and get you a driving license for Japan as well."_

"Yes! It is not like I can give him the nano GPS device to eat every freaking day, you know the overdose effects on the human body.

And I cannot take a taxi or God forbids a bicycle, this man is basically all the times on the road! Even now he went somewhere, but judging by the fact that he took a taxi I assume somewhere to drink and find some women to keep him entertained."

"…_I see. I will try my best to send a motorcycle to you as soon as possible, via one of our planes. You just focus on him and do not let any assassin near him."_

"I know I know, I have his GPS signal for 12 more hours. I am going to take a shower and head in his direction. I do hope he is not having fun in the most deprived place possible, my innocent mind is hurting already."

"_Heh, he is probably in some fancy looking exclusive club. I suggest you do not go there dressed like that."_

"…thank you Papa Oro, I really need someone to remind me just how awful I look like."

"_Nice hair style by the way. What happened to the wig I gave it to you?"_

"Just…don't go there…"

"_Ok ok. Cherry I am hanging up, there are some news coming I need to sort. I will keep you informed. Call me if anything happens."_

"Of course." She let out a small sheepish beam. She really loved talking to Orochimaru, his presence was calming and comforting, not to mention he was always solving her dilemmas.

"_One more thing Cherry."_

"Yes Papa?"

"_Be aware of the young Uchiha, he is a dark horse." _

And with that Orochimaru hung up.

"_Huh?! What the hell did he mean with that one?" _Oh well…who knows…time to work, but first SHOWER AND TIRAMISU TIME BABE!

"…_So this is what happened…"_

"Yes. This is all I know for the moment."

"…_.Fuck."_

"I wouldn't have summarized it better myself."

A really tired Hyuga heir was currently talking to an equally tired looking Uchiha Itachi, Ten Ten dead to the world in her room.

"_I analyzed all the data, but nothing seems to make any sense Neji. First the suspect managed to fool us all, escaping our eyes two times, then all the others burned spontaneously with no witness or video record available._

_The police is in the shadows, they are all expecting the forensic expert to come, he is going to arrive in Tokyo in two days."_

"So our hands are tied until then."

"_Apparently, yes. But…I took a closer look at the pictures we got from the Sound as well as the information I gathered from your little encounter with the assassins and the police report and I have found out something interesting."_

"Really? What exactly?"

"_I studied the diameter of the hole left in the Walmarkt heir's chest, as well as the one from your bulletproof vest and I was able to determine the caliber of the bullet, and after having done some more measurements, I was able to find out the trajectory and the speed as well."_

"…are you trying to teach me a physics lesson now, leader?"

"_No Neji, I am not trying to play the teacher with you, I am trying to tell you that I was able to determine the gun they used for both killing that man and shooting you."_

"Now that is really interesting, but I do not see how is this so important to our case."

"_The typical bullet diameter is 0.355–0.357 in (9.0–9.1 mm)." Itachi was getting impatient. Man he really hated when people didn't get what he wanted to say. He knew his subordinates were tired and injured, but they were not a bunch of amateurs now, were they?_

Neji looked at Itachi in a weird way. He was brooding, an eyebrow slightly lifted and his lavender eyes betraying confusion. He really looked totally lost. "And? What is this supposed to mean?"

"_Neji…they used the exact same firearms as the CIA agents."_

The Hyuga heir almost had a heart attack upon hearing that and he was sure his brain turned to jelly, swimming in his head like a jellyfish.

"_WTF are you shitting me?! Is this some kind of joke or a really not funny at all coincidence?"_

Itachi covered his face with his right hand, rubbing it slightly. His eyes were bloodshot and started to sting and he had a painful headache. _"How can it be a coincidence when our guns are 100% customized?"_

"Then what do you suggest, that they have robbed us or something?"

"_I don't know, this is what I am investigating. I don't want to suggest we have a leak of information or a spy among the CIA members. Maybe they have stolen the technology…somehow."_

"This is awful Itachi, think about it, if they use the same technology they are basically able to jam all of our devices without a problem. We are two steps back in this game."

"_I am aware of the situation, do not need to remind me."_

"What about the ones that had spontaneous human combustion?"

"_I don't see any connection on that one, my guess is that things are not that simple. This is only my opinion, but I think the guy you didn't manage to catch had done something to cause that thing to happen….."_

"Yeah, that sounds more reasonable. What is Hokage`s opinion by the way?"

"_He is screaming and cursing at everything that crosses his way. Last time I saw him, he was in his office with a bottle of Rum, mumbling something about that damned snake man and his team saving our incompetent asses once again._

_He sent the data we collected to the DI and __DS&amp;T for further investigation. Apparently, he finds my theory plausible."_

"…good."

"_How is Naruto?"_

"He has been put into ICU. They are going to transfer him into a private room by tomorrow morning. He is going to be fine. I talked to the doctor. Orochimaru got us covered pretty well."

"_I know. He was quick to act, that was good."_

"Yeah…we were lucky Athena was there as well, she saved his ass."

"_I was informed by that as well. It was good having someone with medical knowledge there, but we cannot keep relying on her every fuckin time, she is there for another purpose."_

"That's true. By the way leader…"

"_Hm?"_

"I am going to tell you something you wouldn't like in the slightest."

"_Don't tell me Akatsuki`s new policy forbids male agents to wear their hair long."_

"NO! Something less painful and horror than this one…"

"_What is it then?"_

"Today…I almost crashed your younger brother's car."

Itachi looked like he wanted to grab a bazooka, jump through the screen and play GTA, using the pearl eyed Akatsuki member as a human target.

RIIINGGGGGGGGGG

A soft voice answered the call as soon as he saw the ID and the number: "Yes?"

"_Juugo…"_ A deeper low baritone voice was heard from the other side of the line.

"Mr. Uchiha, how can I be of your help?"

"_I need you to do something for me."_

"Of course."

Sakura was eating her Tiramisu enjoying some fancy radio channel she found, in the kitchen when her phone rang. She looked at the ID of the caller: Aburame Shino. She furrowed her delicate eyebrows. _"Aburame?" _She pressed ok.

"Hello?"

"_Sakura, this is Shino Aburame, can you talk?"_

"Yeah. I was expecting your call"

"_Good. I have investigated the strange magnetic field manifesting in your boss` office and got the results."_

Sakura was glad to hear that, especially since Orochimaru`s revelation about that day's events. "So? Have you been able to find out anything."

"_Not quite. I think your EMF meter was either damaged or used incorrectly. The data you have sent is not possible."_

"What? Shino I am certain I got it all correct. I have done the measurements three times in all the surrounding area."

"_Sakura, what you have there is not possible for some normal dude's home. If that information was sent by NASA that would have been another story."_

"And that means what?"

"_Let's suppose that your measurements are accurate. We both agree that the electromagnetism manifesting in the Uchiha`s house is not a natural one. _

_For one to control the electromagnetism and focus it on a particular area, electromagnetically inhomogeneous material is required, and it is not something you do in your garage using some metal you found in the trash. _

_When the particles are charged, you need a strong source to accelerate the electrons to such a speed in order to generate the electromagnetic field. And the frequency is also an utopia."_

"I am afraid to ask…but what are you talking about?"

"_Sakura, the frequency, the wave length and the energy of that magnetic field beats every other frequencies known by far. "_

"So you say my measurements are incorrect because this frequency is not possible on the Earth, right?"

"_I didn't say it is not possible on the Earth. I only say I am not aware of someone having the necessary technology to build up such a device. I think the scientists from CERN have something that comes close to that frequency, but as far as I am concerned, it is still experimental."_

"…ok, so I got it all wrong then…but what would you say if I tell you there is this kind of electromagnetism manifesting in other place as well?"

"_Then that changes everything. Once place might be coincidental, but two different places measured with different devices means serious business. Did it happen elsewhere as well?"_

"Yes. I got the results from Orochimaru and he did the EMF measurements himself. He got the same results."

"…_.."_

"Shino?"

"…_this is impossible."_

"Why do you say that? Maybe someone discovered the technology and used it."

"_Then we are in big trouble if there are such advanced devices targeting us."_

"We are not sure if it was directed to us or used for protection. Just out of curiosity, have you ever measured such a frequency somewhere else before?"

"_Yes, I did."_

"…where?"

"_On the Moon."_

And Sakura could have sworn all the CIA members were high all of sudden. First spontaneous human combustion then strange electromagnetism around her stupid freak boss Sasuke and the supposed Lorane killer.

RIIIIIINGGG

"Speak." His dark commanding tone echoed in the dark room.

"_It is done boss."_

"Excellent. You proved yourself worthy. I arranged everything for you. You are to leave Japan immediately. There is a plane waiting."

"_I understand Sir. I am hanging up."_

BEEEP

He put the phone down on his desk, laughing like the madman he was. His plan worked just fine. Let the new ordeal begin. They didn't need to rush things, his enemies were confused. He will take his time enjoying the show.

"_I like it when everything goes as planned." _

DIIIING DOOOONG

"GRRRR what now?" It was almost 2 o'clock in the morning and Sakura was enjoying a cup of black Ceylon tea, when someone rang at the door bell. After her conversation with the Aburame she was even more confused, her rest never coming to her.

She decided to just follow her boss on the GPS, she was too tired to personally check on him and she was almost sure Lorane won't try anything, they would have attracted too much attention. Was there something she overlooked or did wrong, or there was paranormal activity in that house?

She saw some TV shows with ghosts and spirits and knew there was electromagnetic interference whenever they were close. Maybe Sasuke`s deceased relatives were haunting him because he was a manwhore, to knock some sense into the next generation.

She went to the door, already in guard. Who could have been, not knowing her boss was not home? Any sane person would have given a call first, especially at that hour.

But when she opened the door, Sakura found out there was no one at the door, or in the garden or elsewhere around the house. And it couldn't have been any other person except for her and her boss, because no one had the key to enter the front gate first.

"_Oh my God is for real, this estate is haunted"._ The Sound agent wanted to go back in the kitchen and take a frying pan. In the horror movies, that was what the leading actress was doing before the climax…or before she got eaten by a monster or possessed by demons.

But when she cast her emerald eyes on the ground, she saw a small gift box, wrapped in pink, with a red ribbon, and a small card. Ok, now the ghosts were sending her welcome gifts. That, or Santa was pulling April's fools day pranks.

She bent down, taking the small box and shut the door, locking it. She headed to her room, with the sole intent of hiding under the bed if something came out of that box to give her hell.

At that point, nothing could have taken Sakura by surprise any longer. After Aburame`s confession, she really expected Peter Pan to come out from the box and take her to Neverland. Too bad she wasn't named Wendy. But she knew how to cook! _"I thing I am going crazy like Sasuke…"_

But the young Uchiha prodigy really knew how to make people consternated, because when she opened the small box, she found the cutest pink flip cell phone she ever seen, along with the following message written on the small card: _"Welcome to the 21__st__ century. S.U."_ The pink haired agent let out a wide smile, shaking her head.

"_Unbelievable…"_

RIIING RIIIINGGGGGGGG

"Huh?!" Apparently, she was receiving a phone call. She flipped the phone open, watching at the ID. It wrote Uchiha Sasuke.

Oh well, it looked like the human ice block wanted to check on her all right. She will change his name into something that fitted him better like "my boss the asshole" or "the cocky imbecile" as soon as she hung on him.

"Hello?" Oh God she thought she was going to go deaf. There was music blasting on the background like her boss was staying on a giant stereo. And some screams and other weird noises were heard as well.

And she almost dropped the phone in anger. If Sakura really hated something was getting orders. Especially from the world's number one player Sasuke, who was talking like someone was strangling his neck and cutting his balls…at the same time. He sounded drunk as fuck.

"…_come here…now."_ And he hung up on her.

Sakura bolted out of her room straight to the kitchen. The cocky bastard didn't even tell her where exactly to go. Thanks God she had the GPS signal coming from him. She needed a damn frying pan.

"Oh, I am so going to hunt a shitfaced bitch down!"


	13. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

The first thing that attracted Sakura`s attention when she got off the taxi was the amount of people present in front of the entrance door. The line was huge! Were all those people trying to enter that club or all the citizens were required to join the army all of sudden?

Some fat disgusting looking men were exiting the said crowded place to smoke or take a breath of fresh air, all of them accessorized with at least two skimpy looking whores hanging on their arms. _"Arms? More like sausages…"_

She quickly took in their attires: they were basically screaming rich people, all of them dressed in expensive looking clothes.

Although they looked like pings, they were fancy people. Classy suits, branded jeans and shirts, luxury jewelry, Rolex watches, fine expensive drinks, sports car parked all over the street was the perfect picture of rich heirs and billionaire owners of top companies.

The Haruno girl was not new to club life, oh not new at all! When one had friends like Karin and Anko, clubbing came in naturally. The pink dyed Sound agent was basically killing the dance floor every Saturday in Italy, only missing when they were on missions.

It was just like Orochimaru told her, Sasuke was the kind of man to only attend high class parties, that was his lifestyle after all. Now the young lady understood why he didn't take his car.

Ok, so he was careful not to drive after having few drinks. Unlike her red headed friend who had absolutely no problem in driving after flirting with half of the drinks from the bar.

Sakura still had traumas with Karin avoiding garbage cans, stray dogs and of course other cars, because people were backing away from her path, upon seeing such a person driving.

The Sound agent knew she had zero chances of getting in the said fancy looking club dressed like a beggar, the security guards were going to throw her out in an instant if she somehow managed to climb the walls and enter on the windows (she hasn't seen any so far).

What she was about to do was already risky for her cover but she didn't have a choice. She checked the tracking device. A small red beeping dot indicated her boss was in there all right, but the efficacy of the device was running low, because of the time passed since her boss ingested it.

It was not the fact that Sasuke told her to go there, it was his way of talking that didn't sit right with the young agent. She knew how the Uchiha sounded when angry, bored, normal or flirty and his tone was nothing like that.

Of course, it was pretty difficult to sense any inflexibility in his voice giving the high volume of the music and the screaming people, but she had a trained ear for details.

Sakura knew all to well how drunken people talked or sounded, even the dead drunk ones. She was always taking Karin home after their little girl's night outs, and although she was basically talking gibberish, she was still able to be coherent…in a way or another.

But Sasuke sounded neither of it, he managed to tell her to come to the place he was at, but his voice wasn't just of a drunk man, there was another thing that made Sakura worried.

His usually low baritone voice was huskier than normal, slightly hoarse, almost wheezy, like he was having difficulties in breathing normal. In a nutshell, he sounded disoriented and that was not a normal occurrence for a man like her boss.

The Sound agent knew that the Uchiha would not call her from all the people to go there, unless there was a serious problem. She was mentally slapping herself. How could she have been that naïve to think that Sasuke was safe if the suspects were either killed or most likely left the country.

That was a childish mistake that only an amateur would do, not a freaking trained top CIA assassin.

So, there she was, clad in a golden metallic tank top, with a bit of cleavage, revealing her well-endowed chest, an equally metallic black bolero over it, a pair of frayed short jeans that gave a delicious view of her toned legs and her combat black boots to complement the perfect club outfit and make her long milky legs to look even longer.

She used the hair dryer to straighten her hair, enhancing the fancy short bob hairstyle, the electrocuted caniche hair she was sporting usually, forgotten somewhere in her bathroom, at Sasuke`s house.

Sakura didn't bother to use any makeup, that would have been a bother to remove quickly if necessary, but she used a red wild cherries gloss on her full lips. And of course she left the ugly glasses thrown somewhere on the bed. To put it simply, she was a killer.

There were countless good looking women out there, parading in all their whorish glory, eyeing the loaded young and old men, trying to get their attention and all of them wore branded clothing, that were way to short or tight to be considered stylish or sexy, as well as impossibly high heels or platforms, that looked more like clothes irons than shoes.

But compared to Sakura they were laughable. All of them were so skinny that could be used in anatomy classes to teach the high school students the human skeleton, with no natural curves whatsoever.

They were all plastic and silicon, and their chest and butts could have been regarded as the doctoral thesis of the world's famous plastic surgeons.

The Sound agent was 100% natural. She had the body shape of a goddess, with perfect curves, in all the right places, not being vulgar or grotesque. And she had toned muscles, not even a trace of fat on her perfect figure, thanks to the hard training as an agent.

Sakura was a classical beauty, with feminine features and a delicate milky skin that only added to the air of innocence she had. Not even an outfit that would have been considered revealing made her look sluttish and that was the reason she was so outstanding whenever she went.

And that was exactly the reason why the moment men took notice of the pink dyed drop-dead gorgeous lady, their lustful drunk gazes were glued to her. Basically everyone from the male population was trying to undress her with their hungry looks, instantly turned on upon seeing such an unusual beauty.

The pink haired Sound agent knew exactly what she was doing. In all honesty, she felt like a skank, but she had no choice. Sakura knew very well that to enter such an exclusive night club one needed an access pass. And it was not like she was going to pull one from the hat. So the not so pleasant way to enter that damned place was to find a willing dude from the losers populating the area to take her in, on his account.

So she let her glowing emerald orbs wander through the crowd, in search for every available dude. She was no Karin when it came to seduction, but Sakura knew how to bat her eyelashes in the right way and swing her hips in a seductive manner.

She already had the exotic look so hooking up a drunk retard was not going to be brain surgery and judging by how the man were ogling her, the young agent already felt lucky.

Not even 10 minutes later (she waited in line like the other people there, just to appear interested, not that it would have been embarrassing not to, because there were many whores walking in circles wanting to get their ticket inside just like Sakura), some young guy dressed in a black shirt and some white pants (Sakura was eying him suspiciously because at first sight, he looked gay) and a hairstyle that looked painfully alike the broom hair, dyed platinum blonde, approached her without any shame, putting his hand on her small waist, like he was her boyfriend or something and let his eyes roam on her body.

"What is a sexy lady like you doing here alone, waiting in line like some commoner?"

"_You have just answered your own dumb question you fucking idiot_…I am waiting for a real gentleman to cross my way. I came here to party all night and I feel really lucky tonight."

She dropped her voice two octaves and used what she hoped was a flirty seductive tone, putting a small smile on her luscious lips, slowly blinking at the said man, to attract his attention to her mesmerizing eyes.

And judging by the way he pulled her even closer to his body, Sakura knew he took the bait.

"Then I say your night has just become even luckier. You have the most wanted gentleman right by your side" he leaned his head towards her and whispered at her ear in a low voice "….and some other places if you wanna" and planted a small kiss on her neck.

The Sound agent really prayed to all the Heavens to help her restrain herself from take that dimwit's filthy hand out of her, turn around and punch the living daylights out of his ugly face. Not only he touched her, but the freaking ugly beaver has kissed her! It was so disgusting, like she had a snail glued to her neck. Sakura felt like throwing up.

Not only the specimen was an ugly player, but he considered himself God gift for women, acting like a ridiculous character in a parody movie.

"Hey babe, stop being so tensed, the night has only began. How about we loosen up with some drinks, hm?"

Without wasting anymore time, the rich man pulled Sakura out of the line, walking straight to the entrance, feeling proud of his catch. Nevertheless, he got an ego boost upon seeing the hateful stares he got from the other possible candidates, being accompanied by a stunning looking woman, far superior to the other sluts.

Meanwhile, Sakura was having troubles in containing her anger. She never realized until then just how difficult was it for her read headed friend to pull out such missions.

No wonder the poor girl was always drunk after accomplishing her tasks, drinking until she couldn't walk straight, crying her eyes out and cursing the stupid perverted corrupt men to the hell and back.

She looked at the man that was becoming a little to familiar to her body (he attempted to shove his hand under her top to feel her skin, but she stopped him with a not so gentle grip) studying him better. He was not exactly ugly, not to fat but not really fit either. He was just a little bit taller than her and was walking in a funny way. Sakura noticed he was nothing like Sasuke.

Her boss was a way finer man than those clowns dressed in the most extravagant clothes, in a vain attempt to hide their limited condition.

The raven haired Uchiha was more subtle when addressing someone, his every move was tough-minded and nothing he did was coincidental or random, not even his flirting.

Not to mention he had a gentleness in the way he talk or moved, perfectly blending with his masculinity. He was never going to use cheap language and unintelligent lines to lure a lady.

The Sound agent was even more disgusted, she couldn't wait until she entered the club and lost the man that was holding her too close for her liking. He had zero charms or chemistry.

As soon as the pair arrived to the doors, the rich young man pulled out his access pass and shown it to the bulky security guard, that was eying them suspiciously. He took a hold of the pass, studied it intently (Sakura was mentally wondering if he even knew how to read), then gave it back to Tin Woodman with a small nod and let them pass.

"See? When you are with the right man, every door is an opened one." She told the shocked looked pink haired woman he was holding like he was afraid to lose her any moment, adding a stupid looking smirk on his already funny looking face, attempting to look sexy. Now the man was a philosopher. He must have learned those kind of replies from the internet.

"_Was that a smirk…pffff…Sasuke doesn't have competition in this department…_Yes, lucky me, hehe…"

Sakura gave him what she realized was the most pathetic excuse of a smile, hoping to sound polite. Inside, she was counting her chances to stab him with a needle without attracting any attention.

Nonetheless, the dude seemed pleased because he threw another attempt of a smirk and took her inside.

Once they got there, Sakura could have sworn she wasn't going to hear normally ever again. The music was so loud, that the young woman felt like someone has implanted a stereo in her vestibulocochlear nerve. She wondered how in the world were people able to communicate in there.

The place was huge and packed. There were so many people that made the young agent wonder just how in the world were the walls still standing. She and her "escort" were somewhere at what looked like the first floor, where a large bar and many glass tables were placed, loaded with people of all ages, drinking expensive looking liquor and fancy exotic cocktails.

There were people dancing everywhere one could have think of: on the huge dance acid stained concrete red dance floor, in the big cages hanging on the walls, even on the tables.

There was really dark inside, the only source of light being the lasers show, in all possible colors and the huge disco ball, creating an effect of metallic stars and dots on the walls. Sakura spotted the DJ mixing new hits, driving the audience crazy.

Men and women were dancing like they were possessed, hands thrown in the air, swinging their hips on the loud beat, looking wild and carefree, grinding their sweaty bodies together, driven by their obvious euphoric state and arousal.

They were basically making out in all the available places, not bothered by who might see them, some of them trying to be more discreet, hiding in the corners or lying on the sofas, the others basically going at it on the chairs or tables.

To put it simply, it was a big orgy. _"My god, I have to bring Karin here one day, she is going to love this shit…"_

Sakura was trying her best to keep her emerald orbs straight, in order to avoid watching the uninhibited men and lascivious women around, sucking faces and feeling each other, which proved to be an impossible task since almost everyone was doing the same thing.

"_I am going to murder the moronic excuse of a raven haired man as long as I cast my eyes on his drunken ass for calling me here, just wait until I put my hands on him….whatta" _

The Sound agent felt a hand on her bottom, belonging to the man she came in with, massaging slowly and trying to make its way down to her more private parts, as well as a pair of disgusting lips on the shell of her ear, trying to whisper something she couldn't hear.

Sakura didn't have time to play hard to get with the creepy rich boy, nor to waste it on the porn show in front of her, so without wasting anymore time, she pushed the offending hand off her body, leaned her head to the said man's ear and told him something about going to the bathroom first, than meeting him in a moment, and without waiting to see his reaction, sprinted in the opposite direction, swimming through the overdose of people, to the stairs.

She was not a tactician like the Nara boy, but the maid knew her boss was probably not a fan of dancing, so he was either at the bar, working intense on his hobby, or in the sofas and chairs more secluded area.

Sakura had a feeling Sasuke didn't like to show off his skills in pleasuring the opposite sex, so he was probably hiding somewhere far from the most crowded part of the club.

She didn't have the GPS signal of him anymore, because the effect of the nano device was over, so she had to search for him by herself.

The Sound agent attempted to call him and even sent a message from the phone he gave her, but to no avail and the signal strength was really low to begin with. She only had full signal on her own smartphone, but that was beside the point. She sighted heavily. That was going to take some time.

When Sasuke met Suigetsu in front of the said night club, they didn't even greet each other, but stormed straight to the entrance (it was not like the Uchiha heir was going to stand in line or god forbids waiting his turn-he was an Uchiha, they waited for nobody), not even showing their access pass, because as soon as the young raven haired heir throw a heated glance at the big fat security guard, the said man looked like he wanted to make a run for it, immediately recognizing the owner of the hateful look, opening the doors for him and his friend to enter.

Suigetsu was amused to the max every time his friend was acting like that. In his opinion, it was first class comedy. Also, hearing the really elaborate curses thrown at them from the other rich idiots that were waiting their turn to get in was worth all the money.

Suigetsu really thought he was going to die when a fat bald dude, with a long thick cigar (was he trying to compensate for something or what?), surrounded by a small crowd of other hideous looking equally bald pugs and their trashy streetwalkers screamed at Sasuke (he probably didn't see who he was addressing to) in what Suigetsu recognized as French.

But he wasn't sure, because the fellow was already drunk to begin with (who it the world went to a club already shitfaced, that was sacrilege in the fish looking man`s opinion), some things he didn't understand (Suigetsu failed his French exams in high school even more times than Naruto and his math).

He managed to create a commotion, successfully attracting the attention of the other people around (where the hell were all of those monkeys going to fit, was always a mystery to the pale boy), by waiving his fist in the air, while his huge golden bracelets were crashing with one another, sounding like someone hit the garbage cans with the car.

Also, he was muttering what were probably obscenities (no one thought he was complimenting the two young heirs), brooding and fuming, making the scene even more ridiculous, and when his followers joined the chorus, Suigetsu already had tears in his eyes. It was fucking priceless.

Meanwhile, his friend Sasuke was not in the slightest bothered by the scene behind him. He didn't even turn around to look in their general direction, probably not considering them worth the effort. Some people that were in the front of the line recognized the Uchiha heir (duh, who didn't?!) and watched just the show with the same enthusiasm as Suigetsu, their curious eyes looking between the raven haired man and the screaming French morons.

Well, the other men were doing so, because the female population was busy ogling Sasuke, looking like they were having standing orgasms (Suigetsu could have sworn some of them really had) upon letting their hungry eyes roam on his figure.

Many of them were eying Suigetsu as well, he was a hot guy himself, not as stunning as his brooding friend, but not far either. And he spotted some red headed chicks that passed his standards, already in flirty mode.

But just as they attempted to enter the night club, the persistent screaming rich man took some steps towards them, looking even more like an idiot, still bashing them in that intelligible language (he spoke more gibberish than French), probably attempting to be intimidating.

Suigetsu, who was laughing his head out loud along with some other people from the "audience" who probably understood French, or were just amused by the show the guys were putting up, knew what was about to come, so looked expectantly in Sasuke`s eyes, raising his eyebrow, silently asking him if he was going to take their shit, on snap.

With the most serene attitude anyone could have muster and his both hands shoved in his pockets, the Uchiha turned his head over his shoulder, threw the loud assembly a dark glance that looked like he was going to cover them in black flames and addressed them in his usual low husky voice, with a sinister hint in it, echoing through the street, in a fluent French, successfully silencing everyone, the daring fat man included:

"I had enough time to ignore a commoner like you the first time you opened you annoying mouth, so I suggest you stop throwing earsplitting decibels in my direction, unless… you have what it takes to prove yourself worth of my time."

Then, without even wait for a sort of reaction, he turned his head abruptly and entered the club.

"Stop fucking laughing already Suigetsu, you are more disturbing than Moby Dick and his friends."

The said man was having cramps already, tears in his eyes. When you were a young heir, those kind of occurrences were one of the fewest form of true entertainment and his stoic friend was always in the middle of some sort of altercation. Suigetsu was still watching with Naruto the video from the last Ball. He had three copies at home, it was worth more than gold.

And he was in hysterics when Sasuke told him exactly what those idiots were shouting, as well as his reply. All the way from the entrance to the bar (they came there with a purpose and it was obviously not showing up their artistry in dancing), Suigetsu was having difficulties in keeping his cool.

At least Sasuke wasn't able to hear him because the music hit him full force, successfully making him go deaf.

They managed to arrive to the bar with much difficulty, due to the amount of imbeciles populating the place, after pushing and shoving drunkards out of their way…and bold hands belonging to lewd women that were basically throwing themselves at the two young heirs, trying to attract their attention to their almost naked bodies.

Not that they cared, the lascivious women could wait, booze came first. They were going to have their fair share of willing ladies later. As soon as they finally got to the much craved place, Sasuke and Suigetsu found two available stools and sit.

Well…not quite available, because one of the stools was supporting some inebriated questionable looking skinny guy (he was dressed completely in pink leather), that looked dead, with his body leaking from the chair and his head on the bar, so Suigetsu like the helpful and polite guy he was, grabbed the collar of his shirt and throw him in the crowd, hitting a couple that was engaged in a heavy petting session, resulting in three people hitting the floor, in a very suggestive manner.

Suigetsu was mentally congratulating himself for his undying generosity and took a sit on the said chair, his friend Sasuke doing the same on the other. The shark looking boy was having so much fun and they weren't even there for 15 minutes. He looked at the Uchiha smirking.

The said raven haired boy looked pissed off in the other direction. He was waiting for the barman to finish flaunting his flair bartending skills and serve them that goddamn drinks.

Sasuke watched at the annoying fellow manipulating flaming liquors like a clown in what he thought was an entertaining manner. He wanted to laugh, the loser only wanted to attract the surrounding hooker's consideration.

Not that one needed to bother with that one, because in the world of luxury and money, the only women one could have found were the brainless monkeys, in search for a rich catch to cover them in gold and give them a social status, not ashamed to use their bodies as a price, in any way possible.

Real ladies like the Hyuga`s cousin Hinata were a rarity among them. You will not see such an educated and elegant girl, flashing her treasures in front of the hungry stares, in such a deprived place, looking for a good time.

When the said bartender finished looking ridiculous, he came to the expecting guys, asking them what they would like to have and even suggesting them his specialty (some fruity cocktails with what looked like glitter and bubbles). Suigetsu started to laugh…not that he actually stopped to begin with.

He was the kind of man to drink everything that contained alcohol and was expensive, as long as it was going to get him drunk, but his imagination was not that rich to picture the aloof Uchiha taste a beverage that looked like witches` concoctions (were those shit slightly flaming or was it lasers effect? Suigetsu was not too sure).

Both Suigetsu and Sasuke had a round of twelve shots, which resulted in a really drunk Suigetsu and a tipsy Uchiha, neither of them giving a damn about it.

Sasuke was already pouring himself whiskey, while his alcoholic drinking partner was taking large gulps of Brandy from the bottle, not even bothering with a glass.

Who cared anyways, everyone there had their own matters to attend, also when one had money who gave a damn about how the others saw them, but the young Uchiha still had his minimum of manners. He was not going to give the bottle a blow job like his unmannered so called friend, that was the parading hoes` dream job.

"Duuuude…how about you stop sinking in misery and tell Guru-Suigetsu what chick broke your balls this time, heh?" Suigetsu was not the one to hold his liquor well, in fact he was the first one to get shitfaced, but the man still continued to drink until he couldn't make the difference between the bottle and his own hand.

Sasuke witnessed him sucking his finger and asking the others where the Tequila was, because he already had the lime and salt. And of course, a drunk retard was even more annoying and talkative than necessary.

"Hn…" The Uchiha was not going to give the said man any attention, so he was ignoring him with talent, working on his…was that his 20th glass?

He couldn't give a damn about that. Plus, the too loud music was make it impossible for him to understand what that idiot of his friend trying to say. He looked like an old hag whining about her arthritis.

But Suigetsu was a persistent one, especially when it came to people he loved to annoy and the raven haired man was his number one target. The way he always looked like he constantly had a stick up his ass was too priceless.

He leaned in and hit Sasuke`s back in what looked like a friendly manner, putting a little too much force in it, almost making the young Uchiha spit his drink on the bartender (Suigetsu almost wanted that to happen, another episode like the one outside would have been more than welcomed).

The said man thrown him a hateful glance, almost daring him to do it once again. Suigetsu didn't move an inch, he was already immune to his friend's scary faces. But no one was going to ignore the Hozuki heir in that lifetime.

"Look…I know you too well…unfortunately. It is not like you to do things without a reason."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Are you trying to make the bar go bankrupt or are you just challenging some twisted world record?" Suigetsu was pointing his pinky at the empty bottle of whiskey and the amount of shots.

And Sasuke has just ordered another bottle of William Larue Weller Bourbon. The shark looking boy has never understood how in the world was his sulking friend able to keep his cool demeanor while drinking like a sailor.

"Hn…who are you, my mother? I thought you finally grew a dick Suigetsu." The raven haired man took the bottle, filled in his glass and emptied the content at once, repeating the same action.

Suigetsu was eying him suspiciously. He was never a good listener nor did he have the patience to play the psychologist, it was not his style. The Hozuki heir always thought that when people suffered from soul damage or heartbreaks or shit like that, they should see a priest, not bother other people.

That was the reason why he was friends with the Uchiha. You would never catch the raven man asking for help or complaining and that was a trait Suigetsu silently appreciated. He was strong and he was not afraid to show it.

Among the three of them, their blonde idiot friend was the one always attentive to their moods and feelings, taking the lead to scold them or listen to whatever problem they could have. When the three of them were together, Suigetsu felt like they were doing group therapy.

Naruto was not the one to give up or take "fuck off" for an answer. He was pestering them until they couldn't take it anymore and tell him what he needed to know. The Uzumaki was worse than a woman and had a big mouth to add to the fun.

Nevertheless, deep inside, Suigetsu was not a hypocrite to say that he didn't care about his friends. They bonded in high school and were inseparable ever since, despite the fact that Naruto has been more on the roads (just what in the hell was he doing anyways?) than home.

"Heh…so I am right. It is about a woman after all. I must say…she must be one in a million to get you so worked up." The purple eyed young man took a sip from his own drink (he couldn't even remember what was he drinking, it could have been

Sasuke took a peek at the people around. He spotted some (lot of) hot chicks eying him and giving him a generous view of what they had to offer, by bending their bodies on the bar, crossing their legs and taking sips of their own drinks in a seductive way.

"…more like…a million lies …."

A particularly good looking brunette has piqued the dark eyed man's interest. He gave her a small smirk and tilted his head in her direction in an alluring way, silently inviting her to approach him.

The said female got the message quickly (she looked almost desperate, judging by her quick reaction), because she got off the chair, smoothed her conic black mini skirt, took her own glass and headed his way, along with another equally sexy red headed woman, probably her friend.

Sasuke mentally laughed at this. Suigetsu so owned him for setting him up almost all the times.

Suigetsu tried hard to focus on the man beside him, failing miserably. There was freaking dark in there, with an amount of stupid purple lasers and fogs irritating his eyes, making it impossible to distinguish something, and adding it to the many drinks he had, the said man was certain he wouldn't be able to walk of the club on his own feet.

The young Hozuki had some experiences with him waking up in an empty club in the morning. Apparently his bastards of so called good friends were finding it funny to forget him in there.

And the Uchiha was already in mopey bitch mode, making Suigetsu want to both strangle him and laugh at his tipsy face. Seriously, he found the way his intoxicated friend was trying to act like he wasn't buzzed too epic. He entertained the idea to take his phone and record it.

"…What? Do you feel poetic all of sudden? Dude you should stop drowning in alcohol, your brain is screaming for a lifebelt."

Suigetsu never had any idea of what his friend was talking about, he was always using half words or illogic sentences, from that point of view, he was like his brother Itachi.

Sasuke was eying the already empty bottle intently, like he was trying to memorize its pattern. "Go nag some other people Suigetsu, I have more important stuff to do than listening to your shit."

"Yeaaah…I can see that." Suigetsu took a hold of his friend's glass and drank the remaining content, slamming it on the hard wooden surface. Were there small spiders moving on the bar? Suigetsu felt his mind going numb.

He was drunk as hell and he knew it. "So…just for the record…who is the lucky lady? An international model? An actress? A singer? Please don't tell me is another designer, I cannot stand any creepy skank criticizing my Sponge Bob T-Shirts."

Sasuke felt his head starting to spin. He could drink really much without getting shitfaced, but for some reason he wasn't holding it really well that night. And Suigetsu was still talking to him. Why the hell did he cared about what was bothering him?

Oh yeah, they were friends. And friends tell each other things. Men especially. Because real men were talking about teary romantic stuff and women were lifting weights. Their society was a normal one.

He turned his eyes in his shitfaced friend's direction. The moterfucker stole the last drop of the much needed bourbon.

God he was that drunk already. Sasuke really hoped the inebriated shark men didn't take his car, or the trip to his home was really going to be the "highway to hell".

"Why do you care anyways? Mind your goddamn business, last time I checked we weren't married."

"I don't care, but seeing the mighty Uchiha Sasuke crying over women is the funniest shit ever. And God forbids no, I wouldn't marry you even if you grow a pair of D-cup boobs, a vagina and red hair."

"Are you that much of an idiot, or are you trying extra hard today? Do I look like crying to you or did the alcohol drown the only existing neuron in that thick head of yours?"

"PFFF…Bwhahahahaha…You have denial written all over your ugly grieving face."

"…yeah…you are really an idiot. I don't know why I even bother with you guys…"

"Because you love us duh…"

"Stop saying that, you sound more gay than Hyuga when talks about split ends."

"Fuck Sasuke don't give me more mental images or else all the drinks I had so far are a waste of time."

"Hn…when it comes to you Suigetsu, even breathing is a waste of time, so why don't you make yourself useful and stop wasting oxygen?"

"See? You are trying to escape my question. Denial my friend, denial…"

"…is my maid…"

Now Suigetsu really blame it on the number of glasses he had. Did he hear Sasuke telling something about a maid?

",,,Whhoooo…man…wha….what?! Maid? What the fuck? Since when did YOU get a maid?"

"….since the day before…"

And Suigetsu started to laugh. Like an anime character. With tears and opened mouth and head thrown on his back, a hand on his stomach, the other glued to the bar for balance. Forget the other events, that was the most epic thing he ever heard.

"HAHAAHAHAHA…dude….HAHAHAHAHAHA…for a moment I thought you said I got laid….but you actually said a maid instead…BWHAHAH….you from all the people…HAHAHAHA…are you sulking about a woman…that is the maid you met…3 days ago…BWHAHAHAHAHAHA."

"….I am not sulking over her, are you fucking crazy?"

"….HHAHAHA…Then why is she working as your maid if she is that great?"

Now that threw Sasuke off. Sine when did Suigetsu miraculously grew a brain? Or you could have bought it online as well (seriously, people sold everything on the internet)? It was an obvious question that surprisingly didn't cross his mind. Indeed…

Sasuke knew she was much more than a commoner…then why? Why was he still treating like something she was not?

Even their boss-employer relationship was atypical. No one would see a rich heir and his servant insulting each other using subtle hints and smart retorts. That was a movie scenario, not a real life occurrence.

Maybe because it was convenient for both of them, a mutual routine to please both parties and give them the possibility to openly communicate, without strings attached. Sasuke had no problem in admitting that Sakura was the first woman to intrigue him that much and determine him to go deeper in search for her inner.

She working for him has established some kind of limits between them and that was probably why did they basically overlook the fact that everything that was connecting them was based on a lie.

"Who said she is great? _She is more…much more_…"

"Are you telling me she is not?"

"I am telling you to shut up."

"Ok I understand, so you find her great…maybe more than this, because you are not confirming it, but you are not denying it either. But answer me this: what is making her that special? What is the thing that makes you remember her?"

The Hozuki heir saw Sasuke with all kinds of women, in all the situations possible. Back in high school when they shared an apartment with only two rooms and throw the wildest parties, with all the cheerleading and dancing teams, made of willing sluts that called themselves artists, one can never get too much privacy.

Suigetsu never imagined a woman could be taken in that positions outside the porn movies, before meeting the young Uchiha.

Apparently he wasn't lacking imagination in that department. Not even him was that crazy and Uzumaki was out of question, because he was still a virgin and it was funny as hell watching him hid under his Superman bed covers.

But never in his life did Suigetsu picture his douchebag of a friend in love with a poor commoner woman, that was his maid nevertheless. Sasuke loathed people around him, that was the reason he was living alone, with people doing his errands only once or twice a week.

Why in the freaking hell did he hire a maid was beyond Suigetsu`s drunk level of understanding. And not only hired it, but the woman had him under her skin already.

The young Hozuki became quite curious. Just what kind of woman could make a man like Sasuke be thinking about her so intense? Certainly not an ordinary one, everyone knew the young Uchiha could have had (and he did) any stunning looking high class woman he wanted at his feet.

So, the shitfaced shark man reached one brilliant conclusion (apparently, he was smarter drunk then sober): that woman was superior to the others in both intellect and beauty.

Suigetsu closed his eyes and gave the man beside him a smirk, slightly biting the lower lip with his canine. "The pauper and the prince. I wonder how far will you be able to get this time…Sasuke. But then again, you have always been full of surprises…even now. I am curious."

Suigetsu drifted his attention to some other interesting things, meaning the two hot women approaching them like two hungry lionesses. He turned his body in their direction, smiling widely. Like he could give a fuck about what Uchiha was sulking at after all. Sasuke had the most boring life in his opinion. That man could only have two kinds of problems: women or company. If it would have been some serious stuff, he wouldn't have been in here drinking his mind, but stuck in his office trying to figure out a solution.

Sasuke was contemplating the idea of having another glass (he knew he was at his limit already, but somehow Suigetsu`s question made him overanalyze things), when he felt a warm body pressed on his side, a pair of soft lips attached to his jaw and a hand on his thigh going up and down in a seductive way. He turned his hand looking at the owner and gave a small smirk. _"She is a bold one…"_

The young Uchiha snuck a hand around the sexy brunette's slim waist and brought her on his lap, with her ass resting on his groin, trapping her between his body and the edge of the bar. She let her head rest on his shoulder, titling it slightly to look at his handsome profile, smiling sexily at the sight that welcomed her.

That was one gorgeous looking man indeed. Without any further notice, she put a hand on the back of his neck and forced his head down, kissing him with much fervor, moaning loudly at the feeling of his soft wet lips on her own.

And the sensation intensified tenfold when the said raven haired male reciprocated her movements, forcing his hot tongue on her mouth and palming one of her breast with his available hand, massaging slowly, but firmly.

In his mind, Sasuke had no idea why he was kissing her back, she was just another woman out of many, with the sole purpose of serving as an entertainment. When looking closely, she was not even that beautiful and her body didn't feel that soft and alluring as he thought.

Silently, he was trying to erase the picture of her maid's tempting full lips that have been so close to his reach in his office, from his mind. Apparently, the alcohol was not doing wonders like others said.

On the other side, Suigetsu was watching the heated pair with disbelief. His horny friend didn't even wait to reach a corner or the bathroom or something, he went for it right there and then, without giving a fuck. He knew exactly what his intoxicated partner was trying to do. _"Stupid asshole….like we need a drama queen in our troubled gang besides Naruto…"_

Oh well, he wasn't one to complain by the disturbing scene, because he had one stunning natural red headed woman on his own lap, facing him, with her delicate hands around his neck and her legs as wide opened as it could go, considering the tight dress she wore, trying to be as close to him as possible.

Suigetsu was busy letting trail of kisses on her neck, biting and sucking the soft skin, while she was moaning and rotating her hips, successfully turning him on.

The young Hozuki attempted to stand and take the woman somewhere in a more secluded part (probably the sofas, the bathroom was for old fashioned emo pussies like his friend Sasuke) and finish their job there, when his brooding friend beat him to it(probably the fact that he was not that drunk helped as well), taking the hoe that was clinging to him like a leech (she probably couldn't wait to suck him) with him, but not after he leaned and whispered to Suigetsu the words that almost made him fall of the small stool, if not for the woman on his lap.

"…Just to keep your undying curiosity entertained Suigetsu…I cannot stop thinking about her exquisite rosy lips." And he disappeared in the crowd, leaving his purple eyed friend wondering if he was kidnapped by Tinker Bell and her friends and brainwashed.

Sasuke freaking Uchiha, the most wanted businessman on Earth was thinking about a woman's lips (Suigetsu was tempted to ask what lips but he was too drunk to care at that time). God the world was going to an end, he was sure of it.

Oh well, now that he made sure his dark eyed friend was going to be kind of busy for an hour or two, Suigetsu returned his attention to the girl that slipped a hand on his pants, taking a hold of his already hard shaft, rubbing it intently (Suigetsu hasn't even realized what she was doing, probably because of his inebriated state and his shock upon hearing what Sasuke said).

Well, not that he was going to complain, that chick knew what she was doing. He took a hold of his full glass, while letting the woman work magic on him, not being aware of the fact that the glass was empty before the said woman approached him…

As soon as Sasuke has found an available toilet (he was not going to be a dumb idiot like Suigetsu and do it in places he thought were secure-seriously, who the hell did it on sofas, beside old hags and single moms with dildos-the paparazzi were basically hunting them down to get a compromising picture and sell it for a ridiculous amount of money to the local newspapers), he kicked the door open, not caring if he hit someone that could have been inside on the process, backed the woman against the wall with a loud thud, pulled her skirt up to her waist and grabbed her buttocks roughly, successfully lifting her up, with her legs around his waist.

_3 days…_

He slammed his mouth on hers in a bruising kiss, biting the lower lip until it bleed and forcing his hot tongue inside, fighting the said brunette for dominance. She took a fist of his raven locks, pulling his head even closer.

_A little firecracker…_

Sasuke slipped a hand under her silky blouse, feeling up her firm breast. The skin was not that milky and supple after all. He rubbed the already hardened nipple gently with his thumb, making the woman moan loudly and arch her back into his touch, in need for more. She was just an empty shell, a mirage of fulfillment. No other feeling or charms.

_She is interesting to follow…_

The Uchiha left her swollen lips, trailing his tongue down her neck and sucking on her pulse. There was no taste of honey and sugar, it never was. He was not doing it for his mind, he was doing it for his body.

He planted ravenous kisses on her shoulder, his expert hands massaging her breast intently, making the said woman tremble in his arms, moaning louder and louder. His head was spinning and his dark eyes were burning vivid images of his mind. Another woman.

_She is different…_

The raven haired man pulled down her blouse and unclasped her dark red lace bra, throwing it behind him without caring where it landed. \_Such a sinful color…\_He took the erect bud on his mouth, suckling and licking the soft skin, trying in vain to erase the memories that shouldn't have belonged to him. \_I am living someone else's life.\_That was wrong, he knew it. It was not enough. He wanted something else.

_She is superior in perceiving the hidden nature of things…_

Something was falling from the sky. His heart beat was erratic and it was not because of the stranger in his arms. \_She can't give me what I wish for…\_ Rosy soft cherry blossom petals were dancing in the air like soft feathers, caressed by the wind. The woman he was pleasuring didn't even know his name.

_She wants to know my past…_

Was it possible to separate your soul from your body? That was how Sasuke felt at the moment. Would his spirit be able to grow wings and rise, or would he burn to ashes in the depths of his troubled conscience, along with the decadent world that was swallowing him.

_She doesn't belong to my world…_

The woman that was clinging to him was playing with the hem of his black T-Shirt, rolling it up slowly in what thought was arousing and sensuous, feeling his hard muscles with the palm of her hands.

He could feel another level of energy running through his veins and his heart was pounding painfully in his chest, like a broken clock.

_She knows how to take care of me…_

He was drunk, but not from the alcohol. He tasted the blasting music with the tip of his tongue and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

\_The world I live in feels awful\\. _She proceeded to take off the dark piece of clothing he was wearing, desperate to feel his skin on her burning one. He helped her undress him, discarding the useless item on the floor. \_Why am I hiding for, I am just like them…\_

_She tries to show me another way…_

His moist lips were leaving trails of saliva on her collar bones, then down to the valley of her full breasts, occasionally brushing the tip of her nipples, circling slowly around and taking long tantalizing licks, driving her crazy with need, while the ecstatic female was rocking her hips wildly, grinding their bodies together in a desperate manner.

\_Stop touching me…\_What she wanted from him was only physical, driven by hedonic cravings, not giving a damn if it was him or another pretty face. \_I am living the fantasy of another you…\_

_She has self-restraint…_

The Uchiha was feeling disoriented, he couldn't even take in his surroundings, like his mind was not seeing what his eyes were envisioning. What was happening? The walls looked like they were exhaling black smoke like angry blast furnaces, enveloping him. He could feel his blood boiling, like wanting to melt his veins and leak from his body.

The girl he was satisfying was digging her nails into the silky alabaster skin, leaving red scratch marks on his torso. \_My world is crumbling_\ Sasuke slipped his free hand on her thong, getting the idea of how expectant the woman was for him to take her.

_She is not that easy to get…_

She put her mouth on his ear, almost screaming the words in an agonizing manner. "C`mon, no need to be gentle, I want this rough!" The salacious noises coming from her mouth were echoing throw the space. The dark eyed Uchiha was not that turned on by her indecent request, he was not even acknowledging her anymore.

The sensations he had were beyond normal human perception. He felt lightheaded, his senses more accurate than ever, he felt the ground melting under his feet soles, like he was walking on lava. \The devil is singing and I am dancing on his rhythm.\

_She is gentle and her porcelain skin looks like a newborn's…_

Sasuke felt a hand on his abs moving up and down, like trying to encourage him to go further, then a palm sliding south, trying to get into his pants to feel him up.

He crushed his lips to hers for the millionth time in a rough French kiss, letting her go on with what she was doing, without feeling the same pleasure as before.

\Did I ever feel real pleasure?\ He looked at the woman that was glued to him, never once closing his eyes and observed, for the first time that night, just how ugly her beauty really was and how many flaws her fake appearance of perfection were hiding behind the amount of makeup and foundation. _\Sex and alcohol are not the answer\_

He considered his maid to be ugly looking, but was that the embodiment of beauty to look for, or was what the artificial world created by money was forcefully throwing at him, determining him to accept it like all the others_? \She is not a rich model or actress\_

_Everything is a matter of perception, she taught me this…_

Out of nowhere, the young heir started to hear another voice in the back of his psyche, acting like his blemished conscience. But he was not grasping it through his hearing, but his every pore. What a weird sensation that was. \_I am nothing like them_\

_/Prove it, stop her./_

_\No, I need this.\ _She was palming him through his boxers, while his expert digits were droving her insane, doing wonders, getting her even more aroused.

_/You don't. Deep inside, you know it as well./_

_\This is the world I live in\_ The images wore more vivid than ever, he was feeling past events coming like a storm to haunt him. Sasuke was panicking, he knew what he was feeling.

_Her deep insight and pure soul are beautiful…_

The lucidity and the amount of involuntary experiences were hitting him like a hurricane, throwing him in the mist of dancing lights and glitter objects. He felt that way before.

_/Stop living an illusion/_

_\The nightmares are real\ Sasuk_e became wild, his movements not gentle in the slightest, like an untamed beast that wanted to go out and feed from the other livings` souls.

_/You are the prisoner of your own monsters/_

_\I don't know another way\ _Apparently, that turned the woman he almost forgot he was torturing from denying her release on even more, because she was trashing uncontrollably, her own movements becoming uneven and almost…annoying.

_/Let her teach you/_

_She is a stranger, she hides her past…_

_/But she is not hiding her heart/_

_\She doesn't know the real me\ _His head started to throb, like million needles were pinned in his skull, mixing his thoughts.

_/Then let her in/_

"…let her in…" he murmured softly, in a tired manner. He was full of exploding energy, but his mind was tired searching for something he never had.

_/You can have __**everything**__ you want __**in your life**__/_

"…hmm...yes…I will let you in!" The dark dyed call girl felt her body turn into jelly, from the young handsome man's touches. She had no idea he was that good.

"…what?" The young Uchiha felt like he was going insane. He had to get out fast, he couldn't take the mix of noises and images any longer. The raven haired man focused on the woman that was begging him to take her right there and then. For the second time in his life, he felt disgusted of himself. Or was the alcohol speaking?

"Ah…I want you inside me…now!" A firm hand grabbed her smaller one, stopping her ministrations, shoving it away from his body like she burned him.

_/Stop lying to yourself/_

"But I do not want it to be you." _\I want to know her better\ _Sasuke pushed the promiscuous woman off him, letting her fall right on her butt, with a shocked expression on her worn out face, took his T-Shirt, dressed up and without any more words, bolted out of the said toilet and exited the bathroom, almost tripping on a couple that found it very convenient to engage in a heated make out session right on the hard floor tile, acting like human brooms to clean the hard surface.

_/You want to know the taste of her/_

_\I cannot stop thinking about her rosy lips\_

As soon as he was out of the bathroom, the Uchiha went straight to one of the available sofas and let his body hit the soft material, his head thrown backwards, an arm on his eyes. How did that happen? In his intoxicated state, it was difficult to make the easy connections.

_/You need her and she needs you as well/_

The intensified sensations alerted him of the danger. With much difficulty, he took out his phone and dialed the only number that plagued his mind to the point he thought he was going to lose it for real.

He put the device on his ear, the loud music making his bones feel like cracking. He heard it ringing once, twice. Damn the mushrooms and the giant pansies growing in front of him. _"This shit is worse than I remember"._ A soft voice answered the phone.

\Sakura\

Sakura thought she was going to go crazy. _"This is ridiculous, just where in the world is that idiot, I have looked for him everywhere!"_ For half an hour she searched for her boss intently, but to no avail. The place was huge and people were in constant moving, so it was difficult to memorize faces and the places.

And she was getting worried as the time passed. What if something bad really happened and her boss was in real danger? It was impossible to find someone in that craziness, it was too dark, there was fog everywhere and lasers, making her go blind, her eyes red and stingy and there were too many people and places to look at.

Not to mention the amount of losers that tried to flirt with her and hook her up. She could feel hands groping her and touching her in choice places, every time she passed through a more crowded area, like the dancing floor or around the bar.

At first, the Sound agent really thought she was going to snap and break their filthy hands, but then she realized she had a better option…and a more entertaining one.

So, Sakura unzipped her healthy back bag and pulled out the huge Teflon frying pan she took from Sasuke`s kitchen, prepared especially to punch the living daylights out of the Uchiha`s perverted intoxicated skull when she found him (no, she wasn't joking with that one).

The scene of a stunning looking young woman, swimming in a sea of inebriated horny people, that tried to molest her, hitting their hands and sometimes heads (there was this particularly species of oxen that were a little bit too heated and tried to steal naughty kisses from her among the men, by pushing their empty heads her way) with a big pan, in a luxury club from Shibuya Tokyo was definitely not normal occurrence.

"_This is fun, oh, here comes a big one"_ SLAP! The said hand retreated like a snake feeling fire. _"It feels like I am playing Whac-A-Mole! I have to say Karin about this, we are going to make it popular in the clubs"._

There were some more sober livings that saw the scene and were watching in horror the little female modern warrior sharing justice in every direction, like an angry housewife.

Others were laughing like crazy, amused to the max. Maybe it was part of the entertainment program. Sakura was slightly surprised by the fact that no security came to stop her. Well, she was aware that nothing could have stopped her, because she was basically radiating anger from every fiber.

The young agent stopped for a moment, thinking intently, while rubbing her back with the plastic pan's handle. That skimpy top's cheap material was getting itchy.

"That's it. I feel like running in circles. If I wanna find that bastard, I have to think like a total manwhore. So…if I was a hormonal bitch in need for a quickie, where would I take the willing whore to?"

A really fat, short man that had difficulties in standing on his feet because of the amount of fat on his body, came from Sakura`s behind, trying to take her by surprise and slip a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

The young woman didn't even turn around to look his way when she hit him in the shoulder then on his fat belly with the pan out of reflex. Apparently she had an anti losers defense mechanism in her brain.

"AHA! Of course, the place where all the idiotic horny morons in need gather to satisfy their need for one another's asses. The holly bathroom, duh!" Without wasting anymore time, Sakura bolted to the said tainted place, feeling proud of her moment of inspiration.

She shoved people out of her way, successfully having the said place in sight. Dear Lord, the amount of drunken people making out was overwhelming there.

She spotted some sofas not far from the bathroom doors, equally populated by lascivious people. Sakura really thought people came to clubs to dance and have fun. _"Not all of them apparently…"_

"Let the show begin…" The Sound agent grabbed the knob and turned it once, opening the door. She didn't even know if that was women or men's and she didn't find it in her to care. Like it made any difference, given the circumstances, she was certain the other couples didn't give a fuck either.

But she didn't even take two steps inside, when she felt the floor flying form under her feet, successfully making her slip on the apparently greasy surface.

"What the hell.." It was comical, for real. In a desperate attempt to keep her balance and prevent a painful fall, Sakura grabbed the first thing closer to her with the free hand and that being a raised head belonging to a man, that was kneeling in front of a partly naked woman, who was clinging to him for dear life, with her legs around his torso, moaning loudly with every hard trust, rocking her hips in sync to his own and screaming what was probably her boy toy` s name.

Sakura wasn't sure, because they were foreigners. It was the same couple that almost made Sasuke trip as well earlier.

When the said male felt a hand fisting his hair and pulling it roughly, jerked his body like he was truck by lightning, scaring the living daylights out of the woman he was holding, both of them shouting like they have seen The Grimm Reaper appearing from the huge bathroom mirrors holding a big scythe.

Not only that, but apparently he was wearing a wig, because when Sakura grabbed his hair, it slipped from his head, revealing a glossy bald, with a sole tuft of blonde hair sticking in the middle like a shark's fin.

The Sound agent lost the chance to regain her balance and fell gloriously on the wet floor, landing on her back, hitting one of the two lovers that attempted to stand up and make a run for it, the mood gone along with their pride (not that they had any to begin with), right in the head, with the frying pan that miraculously, didn't slip from her hand.

She heard an agonizing cry that belonged to the woman, because she fell on her back as well, feeling dizzy from the probably really painful contact with the hard surface of the pan, grabbing her fuck buddy's large hand in the process, pulling him down with her as well, kicking the toilet's door that was behind them open, landing directly on their backs inside it, in a very compromising position.

And to add to the fun, they almost gave heart attack to a woman that was inside the said toilet as well, looking sweaty and panting hard, trying to clasp her red bra and dress with looked like a silky green blouse.

The three of them looked at one another in an awkward manner, than started to scream and trash like there were horrid rats scurrying at their feet.

"Awww….damn that hurts like hell…" Sakura attempted to pull herself from the slippery surface (that didn't feel like water and she didn't want to start wondering just what the hell was leaking on the floor considering the things people did there when she walked in), a hand supporting her small back.

She was still having occasionally pain from the last mission that didn't help her case too much. "Just who in their right minds fuck in the toilets on the floor, where everyone could walk in and see them?!"

"Stop screaming you lunatic bitch, my ears hurt!"

The Sound agent turned in the direction of the annoying sound, her emerald orbs landing on the said trashy looking woman. Tall, high heels, almost inexistent clothes, skeleton body, long dyed dark hair, brown eyes and lips so pumped with botox, that were making her mouth looking like a tuba bell`s. _"This is a seriously ugly skank…" _

"Now now…I am called a bitch by a hideous looking whore, because duh…screw logics." Sakura smirked at the wide-eyed woman that was looking at her in what looked like a mix of shock and anger.

"Fucking pink haired tramp, how in the world did they let you in…" The said woman bolted out of the bathroom, walking in a funny way, with her legs parted, like a drunk penguin.

Sakura almost wanted to laugh at her. "Pfff…she was probably there pleasuring herself. Who in his right mind would touch such a creature?" The pink haired agent searched quickly in the other toilets, with no luck. Now she was panicking. Vaguely, she heard the pair she cockblocked leaving the bathroom as well, cursing her for her bad timing.

She exited the bathroom, seriously nervous. Sakura was certain her boss was going to be there, mimicking the horny couple from earlier in one of the toilets. Apparently he was better than this. _"I find that hard to believe…"_

She rested her back on the wall, outside the bathroom, combing her hair with her digits. She started to sweat as well, the heat on the inside almost unbearable. And she was tired as hell as well.

Now what was she going to do, that could take her hours? What if he wasn't there anymore, tired of waiting for her to show up? _"No, he wouldn't do this. Sasuke is a man of his words."_

Almost like fate was giving her a push in the right direction, Sakura raised her emerald orbs from the ground, looking to her left side on a certain spot on one of the sofas that were resting closer to where she was, focusing her gaze on a lonesome person that was lying on the comfy surface.

Before she had a chance to process what she was doing, her feet were already carrying her in that direction, successfully getting closer to what appeared like a man's dark silhouette. And she almost dropped the frying pan when she caught the sight of the person she was frantically looking for. There was one Uchiha Sasuke staying in what looked like a comatose state, resting his tall figure on the sofa. _"Oh God give me strength not to bang his stupid head with this pan…too hard to kill him."_

But any sinister thought that crossed her mind left Sakura, when she got closer to her boss (damn the freaking music was louder than before, she was not hearing her own thoughts anymore), taking a sit next to him, with one of her legs bent under her, gently raising her small hand to his own, that was resting on his forehead in a lazy manner, taking a hold of it. The said man didn't even flinch.

The young agent uncovered the raven haired man's face, unconsciously still holding his hand on her own in a protective manner, watching intently at his face, partly concealed by the darkness around. Stupid clubs and their poor light.

"Mr. Uchiha?" She tried to catch his attention, praying to all her luck for him to be drunk and not recognize her the next day. Her inner side was screaming at her that she has already screwed the mission big time, the moment she fell for her boss, but it was painfully ignored, like always.

But he was still not moving or even look at her. Was he really dead? She leaned in, bringing her head really close to him, her body almost touching his side. He probably wasn't hearing her from the loud music.

Sakura observed that, surprisingly, his dark eyes were not entirely closed, but slightly opened looking at the ceiling above.

She was confused by his attitude. Not moving, not reacting to her touch, not even acknowledging her presence in any way. _"Sasuke…"_

Taking a large gulp of air to calm her racing heart, stirred by the proximity of his hard frame, Sakura shifted her body so that she was resting on her knees, like ready to send prayers to Heavens, put his hand down on her lap and softly, almost feather like, took his face in between her hands, trying to angle his head in her direction, slowly, almost afraid he was going to break or shove her away from him.

But surprisingly, he leaned into her warm touch, following the lead of her arms and turning his head to look at the owner of the mild contact. His coal penetrating orbs crushed with her emerald glowing ones, neither of them saying anything.

Sakura thought she was going to melt under his gaze. She has never seen her boss looking at her like the way he was doing then. She saw a light in his dark eyes burning from the pits of his inner, warming her body in a pleasurable way.

Her face started to burn from the strong blush that was rising from her neck to her soft checks, but she didn't remove her hands from his cheeks. His soft skin felt like velvet under the tips or her fingers, almost encouraging her to brush her thumb lightly on the smooth surface.

The Sound agent didn't even hear the screaming bells on the back of her mind, alerting her about the danger of the situation, so similar to one from his office.

A good looking lady was touching a probably intoxicating man, in an alluring manner, in a secluded part of a crowded club that was oozing of raging hormones and willing people, unintentionally creating a sparkling sexual tension between them.

They were less than 10 centimeters apart, because one of them (probably both) leaned in to the other person even more, bringing the two of them impossibly close.

And when Sakura felt a warm rough hand resting on the top of her own, holding it quietly and softly, like a lover would do to, a foreign heat started to boil on the lower region of her abdomen, like a small burning sun engulfing her senses, making her want to drown into the man in front of her.

Sasuke was well aware of the person that was caressing him. Oh, he so waited for her to come and find him, like a thirsty man in the arid desert searching for an oasis to fulfill his much need of water. He even spotted her from the moment she walked into the bathroom.

His senses were higher than ever, he could feel everything and perceive all the colors, smells, sounds and images through all his senses, in an incredible mix of flash lights and sinuous fractals, in all the colors of the rainbows, zooming in and out of his eyelids. Never in his life has the Uchiha seen such a goddess like figure like the girl holding him dearly.

He couldn't feel any muscle in his body and he was sure his soul was floating in the air above his carcass, like a dematerialized spirit roaming in the summer gentle breeze. Sasuke let his sharp reflexes respond to Sakura`s touch. He knew the effects all to well, he was aware of the mirage, but he couldn't give a damn about it on that moment.

How could the thought of his maid being ugly ever crossed his troubled mind, the Uchiha didn't know, because she never looked more stunning than the way he was seeing her then.

The angelic face that looked like a painting of Sandro Botticelli, was a work of art. Her milky clear complexion looked as soft as the petals of a white azalea and her deep rosy cheeks were complimenting the heavenly image of a maiden from a Greek temple in a faraway time.

A pair of radiant big eyes, in the color of the purest shimmering jade gemstone were watching him intently, but shyly, almost like she wanted to look into his heart and read his every feeling.

A small nose and an equally small chin were just as perfectly shaped as all her delicate bone structure, her all appearance looking like it was shaped in a harmonious melody of curves and delicate features by the most skilled luthier.

And of course, the rosy luscious full lips that were burned into his mind like a distant memory from another lifetime, were whispering his name in a worried matter, so alluring to his ears, like a mermaid calling for his soul. He grazed the feather like skin of her small hand in a slow motion, wanting to memorize the feel of her.

/Closer/

Sasuke trailed his fingers down her forearm, as gently as he could, like he was testing waters, leaving tiny goose bumps on the porcelain skin, the feeling of its softness overwhelming him.

She was nothing like the other women he was right, and it made his own body heat amplify to the point he almost craved for her to touch him more and let him drown into the heat radiating from her body.

"…Sakura…" \I want to know the real you\

Sakura felt like she was drugged, because she couldn't focus on anything around her but the handsome man that was touching the skin of her arm. He was only dragging his digits in a weary way, almost not having contact with her, but it sent electric jolts down her body in a pleasurable way.

She parted her lips slightly, slowly taking large breathes of the much needed oxygen, because she felt like she was going to suffocate. And the way he said her name, like the devil luring the virgin soul in the depths of the darkness, was driving her wild.

"Sir, are you all right?" What an imbecile question given the situation, Sakura almost slapped herself, of course he was not ok, he didn't even looked ok, he looked like he was charged with an unknown power, ready to swallow her and take over the world. Was he that drunk? Although…he wasn't acting like a drugged one…

_/Bring her closer/_

_\You are here because you care\_ The Uchiha moved the hand that was resting in Sakura`s lap on her slim waist, like a snake encircling his pray, leisurely embracing her and pulling her flat to his body, taking her by surprise.

He could feel their heart beats connect into an erratic rhythm, her intoxicating scent making him dizzy with want and he was ready to bet all his money that she was feeling the exact thing.

_/She wants you just as much/_

"Do I look all right, Sakura?" _\I will be, because you are here\\._ Sasuke rested his forehead on her own, watching her emerald eyes go wide, almost fearfully to look into his piercing ones, her small hands dropping from his checks and resting on his broad shoulders, digging her nails into his skin, trembling slightly. Little did he know that it was not on fright, but on anticipation.

"Why am I here, why did you call me?" God, Sakura closed her eyes tightly, not having the willpower to look into the depths of his own charcoal ones, afraid he was going to immerse her in a delicious sinful world of no return. And it was almost agonizing to look at his deviously gorgeous face.

_/Make a decision/_

He was basically whispering the words in that sensual low and slightly rough voice, on her lips, letting her feel his hot breath on her soft skin, making the butterfly in her stomach rise, resting like lump in her throat. She took a large hard gulp.

"Why do you think I called you?" _\Because I couldn't stop thinking of you\_

The pink haired lady could feel the amount of drinks he had, and the smell of the expensive beverages combined with his own cool breath, mixing with her own in a tantalizing way. She fisted her hands in his T-Shirt, like trying to hold of her sanity. He was going to kiss her for real, she knew it.

And to her utter horror, Sakura realized she alone didn't have the willpower to stop him, nor the resolve to push him away, because she wanted that just as much. She wanted him and it was basically paining her not to feel his soft lips on hers right then.

_/Show her what you want/_

"I…don't know, Mr. Uchiha." He was rubbing small circles on the delicate skin of the side of her small nose, with the tip of his regal looking one, intensifying her aroused state even more. She slipped her hands around his long neck, embracing him tightly, almost crushing their bodies together. It was a mystery they were not sucking faces yet. The anticipation and the boiling sensation on her private areas were basically killing Sakura on the inside.

"Hn…" \Because I knew you would come if I told you\ Sasuke almost wanted to laugh. There he was, the notorious heir of the most famous world holding and the most wanted rich man on the planet, drowning at his poor lady that was his maid's small feet. Never in his life was he more aroused by a woman like he was then.

He could feel his member throbbing painfully at the feel of her body on his own, the softness of her pearl white skin massaging his senses, her all appearance enchanting. She was absolutely delicious and he was damned if he didn't have a taste of the forbidden apple. Let him fall from Heaven, he didn't give a damn, he was already long gone from there anyways. _\I don't care we have only met\_

_/You want __**everything**__ and she is here to give it to you/_

She hasn't even realized that the hand that was resting on the small of her back has slid under her top, moving up and down her spine in a caressing matter, making her skin trembling with bliss and bringing her even closer, almost pulling her into his lap.

"_No, get a hold of yourself, stop him now, this is wrong, you are not supposed to feel anything for him, it is your mission!"_ The young girl couldn't do it, she was putty in his hands. She alone didn't have the resolution to stop the disaster from happening. Although…was it disaster if both of them wanted it?

And when his soft lower lip slightly brushed the cupid bow of her upper one, Sakura felt like a meteorite shower, because the boiling sensation of her body made her explode and her mind was running at the speed of lightning, ready to crush to the hard surface of the ground.

But just when she basically felt his hot mouth moving to rest on her own, their lips a breath away of touching, Sakura felt a rough hand on her shoulder, pulling her backwards, separating the oblivious to the surroundings couple, successfully ruining the intimate action and the intensity of the moment.

It was in that moment the Sound agent took in her surroundings like she was there for the first time in her life, realizing just how bad the things really were.

She almost made out with her boss in a damn club, him being more sober than she thought, recognizing her and blowing away her cover, it was a disaster! And who the hell did…

"You! You cheap whore, how dare you try to seduce my man?" When Sakura turned around to see the owner of the screaming angry voice she came face to face to the slut she saw in the bathroom, that was in the same toilet as the horny couple she hit. Her man? What the hell was she talking about?

"Did you just put your dirty hand on me while I was being busy?" Was she talking about Sasuke? Great, not only she had to baby sit him, but she was going to act as his anti rabid fans bodyguard as well.

Fucking great. She was hot and bothered by the ruined atmosphere and she was going to vent on the crazy bitch that was claiming her title of ownership on her handsome boss, still piercing the air with her crazy annoying bashings.

She took a quick look at her boss, seeing that he was staying in the exact position she found him, but this time he was covering his whole face with the palm of his hands, like he was ashamed of what he was about to do.

"_Heh…a drunkard with morals…"_ Good thing. So as soon as the said bitch attempted to grab her hair and start a catfight (how original…), Sakura moved her body easily out of her way, by stepping aside, letting the ugly woman trip on the small glass table and fell on her face, successfully shoving some glasses filled with God only knows what horrific liquor out of her way, creating a mess.

Sakura started to laugh like seriously, not only the said brunette landed with her legs on air, in a bent position, like she was learning how to swim for the first time, but her face was even priceless.

The kilograms of foundation and mascara she was wearing were leaking of her face, because of the drinks she spilled and her black hair flew in all directions possible. She looked like the perfect picture of Sadako Yamamura from the horror movie.

"What a stupid freak…" Sakura grabbed the said woman's leg (one that was not moving that much, she didn't want to risk a bruise from the impossibly high heel) and pulled her (not too gently) off the table, like she did with her moments earlier, grabbing the back of her neck and forcing her to stand, bringing her head to the level of her face, screaming into her ear.

"I suggest you take your STD infected figure out of my way, before I use my fists to give your much in need face a free plastic surgery and make it look like something from this planet."

She turned the woman around and planted a knee on her back, pushing her body in the opposite direction from the sofa she and Sasuke were currently occupying. Fucking clingy bitch asked for it from the moment she ruined her chances to kiss the handsome bastard.

"You little…" But apparently she didn't get the message, because instead of running from her, the fuming fangirl turned around and marched towards Sakura with her fists clenched (she was doing it wrongly, Sakura started to laugh softly at this), the purpose clear.

Oh, she was going to teach the Sound agent a lesson, be aware of the terror. She didn't need to put that much effort, her appearance was scary enough to give Sakura the creeps.

Upon seeing the brunette getting close to her, the pink haired assassin took her newfound best friend (Karin doesn't need to know) that was discarded on the sofa in her hand and hit the said woman's legs using the hard surface of the frying pan, with a CIA flawless move, by spinning her body low level once, making her fall on her butt, with a loud thud, attracting a lot of attention.

Everyone that saw the scene started to laugh like crazy, and adding it to the fact that they were drunk and some of them probably high, resulted in a sea of laughing lunatics. Sakura saw some of them dropping on the floor, not able to stand.

The Sound agent didn't waste anymore time to check on her, because she was almost certain the said woman would not try anything funny if she knew what was good for her. She turned around and took a seat on the sofa, close to her boss. He didn't watch the scene, thanks God.

She took a better look at him, getting nervous, but that time, not from the attraction she had towards him, but from the way he acted. What was going on? She took a hold of his hands, attempting to look at his face, but using a little force to pry his hands open.

"_God he is burning!" _She took a closer look at his pupils, and from what she could make up in the darkness, she observed that his pupils were dilated, which was abnormal for the lack of light inside and he looked like he wasn't following her. Was he having troubles focusing his gaze one a certain spot?

She did a quick test with her phone's light by directing it into his eyes, from the left side of his head, afraid not to hurt him. God, his eyes were blood shoot and wide open like he was watching landing UFOs.

Moments ago he looked like the most serene creature on the universe, and not 5 minutes later, he was a mess. Small tremors were making their way on his arms and legs, like his muscles had convulsions all of sudden and unfortunately, Sakura had a small idea of what could have caused all of that.

She was taken by surprise when he grabbed her small shoulders forcefully, like wanting to cling to her for dear life. _"Panic attacks? What the hell…?_

The young Uchiha was moving his lips in an uneven manner like trying to tell her something, but Sakura didn't catch a word and could nor read his lips either, because for an unknown reason, he was talking in a language she didn't understand.

Or maybe it was gibberish, she couldn't be sure. She didn't pry his hands away of her, because the Sound agent realized he was holding her steady to try to focus on her and communicate, but he was not able to.

He was wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue, and Sakura realized his mouth was dry. _"It didn't look like this earlier when we almost…" _God, her face was getting red, she couldn't believe what she almost did.

Sakura shook her head twice in disbelief. She was stupid as fuck and she knew it. There she was almost getting advantage of an intoxicated man and she didn't even pay attention to his health condition.

She turned her head over her shoulder acting on pure instinct and when she spotted the woman she basically humiliated seconds ago, talking to three bulky men not far from her and Sasuke, arms crossed and all of them watching in the pair's direction, while the brunette was pointing towards her, she understood exactly what was going on there.

"Oh shit, don't tell me…" Quickly, she dialed a number she hoped she was not going to use in that lifetime, waiting for the owner to answer his own phone. If she was right, not only her and Sasuke were in danger, but probably many others as well. How could her boss have been so stupid to fall for something like that it was beyond Sakura.

Neji Hyuga was dead tired. After his briefing with the team leader Itachi, he took a quick shower, changed his clothes in something more casual, took care of his own bruises and cuts, made sure his fiancé was asleep and went straight to the hospital to keep an eye on his blonde friend.

He was allowed to stay in the hospital room where Naruto was "enjoying" his comatose state, along with two more people in a similar critical condition, after he flirted with the nurse to let him in. _"Ten Ten is going to castrate me and then hang me with the leather whip she bought…" _

But he was having difficulties in keeping his eyes opened. He was basically lying with half of his torso on Naruto`s bed.

He wouldn't mind, the idiot was not a selfish man. And of course, his damn phone decided to be funny and woke him up (he was half asleep and half awake). He didn't even check the ID, because he was sure his lavender eyes wouldn't be able to focus.

"Hyuga Neji, speaking." God his voice sounded so hoarse, like he has been at a rock concert, screaming his lungs out on every chorus.

And he almost dropped the phone in consternation, his pale eyes going wide all of sudden. _"Hyuga, this is Sakura, you have to come here ASAP. There is an emergency!"_

Oh, that woke Neji up all right. He was already on his feet, ready to bolt out of the room. If Athena of the Sound called him of all the people to tell him about a situation, that meant trouble.

"Haruno? What is going on? where are you?" He took his jacket and bag pack, took a last peek at his sleeping friend and proceeded to the door, a hand already on the door knob, when a loud beep made him stop dead in his track.

He turned around and watched in awe as Naruto was moving his hand slowly, stirring. Was it possible for him to wake up that fast? He run to his bed and pushed the emergency button three times to be sure and sprinted out of the room, in the direction of the parking lot.

The nurses were going to be there in no time checking on him and he left a mini camera on the window to make sure. He had more important business to attend.

Neji had to focus on listening to what the Sound agent was trying to tell him, more like screaming at the top of her lungs, because apparently she had her head stuck in a stereo. What the hell was with the loud music on the background?

"_Come to the Blue Lagoon nightclub in Shibuya, I have already e-mailed you the GPS coordinates. I think it was your team that was dealing with the case. Do you remember that transnational criminal organization that was involved in human trafficking and drug dealing in Thailand, Australia and Croatia?"_

The Hyuga heir was already in his car, stepping the gas and exiting the hospital underground parking lot. Good thing the traffic was almost inexistent at that hour, so he could promptly go three times the speed limit.

He knew where the said club was. Naruto, Suigetsu and Sasuke were regulars there and they somehow managed to drag him once or twice there as well, but he was too shocked to ever return. Those people were insane.

"Fuck, this is bad, Akatsuki has only managed to catch some small patron-client networks, never being able to locate their HQ. How many of them are there?" Neji was really alarmed by what he was hearing.

It didn't take a genius to realize if Sakura was there, Sasuke was as well and probably that was the reason why she was calling him. He really hoped they were not hurt, because the danger was there all right.

"_I…I don't know, I only spotted four until now, but I have the feeling that there might be more around. They have managed to somehow drug Sasuke and probably many others that I am not aware as well."_

Did Sakura say that they have managed to drug the Uchiha? Now Neji was running over 100 km/h. The situation was worse than he has thought. Neji remembered that criminals all right, because he was part of one of the teams that dealt with the case in Georgia, along with Kisame and Itachi.

Those people used women working as sex slaves and prostitutes to lure rich men, drug them and use kidnapping in exchange of a ridiculously large sum of money, as a reward. Now Neji understood why the Sound agent has left her pride aside and called him.

If Sasuke was not able to defend himself, then she alone wouldn't be able to take care of him while taking the criminals down as well. He had to hurry, he was aware. The pale eyed agent was already dialing the number of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Japan, with the Department in Tokyo, that dealt with organized crime.

"I am contacting the INTERPOL. Are you guys all right, how is Uchiha?"

"_Good. He was all right, but somehow his condition has worsened. I am trying to figure out the type of drug he took. We have to get out of here now, I see those guys heading our way."_

"I will be there in five minutes and I got the police confirmation, they are heading your way. Take Sasuke and get out of there."

"_Roger that. I am hanging up."_ And the Sound agent has ended the call in a rush. Neji had the idea that she and her boss were already running to the exit, but he wasn't sure. He pressed the call button on his car's Bluetooth system. A croaky voice answered his call.

"_Neji?"_

"Itachi we have an emergency. I am about to catch some suspects that seem to belong to the Hummingbird (the name of the criminal organization Sakura and Neji were talking about earlier), in a club from Shibuya."

"…_What?! What are they doing there in Japan, I thought they only worked in Thailand, Georgia and Australia and occasionally China! How did you track him, I thought you were with Uzumaki?"_

Neji heard the rustle of papers and many clicks. His team leader was probably contacting the other agents around the world. The said criminal organization has given CIA hell for 5 years.

"I thought that too, but apparently they decided to throw a party here as well, targeting rich snobs, and unfortunately your little brother has been one of them." 1 minute, Neji was already able to see the street the club was situated on. Damn what a crowded place. That was bad news. If many people were involved, then the media was too. _"Wait until INTERPOL troops arrive here…"_

Upon hearing the news of his outotou being targeted by a transnational illegal organization, Itachi was close to have a heart attack. Well, considering his health problems that would not have been such a shocking occurrence. _"What do you mean Sasuke was one of them? Did something happened to my brother?"_

"_Yeah, his manwhorism has been the death of him…_Relax, Haruno is with him. She has contacted me about the suspects. Apparently she figured them out."

Itachi left an audible sigh of relief out. God bless that woman, she was always on guard_. "Why is she always the one in the middle of events, just what in the world are you team Konoha doing, plucking the pansies? Have you contacted the NPA to send the INTERPOL?"_

"Yes, they are on the way."

"_Ok. I have the street map with the GPS signals. They are going to be there in about 5 minutes. I see that the head of the Tokyo department has already contacted the HQ from Lyon. Apparently, there has been activity in __Marseille as well. Guess they are broadening their area of action. The fuckers."_

"Then I leave it to you, Leader. I arrived at the said club. I have a party to attend to. Later"

As soon as Neji arrived to the club, he stopped the SUV right in the middle of the street, not even bothering to show off his parking skills and jumped from car, taking with him a pair of handcuffs and his firearm. That was not going to be pleasant.

People were eying him suspiciously, but fortunately they were either drunk or high so it didn't matter that much. God, Neji loathed the people from his social status. Lorane was right, they were the reason why the world was that fucked up.

The body guard attempted to stop him from entering, mumbling something about rash youngsters that cut the line, instead of waiting like all the others.

Neji pushed his CIA card in the bulky man's face, taking much pleasure in watching his mouth drop, throwing some lame excuses and opening the door like the Hyuga was the President.

Well, his grandfather has indeed been the President of Japan, so he had some family background all right. And when he young heir entered the club, he felt like being struck by a rail freight transport at top speed.

The stupid colorful lasers that were piercing his pale eyes, the amount of fog, the loud music and the inebriated zombie like people were the perfect copy of MJ`s Thriller MV.

"_Guess I know where the superstar got his inspiration from…now to look for my drug imbecile supposed friend and his maid…" _

As soon as Sakura hung up on the Hyuga, she grabbed Sasuke by the hand, roughly pulling him up and took the opposite way, to the stairs.

Neji was going to be there and he probably alerted the police or the INTERPOL, so there was no need for her to be there. Good thing her drugged boss didn't protest and was following her lead silently. _"He walks pretty straight for an intoxicated and drugged man…"_

But no. Of course things were not going to be that easy, because as soon as the criminals and their whore sensed their intention, they run in their direction, with the intention to stop the pair from escaping. And to add to the fucked up situation, they were armed as well.

"Shit…shit double shit…c'mon Hyuga…" Sakura pulled out her own revolver from her combat boots, but she prayed she didn't have to use that in a freaking crowded place.

Haruno looked at her boss over her shoulder and he looked like he was floating on a cloud. _"Good, God let him not remember this night…"_

A loud BANG! has penetrated the atmosphere, almost making the Sound agent jump three meters high of alarm. _"Oh please no…" _It looked like their chasers were not playing cat and mouse game with them, because they were now attempting to shoot both of them.

"_This is bad, there are too many people…"_ Sakura fastened her peace, never once leaving her boss` hand. They were basically running to the exit that was on the first floor, meaning they had to take the stairs, but the amount of people that were populating the overcrowded area was making it really hard.

Although, that was not necessary bad, because it was decreasing the chances of being hit by the bullets coming their way. They were at the base of the stairs already, proceeding to take a step, when Sakura felt a bullet hitting the ground, really close to her left foot.

"_What the…"_ She turned around and her eyes widened. The three huge men were basically shoving everyone out of their way, successfully getting closer to Sakura and her boss.

They were skilled if they almost managed to shoot her in that darkness. She pulled Sasuke by the hand closer to her and stepping in front of him, like a shield, she shot in the said men's direction, hitting one of them in his shoulder, making him fall on his back and taking the others by surprise.

The other men and women around were starting to get an idea of what was going on and they started to panic, running in all the directions, creating a chaos, because the ones that were closer to the entrance were already blocking the door, attempting to run away.

The pink dyed woman didn't have time to react when she felt Sasuke drag her to the stairs, climbing two at once (where the hell was that energy coming from?) making her speed up as well.

They were already close to the exit when one of the men that were chasing the pair attempted to discharge another projectile their way and incapacitate them.

Sakura felt like filming the Titanic scene, where Jack and Rose were being chased on the sinking ship. At least there were no freezing water and huge icebergs involved…

He shot two times, hitting the railing once and a girl that was climbing the stairs as well, in her back, making her fall.

The music stopped and people started to scream and shout. No more party atmosphere. Sakura attempted to spin her body and fire once again, but she took a wrong step and her foot slipped on the stairs.

And she had no free hand to grab the railing and regain her balance and she has already seen one of the criminals at the base of the stairs, rushing their way. _"No!"_ But just when terror started to make its way in Sakura`s body, she realized that she didn't fall like she expected.

Then, what followed next made Sakura question her own mental state, because she had the feeling she was hallucinating.

The Sound agent felt a strong arm encircling her slim waist preventing her from hitting the stairs, then her back collided with a rock hard warm body that belonged to no other than the young Uchiha`s, his dark gaze intently focusing down on the stairs.

In a blink of an eye, he stepped on the first stair, pivoted on his front leg at 90 degree, never letting go of the pink agent's smaller body, bringing her on his side, shielding her fragile body with his own, took the revolver she was gripping a little too hard (The Sound were no fire arms oriented) from her small trembling hand and without even cringing, he straighten his free arm and shot, hitting the criminal right in his head killing him in an instant, stopping his climbing and making his body roll on the stairs, to the ground. Dead.

The people around them that saw the scene, along with Sakura were watching in awe at Sasuke. Someone should explain to her just how in the world was it possible for her drugged, shitfaced, convulsing, hallucinating and sweating boss to manage a freaking perfect head shot, given the circumstances, in that darkness nonetheless, acting as nonchalant and relaxed, like he was playing Duck Hunt, at home, with a bunch of children?!

But she didn't have time to wonder more, because as soon as the raven haired man finished showing off his shooting skills, Neji Hyuga decided to stop hiding in dark corners and head their way.

"What…the…freaking…" He too saw the scene and apparently the stoic man was just as starstruck, because his lavender eyes were watching the dead man in astonishment.

Sakura snapped out from her consternating state and acknowledged Neji`s presence. "Good timing Hyuga. I managed to hit one of them in the shoulder. There is one more somewhere downstairs. I`m leaving. Do you have a car?"

Neji looked at Sakura dumbfounded for a second, then pulled out a pair of car keys giving them to her. "My black SUV is outside. Go, I will come later and take it. Leave it outside Uchiha`s house."

"Ahm…Haruno?" The said woman was already pulling her Matrix boss outside, when Neji`s hard voice made her stop.

"Yes?"

"What are you going to do about…" He made a discreet gesture towards Sasuke with his eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it, he is under the drug's influence and he is drunk as well…_I really hope so_…He won't remember anything in the morning."

"If you say so…" Neji watched the retreating figure of his CIA colleague and his family friend ten more seconds, almost like wanting to be convinced about what Athena told him, and then marched down the stairs to the other suspects.

People were panicked, some were shouting, some were crying (in the hysterical way), others were lying on the floor, probably too drunk or high. Some were following the Akatsuki member intently, backing up from his way. _"This is ridiculous…"_

As soon as Sakura was out of the club, she observed the security guards on alert, trying to chase away the curious eyes. There was chaos outside as well, because of the people that exited the club and sprinted to their cars, with the sole intent of making a run for it. And she spotted police cars coming their way at top speed, sirens on. _"Perfect timing indeed…"_

She spotted Akatsuki`s black SUV in the middle of the road, so took Sasuke`s arm (she was getting pretty used to the feeling) and dragged him to the said car, opening the back seat door and promptly shoved him inside. He looked dead.

She got in the driver's putting the seat belt on. She watched in the rear mirror at her boss. He was standing awkwardly, basically leaking from the seat, with his head prompted on the window.

"…Nice gun…Haruno…" Sasuke`s gravely voice echoed in the car, making Sakura almost forget her name. _"Whaaaa he saw that…no way!"_

And sports cars were blocking the road, partly. But of course, as soon as the young agent turned the ignition on and attempted to press the emergency brake down and step on the gas to get the hell out of there, karma decided to troll her for the millionth time, because a police officer coming from nowhere knocked on the window. And she didn't have international driver permit. She rolled the window down.

"Good morning miss, a crime has been reported here and we are trying to identify any suspect, so I would like you to show me your certificate of insurance, the Ministry of Transport test certificate and your driving license."

And the pink haired agent freeze in shock, with her hands glued to the steering wheel, eyes widen in disturbance, mouth agape. Of course Neji left the car's relevant documents in the glove compartment, but she didn't have the driving license for Japan and she doubted Orochimaru has managed to get her one that fast.

Right there and then, Sakura was left with two impossible choices: One was to tell the truth and risk to be detained in the police's custody, as well as her drugged boss and get a totally blown up cover when they were going to find out who was driving a freaking Governmental car, making a scene.

The other was to show the impatient police officer her CIA membership and blow up her cover in front of her apparently not that dead to the world boss. All in all, she was screwed.

"_Why oh why does someone hate me up there…"_ She banged her head on the steering wheel, wanting to scream out loud in frustration. And she has honked the horn, scarring a drunken man that passed in front of her car in the process. _"My life sucks!"_

**Author's Note: **_So, yeah, sorry for keeping you wait this long for this chapter, I am doing my best to update at least twice a week. _

_Well, I guess Neji recognized Sasuke`s car and realized there was no way he would have let Sakura to drive. _

_I know there wasn't too much action in this chapter, but I promise more events in the upcoming one. Sorry for any grammar mistake as well!_

_Also, I really enjoy the idea of the transmigration and the Yin and Yang seals from the original story, so I think of using that in my plot as well. _

_Thank you for the kind reviews (like always) and encouraging words, you guys are the best!_


	14. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

"I am waiting miss…." The said tall police officer crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, eying Sakura expectantly. He wasn't that impressed by her performance. At least he saw her exotic looks and assumed she was a foreigner, because he had the decency to speak English, thinking that she knew the language as well.

"I…Ah…am…not…." Great, she was stammering a like love struck teenager asking the guy she loves to accompany her to the prom. And the amount of police cars and their sirens were making a fuss out there. _"Freaking amazing."_

"Look, we are kind of busy here, so if you would be so kind to not waste my damn time and show me the documents, I would be more than grateful…unless…you don't have them…?"

"_What do I do what do I do what do I do…_Heehehe….you see I kinda forgot them at home, you know….we…I mean I…was in a rush…and I didn't take them from my bag…you know…"

Sakura was mentally chocking with a toothbrush. She was selling donuts to the freaking INTERPOL. Just who was the drugged one there, because the Sound agent was certain it was not her boss?

"Yeah, and my name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, I rule over the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms and my beautiful husband Prince Philip gives me Thai massage every night, while we watch Family Guy." The officer was getting impatient.

Apparently the beautiful lady didn't get the message. He looked around and spotted some of his colleagues checking on other suspect looking cars as well and detained some of the drivers, probably for similar reasons.

The Sound agent was really alarmed, she knew she had to go home and take care of her boss and fast. She took a quick glance at his face in the rear mirror, worried. He looked absolutely delirious and he was trembling and sweating even worse than before.

That was ridiculous, his mood swings were even more severe than a pregnant woman's. At least, Sakura was able to make an overall idea of the drug effects.

Of course the logical solution was to get him to the hospital and let the experts treat him (oh, he was going to share a hospital room with his Akatsuki sun kissed friend, which was funny in a twisted way), but they didn't have the miraculous medicine created by her master, Tsunade, that was made especially for CIA agents that had to work undercover as drug dealers.

The special pill accelerated the enzyme-catalyzed reactions, which results in a faster elimination of the drug from the system. No other known medicine was able to accelerate the catabolism of the drugs, which are normally eliminated from the system naturally, depending on the type.

And the faster one took the medicine, the more efficient it got in lessen the effects, which meant she only had one option left and that was not a pleasant one in the slightest.

Sakura took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and unbuckled the seatbelt. The tall INTERPOL member looked at her in a questioning manner, with both his eyebrows raised, silently asking her what was she doing. Unconsciously, he put his left hand on the pistol sheath attached to his belt in a defensive manner.

"I left my driving license in the wallet and I gave it to my boyfriend over there, because I was certain I will be the one to be drinking more. Hehe, guess it didn't turn out that way."

The Sound agent looked deeply into the police man's brown eyes, pointing at a zombie like Sasuke that was reenacting a scene with an electric chair execution. God he was trembling like a jelly fish.

The man watched Sakura skeptical, almost like wanting to make sure she was not going to grab a riffle and turn him into a sieve. He exhaled in an annoyed manner. He always encountered troubles when dealing with youngsters.

Something didn't sit right with the new generation, that was certain. The police officer pinched his nose, almost like he suppressed a harsh comment, closing his eyes tightly.

"Then get them already and let's get over with it, I have other more important business to attend."

The pink haired woman turned around in her seat, leaning her body in Sasuke`s direction, but not until she took a quick glimpse on her back to make sure the police officer didn't follow her movements.

He wasn't, he seemed to be looking at an INTERPOL colleague that apparently screamed something to him. _"Good!"_

Discreetly, Sakura pulled out a small acupuncture needle from one of her boots and as fast as she could, took her boss by the shoulder, bringing his torso close to her, letting his head rest on her own shoulder, almost mimicking half of an embrace and with great subtlety and skill, she pushed the small needle just under the hollow between the two large vertical neck muscles from the gate of consciousness pressure point.

The said pressure point was used to cure insomnia and neck pain, but when thrusting a needle two millimeters below, one could be put into sleep for a short amount of time, which was more than enough for what Sakura had in mind. She was desperate, she was aware.

"_At least is going to calm his convulsing muscles and probably the physical pain…"_

The raven haired man fell into slumber almost instantly, resting his all body weight on Sakura`s smaller frame. Hell was he heavy. She gently pushed him on the back seat, in a lying position, turning around in her chair, sitting normally.

"Will you hurry up, I don't have all the night!" The police officer was getting irritated by the delay. Usually, he wasn't wasting that much time talking to disturbed teenagers, but the emergency of the situation called for more dramatic measures…and carefulness.

"Will you shut the fuck up and look at the damn documents, I am the one that doesn't have time to waste here." Sakura changed her shy tone, with a harsher one, her hesitant attitude vanishing on thin air.

She was looking at the appalled expression of the police officer upon hearing her, but she took her CIA card and basically thrown it in his face. She was offended all right.

As soon as the police officer saw what document was he holding, he took another look, his eyes going wide as plates, almost not believing what he was seeing. He opened his mouth slightly, then raised his chocolate eyes to look at the short woman on the driver's seat, stunned.

He was working as part of the INTERPOL Department in Tokyo all right, but to see a CIA agent belonging to the famous Sound office was another story. He quickly went in front of the SUV, taking a look at the plate number, seeing it belonged to the U. S Government.

"I..I am sorry miss Haruno, I didn't know you…" The police man gave Sakura her membership card back, rubbing the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly_. "All of them react like they have seen God…fucking losers"_

The pink haired agent took her CIA card back, and started to shut the window. "Your idiocy almost blew up my cover, you dimwit."

"Heh?! So I suppose the man you are carrying doesn't know who you are, isn't it?"

"Oh now you play the observant one, but to answer the question, no, he doesn't. And thanks to you, I had to put him into a semi-comatose state.

Thanks a lot." She turned the ignition on once again and pressed the parking brake down, removing her right leg from the brake, stepping on the gas pedal lightly.

"I am really sorry miss, seriously, I hope you will overlook it and do not tell my superiors abou…" Oh dear Heavens, he was worse than Hidan when he was peeking into women's spas or bathrooms and got beaten up by Tsunade and occasionally Karin.

Sakura threw the car into reverse and turned the steering wheel on the left. She had to take another route, because the other cars and people running were blocking the street. What the hell was the police doing anyways…

"Quit it, I don't have time for this! Next time look at the plate number first you moron!" She put the gas pedal to the floor and speeded up. Good thing she paid attention to the road when she took the taxi and memorized the route back home.

"_Now I am calling his home mine…" _At least the traffic was normal, so Sakura could relax a bit and keeping a hand on the steering wheel (good thing the car was automatic), she took her phone out and pressed _Call. "She is going to kill me for waking her up at this hour…"_

"_Haaaaaiiiii…"_ A tired hoarse voice answered the phone.

"Tsunade-shishou? This is Sakura."

"…_Sakura? Oh fuck Sakura is 3 o'clock in the morning for Heaven's sake! You are lucky you are my favorite student and I love you, otherwise…"_

"I know I know and I am really sorry to have woken you up, but this is urgent. My dear stupid bastard of a boss has been drugged with I assume is lysergic acid diethylamide, but I do not know the amount, so I cannot approximate the dosage of _ADEM _(anti drug effects medicine) to give him."

"…_how the hell did he take LSD? Is he a drug addict or something?"_ Tsunade was half asleep when her student called her. That perverted sex addicted Jirayia has kept her busy till later. And she had to rack her brains to find the answer Sakura was looking for.

"No, I don't think he is. He has been given drugs without his consent. Is kind of complicated, you are going to find out later anyways. Just tell me what is the safest dosage, I don't want to overdose him any further."

"_What are the exact symptoms and how bad are they? Are you sure is not something else?" _

"Well, when I found him he was like a lost puppy, calm and serene…._and playful_, but he had a mood swing and became anxious, his pupils were dilated and weren't reacting to light, he is still sweating and trembling and I think he has convulsions as well.

He was able to stand and run at some point, but now he looks dead."

"_It sounds like lysergic acid all right, but of course it could be something else as well. Cocaine gives you some of the symptoms as well." _ Tsunade managed to stand up and go to her huge library, where an impressive collection of rare medical books were resting.

She took a thick book from the bookcase and opened it, looking for the drug her student mentioned. She was not quite familiar with drugs and poisons, that was more Orochimaru and Sasori`s area of expertise. The blonde woman secretly wondered why Sakura hasn't called one of them instead.

"I thought that as well, but then I took in his psychological symptoms. Shishou, I am not a hundred percent sure, but I think Sasuke is hallucinating, has a distorted perception of the world, including his body and I think he has panic attacks as well.

And…I have to tell you some details as well…" Taking a deep breath, the pink haired woman told Tsunade everything that happened from the moment she found Sasuke.

Some of the details left the blonde agent speechless. _"…wow…that sound pretty nasty…ok, Sakura now I know the reason why you didn't call Orochimaru instead, but I can tell you that he will be safe with 4 mg. _

_Just don't give him more, because you could worsen his symptoms instead of lessen them." _

"Right. Anyways, judging by his severe condition, I can assume he was given an overdose. But is not that I am going to leave his body eliminate that damn substance naturally, he looks like he is in pain."

Sakura was close to Sasuke`s neighborhood. She could already spot the street and for some unknown reason, it gave her a pleasant feeling.

Tsunade went silent at that. She answered after some good seconds of thinking. _"Cherry, did you say pain? I am not an expert, but when someone takes drugs, aren't they suppose to feel positive things, like euphoria, extreme energy, confidence or shit like this, especially at the peak?"_

"I know what you want to say because I wondered the same thing myself, but not in his case. Also I know the LSD effects and it is too early for my boss to come down already, as well as I am aware of the immediate effects of the coming down, but they are associated with extreme tiredness and lack of sleep. Nothing mentions pain."

"_This is why I asked you if you are sure is lysergic acid diethylamide. But judging by the symptoms…it looks like this…Sakura to be honest I have no idea why that Uchiha brat is reacting that way. I can only assume is a rare side effect associated with the consumption of alcohol mixed with the drug._" Sakura was already driving to the small silent streets of the fancy neighborhood.

Tsunade was focusing her mocha eyes in front of her, thinking hard. She had an idea of why the Sound agent called her and that was related to her research work. In the past, CIA has used the drug successfully in mind control and chemical warfare and she was the one that continued the work after it was abandoned in 1980.

"_My dear, you are probably not aware, but we used human test subjects when we studied its potential use. Orochimaru was one of the head scientists at that time and we had some men that were having the exact symptoms as Uchiha Sasuke…and something more." _

The beautiful Sound member lady was not sure about letting Sakura know about their discovery, but apparently it was crucial for her to know at that moment.

The pink haired agent rolled down the window of the black SUV, took the special card and put it under the scan code reader to open the big gates, entering the yard. She was going to drive the black car outside later for the Hyuga to come and take it.

"Tsunade-sama, what do you mean by something more?" Sakura gripped the steering wheel tightly unconsciously, feeling nervous. She knew that tone and she knew Tsunade. Something big was going to be told.

"_My dear, I am not sure if I am supposed to be leaking this information, but I trust you so I am letting you know." _The golden haired woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _"Out of all the test subjects, four of them were also manifesting two particular symptoms: synesthesia__ and acute flashbacks."_

That made Sakura slightly surprised. She was expecting something far worse than that. She stepped on the brake and stopped the SUV in front of the door (she left a big trace on the grass, Sasuke is not going to like it).

"…what do you mean by that? Synesthesia is a rare occurrence all right, but it could be triggered by an overdose of LSD and is often associated with the temporary space dissension. And the flashbacks are related to the LSD trip and are supposed to last for 30 days, more or less, depending on the individual."

The woman from the other line snorted loudly. _"Heh...yeah…that is what modern medical books teach you nowadays…but the truth is different my dear. You see, the people I am talking about were on another level._

_Not only their senses were so high that almost overcharged our devices, but their neuronal activity was abnormally high as well. And the synesthesia was not quite an insolated symptom, but more like an associated one."_

"Associated? With what?" Now Sakura had difficulties in understanding what her master really meant. She still didn't see where the difference was.

"_With the flashbacks. And when I say flashbacks, I am not talking about the ones from the drug trips that were present to all the subjects, including the special ones I refer to."_

"HUH?! Then what kind of flashbacks?"

"_We weren't that sure because the people were incoherent and didn't know themselves. But all the data we gathered leaded us to only one conclusion: those recollections might have not belonged to their past. At least, a past they weren't aware of."_

"…I don't understand. What do you mean those memories weren't theirs?"

"_Cherry, those four test subject were having distant remembrances of a life they didn't remember living, not only that but their mental activity was beyond the charts, making them all genius level._

_What is worse is the fact that their symptoms never disappeared, only lessened with the passing time."_

Sakura was sure she didn't like were that was heading. "W…wait Shishou, let me get this clear, because it starts to sound like a SF book plot.

So, if you say they didn't remember living those past events, then what kind of memories were that? Future ones? Because I am sure one cannot have consciousness of future events that didn't happen to begin with"

"…_I told you we don't know. Sakura, those people …they started to act strange. Sometimes their mood swings were so severe, we had no option than to isolate them or sedate them. They started to act like they were possessed! Sometimes they liked to consider themselves historical characters and even acted like ones. _

_I remember one of them said he was Napoleon and even drew us a complete detailed map of the __Battle of Craonne __against the Russians and Prussians, in French and he didn't even speak French! Not only that but the only one who knew the details of the war was __Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher his general, so there is no way any other normal person would have known about that."_

"So in a nutshell, they all went insane!"

"_I can assure you of one thing and that is all of them were more than sane and didn't suffer from any mental disease. We got them tested many times. Not even their abnormal behavior was a sign of bipolar disorder, dissociative identity disorder or __schizophrenia.__ "_

"..Fuck…" Sakura didn't know what to believe. She stopped the car, but didn't get off the black SUV. She was trying to dig in what her shishou was telling her. And there she was deluding herself that the problem was going to be relatively simple. She should have known, in her profession, nothing was simple.

"_There is one more thing you need to know, but I don't know the relevance of it in your case. All four had one more thing in common."_

"…And that is?" And the Sound agent promptly dropped the phone she was gripping. From all the things Tsunade could have told her, it had to be the most ridiculous one.

"_They were all psychics."_

A worn out young man opened his eyes slowly, blinking rapidly to get used to the light. Everything in his body hurt like hell and he couldn't remember a thing, nor did he knew where he was. He heard muffled sounds around, but he was too drained of energy to turn his head and take a look and something was attached to his left arm, stinging.

Naruto was so certain he was dead, that he didn't even acknowledge the doctor's voice calling his name, or the nurses tending his wounds. His mouth was dry and he couldn't find the strength to articulate any words.

"Mr. Uzumaki, can you hear me? Are you aware of who you are?" Oh, someone was talking to him…in Japanese.

His cerulean eyes moved in the direction of the sound, slowly, like any rough move would break him in two. He moved his lips and prayed the sounds would come out of his throat.

A hoarse voice answered almost inaudible. The Akatsuki member needed water and fast! "W…he…re am…I?"

The doctor, who came right after the nurses alerted him about the fact that Naruto Uzumaki, who was supposed to wake up the next day, awoken from the induced semi-comatose state after several hours, left a content sight.

He was afraid the young man was going to have a temporary memory loss, but he looked receptive. "Tokyo Hiroo Metropolitan Hospital. Your friend brought you here yesterday, in a critical condition. You are safe now."

The sun kissed Akatsuki agent attempted to sit, but that proved to be an impossible task. He didn't give a damn about his health, he was really worried about his teammates.

The last memory he had was of him being a step close to having his head cut. And a lot of pain. The rest was gone from his mind. A gentle, but firm hand put on his shoulder prevented him from moving, followed by the doctor's soft tone.

"Please try not to force yourself, Sir, your body is weak because of the poisoning. We are going to keep you on IV at least two more days and transfer you to a private hospital room, now that you are awake.

You will be kept under observation." The doctor gave some indications to the two nurses accompanying him.

"I will take my leave now. I have already done the check up. Your wounds were deep, but you are now out of danger. They are going to heal just fine."

Naruto was watching the man that was telling him soothing words, trying his best to focus. If he was in the hospital, then his friends were all right as well. They had to be!

"…my friends…are…" Damn his sore throat and dry lips. He was speaking like Frankenstein's bride when she rose from dead.

"Mr. Hyuga and his fiancé are fine as well. I will contact them and let them know about your condition. Your friend was here as well, watching you. He is the one that called the nurses, but apparently he left in a hurry. Rest now, you need it."

After giving his best smile, the old doctor took his leave, leaving the rest of the job to the nurses. After two night shafts, he was just as worn out as the Uzumaki._"Waking up from the induced coma after 8 hours flat, with the IV still in his arm is craziness…I need coffee."_

Blue Lagoon, one of the most luxurious clubs in Japan became a sinking lagoon. After the INTERPOL troops entered the club, all the screaming and crying people were evacuated but not without incidents.

Police cars secluded the surrounding area, detaining suspects and giving fines (were all those rich people so dumb to attempt to drive in their intoxicated state?), preventing anyone from leaving without being checked.

But the amount of men and women were making it all the difficult, because some of them were lamenting, some of them were being violent, demanding explanations. Inside, things were just as bad.

The officers managed to arrest the drug dealers and their whores. Apparently, there were 20 of them spead in the club, trying to lure rich drunken heirs.

Neji managed to capture 10 of them, all belonging to the Hummingbird criminal organization. He was lucky not to be hurt, because the show consisted in a gang of violent drug dealers that attempted to hit the troops with everything they could grab.

One of the police officers was hit with glass table (that was one hella strong drug dealer), another with a stool and the best of all was a female one hit with a toilet seat, needing immediate treatment.

It was 6 a.m in the morning when the INTERPOL troops managed to detain all the suspects. Neji was barely standing on his feet. There were many police officers hurt, some of them in critical condition, he himself had to give first aid to some colleagues of his.

Good think the darkness of the place, the chaos and the panicked people helped the Hyuga heir conceal his identity from the civilians.

It wouldn't have done him any good to be recognized as part of the police or whatever organization people would think of. Uchiha on the other side…the lavender haired man was certain there would be gossip about his performance. The media was probably going to be handled, giving his money and reputation.

He was about to ask the head of the police troops if they needed help with anything else and if they could give him a ride to Sasuke`s house to take his car, when his phone vibrated. He looked at the ID of the caller. It was from the hospital.

"Hello?"

"_Mr. Hyuga, my name is Kumiko Ayakame from Tokyo Hiroo Metropolitan Hospital. Mr. Uzumaki is now awake and has been transferred to room 205, on the third floor. __Dr. Yoshihiro has seen your friend this morning and his health condition is stable. You can visit anytime after 8 a.m."_

Neji left a small smile upon hearing the good news. He was really worried for his Akatsuki colleague. Of course, he wasn't surprised by the news, Naruto was a strong man and he was famous for his fast healing. He would visit him no problem…after sleeping 24 hours flat. God it was a miracle he was still thinking straight.

"Thank you Mrs. Ayakame. I leave Naruto to you. Have a great day."

"_No problem. I wish you a good day as well, Mr. Hyuga."_

The Akatsuki agent looked around. Most of the INTERPOL cars were gone and the ambulances as well. He went straight to one of the cars and asked the police officer that was driving if he could give him a lift home, getting a positive answer. _"My comfy big bed, here I come! I hope Ten Ten isn't sleeping spread in the middle as usual…"_

It took Sakura 5 minutes to snap out of her disturbed state and talk to Tsunade once again. The poor blonde woman was screaming in the phone alarmed upon not hearing her student talking. "What the hell shishou, are you kidding me?

So now I am expecting Sasuke to levitate, or move objects with the power of his mind or communicate to the dead ones…?" The pink haired agent was screaming at the top of her lungs, she was aware. But she wasn't the one to give a damn about it, the stress was starting to take a toll on her.

"_My dear, calm down, ok? I only told you how the research went, I cannot predict how that little Uchiha brat will react. It might not be the same situation after all…"_

In his mind, Tsunade couldn't have been more certain. That was indeed a problem, she would have to contact her partner Orochimaru and have a long chat.

"But what if it is? I mean he is basically having the same unpredictable behavior as the men you talked about!"

Sakura was griping her short hair hard with the available hand, forehead prompted on the steering wheel. And the sky looked awful. It was going to be a storm. She looked at the clock. It was 4 a.m already. _"God I feel my muscles go numb…" _

"_It might just be a side effect of the LSD after all…I don't know what to say about this Sakura, you know we do not have all the information about this substance, especially how it affects the human brain."_

"I don't know what to say shishou. And the worst part is the one with the flashbacks. He is going to remember everything, how do I look, the fact that I had a gun and killed a man, Neji coming to the club, is a disaster! Papa is going to skin me alive!" She almost wanted to cry. Almost.

"_Don't worry about that, you can always blame it on the alcohol and drugs. Everyone knows LSD makes people see things are not real. And he probably saw flying candies and pink unicorns and mushrooms as well. At most he is going to remember sensations, not visual images."_

"…I really do hope you are right, or else I am screwed." Sakura wanted to tell her master about the part when he almost kissed her but decided not. It was not the time and probably the poor woman was already tired. She was going to nag Karin about that instead. That gossip digger…

"Tsunade-sama, if let's say, Sasuke is anything like those test subjects…what should I expect from him when he wakes up?" The Sound agent turned around and looked at her boss. He was already gaining consciousness. _"This fast…"_

"…_The worse."_

Sakura didn't like how that sounded. She already got off the car, opened the front door and went to the back seat. She dreaded the idea of carrying a man that probably had three times her weight up the stairs.

But it was not like she was going to take care of him in the living room. People might come to his house and see his intoxicated state.

"Oh God…I am tempted to keep him sedated until LSD flushes from his system...screw the degenerative effects on his nervous system, he is already insane to begin with."

"_I suggest you don't do this. It is pretty bad he had alcohol, as well as your magic needle shoved in his pressure point. That might be the trigger for other neurotic effects."_

"Tsunade shishou, I have one more question for you and then I am hanging up. Out of curiosity…what happened to the four people you mentioned?"

"_I hoped you wouldn't ask this but… their brains couldn't take the amount of scenes and paranormal occurrences any longer so… they died short after the drug ingestion."_

"…" The young maid thought she was going to faint. That couldn't happen to his boss as well, no way, she will not let him die no matter what. She hung up on her master, without saying anything more. She was having a really bad headache.

It took her 10 minutes to get Sasuke upstairs in his room. Sakura was certain her back pain would never cease away after that. He was heavier than she thought. _"Fuckin prick, not only he challenges the Eiffel Tower's high, but he is full of muscles as well…"_

She promptly threw him on his four poster bed and went downstairs to take the black SUV outside the house, on the street. _"Pffff…a four poster bed…Barbie Rapunzel has just killed my damn back…"_

She had the Hyuga to thank for giving her the keys without further explanations. At least the man was smart and got the idea really quick. Good thing it was not his fiancé instead.

That woman was simple minded in the pink agent's opinion. She then got straight in her room, undressed of the horrid clothes, threw a large T-shirt over her small frame, messed her hair and took her medical bag. She didn't bother with the ugly glasses, that would only be in her way. She had a lot of shit to do.

The first thing she did was to inject him the dosage of _ADEM_ Tsunade recommended her. It was pointless to make a fool of herself and try to make Sasuke ingest that. As soon as Sakura threw the syringe away, her boss started to stir. The effect of the acupuncture almost nonexistent.

The Sound agent took a general look at him. In all honesty, his situation was so bad, she didn't even began to figure out where should she start from. He was a mess. His pupils were so dilated, it almost swallowed up his whole equally dark irises.

She put a hand on his forehead and saw he was basically burning up and the dryness of his skin, associated with the dilatation of his blood vessels were all signs of hyperthermia.

He was sweating more like Giant Taro leaves and his heart rate was incredibly high as well. The dark eyed heir was also trembling violently, clenching his jaw. But the worse part of all were his psychological symptoms.

Sakura was sure her master Tsunade wouldn't have told us the secret research CIA conducted if she had found them irrelevant. She has warned her to expect the worse.

And it already looked bad. Out of nowhere Sasuke opened the eyes he was keeping tight closed and started to mumble incoherent things, like he was having troubles keeping his consciousness, but the young agent couldn't decipher what the hell was he trying to say, all the time trembling and moving his head from side to side, almost like wanting to taking in his surrounding.

Never did he look more disoriented, like he couldn't recognize his own room.

"_Fuck…"_ The Sound agent knew what she had to do. The special pill started to remove the drug from his system, but of course if was a forced method, so his body was probably reacting as well, producing immunoglobulin, so her first concern was definitely hyperthermia.

She quickly undressed him by the T-Shirt he wore, as well as the pants and shoes. Good thing Sakura was in doctor mode, or else she would have been to one hyperventilating upon seeing him almost naked. Good thing he didn't attempt to stop her, he was talking to himself (or not?), lost in his world.

The Sound agent put her small hand on his heart, gently. _"God, if he keeps this up he will develop tachycardia. Gotta cool him down fast…"_

The pink haired woman took the remote and turned the conditioning on, setting a really low temperature, then run to the bathroom to fill in a large bucket of water, adding ice cubes from the fridge.

When she got back into her boss` room, she took a seat in a chair close to the bed, wetting some towels in the cold water, attempting to cover his burning body and make its temperature drop, while the said man was not mumbling God only knows what, moving his head like he was headbanging.

Oh, no. Out of nowhere he started to thrash violently, like he was lying on burning coal, moving his torso up and down like wanting to jump and he was shoving his nails in his left wrist, leaving bleeding deep scratches on the way, like wanting to skin his forearm.

His eyes were wide open, rotating in all directions like he was afraid of being caught by someone…or something and to make it all the worse, he was screaming as well.

Sakura started to panic a little, but kept her composure. He looked like he was possessed by the Devil. Forget Uzumaki, the way Sasuke was acting was million times worse than that.

She put the wet towel on his forehead and a bigger one on his torso, but the said man wouldn't have it.

He turned his head in her direction so fast Sakura was sure he broke his neck in the process with his damp raven locks sticking to his face, gave her a dark so full of hate that the Sound agent felt her heart being stabbed by a giant sword and shoved her hands away of him, as well as the towels, almost making her fall from the chair.

Then he left his back hit the soft mattress of the bed, continuing to fidget and move his hands and feet in an uncontrollable way, screaming things Sakura couldn't understand, just like back in the club.

His wrist was bleeding badly, but he didn't seem to notice, because he closed his eyes tightly, like all the neon lights were burning his eyes, still screaming in an agonizing way.

"_Sasuke…what is happening to you…" _Sakura wasn't going to deny the fact that she was scared by the man in front of her. The amount of force he put when he took the wet towels out of his body and hit her hand was immense.

He had the power to crush her if he wanted it and he was not in his right mind as well…she was almost tempted to call the hospital, but they wouldn't be able to do more for him either.

The temperature in the room was getting lower fast, making the pink haired lady cold.

No matter what, she had to be strong for him. It pained her to see such a powerful man like Sasuke so low and the fact that she had feelings for him wasn't helping as well. If she could have given him part of her vital force to soothe his pain, she would have done it.

Sakura inhaled sharply once, took a hold of the bucket and started to pour the cold water on his body, as slowly as she could. It was crystal clear he was not going to let her cover him in towels.

When the freezing water came in contact with his burning skin, it was almost like a trigger. With what looked like the speed of light, Sasuke grabbed her small hand forcefully and throw her on the bed, making her drop the bucket.

The pink dyed agent was dizzy by the sudden jerk and didn't have time to react to Sasuke`s pulling, her back hitting the black silk mattress forcefully, like her boss wanted to make a hole in the bed.

In an instant, the raven haired Uchiha was on the top of his maid, pinning her much thinner hands above her head, his strong legs gripping her own, preventing the woman beneath him to kick him, his hard body trapping her between him and the bed, pressing his torso on her ribcage in a forceful way, cutting the air supply, his head only few centimeters away from her own.

Sakura`s body froze, her mind paralyzed in fear. She was being kept under her boss` hard rock frame, and he was burning her skull with his intense gaze.

She opened her mouth attempting to take larger gulps of the much needed oxygen, but to no avail. He was pressing her too hard, making her lungs scream for air. She started to feel dizzy and claustrophobic.

"Mr. Uchiha…" Maybe if she attempted to talk to him he was going to let her go. She couldn't breath and he was basically straddling her with his hot body, making it all the more difficult. And the man didn't respond to her call.

The pink haired woman was sure Sasuke left bruises on her arms, considering the amount of strength he used to keep her in place. She could feel her bones crack and it was painful. And of course, her hormones couldn't find a better time to manifest.

Sakura was being trapped by a drugged almost naked man, dressed in only his boxers, that was suffering from severe psychological mood swings and she couldn't help the heat that was making itself present on her face and neck.

Her sexy devilish boss was having his body glued to her own and the Sound agent could feel his muscles flex with every move he made, pressing on her skin and the hotness of his frame was engulfing her senses, clouding her judgment.

She felt her own body starting to react to the man above her, because the temperature in her own body began to rise and the butterflies on her stomach were fluttering, making her clench her muscles, feeling a little queasy.

Her nipples hardened painfully whenever he exhaled, pressing his pectorals on her round breasts, and the uncomfortable sensation between her legs, made her push her hips up a little, acting on pure instinct, like secretly searching relief from the dark eyed Uchiha.

Apparently it was a dumb idea, because as soon as she did that, she felt his large member through the fabric of his boxers, resting right in between her partly spread legs, the unexpected contact taking both of them by surprise, because Sakura sensed Sasuke stop his movements for a moment as well.

She tried to take the chance and shove him off her, but to no avail. He was like a wall.

The situation was getting out of control, but Sakura had no idea what to do. She didn't have any weapon to use because she changed clothes and she couldn't move her legs or arms out of his grip.

He had another mood swing apparently, because again he wasn't twisting or thrashing his body and he wasn't screaming either. Instead, he was piercing her with his dark gaze, the intensity of his charcoal orbs overwhelming her, pinning her soul steady, hypnotizing her.

Sakura was certain she would not be able to move even if he wasn't keeping her down, the ferocity and the murder intent radiating from him, combined with the heat of his sweating body, were intoxicating.

The pink haired woman felt a mix of terror and thrill wash through her body, in the most pleasurable way possible.

She realized she was just as mad as he was and the sudden realization hit her full force.

Even in that circumstances, where she couldn't even predict his next movements she wanted him, craved for his touch, drowning in his dark alluring gaze, letting him play the strings of her heart, her body betraying the need for him.

Sakura has given Sasuke the medicine all right, so apart of the hyperthermia, which shouldn't have been such a serious problem, given the fact that the _ADEM_ pill helped soothing the physical after effects, as well as the coldness of the room and the freezing water which also helped, minimizing the possibility of tachycardia, there were no other serious threats to his life.

The major concern lied in the psychological effects. But she couldn't do anything about that, except from not angering or scaring him. Sakura had to try and talk to him, in order to see what exactly he perceived. Tsunade has been right. She should have expected the worse.

"Mr. Uchiha, what do you…" Any word Sakura was going to say got stuck in her throat. The young Uchiha knitted his perfectly shaped brows together, making his already black eyes getting even darker, curling his lips upwards in a wide smirk.

His all appearance was so sinister, that knocked Sakura`s air off her lungs. But his impossibly pale complexion, the dark raven damp locks, glued to his perfectly sculpted face and those kissable soft lips made her toes curl upon seeing him.

The way he was eying her like wanting to swallow the life out of her was ominous in the most pleasurable way possible.

He was deviously handsome, like a dark angel fallen from Heaven, luring her, calling her to him, to his decadent world of no morals, only lust. He was immoral and wicked and sin never felt so tempting to Sakura.

Sasuke`s hot toned body and his aura, made the young woman feel like burning in the pits of Hell, in the embrace of the Devil. And she realized she wasn't minding it in the slightest, on the contrary, she was inviting him inside her mind.

This man was corrupting her innocent thoughts with his tainted ones, making her fall to the level of carnal wants and animalistic needs.

She was aware of the fact that he could have done anything he pleased with her body in that moment, but the Sound agent couldn't give a damn about that.

Her secret inner wanted him to break her walls and surge her body with undiscovered blissful sensations. He was insane and she was going insane for him.

And Sakura lost it for real when he arched his broad back slightly, using the strong grip on her hands as leverage to lunge his front forward in a fluid motion, making their glued bodies grind in all the right places, the overwhelming startling feeling caused by the men above making the pink haired girl leave a soft moan.

"Ahhh…S…Sir…stop…" Inside, the pink haired woman was thorn between responding to his movements or thrash her body, using all her might to stop him. Sakura felt ashamed of herself for welcoming the pleasure an intoxicated man was giving, just like a whore, but the feelings she had were more powerful than any moral value.

"Why Sakura…do you really…" His low baritone voice was echoing in her ears, like velvet music for the system. He was not talking to her, he was enrapturing her. "…want me to…"

The raven haired man put the tip of his nose on the trapped maid's long slim neck, drawing imaginary circles on the soft skin, while rotating his hips hard, in the same motion, slowly, making sure he rubbed his hardened shaft on her private parts each time. "…stop…hmm?"

Sakura bit her lower lip hard, attempting to stop another moan from exiting her mouth, clenching her eyes, not able to stare into his eyes anymore.

The electric jolts she felt whenever he pushed his body into hers were making her go crazy with want, and the feel of his obvious arousal rubbing at her throbbing lower region, turned her on so badly, it was almost painful.

The Sound agent didn't know what she was feeling and the sensations she had, so knew and foreign, were scaring her. Damned the fact that she had to keep her tight black shorts when changing clothes, feeling basically every contact through the thin fabric.

Never in her life had a man made her insides scream in ecstasy with every move or touch he made, and the alien feeling of wetness in between her legs, soaking the lace panties she wore, made her curl her toes in absolute bliss.

Sasuke managed to light the fire inside of her, burning their hot bodies together in a fusion of maddening lust and withhold cravings.

"…Y-yess…please…" The pink haired woman couldn't even articulate any words. The Uchiha`s lips were brushing the base of her neck, gently caressing the velvet skin, sometimes using the tip of his nose to add to the feeling.

Her pulse was running high and she was taking large gulps of air, attempting to cool down her body. Sakura was certain there were no more than 10 Celsius degrees in the room, but she was sweating madly.

"Please…what?" The sound of his low deep voice made the butterflies in her stomach rise to her throat. It was like a spellbound, he was mesmerizing her feelings, sending a delicious sensation of electrical discharges down her spine.

"What do you want…" Of course, even in his state, the bastard could read her like an open book.

The feel of his hot breath fanning her neck and face, was enticing. And when the pink haired woman felt a wet tongue leaving trails of saliva down her throat and jaw, she really thought she was going to lose her mind.

"…me to do?"

There was nothing intimate in the way her boss was touching her. It was dark and sinful, but devastatingly addicting.

"I…don't…Ahhh!" Sakura opened her jade eyes wide when she felt a rough hand slipping under the large T-shirt she wore, grazing the pale supple skin of her stomach, in a touch so hot and sensuous, feeling up the delicate muscles, sending her straight to the Moon and back, making all her body tremble in pleasure and the innuendo in his words making it all the more delectable.

In her moments of insanity and desire, the Sound agent failed to notice how Sasuke`s voice took a darker touch, that screamed danger, and there was absolutely no one in the room to interrupt the scene, like back in the club.

"Say it…" The dark man continued to fondle her creamy skin with the tip of his fingers lazily, causing a tickling sensation on the surface, then palmed her hip, caressing the small rounded bone, going up and down her side, brushing her ribs softly, like testing waters, making the woman beneath him hold her breath in anticipation. "…and I shall give it to you…"

"…no…you…have to…" Sakura could feel her insides turn to jelly, not being able to even hold her eyes open or form a coherent sentence, the magnetic charge that washing her body, combined with the fluttering feeling in her stomach and the sensation of constriction and moist in her lower region, made her shaky and light-headed.

The young woman could feel the rivers of hot red liquid from his injured wrist leaking down the milky velvet skin of her captive hands, tainting her innocence with his guilty pleasures, charging the air with a synthesis of blood, burning skin, rivulets of sweat and cold water, in a mind numbing feeling of aphrodisiac.

The pink haired agent couldn't contain another moan from escaping her rosy lips, the pleasure being too overwhelming.

She had no control over her senses, squirming under the mouthwatering toned body of her sexy boss, unconsciously creating a marvelous friction that made both of them even more turned on.

"Tell me Sakura…" Sasuke put his hot lips on Sakura`s ear shell, whispering in a dark rough low voice a debauched invitation to break down all her principles and succumb to his seductive ministrations, nibbling and licking the delicate skin, tantalizing the young woman, droving her crazy with his small gentle bits and soft moist lips.

"…what you really wish for…"She secretly felt sad for not kissing him in the club, he felt amazing!

The raven haired man returned his attention to the pink haired maid's slim neck, tasting the delicious pearl skin ravenously with long licks, like wanting to imprint the pattern in his memory, then grazing his teeth on her pulse, biting slightly and flicking his tongue on the reddened skin, marking her, at the same time, fondling her slim waist with the tip of his fingers, like a baby playing with his toys, feeling every rib and muscle with sinuous movements.

The truth was…what Sakura really wished for in that moment was for him never stop pleasuring her. Seriously, he was so good and unexpectedly gentle, considering what kind of man he was and his state of mind, that it made her incredibly aroused.

She was so inexperienced, never having any intimate contact until then, but her body knew how to respond to his touch like they were meant to fit together.

But the pink haired woman knew that what they were doing was wrong in every point of view. Of course the man above her had no idea what he was doing, the effect of the drug intoxicating his judgment, so it was up to her to stop him.

And when Sakura felt the tip of his fingers brushing the side of her breast, through the lace bra, she knew she had to put an end to the act before they did something they would both regret later.

"M…Mr. Uchiha…stop…" The said dark eyed man put his mouth on her jaw line, trailing his lips back and fort, sensually, planting butterfly wet kisses on the way, daring her to ask him to stop. Sakura knew if he carried on with his touches, she wouldn't be able to think straight.

"No…this is not what you secretly desire…"

Of course it wasn't, the pink haired Sound agent was pinned to a freaking king sized bed, with the most beautiful man alive grinding his godlike body on her own, touching her virgin figure in a way that stirred all the dark desires inside her soul, whispering naughty words in that seductive low husky voice of his, making the wet feeling she had on her most sacred places intensify to the point she thought she was going to go wild with need, so what she really needed was for him to…oh God, Sakura turned into Karin.

"…this is…wrong…you have to…" Sakura didn't know what she wanted from him, it was a strange feeling of emptiness, both physical and spiritual, and somehow the young heir knew exactly how to fill her in.

"…I have to…what?" Apparently, her body was aware of the wants as well, because acting on pure reflex, she arched her back and pushed her hips upwards into the man` s hovering over her smaller frame own one, causing both of them moan softly at the unexpected feeling of electricity washing through their bodies, in an enticing way.

"Stop…Ahhh" The raven haired Uchiha responded with a hard push of his own pelvis, letting their intimate parts rub together, increasing the friction between their bodies through soft fabric of their clothing, amplifying the throbbing in their lower regions, the state of arousal unbearable, making the woman he was keeping trapped jerk her body in surprise and moan loudly.

"…Do I? Don't you enjoy it…Sakura…hm? Say it!" It was not good. Sakura knew she had no chance in overpowering him. Sasuke had her both hands in a firm grip of his left hand, his right one feeling her up under the large piece of clothing.

And his body pressed her own much smaller one hard, his feet keeping her ones in place. So, her only chance was to determine him to let her go. She only needed one moment of him to loosen his grip on her, to jerk her body and escape. But he was fast as well… _"Damn it…"_

"…no wait…Ohhh" The dark eyed heir gripped her hip firmly, lowering his body even more on her, successfully preventing the woman beneath him to move, shoving his teeth into the soft skin of her long neck, biting hard, making small drops of blood leak down her throbbing pulse, then flicking his wet tongue over the bruised skin, making Sakura whimper in both pain and pleasure.

"…tell me…lie to me again and say you don't take pleasure in this…"

"Sir…you have to…" The pink haired agent was panicking. It was clear that he wasn't going to listen to her lamentations and of course the cocky drugged bastard knew she was enjoying it, her body language was betraying her and he was experienced enough to read the signs of her obvious aroused state._ "Then what…" _

"Please, this is wrong…" But the said man was ignoring her, because he was planting butterfly kisses down her throat and her neck, occasionally nibbling and sucking her collar, making her automatically angle her head to give him better access, half closing her emerald eyes, almost giving in to his hot touch, the feeling of his expert tongue and mouth on her being unbelievably enjoyable.

"Not admitting you like it is wrong…Sakura" The said woman was panting heavy, having difficulties in keeping her cool. She opened her emerald orbs looking at the man above her.

His sculpted body moving slowly, sensually over hers, the flexing of the hardened muscles with every move he did and his damp raven locks brushing her neck and face was the most erotic thing she ever saw, Karin and her dirty movies be damned!

Sakura became desperate. She felt Sasuke fastening his peace, every movement harder and harsher than the previous.

And she was no expert, but his aroused state was obvious, grinding hard in between her legs, letting her have a taste of what was going to follow if she didn't act quickly.

"Sir…you have to…let go…you need help." Sakura felt her boss halt his movements suddenly. She looked into his coal eyes for a moment. She wished she didn't.

His face was contorted in a way so sinister that made her blood froze into her veins and the pink haired woman could have sworn her heart stopped beating. Sasuke`s pupils were so dilated, it made his black eyes look two times bigger, swallowing any trace of light, looking like a pair of endless abysses.

He was clenching his jaw tightly and his lips were pressed in a firm line, no smirk whatsoever. _"Another mood swing?" _For a brief second, Tsunade words echoed through Sakura`s mind.

"_What should I expect?"_

"_The worst."_

And when she felt the Uchiha`s hand taking a firm hold of her neck, the pink haired assassin had an idea of what exactly meant the worse, because in that moment all her world crumbled, the events that followed beating any horror movie scene she ever saw.

There was nothing left from the man that was fondling the Sound agent moments ago, with so much affection and passion that made her insides squirm and turn to jelly.

Instead, a demon got the form of a handsome dark man, coming from the pits of the darkness to choke her, because the raven haired Uchiha had a total change of attitude, turning into a serial murderer.

He used his free hand to roughly grab her thin neck and applied so much force in his grip, strangling her, successfully cutting her air supply.

Not only that, but as soon as he heard her last statement, it apparently triggered something into his twisted intoxicated mind, because he went absolutely insane, his grip even tougher, pressing her neck into the silky pillow like wanting break it, all the times while pressing his body forcefully on hers, stopping her attempts to thrash and kick him, and his hold on her hands getting more painful and bruising, stopping her blood to flood normally.

Sakura`s emerald eyes began to glisten and she felt a salty liquid in the corner of her prickling orbs, unable to stop the burning tears from falling. The constricting pain from her lungs and neck, due to the forceful grip and lack of oxygen, made her mind go numb.

Her vision began to darken, her mind going dizzy. She tried to cry out at him to stop, but it was in vain, she couldn't form any words. Any attempt to move was pointless because of his grip and hard rock body that stirred her movements.

In all her life as a CIA agent and Sound killer, Sakura never felt so close to die like in that moment.

Her rosy lips were quivering, silent tears leaking to her red cheeks, like the purest rivers. And not only the man above her was trying to kill her, but he was cursing her to hell and back, in the most sinister low dark tone possible.

The burning feeling in her ribcage due to the overwhelming need to breathe made her pray for death to come and take her fast. She attempted to trash her body, or force her hands out of his grip, in vain. Judging by the amount of air she had in her lungs since Sasuke began to chock her and the need to breath, Sakura had approximated that 3 or 4 minutes have passed. _"Even an Olympics swimmer cannot hold it more than 6 minutes…"_

Her muscles were clenched painfully and she felt a burning sensation engulfing her insides, tearing her apart. She couldn't even scream out loud in agony, not having the energy to form coherent words.

The world started to fade around her, her brain that was no longer able to sustain any activity, starting to cool. _"Heh…Karin was right…I am going to die a virgin after all…"_

Sakura has managed to open her emerald eyes once more and attempt to save herself once more, whispering to the unleashed man above her the words that were probably going to plague his nightmares for the rest of his life.

"…s-stop it…Sasuke…" And shut her jade teary eyes. She knew what would follow: she was going to lose consciousness, then heart attack, and finally brain death.

Only…it never came…And when the young lady felt a cool air fanning her face, her natural instincts kicked in and she took a large gulp of air, not feeling any pressure on her any longer.

Then she started to cough, inhaling deeply the much deprived oxygen, not even aware of the fact that she was crying even harder, probably due to the relieving of stress and shock. _"Why…"_

Sakura`s emerald eyes flew open. She raised her still groggy head with much difficulty and realized she was not trapped anymore. And her boss was no where in sight.

"…W…what the hell…?" Unbelievable, she hasn't even felt him free her and leaving the room. He wasn't kidnapped by aliens, was he? The pink haired woman jumped from the bed, but almost fell on her knees because of the dizziness. Then the events hit her full force.

The feelings, Sasuke`s hands on her, their intimate moment, the menacing aura, the fact that she was one step away from a painful death…Sakura curled her trembling body into a ball, on the fluffy carpet, with her back resting on the edge of the bed, covering her head with both hands.

She started to sob, eyes glimmering with tears, rolling in big drops down her cheeks. It has been so much time since she last cried, that she didn't even know she would remember doing it any more. Apparently, she did.

The Sound agent was well aware of the fact that she had to go and find Sasuke. But her body was shaking, everything in her hurt and she was glued to the ground. She was afraid to take any step further.

Sasuke kicked the door of his office open, then slammed it back shut, with a loud thud, going straight to his large desk, planting his hands firmly on the wooden polished surface, head bent down, eyes shut.

What he was feeling was hard to describe, even for him. His whole body was burning, his muscles hurt, making it almost impossible to sustain his frame in a standing position and he felt the urge to scratch his skin with his nails till it bleed, almost disgusted with the carcass that kept his soul trapped.

The raven haired heir felt like he was possessed by a demon, trying to tear him apart and take over his mind. The fury, the anger, the hate, the mental voices whispering alien things…

He was shaking violently, he was almost naked and it was really cold outside, but he was burning.

And his mind…God the young Uchiha felt like banging his head on the hard surface and let in break in half. He was surprised he hasn't done it the first time.

He couldn't remember anything clearly, he had no coherent thought of the recent events, and he only perceived emotions, through all his senses that were high alert, making impossible links.

The dark eyed man could have sworn he was tasting sounds and hearing colors, in a mixture of fractals and vivid distorted forms.

But the worst part of all was the fact that he felt his inner leaving his body, like he was seeing himself from apart. The perception of having your core broke in half was killing him, making him feel panic and claustrophobia.

He wasn't even aware of the fact that he was screaming at the top of his lungs, oblivious to the woman hearing him upstairs, through the thin walls, making her cry harder.

He was screaming in torture, in shame, in pain…the guilt was eating him alive. _"How could you…to a girl like her…no"._

Sasuke took the first writing object he found, meaning a permanent black marker and a sheet of paper.

He couldn't explain it, but the need to put language down on paper, to comprise the millions of thoughts crossing his mind was overwhelming. But he wasn't able to focus on drafting anything on the blank surface.

The raven haired man wasn't seeing it clearly, his vision disturbed and his trembling and bleeding left hand was making it more difficult.

Sasuke let out a strangled scream of frustration, clenching his right hand in a tight fist and punched the stiff desk with so much force, it made the wood break with a load crack.

The young heir was panting heavily, taking a quick look around him…The walls were leaking and the ground was melting, trying to cover him in green mud. He needed something bigger…wider…

He looked outside on the window, attracted by the bolt of lightning cutting the clouds and the thunder that followed suit, piercing the silence of the morning. His feelings matched the heavy storm outside.

But no pouring rain was able to wash away the memory of what he was about to do…to the only woman that was there when he needed most, except his mother.

The suffering Uchiha raised his hand on the white surface of the wall, gripping the marker tightly. He closed his charcoal eyes, lips partly opened, whispering things coming from the pits of his mind.

He had no memory whatsoever, except for her…his maid…Sakura. The feelings she awoken in him were foreign to Sasuke, but not unpleasant.

The delicious taste of chocolate and oranges of her porcelain soft skin and the feel of her small, perfectly shaped body under his touch was making him more intoxicated than the drug itself.

He couldn't even remember how she looked like, but the image of her was never more vivid under his eyelids.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he almost did to her…he had the urge to cut down his hands for hurting her.

He had no idea why he was hovering over her (he had, but he didn't want to start imagining it), but for a moment the already twisted images he had turned into a horrid monster, trying to attack him, and that was the reason why he tried to strangle the pink haired woman.

It was when her low agonizing whisper called his name, the Uchiha managed to get a hold of his sanity and get an idea of what he was doing.

And when he took a glimpse of her thin body going limp under him, not having the energy to fight or even scream, and her reddened small face, covered in burning tears, silently imploring him to stop, his dark eyes went wide and he felt like being stabbed in the heart, for 72 hours, with a sharp sword.

He freed his hands and neck, blowing cool air on her face to force her innate behavior of breathing to kick in and determine her to take a gulp of oxygen. Then he promptly sprinted out of the room, afraid to hurt her any longer.

His hand was moving without stopping, eyes closed. Sasuke was aware of the fact that he was a cursed man that tainted the world around him.

Sakura was not sure of how much time has passed since she was lying numb on the floor, but she knew she didn't have any drop of tears to shed from her reddened emerald eyes.

When she was certain she calmed herself, she fisted her small hand on the silky mattress, standing up with much difficulty.

"Fuck…" The Sound agent looked at the clock on the wall. It was 6:30 a.m. She has cried for 2 hours without stopping, all the time hearing loud crushes and screams coming from downstairs.

At least Sasuke didn't go anywhere in his condition. Sakura was afraid to go down and look at the mess he did. She was certain it would take her ages to clean that shit up.

Not only that, but the way her boss was shouting like something wanted to tear him apart was causing a great pain in her chest.

She wasn't angry with him for what he did, because she knew he wasn't in his right mind and to her utter shock, she found out she wasn't afraid of him either, because the real Uchiha wouldn't ever lay a hand on her. What Sakura was afraid of was the effect of the drug.

She opened the door, took a fluffy blanket and headed downstairs. The pink haired girl looked into a mirror she passed, seeing her reflection. She was a mess, looking just as bad as Sasuke. _"Damn it…that drunken woman was right, this is the worst…"_

And Sakura swore she was not in the slightest surprised to see the raven haired Uchiha, outside his office, spread on the floor with his back on the wall, a leg bent under him, head hidden between his crossed arms, looking in trance.

"Mr. Uchiha?" She approached him carefully, not wanting to startle him. The pink haired woman took two long senbons from her room, not wanting to repeat another incident like the previous one.

But the man was not responsive. _"Great, now the bastard is dead to the world…again…"_ She put a hand gently on his broad shoulder, shaking slightly.

"Sir, are you all right?" What an idiot question, of course he wasn't. Well…she had to say something cheesy to break the ice…

No response, but Sakura was certain he shook his head softly, almost missing the motion if she wasn't looking carefully.

"God damn it…" She put the thick blanket around his almost naked figure (the young agent was sure she was going crazy if she looked at his toned body more than she already did), covering him, a hand on his forehead.

He wasn't burning at all anymore, which was good, because it meant _ADEM_ was working its magic, instead he was cold and he head goose bumps on his arms. He was freezing.

"Sir, you have to come with me. Let's head to your room, shall we?" Sakura used a soft tone when addressing him, afraid of another extreme mood change.

She put a hand under his armpit, pulling him up with much difficulty. He was really heavy and the pink haired woman was out of energy, taking small steps in the direction of the stairs_. "When all this craziness is over, I am telling him to buy a damn elevator!" _

24 hours. One day. For one day, Sakura stayed glued to Sasuke, never leaving his side. She watched him thrash his body, scream for something she couldn't understand, cursing the world he lived in, cry in pain and the pink haired woman suffered along with him.

Never in her life has she seen a person in so much misery, it was physically aching for her to look at him.

But at least, he didn't try anything. He was only fighting an invisible force, probably one of the drug's effects, gripping the two blankets and covering his figure tightly. Sakura realized he was cold.

She closed the windows (damn was it raining like hell for two days already) and turned the heat on. From times to times, she was giving him water. His lips looked really dry and he was unconsciously wetting them with the tip of his tongue.

Of course, one of the well known side effects of LSD was inability to sleep. Sakura watched her boss with concern. He was dead tired, she knew that much, the big purple bags under his eyes were more than proof and he was also feeling queasy because of the alcohol he had.

But she solved that quickly, with the help of a hangover pill. _"Orochimaru`s present for Tsunade…"_

The sound agent would have laughed at the funny memory if she was not so worried. He managed to find the much needed sleep after 8, but he was stirring from times to times, probably haunted by nightmares.

Sakura tended her boss` self induced injuries. His left hand looked really nasty, the skin on his forearm was scratched deeply, adorned with blood flowing in small rivers down the pale skin.

She secretly asked herself just what in the world determined him to hurt himself so bad, but when she was bandaging the deep cuts she saw something that stirred her attention. Sasuke had a small sign of a crescent moon on his left wrist. _"A tattoo?"_

Sakura couldn't remember seeing it before, but then she realized he was covering it with his wristwatch. What was weirder was the fact that the nail scratches were deeper around the small moon, but not even one covering it.

"_Was he avoiding it on purpose, or it is exactly the opposite?"_ And the small moon was the last thing Sakura had in mind when sleep finally engulfed her, not being able to stay awake, letting her exhausted head fall on the side of the bed, supported by her crossed arms. She was just as tired as Sasuke.

1 day Later, Tokyo Hiroo Metropolitan Hospital

"Out of my way you imbeciles!" A beautiful red headed woman was shoving every living that crossed her path away, going straight to the hospital reception, planting her hands firmly on the counter, scaring the living daylights out of the poor young nurse.

"Hey, you! I want to see my son. What room?"

"E…Excuse me?" The 26 years old blonde nurse eyed the fired up woman in front of her. She was extremely attractive and young looking, with her fit frame and long red hair, but her temper was scary!

Another younger brown haired woman, with her signature two buns appeared on the red-headed`s side, looking exhausted and panting heavily. She was limping as well, her ankle bandaged.

"Mrs. Uzumaki, for God's sake, I told you I cannot run…pant…and you left the keys in the ignition, not even pulling the emergency brake!

The car started to move backwards, it almost hit a dog!" Ten Ten was really angry. No wonder Kushina was Naruto`s mother, that woman was just as bad.

Kushina threw Ten Ten a heated glance, pouting like a three years old child. "That's why you were there, isn't it?" Then returned her attention to the bewildered nurse. "Uzumaki Naruto, the idiot of my son poisoned with arsenic, what room is he in? I am here to visit!"

Ten Ten was smiling apologetically to the wide eyed nurse, looking around at the by passers.

Some old people in wheelchairs were watching the loud mouthed woman, shaking their heads, whispering and talking to one another disapprovingly. She felt her face burning in shame. That woman was always overreacting.

As shocking as that sounded, Kushina Uzumaki actually knew about her son Naruto working for CIA, as well as his Akatsuki friends. She has been an agent herself when she was younger, but she quit the risky job when she got pregnant.

And the fact that she was a single mother raising her only child made it all the more difficult. But she was good friends with her sun kissed son's colleagues and they loved her as well.

And of course when Neji called her and told the real reason why Naruto was glued to a hospital bed, IV shoved his arm, she didn't even need 20 minutes to jump in her car and speed in the direction of the hospital, terrorizing the other drivers with her driving skills.

She took Ten Ten from the villa as well, entering her room without further notice and telling her they were going to see Naruto.

"..r-r-room 205…Mrs. Uzuma…"

"Thanks! Let's go Ten Ten, what are you waiting for!" The said woman marched to the elevator, looking expectantly at the brown eyed woman.

Ten Ten really loved Kushina, she was a strong woman, that could overpower men any times and anywhere. A role model and a caring woman that loved each of them like her own kids. But sometimes she was annoying and tiring as fuck.

"Coming…Urghsfhjd…Slow down will ya? Or I will be the one not leaving the hospital after the visit."

When the two women arrived to the said hospital room, Kushina grabbed the knob, pushed it roughly and bolted into the room, not bothering to look around, and when she caught to sight of her son, she went straight to the weird looking bed, pulling the weakened young Naruto into a tight embrace, tears in her eyes.

"Oh my God, what happened to my baby, who hurt you, tell me and I am going to strangle him alive with my bare hands!"

Naruto was used to his mother`s antics, and was not bothered by her behavior, for he did his best to return the embrace as well, welcoming her unique lavender scent and the motherly feeling of warmth.

Neji, who returned to his Akatsuki colleague as soon as he took a quick sleep, on the other hand, looked like someone has shoved a pole down his ass.

Well, he looked like that almost all the times…but that time it was even funnier to watch. He snapped out of his stupid staring when his fiancé came to his side and smacked his head.

"What the fu…Ten Ten?"

"What the hell are you gawking at Hyuga, show some affection, the woman is worried. Stupid insensitive jerk." The mocha eyed woman pushed her beloved fiancé off the chair not so gently, took a sit and crossed her arms, like a queen on her throne.

Neji felt like strangling the two women that broke the silence. Naruto was awake and he demanded all the information from his pale eyed colleague, regarding the last mission.

The Hyuga has just finished informing him about what the team Leader Itachi said about the events, when the older Uzumaki female appeared in the room out of nowhere, dragging his equally demented fiancé with her as well.

And the two women were good friends with Anko Mitarashi and Tsunade Senju as well. If the world was going to end, it would not be Lorane`s fault.

"Mom…mom stop crying and let go, I don't wanna be selfish, but I need oxygen…Mom!" Naruto started to feel dizzy…and his mother was crying and wetting his pajama. Not only that, but she was pressing the needle of the IV down his vein and it hurt like hell.

The said woman backed away, but only slightly, still holding his son`s hands.

"Baby, you scared me shitless. When Neji called me to tell what happened, I thought I would go crazy!"

Naruto felt bad for scaring his mother like that, she was the only close relative he had and he didn't want to give her more worries. The Uzumaki couldn't have asked for a better mother.

He was lucky to be the only one not needing to conceal his identity from his mother, like all the others. He leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the red-headed woman`s small forehead, lovingly.

"I am sorry for causing trouble mom, I made you worried."

Kushina let out a small smile, wiping out the falling tears with her hand. "What stupid nonsense are you saying kid, I just want you to be safe. I swear you are just like your father…always thinking about the others instead."

Naruto gave her a wide goofy small in return. The memory of his father Minato was no longer a sad subject in the family. They were living their lives the best they could, trying to make their paternal figure proud. "Hehe, I know, that's why you love me so much."

Kushina smacked his shoulder playfully. "Don't ever doubt it!"

"Ahm…I don't want to interrupt the emotional family gatheri…AAAAGHGG." Neji couldn't finish his ironic sentence, because he felt his feet was being kicked hardly by none other than a brooding Ten Ten, who was sending lasers from her gaze, right into his skull.

How the hell was that woman able to wear heels with her injured ankle, Neji would not be able to understand "to interrupt the moment, but I would like to inform you about the latest news." And he closed his lavender eyes, his voice low, attempting to look solemn.

He got another smack on his arm. "Stop talking like a damn announcer Neji, you look stupid." Sometimes the chocolate haired Akatsuki member couldn't understand her fiancé's attitude.

He looked like all his family was murdered by a serial killer. Well…Ten Ten was not certain if that would have pained him that much…

Kushina and Naruto were silently laughing at the pair. They were really adorable.

"Son, remember to find yourself a gentle woman, or else she will turn you into a human piñata. Look at the mighty Hyuga heir, he is so whipped." Both the Uzumaki members let out a loud laugh, much to the other pair's dismay.

"If you are finished ridiculing us, would you please be so kind to listen? Especially you Naruto, this is going to interest you especially?"

"How so? Is it about a new ramen fragrance I wasn't able to taste yet?"

"No! I wouldn't bother myself talking about such idiotic subjects." Neji was getting impatient already.

And he was knotting his eyebrows in annoyance. He could mentally handle Naruto alone. But the loud Kushina and his fiancé…God give him strength... "It is about something that happened yesterday."

"Yesterday? How come no one told me?" Ten Ten was slightly surprised. Another event? That was weird…and she hated being uninformed.

"Because you were dead to the world my dear, now stop interrupting me. Like I said, something happened. Do you guys remember Hummingbird?"

"Humming…what?" The only data and names Naruto ever been able to remember were Ramen kinds and ingredients.

"Hummingbird? You mean that international criminal organization?" Ten Ten remembered them all right. Akatsuki were never able to catch the leader.

"Yes, exactly that one. They were spotted in that club you guys use to hang, sending their whores to drug rich people and kidnap them. I, along with the INTERPOL managed to capture all of them yesterday, while they were doing their illegal activity."

"….and that is a good thing, isn't it?" Ten Ten was looking at the Hyuga heir suspiciously. That was more than good news, it was amazing, another step to finish off that damn organization. Then why was he so serious…? _"There is more to come…"_

Naruto had a dumb look on his face. "Huh?! You mean the Blue Lagoon? That place is full of rich druggies and shit. No wonder they managed to blend in the crowd."

"Did something else happened there Neji? How did you find out about it? I doubt it was the police Department that contacted you…" Ten Ten was anything but a stupid woman she was not. And she knew her fiancé all too well.

"I am afraid, yes. And you are right. It was not me who found out about them. It was not even the police troops."

Neji made a short break to add to the dramatic effect, letting out a loud sigh. "It was Haruno. She told me to come.

She was there taking care of her boss. Sasuke Uchiha has been drugged and targeted by Hummingbird henchmen. There has been a crossfire as well. It was pretty nasty. I was the one that called the INTERPOL."

Silence.

"WHAT?!" Naruto attempted to jump off the bad, his blue eyes widened in shock. Kushina took a hold of his shoulders pushing him back into the white pillow.

"Calm down son, let him explain." Kushina looked over her shoulder, giving Neji a small understanding nod. Ten Ten looked just as thrown off.

"Neji, what are you talking about, how come Sasuke was caught in the mess as well?"

"I am not aware of the details myself. I was here, guarding Naruto, when Sakura called, telling me about the drug dealers being there and gave me the location of the club.

I contacted the INTERPOL on the road, as well as Itachi, letting him deal with the rest and as soon as I got there, people were already panicking and blocking the entrance door…well...the ones that were not too drunk or high.

When I managed to enter, I was welcomed with one apparently not that intoxicated Uchiha heir shooting one of the chasers right in the head killing him. Then Haruno asked me to give her the SUV, probably to take her boss home. I took the car from Sasuke`s house yesterday, where she left it."

"Fuck…" Both Kushina and Ten Ten answered in the same time. Naruto`s mother was really familiar with the raven haired Uchiha as well, considering his and her son's close friendship and their family bonds.

She was really fond of the dark man and what she was hearing about him was not in the slightest pleasant.

"What do you mean he killed one of the men from the Hummingbird? Did he have a gun or what? I don't understand…and how the hell was he able to manage a freaking headshot in his state? I thought you said he was drugged!"

"This is why I said I am not aware of the details myself." Of course, the lavender eyed Hyuga wondered the same thing as well. Seeing Sasuke shoot was shocking for him as well, and he saw his maid's startled reaction as well. She looked just as confused.

Surprisingly, Naruto remained silent. He was keeping his head low, looking at the hands resting in his lap, not saying a word.

"Did you say maid?" It was Kushina who broke the short moment of silence.

"Yes. The Sound has sent an undercover agent to guard him from the Freemasonry. You know…all the killings and stuff…" Neji was glad he didn't have to explain the situation. Kushina was updated with the recent events.

The dark blue eyed woman raised a thin eyebrow in surprise. "The Sound? They sent a killer to take care of Sasuke? Who is he or she?"

"A whor…ACUCH!...wtf…Neji!" The Hyuga put a hand on his fiancé's loud mouth, stopping her from insulting Sakura.

"Haruno Sakura. An elite Sound assassin. She is Orochimaru and Tsunade`s student and she has been of real help. She was the one coming to back us up three days ago, saving you son's life."

Upon hearing the news Kushina threw a glance at his son, surprised to hear that." "Really? I don't know her, but I guess she is my baby's guardian angel. I will have to thank her for being there."

"I am sure you will have many opportunities to do so, Mrs. Uzumaki."

"Neji…have you talked to Athena since then?"

"No. I tried to contact her 4 hours ago, to no avail. I even called Sasuke on both his mobile phone and home phone, with the same results."

"Damn…you don't think something has…"

"Something bad has happened." Three pair of eyes looked at the blonde Uzumaki, startled.

"What do you mean, son?"

Naruto raised his cerulean eyes, eying the people around him. He was dead serious, no trance of goofing on his tired face. "You guys have no idea…if the Teme has been given drugs…"

He covered his forehead with his hand, closing his eyes. "…try to call one more time, or better…go check on them…I am afraid…Sakura-chan might be in danger."

Kushina, Ten Ten and Neji looked at each other confused, no one saying anything. The Uzumaki went silent after that, not giving them any more explanation. He looked like he was in deep thought.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGG RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGG RIIIIIINGGGGGGG

"Hmmmmm…" A small hand shot in the direction of the annoying sound, gripping the offending device tightly. "…H…Hellooo?" God her voice was croaky and her mouth was dry.

"_Haruno?"_

"…Who the hell…who is that?" It took Sakura some moments to realize she was awake. It had been a long time since she had such a throbbing headache. And her eyes were stingy and dry, just like her mouth. She felt like a zombie.

"_It's Hyuga Neji. Thanks God you answered, I try to reach you since yesterday."_

"…Hyuga? Yesterday?" Sakura took a look around her, her vision partly clouded. Silky material covering her, foreign room…Sasuke`s room. She was lying in her boss` bed. She took a hold of the covers and got off the bed "…what are you talking about?"

"_It has been two days since the club events. I cannot reached you ever since. I even called Uchiha on his phone, but no answer. Naruto told me to check on you guys. He looked worried. I was about to take the car and come to your place."_

"Huh? Wait…did you say yesterday?" The pink haired agent started to realize what was going on. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep.

And then she awoke in Sasuke`s comfy bed, with her boss nowhere in sight, with an apparently concerned Akatsuki member calling her (she should look for meteors falling from the sky, was the sun getting a reddish hue as well?), expressing concern, telling her she was asleep for a day. _"Oh no don't tell me…"_

"_Haruno, are you all right? Did Sasuke do something to you? Where is he?"_

Sakura sprinted out of the room, heading downstairs. What the hell happened, how come she was the one sleeping instead of the raven haired heir, and how on Earth did she climb his bed? "Honestly, I have no idea. But I am fine…_somehow_…and I really hope he is as well…"

The pink haired woman looked into the kitchen, yard, swimming pool, bathroom and living room. No trace of her boss. She mentally slapped her dizzy mind for not going into her room and check the security cameras, it would have saved her a lot of trouble. Of course, she knew where he was.

The solitary demon possessed of a Devil's child. She was there, standing right in front of his office door, somehow afraid to enter.

"_What do you mean you have no idea? Did you lose him? Did he run away or…"_

"Listen…Hyuga…I need to check on something…I will give you a call later." Sakura hung the phone up. The last thing she needed was a nagging Akatsuki member pestering her. God were those people fucking annoying.

Sakura took a hold of the door knob, pushing slowly, opening the door.

"Mr. Uchiha? Are you in there?" Of course, no answer.

She really hoped nothing bad happened. The Sound assassin had no idea of what has happened in the last 24 hours. What if her boss was dead or in a comatose state? Tsunade has warned her about the consequences.

There was a thick overwhelming charging in the air that made it difficult for Sakura to breathe normally, and she was sure she felt goose bumps on her arms. It was really cold in the house as well, which was weird because she turned the heat on herself.

The pink haired woman opened the door wide, taking small steps into the office.

"Sir…are you in…" All the words left Sakura`s mouth when she took a look around the said room. Her small shoulders went stiff and she covered her mouth with her palms in shock, jade orbs going wide as plates.

She felt a freezing shock wave running down her spine, making her body paralyze in dread.

"Oh my God!"

All the once white painted walls were covered in mathematical formulas, theorems, geometry and probably definitions, written in black permanent marker.

The pink haired girl spotted some weird signs and symbols, which looked painfully alike hieroglyphs covering one of the walls entirely. She felt shimmering tears in the corner of her emerald orbs threatening to fall down.

Everything was written in ancient Greek!

"You shouldn't have seen this, Sakura."

The said woman jumped in surprise upon hearing her name, turning around. Sasuke Uchiha was standing behind his large (broken) office, both hands on the hard surface, his black orbs fixing a spot behind her, refusing to meet her eyes.

He was dressed (Sakura`s inner perverted self was crying in disappointment) in a black formal suit, looking exhausted, eyes blood shot, the bags under them not that visible, but present nonetheless.

The low calm deep voice and his dead serious face were the perfect proof of the fact that he was no more under any drug influence. Even so, he was still very handsome.

"Are….are you all right, Sir?" Sakura couldn't describe the feeling of easiness that washed her system upon seeing her boss not acting like a mad man. She wanted to scream in happiness.

The pink haired woman was dead worried for him, not even bothered by the fact that he almost did something awful to her or she had to guard him two days straight (well…more or less, cos she has slept as well). She was a Sound assassin, those kinds of occurrences were not foreign to her.

Loud sigh. Sasuke bowed his head slightly, looking at the ground, combing his spiky raven locks with his hand. The guilt was eating him alive, he couldn't meet that moist emerald orbs, without feeling shame of himself.

"Sakura…listen…everything that happened…ten lives would not be enough to make up for all the damage I caused."

Sakura`s eyes went wide upon hearing his confession. Was he feeling guilty? For what exactly, she had no idea. He was under the LSD`s influence, he was not acting like himself. It was stupid in her mind to be apologizing for something you normally wouldn't do.

"Mr. Uchiha, there is no need for you to…"

"There is nothing to keep you here anymore. As you have seen…I am a dangerous man. Even I…cannot predict my next move."

The Uchiha opened a drawer and threw a white object on the desk, in front of him, attracting Sakura`s attention. She let her emerald eyes rest on the raven haired heir in front of her, confused. He was still not meeting her gaze.

"It is a check in blank. I am paying you the wage for an year. You write the amount." Sakura was stunned by what she was hearing. What? He was telling her to leave? To leave him? Why?

Out of shame? The guilt? She couldn't read it in his eyes, because he was looking anywhere but her. And the tone of his voice…it was emotionless. _"He has his walls up, closing his heart. The unemotional façade…"_

The pink haired woman took small steps in the large wooden desk's direction, coming right in front of it, face to face to her boss.

He was looking at the said check, waiting for her to do something. Sakura cast her emerald orbs on the white object, eying it intently. There was only one thing written on it, and that was Sasuke`s signature. He was right. It was blank.

The Sound agent bit her lower lip, closing her eyes for a moment, thinking about everything that has happened since she met the man that was avoiding her gaze. For any ordinary woman, that would have been like hitting the jackpot.

Sakura knew she could have always found another easier way to guard Sasuke, even if she wasn't his maid. She was given a chance to empty the bank account of a billionaire and be free from all the mess the raven haired Uchiha was causing.

The pink haired agent curled her rosy lips up, in a small smile, taking a hold of the white piece of paper. She knew exactly what to do, it was just so obvious. The answer was right in front of her.

**Author's Note: **_Hey, I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter as well. _

_No, unfortunately I am not an English native speaker and I am well aware of the fact that it is blatantly obvious from the way I write. I really wish I had better language skills in portraying my thoughts, but I truly hope you will still manage to find some coherence and fluency in my story. _

_Even so, under no circumstance will I ever be upset with any sort of criticism, it is exactly the other way around. I really wish for people to tell me what I lack, what they find bothersome and what they find interesting, regarding my work. _

_Hehe, there is one thing I can promise and that is, there will be turns of events and unexpected things happening in the future. _

_Thank you for the support, encouraging reviews and for reading this story. _


	15. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The pink haired agent curled her rosy lips up, in a small smile, taking a hold of the white piece of paper. She knew exactly what to do, it was just so obvious. The answer was right in front of her.

Sakura closed her green eyes, took the check between her small fingers, and tore the paper in half, startling Sasuke, who raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him, astonished.

Any other woman in her place would have taken the chance to make a run for it and live in luxury. But she was no ordinary woman. And the young heir in front of her, was no ordinary man. _"Picture perfect…."_

"Sakura…you…" The Sound agent didn't give Sasuke the chance to finish what he was about to say, because as soon as she threw the useless piece of paper in the air, she came right behind the said man, and without even thinking about what she was doing, put her hands around his waist in a tight embrace, resting her head in between his shoulder blades, giving in to his unique amazing smell.

Right there and then, Sakura made a vow in front of God and her racing heart: she was not going to let anyone touch Sasuke as long as she was around, mission be damned. She felt his body going stiff, but surprisingly, he didn't push her away.

"I don't care….about it…I don't care about anything! As long as you want me around, I am not going anywhere!" Her voice came muffled, because she was having her face glued to her boss` hot body.

The feeling of his warmth was giving her a sense of security and peace of mind, even though she has seen a demonic side of him. Yeah…she already established that she was insane.

"Why…are you willing to go that far?" Sasuke was stunned upon hearing what his maid was telling him. She was willing to remain by his side, after everything she has been through?

With a monster like him? Was she just as crazy as he was? Of course he wanted the pink haired maid to stay, especially after all that happened.

He only had bits of memories of what occurred to him in the past 2 days, but the only thing that was vivid into his mind, was her. Only her. And it was addictive.

The young Uchiha wanted to seriously turn around and hold her tight to his body, never letting the young woman go away. But he couldn't be that selfish…not any more. _"To a girl like her…"_

"Because I am your maid. And you are my boss. I got your approval…and I am not going to let you down." Inside, Sasuke was fighting the urge to put his hand over the two gentle smaller ones, crossed in front of his chest, but he refrained from doing so.

He played many people in his life, but he wasn't going to toy with this young woman's feelings any longer.

He wasn't a fool, her feeling for him were more than obvious, but unfortunately for her, the raven haired Uchiha couldn't return them. _/Let her in…/ _Those words were still echoing into Sasuke`s mind like a mantra, urging him to make the right choice, for the first time in his life.

" My approval…" In the other people's eyes, he was the perfect catch. But in reality, the life he was living was far from ideal. And the fact that monsters from his past were emerging from the shadows to plague him, was his own fault, for committing so many sins.

"…what for?" The reason why Sasuke refused any type of bonding, apart from his two friends, was because no one had to suffer the consequences of a life full of regrets along with him.

The serene attitude of his maid while expressing her choice to stay was intriguing him, for he knew she was different from the others.

And the way she was bravely talking to him like she was not in the slightest afraid to approach a man that almost raped and killed her was even more confusing. He has offered her what he thought it was a one life chance, but this young lady had another vision of life accomplishment.

Sasuke wanted to laugh at the irony of it. Just like his dead drunk sailor friend Suigetsu has told him in the club, Sakura was one in a million, but apparently he was the only one to not see it.

His maid managed to bring back feelings he was certain he got rid off when he realized nothing in the world was for free and no one was welcoming him with opened arms, without asking for something in return.

"What do you mean, Sir?" Sakura felt Sasuke`s hands resting over her own for a moment, then praying them apart, successfully putting some distance between their touching bodies. The rosette was eying his back, worried. What was he talking about?

The said man took some steps away from her, slipping both hands in his pockets, like he always did when he was bored or disinterested and that didn't sit right with Sakura.

When Sasuke was pushing people aside, acting like he didn't care about anything beside his well being, she felt insecure. The raven haired boss was already a difficult man to read, and him being the embodiment of an iceberg, was making it more difficult for Sakura to approach him.

"For staying here…working here…" Wasn't this the reason why Sasuke has hired her for? Sakura watched the retreating frame of the Uchiha, following his movements.

He was like an animated statue, meant to represent perfection of shapes, but unable to express emotions. In each viewer's opinion, it stirred completely different feelings.

"…Is that really your only reason?" The thought of her approaching him and playing the caring woman in order to seduce and rob him later, crossed Sasuke`s mind more than once.

But he refused to think so low of the only person that had the guts to speak her mind and defend her moral values in front of him, without trying to get under his skin, like all the others_. "Even I can read the honesty in your glowing emerald eyes…"_

"Are you implying I am having ulterior motives?" Incredible, how the man in front of her managed to manipulate all the situations in his favor, because he made Sakura having a mood swing without the help of any substance.

There she was, dead worried for his well being, confessing she was staying by his side, even if he was the leading actor in Nightmare on Elm Street, and the egocentric bastard still found it appropriate to accuse her of wanting to cheat on him.

Sakura was tempted to take the check and write so many zeros on the piece of paper, until the pen run out of ink. _"Stupid motherfucker…see if I am saving his chicken ass shaped hair again…"_

"Is it true?" Sasuke knew he was hurting her, making her angry, he knew it, but he had to be sure. No, deep inside, his heart already knew the answer. The Uchiha didn't forget what happened in the club, oh no.

He had distorted memories of what occurred two days ago, that was true, but some things were imprinted into his mind. But his more rational part urged him to stay alert.

A woman that was willing to work for him after he almost…was a rarity. Of course anyone in his place would have been suspicious.

"What do you think?" Sakura bit back sharply. She was no more in the worried maid mode. The insensitive jerk wanted to play hard to get? No problem, the pink haired assassin had the perfect attitude to show him.

Was he accusing her of having hidden reasons? Of course it was the truth, Sakura was certain any other woman in her place would have run from the Addams Family's home, upon seeing her boss going bananas.

"Heh…you know exactly what I think about Sakura…otherwise you wouldn't be asking me."

Sasuke turned his head over his shoulder, giving the infuriated little rosette a small smirk, to anger her more. A bitter Sakura was a honest one. _"Honesty…such luxury in the world we live in"_

"I think you are not being fair with me. If I had another reason for staying here, I would have accepted the money you offered…_and beat your stupid smirking face until not even your ancestors would be able to recognize you, you imbecile._"

"Hn…true. But you being by my side could benefit a woman like you more than just money." Yeah, Sasuke knew he was crossing the limits they have mutually established, but he was not the one to back up first and watch a mere youngster corner him.

"_Hear the asshole…envisioning himself larger than money…he is more delusional than he looks_…Is that so?

I thought lower-class people like me are all superficial simple minded monkeys in search for something they never had."

Sakura was furious. She was mentally strangling her boss like he did to her 24 hours ago, but the way she was picturing herself, was being more proficient than he was.

"I never said you were a commoner, Sakura." Sasuke couldn't help but appreciate the woman that was eying him like she wanted to close the distance between them and skin him alive.

No one could blame the heir for wanting to stir her up more and hear what she had to say. Everything his maid said, was not just for the heck of it.

She choose her words carefully, betraying skillfulness and sparkling intelligence; the irony and the deep meaning behind those sentences were carefully slipped in between her acid remarks.

"You don't say it aloud Sir, but you are implying it. I am a woman of my word. Only a woman that doesn't have a backbone would have went against her principles and sell her soul for something so scandalous as money…_give me a damn pen, I am going to put so many zeros on that check, until the bank is going to beg for mercy!_"

"Then tell me Sakura, why is your reason for still being here, after all that happened, in this room, in this house…_into my life_?

They were beating around the bush and the youngest Uchiha was getting impatient. For the lack of better terms, he felt like hell. The effect of the drug was still present; the acute headache was getting worse and his general mood screamed danger.

Sakura crossed her arms and closed her eyes, looking bored. Deep inside she was angry and…something else.

For an unknown reason, what her boss thought about her was really important for the Sound agent, because her heart skipped a beat when he took a hold of her hands and walked away from her embrace.

"I already told you Mr. Uchiha, I am you maid. And like any good maid, I am here to fulfill your wishes." Of course her virgin mind missed the innuendo in her words.

On the other hand, Sasuke caught the hidden message no problem. And that was bothering him. The need to feel her to be close to his body, her invigorating amazing smell and the warmth radiating from her perfectly shaped body were screaming for him to come and have a taste.

The memories of her moaning under his touch, the way her jade orbs were getting darker with every move he made and the obvious lust and desire in her trembling figure were rich into his mind and were plaguing him. She was a Goddess in every way.

No, Sasuke knew Sakura was not the ugly looking girl she was letting the others to believe. Call him crazy, but one of the reasons why he called her to come and pick him up was too see her dressed like a real good looking woman.

The Uchiha was not stupid, he knew her only way to get in the club was to get rid of her beggar clothes and become Cinderella.

Was she concealing her true looks from him on purpose? No problem, the smirking raven haired man had the perfect solution.

Only if he wasn't that drunk and drugged to take a better look at her…damn he couldn't remember clearly her appearance, but he was feeling it to the tips of his fingers; like a blind man getting to know the world around him by touching and feeling things.

And damn was he enchanted by her.

"If you want to…_I want you to do it_" Sasuke felt like punching his stupid apparently awake conscience. Was he given an overdose?

Because he was still hearing a second voice in his head, repeating the unspoken words from the bottom of his heart. _"I don't need such childish and useless things as feelings; life taught me better than to trust the others…" _

_/Are you sure?/_

Oh great, he was talking to imaginary friends again, asking for their advice, like a kindergarten little one. Sasuke was seriously entertaining the idea of visiting a doctor.

The said rosette caught the meaning as well, because her face was getting red and she was pouting. Adding her body language to the way she looked like, it was the funniest thing the Uchiha has seen in his life.

"You want me to…what exactly Sir? What are your…desires?" Oh Sakura was hearing mental ovations. She was using his exact words to catch him out of guard. How much from the past events was he able to remember? She was going to find out.

Sasuke looked at his maid, a frown plastered on his face. Was that an invitation? "What are yours, Sakura?"

For some unknown reason, that particular last statement was familiar to him, but Sasuke wasn't able to make the connection between the events. It was just obvious that those were his lines, because Sakura was too oblivious to the implications of the words to use such lewd language.

The Sound agent's full lips curled down into a small scowl. He didn't seem to envision himself uttering those words during his flirty mood swing, but he was trying to find the logic in her question. _"Smartass…"_

"I really want to know…what happened in here." Sakura pointed her finger in the direction of the covered in permanent marker walls and desk.

Screw Sasuke and his mind games, she wanted to know what happened when she was asleep. And since those damn CCTVs and microphones weren't working in the office, her only chance of finding out the truth was to ask the brooding man.

"…" Sasuke went silent upon hearing Sakura`s wish. Of course she was entitled to get an explanation of his strange behavior, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to know. From his part, the dark eyed young Uchiha knew what he had to do.

No matter how nagging his conscience might be and no matter how painful the need to bring her closer to him and hug her was, Sasuke was not going to let her enter his world. _"I cannot let her in."_

_/You are just being stubborn/_

"_I am, but I am not doing it for myself, I am choosing the best path for both of us." _Sasuke knew the silly game of flirting had to stop before they both passed the path of no return. For the first time in his life, he decided not to be selfish.

Sakura was not going to be trapped into his lonely crafty life. Even he, was not going to taint his conscience with such a sin. And the stupid voice in his head was annoying the heck out of him.

_/You cannot decide for her as well/_

Before he could stop his mouth from uttering the words, Sasuke answered Sakura`s question. "This…is not something new."

If she wasn't resting her back on the bookshelves behind the large wooden desk, Sakura would have fainted. _"WHAT?! What the hell is he talking about?"_

"Sir, are you telling me that you have done something similar before?" Ok, so him being drugged in a club, by a gang of international criminals, going on rampage because of the side effects of the LSD, was one thing. But hearing that he has acted that evil before was changing the game completely.

"So you drafting weird things on the walls is not a one time occurrence? Please tell me you haven't painted The Last Judgment from the Sistine Chapel as well."

The Uchiha left the unspoken words hang in the air. He let his endless black orbs wander the walls around him, without saying anything.

He felt his heart constrict and his muscles going tense. Sasuke clenched his jaw tightly, unconsciously fisting his hands. He didn't want to go there; his past memories were too disturbing.

He had the answer on his tongue to add to the vivid images engraved into his skull, but he didn't want to let Sakura know the truth.

The young heir already established he was going to close his heart from his maid, so sharing bits of his troubled past meant allowing her one step closer to his real self, in the form of a bond he wasn't ready to accept.

_/Tell her/ _

"_Shut up will you?"_

Sakura was patiently waiting for her boss to tell her something. Anything would suffice. She was seeing it in his dark beautiful eyes: the internal turmoil. She knew those must have been horrid past events he was probably having second thoughts of wanting to share with a stranger.

"Mr. Uchiha were you…"

"Just like now…back then as well…" Sakura saw hesitance written all over her boss` tired face. It was crystal clear he was having second thoughts of telling her what was bothering him.

And the fact that she was apprehensive when seeing him pinch the bridge of his nose, looking almost…troubled, made her wonder just why did she care so much about a man she has just met?

Sasuke turned his body in the direction of his maid, fixing her with his hard obsidian eyes, wondering how her flashing green chartreuse eyes could contain so many emotions for someone that attempted to hurt her.

Was she that oblivious of the world she lived in, or the false impression of naiveté was confusing him?

"During the high school days…I was a drug addict." He saw Sakura`s eyes go wide, her jaw dropping to the floor, unceremoniously, obviously not expecting such a confession from him. But Sasuke was telling her the truth.

"A drug addict? Then…it means…Sir, are you aware of the fact that you have been given a psychedelic substance?"

Sakura was astonished and she was not even trying to hide it. Her boss has been taking drugs, for real? My Goodness, and to think her shishou Tsunade was only joking when she called her…In all honesty, the emerald eyed girl was expecting anything but that.

No one would have been able to tell that a man like Sasuke Uchiha has been an addict of any psychoactive substance; he was not having the traits.

Sasuke nodded once in confirmation, not taking his eyes from her. That was a serious matter and Sakura was aware of the consequences.

The black jet haired man was trusting her with a very important secret, choosing to be genuine with her, for some unknown reason. And of course she got the silent message: what she was about to hear was not to leave the office.

"I had been an addict of two drugs: cocaine and LSD. And I am well aware of the fact that it is the former I have ingested, because the symptoms match the previous trips experiences."

"Is this the real reason why you have called me to come and pick you up from the club?" Sakura couldn't believe her ears. What her boss was trying to tell made absolutely zero sense.

"To be completely sincere, yes."

"I cannot believe it! You knew from the very beginning what was about to happen, yet you called me of all the people to come and suffer the consequences, without having any idea of what I am going to deal with?!"

The stupid bastard…Sakura was one step back to go and stab the man in front of her with a long senbon, right in the heart. _"I am not sure if the imbecile has one to begin with…"_

Right there and then, the Sound agent felt betrayed. And to think it was her boss the one to always accuse her of hiding her past from him, having ulterior motives. But he felt no remorse in endangering her the first time he got the chance to do so.

She wanted to cry in frustration. Never in her life has Sakura felt so ashamed of herself. She was stupid to believe Sasuke was a considerate man. Apparently, he was beautiful just on the outside.

"This is exactly why I have called you, of all the people."

"Why? Because I of all the people was the least riskier option?"

"…because you of all the people would have been able to handle it best."

Sasuke had no idea of how to make her understand his real motives and the livid pink haired girl was not following him. Why was it so difficult for her to understand that he wanted her to be there, no matter the situation?

_/It is you who makes it so difficult to understand/_

Ok, where was the shut button, the Uchiha was getting annoyed. Vaguely, he heard Suigetsu`s words echoing in his mind. "Denial my friend, denial…" He would have never guessed his alcoholic friend even knew such complex words.

"And how would you know if I am able to hold my ground or run away?" Oh the cocky lying bastard was playing the emotional genius.

Sakura wanted to murder him and fed him to that big dog that chased her the first time she came to Tokyo. He was basically admitting he used her, with the most serene attitude ever!

"Because I trust you, Sakura." Ok, that was something the said maid didn't expect. He what? Sasuke freaking Uchiha was having faith in her to entrust his well being in her capable hands, as well as ensuring her own safety?

That was a good one. But…when she looked into his light swallowing endless coal orbs she could have sworn she saw something flicker. Like a small remain of a crushed emotion, trying to bloom into the endless frozen surface that was his core.

Even in her angered state, Sakura couldn't deny that the honesty he was showing was palpable. Surprisingly, she didn't find a bitter remark to match his tone.

"Heh…I am glad I managed to earn your acknowledge…Mr. Uchiha. After all, it is you that always doubted my every move."

Oh, she was sarcastic and she wasn't hiding it. The fact that he told her the truth didn't make up for the fact that she was being used. Well…she was his maid after all but_…"damn what an imbecile mission. I am going to charge CIA twice the price."_

"Don't be annoying, it is you that gave me the reasons to do so."

Even so, there was something Sakura really found it odd. When she has started the mission she wasn't told about her boss being an addict, nor was it written in his file. Was it because no one else knew?

What about Uzumaki, who has studied in Virginia as well? "How did you overcome your addiction? Supposing you did it…?"

Sasuke threw her a dark heated glance. Was she implying he was still taking drugs? Nonetheless, his recovery was even more disturbing than his addiction. It was mostly that thing the Uchiha didn't want to remember.

"I got help."

"_No shit Sherlock_…help? I assume you mean professional help." It was hard for the Sound agent to imagine a younger Sasuke in rehab, fighting his drug abuse addiction. She eyed him suspiciously.

Of course Sakura had no idea of how his much younger self has been in the past, but he didn't look like a man to be controlled by something else, be it another human or a hallucinogen substance.

He was the kind of guy that liked to have his mind clear and devoid of emotions. _"Emotions…is that the reason why he did it?"_

"I wouldn't call it professional. More like…unconventional." Sasuke was darting his obsidian eyes from the writings on the walls to the broken wooden surface of the desk, clenching his teeth.

There he was reminiscing painful past life events he wanted to forget, but found himself unable to do so. All the time his maid was sleeping in his bed, peacefully, recollections from his high school period hit him full force, disturbing his sleep. All the pain and struggle…and those images…

"What do you mean unconventional?" Of course, nothing could have been normal when it came to the young Uchiha. But Tsunade`s words rang in her brain. _"They all had extrasensory perception…so was it true after all?"_

"…" Sasuke refrained from giving her another explanation. He already told her all too much and knowing Sakura, she was going to put two and two together. But what he told her was sincere, there were three people that knew he had been taking drugs and Naruto and his maid were two of them.

"What exactly does this mean, Mr. Uchiha? I mean all this…formulas? Is this math?" The Sound agent didn't press her boss further with more explanations.

She knew he was making a great effort when letting her know bits of his past and that was enough for her. But back to more important stuff, she had to figure out what the hell was he tried to tell when he redecorated his boring office room. _"Painting symbols on the walls like cavemen…" _

"To be completely sincere, I have no idea myself." Indeed, just like the previous time, the raven haired Uchiha has no idea of what that meant, nor that he cared too much.

All he wanted was to go upstairs, shove two sleeping pills down his mouth and die for a month. He was worn out. Of course, he couldn't neglect his responsibilities and just run away…like his brother.

"_Damn weasel…"_

"_You don't have any idea? What an imbecile stupid asshole_…Well I suppose if you say you don't know, it goes without saying that the person who helped you recover couldn't understand as well?"

Surprisingly enough, Sasuke let the words hung in the air, neither confirming nor infirming her question. But the short glistening in his charcoal eyes and his dead serious face told Sakura it might have not been such a mystery.

She connected her emerald orbs with his obsidian orbs, looking for the unspoken words. So there was someone that knew what those writings meant? _"The why is he…"_

"Sir, do you have any memory of what happened in the past two days?" That was what the rosette assassin wanted to find out in the first place. Did he know about her appearance, the shooting episode, him playing James Bond?

Oh God, the affectionate moment from his room…Sakura had troubles in keeping a neutral façade, but deep inside she was drowning in shame. His touch has never been more present in her mind than on that moment.

She broke the eye contact, not being able to look at him anymore, without remembering the way he looked like when he was caressing her skin, with those strong, but gentle hands.

At that, Sasuke let a small knowing smirk appear on his lips, almost amused by the way his maid was flashing her grass green eyes up like trying to picture some past events and was nibbling her lower lip, avoiding looking in his general direction.

"Hn…"

His onyx orbs sent an intense short glance to her soft petal rose lips, inhaling deeply to control his racing heart. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't erase the remembrance of her appetizing mouth.

And to think he has been so close of feeling the aroma and the silkiness of that skin…He shook his head once in disbelief.

That was insane, how would he be able to keep a safe distance from the woman shying in front of him, when all he wanted was to take the required steps in her direction and pull her into a ravenous kiss?

"_Oh God please tell me he doesn't or else I am screwed! _Sakura felt the need to hide under the desk. That insightful staring on his beautiful dark eyes and the sexy smirk…she felt butterfly rise in her throat…again.

The effect of the handsome man was obvious and all the rosette could think of was how to go and touch him. She wasn't going to be selfish, just once would suffice…_of course it wouldn't, who am I going to fool, I want to let my hands roam all over that hard body of his…_

Much to the Uchiha`s amusement, his maid slapped her cheek hard once, shaking her head in disbelief. And to add to the already awkward tension between them, he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

_/See? You want her and she wants you as well./_

The other voice in his head got a painful ignore. Sasuke was good at ignoring annoying loud things. That's how he was able to tolerate Naruto and Suigetsu.

"Well I must confess Sakura, there are some interest things that make me wonder…just how much do you actually hide…behind those hideous big glasses and baggy clothes of yours?"

"_Wanna come and find out you jerk? _You are avoiding my question Sir. But I am aware of the effects of LSD so I assume you only have fragments of distorted images and probably flashbacks."

Inside, Sakura was praying to all the known Gods, even the ones that weren't invented yet for him to not remember anything related to her, or else she was screwed. And the smirking bastard had the guts to mock her even in those circumstances.

Sakura already knew they were both senile. Just who in their right mind would carry on such a conversation, when one of the speakers tried to kill the other one?

But the she realized that was the way the two of them could communicate the best and that made her smile inside. They already had a small bond and her boss was willing to not let it sever.

"_You have no idea_…Of course; I would like to hear everything that happened from the moment I called you, until now. If you would be so kind to not let any important DETAIL aside, I would be more than grateful."

Sakura`s body winced upon hearing her boss` demands, hitting the piece of furniture behind her so hard, it made a red candle that was resting on a higher shelf, fell right on her head, with a loud bump. _"What the hell…is this weirdo a voodoo practitioner or something?!"_

"Auch!" Sakura was rubbing the throbbing painful area of her head, cursing Sasuke on the inside. Everything was harmful around that man.

Meanwhile, the said man was looking at the pink dyed maid with disbelief. She was a walking disaster. But her silliness was entertaining. And refreshing.

The Sound agent got a more serious attitude and told Sasuke what he wanted to know, with as many details as she could, leaving aside some more…juicy events.

It was not like she could have told him about how he was pleasing her, in his intoxicated state; it was too humiliating for her pure mind. Or so she thought…

She debated on not telling him about his shooting skills, but he was meant to find out from the media anyways.

Sakura was not stupid, she knew there were many people that saw the incident and at least one of them was going to be a loud mouth and tell the others about it. You do not see an Uchiha heir killing people in clubs, on daily basis.

But she lied to him, letting him know that it was a gun she managed to steal from one of their chasers when they were attacked. Of course Sakura knew he probably didn't believe her story, but her boss didn't question it further. Instead, he seemed in deep thought.

Sasuke probably knew the implications of his actions and was formulating a back up plan. Most likely he would have to bribe the media and not let the information spread.

"I see…it got pretty bad."

"…Yup…"

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them after their short briefing. Sakura had her eyes glued to the floor, and her boss was looking to the window, absentmindedly.

The pair knew there were many unspoken words left and important details overlooked. They were probably debating what to ask and what to keep a secret and not spoil the already fragile questionable relationship they had.

It was Sasuke that broke the awkward stressful stillness.

"Sakura I am only asking you this, one more time. Are you sure you want to stay here? Like I told you, I will not move a finger if you want to leave, nor will I try to force you into acting like all this mess never happened.

You can even sue me for rape and killing attempt, I will not stop you, and you have my word."

"_Pfff yeah…and you will use a bunch of lawyers to prove you weren't in your right mind and avoid the penalty…_like I said: I am staying here, unless you personally throw me outside."

Of course, Sasuke tried to deal with the situation like he was conducting a business related meeting. He came with the most logical solution, convenient to both the parties.

But Sakura didn't give a shit about that. What was bothering her, were his statement of not moving a finger if she left him or not.

Like he didn't even care if it was her or another woman. The emerald eyed agent looked over her shoulder, her gaze cast on a hard covered book. On a second view, it looked pretty old, but it was too close for her to read the title.

For some unexplained reason, she felt a constricting sensation in her chest, upon thinking that Sasuke really didn't give a damn about what happened to her.

Not only did he call her when he was in real danger, like what happened to her was not important, then coming up with lame excuses to cover his lack of interest, but she was not even worth of an apology. _"So you wouldn't try to stop me if I wanted to leave…"_

Sasuke felt like he could breathe normally, for the first time in 48 hours. The thought of his maid leaving was making his mind fill with some sort of panic. He closed his onyx orbs for a moment, exhaling deeply.

He was insane if he became so attached to a stranger in such a short amount of time. And why was she acting like she was disappointed? Did the small ugly looking woman in front of him expecting something else from him? But what?

/Tell her you wouldn't want anyone else to take her place/

As if. The Uchiha wouldn't be caught dead saying such a thing to Sakura, even if he knew it was the truth. He couldn't picture another girl staying by his side, doing what she did.

Sakura was special; she was something else…_something more_, she was someone he could trust. He even told her something not even his parents were aware of.

A loud Ring! interrupted the conversation. Sasuke pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking at the ID caller. When he got off the bed, the first thing he did, after taking a long hot shower, was to check on his agenda.

There were over two thousands missed calls and voice mails flashing on the screen of his smartphone, but the stoic man erased every single one, without looking at the content. Other dramas to add to his already messed up thoughts? No thanks! Better safe than sorry.

"Juugo?"

"_Mr. Uchiha, thanks God you have answered, I tried to reach you since yesterday!"_ The gentle secretary Juugo sounded really shaky and impatient. Like Sasuke could give a rat's ass about what happened to the Mangekyou or his business partners.

From his point of view, it could burn to ashes or be hit by a crashing plane. He was going to eat pizza and drink a bottle of Cola and laugh his head off watching the show.

"Hn…I was busy." Yeah, the Uchiha was busy all right. There was some minor problems preventing him to go work, namely being drugged by a whore in a club or molesting his maid or redecorating his office.

"_I understand Sir, but no matter what, you have to come here as soon as possible."_

"What is the rush?" Of course, Sasuke knew that when being the heir of a billion dollars company, there were many things to be dealt with, like following the stock exchange or keeping an eye to the possible investors and other competitors.

It was not child's play. But he didn't like the scared tone in his usually calm secretary's voice.

And his answer almost made the raven younger Uchiha slap the phone on his door…again. He was gripping the device so tightly, like he was keeping his nerves on leash. From all the things…

"_Your father is here."_

He hung up immediately, not even waiting for Juugo to finish what he was about to say. It didn't matter anymore. If that loathsome man was there, waiting for him, it usually meant serious shit.

And Sasuke was afraid he didn't have the required energy and self control to deal with his father. Other people might think Fugaku felt blessed to have such a capable son and their relationship was really good.

In reality, his father was the raven haired young man's number one enemy. Sasuke hated his father's attitude with burning passion.

Sakura watched her boss acting like he was under the drug's influence all of sudden, again. His intent to destroy something or punch someone was obvious from the murderous aura he was emitting.

But she knew it was related to the conversation he had on the phone. What disturbing news has his secretary Juugo told him, to change his attitude from extremely tired and bored, to "killing people that annoy the heck out of me" mode?

Sasuke brushed his spiky hair off his face, messing it even more than usual, letting out a loud sigh. "I have to go. I will probably be back around midnight.

There is a load of work waiting for me out there…_as well as a ridiculous brooding clown, not missing the chance to remind me how much of a disappointment to the family I am_."

"Of course…Sir." Sakura watched the retreating figure of her boss. He took his black suit jacket, leather briefcase and car keys and exited the office room, not before stopping his movements in the door way, turning his head over his shoulder, addressing her in a bored tone.

"I am calling someone to repaint this shit and have the desk replaced." And left. The Sound agent followed him until she saw his car speed up to the streets, not exchanging any other words with her boss. Deep inside, she couldn't help but feel worried.

It was more than obvious he was completely worn out, exhaustion visible in his every move. He looked deprived of sleep and food and she knew he felt queasy as well. And he had to deal with God only knows what troublesome company related matters in his state…

As soon as she couldn't see his car on the alley, Sakura sprinted to her room taking her camera. Repaint the walls?

Sure, but not until she took a hundred of photos, from all the right angles and send them to Orochimaru. Those writings and numbers were not random, Sakura was certain about it.

Those were formulas, possibly math or physics and they were serious matter. Not only that, but the other weird designs and symbols written half in Greek and half in other possibly ancient language needed special analyze. _"I need another damn job…"_

Mangekyou HQ, Tokyo

As soon as Sasuke parked his car into the underground parking lot, he took the elevator and rode up to the sixteen floor, not sparing his subordinates a single glance.

He was royally pissed and the fact that he was going to find Fugaku in the confinement of his office was giving him the headache of the century.

From all the people that could have bothered him at that time, it had to be to most hateful person in the entire universe. Sasuke already knew his father was going to scold him for neglecting his duties and entangle in the Blue Lagoon scandal.

It was the hottest topic among the celebrities gossip, making the headlines of all the newspapers, along with a senile 90 years old filthy rich hag from Tennessee, who left her $60 million fortune to her golden fish, Shakespeare.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Sasuke sprinted to his office door, not even acknowledging Fugaku`s eight bodyguards` presence, who bowed their heads respectfully upon seeing him, grabbing the knob roughly and pushing the door opened.

"_I should have taken a small dosage of LSD before coming here…"_

Uchiha Fugaku was lying in the black comfy chair, behind the office desk, eying his son with a passive look on his brooding face.

Despite the fact that his branded clothes looked clean and ironed, his face was a mess. He had purple bags under his eyes and he was throwing malevolent glances in his direction. The elder Uchiha was not impressed.

"Hello, son. I am glad you managed to clear your busy schedule and spare your father some time."

The way Fugaku let the words roll out of his tongue sounded more like he was cursing his son, not greeting him. On the inside, he was probably doing the exact thing.

Sasuke looked at the man that was occupying his chair like he was the Grim Reaper, in search for his soul, coming to escort him to the pits of Hell. In the younger Uchiha`s vision, that was exactly what an encounter with his "dear" father meant.

"Cut the crap and state your business. I am not here to chat."

Sasuke was tempted to turn around and leave. There was nothing to discuss with the man that was glaring daggers in his skull, hating his mere existence to the point where the dark eyed younger Uchiha really thought he was blaming the day when he was born.

"Hn…I see you are still having that rude behavior in the presence of your superiors."

Fugaku was looking at his infuriated son, bored. He was trying to reach him for two days, wasting his precious time in search for the black sheep of the family.

In his mind, Sasuke was the reason Itachi gave up his rightful position, to make place for his younger brother, as the CEO of the Mangekyou.

"When I am going to see someone superior to me in this room, I am going pay my respect. Until then, I am the CEO here, so anyone that has a business with me should address me from the other side of the desk."

Sasuke was basically spitting the words in his father's face. Unbelievably, that loathsome man's attitude towards his own son was insulting.

All his life, the ebony haired Uchiha has sought for his father's approval and care, but was given the cold shoulder whenever he needed most.

Under no circumstance will Sasuke ever show that pathetic excuse of a father any sort of gratitude. In his view, his maid Sakura deserved it more than his predecessor.

Fugaku dropped his stone façade consequent to his child's statement, his mood taking a similar turn to Sasuke`s maleficent one, both of them pinning the other one with a heated equally dark gaze, that would make dead ones tremble in fear.

The amount of hate between the two relatives was so intense, it was palpable.

"How dare you insult your own father, you brat!" Fugaku jumped from his seat, slamming both his hands on the hard wooden surface of the large office desk, causing the air in the room to vibrate with the force of the impact.

It was always a pain in the ass to deal with his younger son. He took a newspaper that rested in front of him and threw it at his unresponsive son`s feet, making the thin sheets of paper scatter in all directions.

Sasuke didn't even flinch. He kept his hard stare on his father all the time, not backing away or showing any sort of fear. Fugaku was the kind of man to control the others by using force and inflicting fear.

Sasuke on the other hand, was more into mind control and manipulation, the brute strength not being his style. Not that he was lacking in that department…

He threw a quick glance at the flying papers, catching one of the closest one in his left hand. The fact that his wrist was bandaged didn't escape Fugaku`s sharp eye.

"Is that the way the Mangekyou`s CEO should act?!"

Sasuke read the first two lines in the first column, on the front page.

**/INTERPOL puts an end to an international drug organization. Uchiha heir caught in crossfire. Many suspects detained. Blue Lagoon temporary closed/**

"Hn…I thought you knew better than to trust this shit." The raven haired Uchiha already took care of the media and internet, but he couldn't stop the magazines and newspapers that were already on the shops` shelves from being bought by customers. The internet was on fire as well.

"Are you denying the facts son? There are people that saw you shooting a man!"

"It was self defense." Sasuke was well aware of what he did back then in the club. He was not at the peak of the trip at that time, and when he realized Sakura was in danger, his body acted on his own accord, doing his best to protect her from being hit.

"Self defense my ass! I am curious on how are you going to explain that to the judges. See if they are going to believe such a story!" Fugaku was enraged.

The last thing he expected was for his ninja younger child to interrupt his breakfast, by making the headlines of all the news, and a lot of phone calls from film producers to offer Sasuke a contract for an action movie (they have appreciated his skills)!

Fugaku took his private jet and flew all the way to Tokyo to make sure his son hasn't run away with the circus. Apparently he didn't…yet.

Upon hearing that, Sasuke gave a small smirk. "I already did that, or else I wouldn't have been standing here, facing you…_although I am sure you wouldn't have been in too much grief seeing me behind the bars_…"

Fugaku eyed his son in disbelief. Of course Sasuke had all the resources needed to escape such an event, without a criminal record, after all, all the rich people were using their money to escape penalty, but still…

"Really now? And how did you manage to avoid jail, mind asking you?"

"I have…connections." Although the younger Uchiha didn't want to start talking about his links, his mind was cracking at the simple thought of asking that person for favors. But he wouldn't be caught dead behind the bars.

"It doesn't matter. Do more stunts like this and this company is going to lose the investors` faith. Are you even aware of how is the stock market going, or were you too busy with drugs and whores to give a damn about what happens in this company?"

"_There he goes again…" _Sasuke knew that no matter how much he was working his ass for his damned company, Fugaku would always find something to complain about.

He couldn't even stand the idea of his younger child leading his family's dearest treasure, as well as the fact that it was not his brother Itachi the one doing it.

"You know me all too well father, don't you?"

"I am not interested in understanding what is going on in that head of yours Sasuke, but I don't want the Mangekyou to go bankrupt because of your incompetence. See this?" Fugaku took a file from his suitcase and shove it to his offspring, roughly.

"This is a copy of all the auction markets from the New York and Tokyo Stock Exchange. Mind enlighten me why in the world did Mangekyou`s shares value dropped with 0.12 % in the past two moths?"

Sasuke eyed the said paper, throwing it back on the desk in front of his angry father. He has been studying the stock exchange intently, never failing to keep his stocks on a high price, but still attract many investors.

When it came to business, the ebony eyed Uchiha was brilliant. He had no rival in terms of business skills, but his father was never going to see just how lucky the company was to have him as the CEO. In Fugaku`s narrowed mind, he was just the shadow of his older brother.

"Because I used the profit as dividends and divided it between the shareholders, instead of raising the registered capitaland grow the number of the shares and sell them on the stock market."

Sasuke didn't understand why was his father so concerned with that loathsome company, because he was not the CEO anymore. Technically, Sasuke has been appointed by the shareholders to be the next CEO, by votes and shares transfer on his account.

But the tradition required Fugaku to give up his title and make his son the next heir, as part of a Ball or a huge party, in which all the other heirs and company owners gathered and celebrated.

It was a silly thing in most of the people's opinions, because legally, the Mangekyou belonged to Sasuke, as the rightful heir.

"And who gave you the right to do so?! Do you want to ruin this company?!"

"I am entitled to do as I please, as the rightful CEO of the Mangekyou. Besides, the exchange rate was not beneficent for our shares, because of the Walmarkt`s loss. It would have been a dumb idea to sell at a lower price."

Of course, the death of the international holding Walmarkt CEO has affected the stock market dramatically, because there were many investors that went bankrupt after the sudden drop of the shares values. Sasuke has been smart in not listing more of his own stocks on the auction market.

"Heh…you have no idea how to run this company! You just act like this is your playground to do as you please and play the saint, while your competitors are waiting for a chance to ruin you!"

Sasuke bent his head, facing the ground. His mind was still dizzy from the drug, and there he was, being accused of incompetency, when in reality, his father had no idea of what he was talking about.

Everyone was more than stunned when finding out the Mangekyou didn't suffer any loss, while some other companies that were Walmarkt investors had to lower their authorized share capital.

"Of course…if it is not Itachi in my place, you will never be content. In your eyes, my presence and efforts would not suffice to fill in his place…_I was never your son_…"

"Itachi would have been more capable and skilled in business than you will ever be! You are just a spoiled brat, without a backbone and too soft and lenient for the world you live in. You are just like your mother!"

Fugaku could have sworn the air in the room turn into million invisible electric needles, piercing his skin. Never in his life has the previous Mangekyou CEO seen such a vile gaze as the one his own son thrown in his general direction.

"Don't…"

The aura around Sasuke changed completely, while he was taking small steps towards his standing father. He was not angry. He was not enraged.

He was livid. For him, his mother was the image of a saint and he would be damned if he let such a low life excuse of a loving father and caring husband to taint the iconic matriarch.

"…ever…"

Unconsciously, Fugaku`s body stirred, when seeing his child approaching him, his shoulders going stiff. He was a powerful man indeed, but not even himself could have handled such an evil figure.

Sasuke`s eyes were wide open, his midnight dark stare so heated, that it gave the feeling of his irises basically reflecting the light, swallowing its life force, making his father sense the murderous intent through his every pore.

He was fisting his hands, his whole body trembling with rage.

"…badmouth…"

He came right in front of his father and was basically dripping venom from his extremely low baritone voice, making the blood into Fugaku`s veins freeze. He was the perfect picture of a demon, in human shape.

"…my mother!"

Sasuke could have taken any shit thrown at him from his father. He didn't give a damn about what the others thought about him. But never was to touch his mother in any way, while he was still breathing.

Fugaku thought he was powerful and imposing? Let him have a taste of what Uchiha Sasuke really meant. His father knew nothing about him and for that particular reason, he was the one cowering in fear, although he did his best to hide it.

"Hn…do as you please. I don't give a fuck. But don't come crying when things will go downhill."

The older Uchiha couldn't take his son's piercing stare, that was practically devouring his spirit, almost cutting his air supply. The powerful bloody killing intent was so obvious, it was painful to stand close to him.

"Get out…of my office…_off my life_."

Without any other word, Fugaku took his suitcase and left the office, throwing a glance over his shoulder to his child.

Sasuke was glued to the floor, body stiff, head turned around slightly on his side, with his ebony locks covering his contorted in anger face partly, hiding his onyx eyes. The amount of dark energy radiating from him was overwhelming.

The elder Uchiha father grabbed the knob and pushed the door opened, giving his bodyguards a pointed look and proceeded to the elevator. When he took his phone out of his pocket to call for his pilot, he observed his hand was shaking in fear.

"_I cannot recognize the man I talked to anymore…"_

As soon as his father closed the office door with a loud thud, Sasuke punched the glass of the office shelf behind him, breaking it into tiny pieces. He felt a strong wave of hate taking control over his mind, blinding his judgment.

The fact that he was not able to feel any other sort of emotion, beside negative ones, was his father's fault, for forcing him into becoming something he was not.

The Uchiha felt his world crumble and what remained from his heart blend with the deadly silence surrounding him. Right there and then, he felt no part of him being alive.

Small drops of blood leaked from his knuckles, blending with the broken glass, reflecting a distorted image of his face. _"Who is the real me?"_

Sasuke left his body fall to the ground, kneeing in front of his large panoramic window, with his sweating forehead glued to the cold surface. He held his left wrist with the right hand tightly.

That damned mark was burning him like crazy. The young heir attempted to calm his nerves, inhaling and exhaling deeply, doing a simple yoga exercise to cool off. He knew the flashbacks are going to be present into his dreams from then on, so he had to be mentally strong.

"_Damn it…"_Sasuke had a way to soothe his internal battle for a a brief moment he was tempted to_…"No, I must fight it myself."_

Knock Knock

"Mr. Uchiha, can I come in?"

Sasuke stood up, brushed his raven hair once, and shoved his hands into his pockets, still facing the window. Seeing the people run aimlessly on the street somehow matched his thoughts. He was also chasing an impossible dream.

"Yes."

Juugo entered his boss` large office, a cup of tea in his hand, silently offering it to the troubled Uchiha. Sasuke accepted the beverage, taking a sip. He felt some of the tension leaving his muscles. _"Black Ceylon lemon tea…"_ his mother's favorite.

"I am glad you are here, Sir. Have you heard the latest news?" Of course, Juugo was avoiding the encountering between the son and the father, as well as the latest scandal, on purpose.

"News?"

"Yes. You have a message from the Organizing Committee, that arrived yesterday morning. Due to the unfortunate death of such an important CEO, the upcoming Charity Ball has been postponed."

Now that took Sasuke by surprise. He knew the recent events had made the world's stock markets shake, but the Ball had a long tradition between the most prominent families.

Sasuke knotted his eyebrows, thinking deeply. If they went that far to delay such an important event, it meant the world's economy was more at risk than he thought.

"How much did they postpone it?"

"A month, Mr. Uchiha." The said man nodded once in understanding. He took another sip of the tasty tea. _"30 days…"_ He had stuff to do.

"Juugo, bring me the files with the Swiss bank account, as well as the graphics with all the bond valuations of our stocks. As far as I am concerned, the market price for our bonds it's higher than its face value, which means we do not provide any discount."

"Yes Sir."

The dark haired Uchiha threw his suit jacket on the sofa, and took a sit on his leather chair, pulling out his laptop from his briefcase. He let his long fingers fly on the keyboard, his sharp mind already in working mode.

"Now let's see what is the exchange rate between the Japanese yen, the Us dollar and the Euro."

Sakura has spent a good half an hour to take as many photographs as possible, from all the right angles. She was going to download them and sent them to Orochimaru for analysis.

If those writings needed an expert's opinion, he was going to send them to someone who works in the field.

"Gosh, when the hell did he have time to write all of this in such a short amount of time?" _/They were all genius level/ _Yeah, now that scared Sakura: a genius Sasuke to add to his insanity. That guy…

After she took one more set of pictures, the Sound agent went upstairs, connected her camera to the laptop and selected copy then paste.

She was going to print a particular picture with the set of characters that looked like hieroglyphs, to have a better view. Staying glued to the screen was tiring for her eyes.

"35 minutes of waiting…oh well." Sakura minimized the transfer tab, then pressed the video call option. She really hoped her friend was not in some sort of mission, God only knew the pink haired assassin needed a little girl chat. Her hormones went nuts!

"_Cherry!" _

"WHAAA…what the hell Rin?" Karin`s face appeared on the large LCD screen, startling Sakura. She was doing her daily beauty ritual, which consisted in applying a banana and honey facial mask…and two slices of cucumber on her forehead. Her sparkling red hair was tied up in a small bun. She looked horror.

"_Honey, it takes effort to look this good duh. Remember, we used to do this twice a week?"_

Sakura let out a small sad smile. She missed her life in Italy so much, especially Karin and Orochimaru. "Yeah…"

"_So, watts up girl? I tried to call you, but you haven't answered. I got worried."_ Every agent from the Sound and Akatsuki heart about the Hummingbird incident and the involvement of the Uchiha heir, as well as other tricked rich men and women.

It was CIA who hacked some of the press systems and erased the information, to not let it spread. Although it was a little bit difficult to spot the online streaming.

"Kariiiiiiiiiin I need help!" Sakura lay on the pink cotton mattress of her bed, on her tummy, prompting her head in her hands, brooding comically. She didn't need to maintain any cold façade in front of Karin, they were like sisters.

"_Yeah, I can see that much. Just look at your hair, it looks like a nest grown up miraculously on the top of your head. And those clothes…_

_omg you should run before some old hag sees you and go in cardiac arrest."_ Karin was shaking her head, comically, not wasting the chance to make fun of her friend. Sakura was really funny when angry.

"Not with that you bitch!"

"_Bitch? Please don't insult the whores by comparing them to Karin, sluts have their pride you know." _Another woman, with an equally ridiculous looking clay and yoghurt face mask appeared beside Karin, waving her hand energetically to Sakura.

"Anko?! What are you doing there? Are you guys plotting some NASA rocket hijacking or are you practicing witchery?"

Sakura was already panicking. It was pretty bad she had to utter those shameful words in front of her friend Karin, but Anko joined the party as well…no good. No good at all.

"_Ha! I am being called a slut by a skimpy looking old woman, clad in black net, while being pregnant! Can you believe this woman's guts, Cherry?!" _

"_Hey, what is wrong with flashing my killer looking body from times to times? My husband likes it, if you know what I mean."_ Anko winked knowingly at Sakura, making the younger woman take a pillow and plant her face on the soft surface. Those two agents were unbelievable.

"_No Anko, we don't want to imagine Orochimaru`s perverted fantasies, that would make our brain scream in pain."_

"OKAY! Can we please put and end to this stupid conversation and focus our attention to the main reason why I called you?!"

Anko put her hands on Karin`s shoulder, leaning into the small webcam, trying to shove Karin away. The said woman held her ground, glaring daggers at the purple haired older woman. _"Sure thing kiddo. So, what is the matter?" _

"I have one hell of a problem called Uchiha Sasuke!"

The two women from the other side of the world began to laugh hysterically. Sakura was certain the base of the house started to shake. _"I…HAHAHA…just what could be the problem in that matter Cherry? Did he turned gay over night or have you discovered he is a drag queen?"_

"_Let me guess: You have seen him naked and now you have erotic fantasies with him every time you close your eyes?" _

Sakura felt her face go tomato red. Incredible how those two so called friends of hers managed to turn every conversation into a pornographic chat. Well…there was some truth in their bashings, but that was beside the point.

"You…you two are horrible, you know that?"

"_Honey, those trashy looking clothes of yours are horrible. We just got an upgrade."_

"_Yeah, I mean…you live in a luxury house with the hottest specimen on the entire Universe, as his slave! This is any woman's darkest fantasy!"_

"What are you talking about Anko, I am not his servant!"

"…_I wouldn't mind being commanded by that hunk of a sexy ass man from time to time."_ Karin was having so much fun watching her virgin friend challenging her red head, with that huge blush of hers. Poor woman, she was so lucky, but inexperienced. What a waste.

"_You are already being commanded by all those fags you bed Karin, so back off. So tell us Sakura, how many hours per day do you spend rewinding those CCTVs from your boss` room and bathroom, huh?"_

Sakura felt like banging her head on the laptop. What kind of ridiculous things couldn't that woman talk about?

"Anko, I am not stalking Sasuke in the bathroom or when he does god only knows what things in his room. I put the cameras there for professional reasons. Beside, who would want to see him parading naked through his house?"

"_Any straight woman, lol"_

"_Kiddo, don't tell me you are into women now? Because if you do, I am coming there to give you therapy!"_

"I am not LESBIAN Anko!"

"_Of course not, that Uchiha Sasuke is more beautiful than most of the women, so that would have been a waste of good material."_ Anko threw her head off in laughter. The pieces of lemons on her forehead, flew on the sofa they were staying on.

"Stop talking about him like he is some sort of GOD!"

"_So will you send us a copy of the recordings then?" _

"No!"

"_Ok ok, shish…don't need to be so possessive. But just so you know…I don't mind sharing." _

"You can have all of his stupid ass if you wanna, I don't want anything related to him. He tried to strangle me yesterday!"

At that the two women went silent. Of course, they knew Sasuke has been given drugs from Tsunade. But no once could reach Sakura ever since.

"_Oh…so he is a feisty one, huh?" _

"_Cherry, you should search for some whips and handcuffs when you clean his room, I am sure dude has an impressive collection."_

"Hellooo, Earth to the two lunatic women, responding please! Don't you see any problem with the fact that my boss almost killed me with his bare hands?"

"_But he didn't, so what is the problem then?"_

"_Yeah Cherry, I mean, we avoided Death for so many times that I am sure the Grim Reaper will charge us extra when that day will come." _

Ok, so her friends were laughing at her. Sakura had no problem in beating the two women to a pulp, but she was too troubled to scream at them. The rosette really needed their advice, and it was not like she could call her Papa for the "Talk", or God forbids Tsunade.

"I know, but I was so scared, I mean you should have seen him, he looked possessed!"

"_Why do I have the feeling that this is just half of the story, heh?"_ Karin followed her friend's beat red cheeks, letting her amber eyes roam to her face and neck. She took another look, in disbelief.

"_Cherry…are those hickeys?" _

Sakura unconsciously tried to cover the incriminating bite mark of her neck, with her large T-Shirt, bowing his head in shame. Of course her too observant friend read her like an open book.

She was so out of topic when it came to this kind of subjects, it was painful to watch. She was playing with the hands in her lap, nervous. "Kind…of.."

"_Oh my GOD, Anko can you see this? Sakura got her first love mark!"_

The said laughing woman wiped an imaginary tear from her eyes, comically. The conversation and Sakura`s face were too priceless. The pregnant woman was having fun. _"I see this honey, this children…they grow up so fast."_ Karin snorted loudly.

"Is there anyone listening to me?! This is not a love mark, he was drugged! You should see his office room, the walls are covered in permanent marker. He wrote formulas and hieroglyphs!"

"_Oh, so dude has an artistic side as well, how romantic." _

"_Yeah, you should ask him if he does body art as well. I know I would like his hands to roam over my body. Maybe add some hot chocolate syrup to make the foreplay more enjoyable." _

"Karin.,,Anko…there is nothing artistic in a lunatic acting like a zombie in need for brains!"

Sakura was getting mad. Ok, so there she was trying to have a normal friendly conversation, about a topic that was alien territory for her poor innocent mind, and of course those two witches found it entertaining. She knew Karin and Anko were demented, it was a fact. And they were perverted as well.

"_You know what I think Sakura? You are too tense and frustrated and that is not healthy. You have to loosen up."_ Karin crossed her hands, trying to appear serious. Some of her facial mask started to leak of her forehead.

"_I agree with this skank kid. I say…you should drug that handsome boss of yours more often and let him perform magic with your body, he seems to get his facts straight when intoxicated and God only knows you need it."_

"Sakura bolted to her feet, pressing the mattress of the bed, making a hole, her face twisted in anger and pointing her middle finger in from of the laptop.

"You …you two are crazy! How in the world do they let you walk freely on the streets, without leashes and muzzles? I think the mental hospital has a hole in the fence, because you guys are even more insane than Sasuke and he has his photo in the dictionary, near the insane explanation!"

"_Then if you think we are insane, why are you calling us for advice then?"_ Karin retorted smartly. She was crazy and bitchy she was aware, but a stupid woman she was not.

"Because I deal with a mad situation and I need mad people to give me advice, doesn't it sound legit? And yes, you are crazy, Karin you especially, but you are not a lost cause yet. Anko, I gave up on you the moment when you dressed up like a pink Playboy bunny and hided in Papa Oro`s birthday cake."

"_There was nothing wrong at my costume. Haven't you seen his delighted face?"_ That was indeed a birthday party to remember.

Sakura has never seen Uchiha Itachi and the Hyuga heir laugh so hard. Tobirama Senju looked like he wanted to throw up right there and then. Jirayia on the other hand, was throwing with money, cheering on her. Hidan fainted and fell in the punch.

"_I am not crazy, I am just eccentric!"_ If Sakura thought Karin was insane, she hasn't met her family members. Kushina was a subject the red headed woman was avoiding like plague.

"You deny the fact that you are not insane? Karin you are the one that gives the poor children Fitness bars on Halloween! And Anko you got that wrong. Oro was not enchanted, he was petrified! You were clad in clothes made of mint dark chocolate, for God's sake!"

"_So what? I am doing those fat children a favor. The number of diabetic people is rising and I don't wanna feel guilty of ruining their lives."_

Sakura slapped her forehead. "Ok, listen…as you have said…there was something else going on between me and Sasuke…I will not go into all the story, because I am sure Tsunade already told you everything." The two women nodded once. Indeed, Tsunade called Karin and told her what Sakura said. Then she disappeared.

The pink haired agent took a gulp of air to calm her racing heart. For some reason, she started to replay the events and the image of her hot boss hovering over her, looking like an untamed beast, oozing sexiness and raw masculinity was making her stomach constrict and her body temperature to rise.

"I…I mean he…when I tried to cool off his burning body…you know from the LSD…he grabbed my hand and pulled me on the bed then…ah…he pinned me on the mattress, caging me with his body."

She covered her red guilty face with the palms of her hands. Sakura couldn't even describe those images without getting bothered.

Karin and Anko listened to their virgin friend relating the juicy story, amused to no end. Oh that was entertainment in the purest form. _"Ok, I like where this is going…next! Tell us everything and don't you dare skip any detail!"_

"Well…then he…he didn't want to let go of my hands, no matter how many times I asked him to do so…_not that I complain, he was hella good in his ministrations_…and then I…

I mean he…started to move his…body…and and…" Ok, she was stuttering and her mind couldn't form a coherent sentence. Sakura took a hold of the silky pillow and covered her burning face, letting out a small scream of frustration.

It was Karin that started to laugh first. Anko wasn't laughing, because she had more decency than that. She was in hysterics, rolling on the sofa, a hand on her stomach, tears in her eyes.

"_HAHAHAHAHA…OMG this is priceless! Look at you Cherry, you are so into him that you cannot even spell the words correctly BHWHAHAHA."_

"Sttttop laughing will yea? I haven't called you to laugh at me!"

"_HAHAHA Kiddo…let us give you a hand, because you are drowning in salty waters…BHWHWHAA…So what did he do next? He felt you up?"_

"_He grinded his dick on your own pussy, letting you feel how hard he was?"_

"_He massaged your breast and your stomach with his skilled hands?"_

"_Did he slip a hand on your panties as well?"_

"_He planted small kisses down your neck and face, suckling, biting and licking your skin, as well as your earlobe?"_

"_More importantly, did he steal your first kiss as well?"_

Sakura couldn't hear anymore of the questions. She hid under her blanket, not being able to face their friend's laughing faces. The mental images were more vivid than ever, making her go crazy.

She didn't know why, but Sasuke`s soft touches were imprinted into her skin, like a tattoo. She could even feel the hotness of his body blending with her senses. It was intoxicating.

"_Cherry, come out of your shell and enlighten us, before we go into even more detailed things like you to going completely naked and…"_ Sakura pulled the soft blanket off her messy hair, brooding at the screen.

"Stop it right there Miss or else I am going on rampage!"

"_Honey, the only thing going on rampage in this conversation is your hormones! It is painfully obvious you want him and I am ready to bet my whole Prada shoes collection that he wants you as well."_

"_Yeah…this crazy red headed bitch is right, kiddo. I mean…I know he was under the LSD influence, but even so…you said he was gentle and not forced himself on you like a normal shitfaced rapist would have done, so if both of you want it just as much, why not go for it?"_

"GRRR you don't understand, I cannot go there and seduce Sasuke, he is the guy I need to guard for Heavens sake! What would Papa say about this?"

"_Who the hell cares what that snake weird looking boss of us says, no offense intended Anko, this is your life honey. _

_Your mission is to make sure Uchiha stay safe, but no one told you that you are not allowed to form a connection with him."_ Surprisingly, Karin was right. Orochimaru only advised Sakura to not get close to her boss, but he didn't forbid her from doing so. Even so…

"_Anyways…you didn't answer our previous question Sakura."_ Karin pointed her finger at the webcam, giving Sakura a knowing smirk. She was not going to avoid the hot topic. Karin knew her friend was innocent, but she couldn't remain a virgin all her life.

"Grrr…he did everything you mention, except he kept his hands on my hips and stomach, and we didn't kiss…_unfortunately_…"

"_Omg Cherry do you even realize that? I mean a drugged guy managed to keep his hands at bay and didn't even stoke a single kiss from you, when you were basically at his mercy!"_

"_Karin is right kiddo, you don't see anything like this happen nowadays."_

Indeed, Sasuke didn't cross the line, even if he had her at his whim. Sakura knew her boss had moments of lucidity and he still didn't take advantage of her. Was it possible for him to have felt more than lust as well? "Yeah…I guess you are right…"

"_Sakura, answer me this. You said that brat wanted to strangle you. What stopped him from doing so?"_ That was what really interested Anko. The crazy pregnant woman was really observant when it came to read people's gestures and behavior.

"I honestly don't know. I remember starting to lose consciousness, because of the lack of air. Gathering all the energy I had left, I managed to tell him to stop….but I don't know if it has any sort of relevance, I used his name, not Sir or Mr. Uchiha, like I normally do."

"_Wow…"_ Karin was left speechless. Sakura was not even aware of the implications of her statement.

"_Cherry, you basically tamed an unleashed demon, by saying his name. That means you trapped him in your spell! This is big." _

Of course the pink haired shy agent was not aware of the meaning of Sasuke`s weird behavior, that was why she called for an advice. But her friend made it sound like it was really a big thing and that threw Sakura off a little.

"_And? What was his next move? Did he leave you there without any other word or…"_

"Well, you can call me crazy, but I think I felt a cool breeze of air, fanning my face and that made my body react to the outside stimuli and I was able to inhale deeply. I was not even aware of him leaving the room, probably because of the dizziness."

Anko`s eyes went wide at that. _"What? So you say that he basically stimulated your innate reflexes, by breathing in your face to determine you to take a gulp of air? Hell it sounds like one of the romance books I am reading."_

"I can assure you there was nothing romantic in that one. And I was crying intently for two hours in his room, while he was vandalizing his office downstairs." Sakura felt a sharp pain in her chest upon remembering the horrid events.

"_Sakura, in a more serious note, I think I know what your problem is. Sasuke is basically the first man to get close to you in a more intimate way and that makes you confuse of your own feelings. Am I right?"_

"Yes…I think you are, Rin. I mean I don't know why but…I cannot even be upset with him and that makes me go insane! He has this mood swings that makes it impossible to guess what his next move will be and I don't know how to act in front of him."

Sakura made a small break in her speech to calm herself. She started to tremble and she felt her emerald eyes glisten. Why did she feel the need to cry? She fisted her hands in her uncombed hair, pulling tightly, like wanting to hold on her sanity.

"I know I should be scared of him, but I cannot help but react to his voice, to his body, I can even feel his warmth brushing my skin and it makes me hot and I feel this intense feeling down there whenever he touches me and and the butterflies in my stomach wont stop fluttering whenever he smirks at me…I don't know what to do!."

Anko and Karin eyed each other for a moment then looked at the almost crying face of their beloved agent friend. Of course they knew just how bad her situation really was, but there was nothing they could have helped Sakura with. The road to romance is for each living to take, alone.

"_Cherry, if you want my advice, I say go for it, mission be damned. I mean it is more than obvious that what you feel for your sexy raven haired boss is more than chemistry or lust, because you are aware of his feelings as well."_

Karin was a hundred percent certain of the fact that her best friend was going to call her sooner or later, from the first time she cried on the phone.

But even she was not that delusional to say a possible relationship between Sasuke and Sakura was difficult. They were two different people, living in completely different worlds and their only connection was based on a cover. Romance cannot bloom from a lie.

"Not even you trust what you said, Rin, I mean he is not going to look at someone like me. In his eyes, I am an ugly, lying poor maid. He can have every woman he wants, without even moving a single finger. Why would he want me of all the people?"

Sakura was in the verge of tears, almost screaming. But she didn't care, the lack of sleep and stress was making her an emotional wreck.

Anko listened to the conversation, thinking about her much younger friend's situation. Her experience was required and she knew it, because the pregnant woman was no more in playful mode_. "Kiddo, answer me this one question: have you fallen for Sasuke Uchiha?" _

Sakura didn't even need to give too much thinking on that question, because she had the answer implanted into her racing heart. She could feel her every fiber scream the name of Sasuke in pure ecstasy every time she caught the smell of his unique fragrance.

She got off the bed, and headed to the window, looking at the shining sun, letting its rays caress her pale tired face. "I…I don't know…what I feel for him, is so confusing."

"_Listen to me Cherry, no matter what you decide to do, you have my undying support! Stop looking for any logic in this situation, because is not your brain that is shot by Cupid's arrow, it is the heart my dear._

_Let your feelings speak for yourself."_ In Karin`s opinion, all the CIA could go fuck itself, for as long as she cared. When it came to the people that were dear to her, the red headed Uzumaki didn't let anything to distract her attention.

"_Although it absolutely pains me to admit it, Karin is right kiddo. Remember, Sasuke is the first man to get close to you and considering what kind of man he is, any sane woman in your place would feel attracted to his charms. _

_But, before you do something that could cost you dearly, make sure your feelings are not temporary and remember that his own thoughts towards you might not be entirely genuine. _

_Don't let the bastard play you, you don't deserve it. If he wants you for real, then he is going to fight for you and show you respect."_

Anko didn't like where that was heading. She knew that for a Sound agent, mission came first.

But she was a woman in love as well and the pregnant knew all too well that she was not going to have second thoughts if at some point in life, she was going to have to chose between career and her husband.

Sakura knew the two CIA agents were right. It was up to her to sort out her feelings and deal with the situation. But she trusted Sasuke. He managed to take control over his mind and restrain himself in front of her, even in a tight situation. "you are right guys…"

"_Honey, let me tell you one more thing. You are the best damn CIA agent I know and I am not joking. But more than this, you are a woman. And being a woman has its wonders. I know you are busy, but don't try to deny your body's needs. _

_Try to listen to your own person talking more often and get to know yourself better. You are almost 23 years old and you hormones are basically screaming for you to not deprive them of release. _

_I am not trying to be a pervert here, but if you don't want anymore humiliating experiences like the previous one, I say you should let the other brain think for yourself more often…if you get what I mean. _

_You might not be aware of the changes and sensations, but your body knows how to react to men, out of your own accord. You were obviously aroused by the Uchiha`s presence and he knew what to do to turn you into a puppet. _

_He might have been a gentleman and only tease you and mock you, but maybe other guys out there wont be that lenient. We don't want a drama to happen here, do we?" _

"…_.Karin I think that was your longest speech, since you talked Sasori into why is he going to die a virgin if he continues to play with dolls and paint his nails."_

Sakura listened to her friend Karin, trying to dig in what she was telling. Know her body better, otherwise she was going to respond to every gentle touch and get fooled by the others? That sounded logical.

Of course, she knew Sasuke could be versatile, but she was certain he was not that much of a deprived player to toy with her feelings. She saw it in those shimmering onyx orbs, when he thought she was going to leave him…shame, guilt, self restrain…

"You are right Rin. You too Anko." The rosette CIA agent wiped out some tears that fell on her reddened cheeks. "You are the craziest and most perverted women I know but you are right. Thank you guys."

Sakura gripped her laptop, bringing it close to her face and planted a kiss on the screen. Her friends smiled and did the same. It was a ritual they had, to let the other know that even if they are separated by the distance, their hearts are united.

"_Soooooooo….tell me Cherry…is he a proud specimen of the male species or do you have to look for his dick with the GPS?"_ Karin couldn't stop herself for asking. My God, Sakura turned ten hues of red and bit her lower lip in guilt. So she was not so innocent after all.

Sakura took a grip of the pillow that was resting somewhere behind her and threw it on the laptop screen, crossing her arms in front of her chest, glaring daggers at her virtual audience.

"_You do realize that had no effect, don't you?" _That was Karin`s banshee laughing, echoing through the stereos.

"Yes, I do. But it helps me not go crazy." She heard Anko muttering something about virginal sex deprived teenagers needing professional therapy and some strippers but she covered her ears, not letting the wicked woman to corrupt her any further.

CLICK!

Sakura looked at the laptop, seeing that her download was ready, as well as her printer. She put paper into the device, pressing enter to print the photo.

"Ok guys, I have stuff to do. I am going to call you later, ok?"

"_Ok Cherry, good luck and don't forget to love us from time to time!" Karin drew an imaginary heart on the air, sending small kisses to her best friend. She really missed Sakura and their gatherings. Life was boring in Ravenna without her. _

"_Good luck kiddo and don't forget to tell me if that Uchiha brat does something to you. I would personally come and put an end to the next generation of weird Uchihas." _

"HEHE I will hold you on that Anko." Sakura closed the conversation tab thinking that Anko was probably talking serious.

That woman was the craziest thing from the Sound and that spoke volumes, because if one paid attention, being insane was a requirement to join that office.

"What the fuck…" The photo print was over, but all that the pink haired agent held in her hands, was a blank photo paper.

She quickly checked the folder with all the photos, not believing her eyes. Her fingers trembled on the black keyboard, shaking her head in shock, her heart almost skipping a beat.

"Nothing…there is nothing in here…impossible…" The folder was empty and so was her camera. Sakura was stunned when realizing that there was not even a single photo caught on the film. Everything was blank. She hasn't taken a single photo of the walls.

She took a sheet of paper and a pen and sprinted towards her boss` office. As soon as she arrived inside, she took a sit at the large broken table, paying attention not to injure herself and started to copy the contents from the walls.

"I should have known nothing works on this haunted freaking room…" She was too slow, that was going to take her the whole day. Sakura couldn't find any reasonable explanation to what was going on.

She even attempted to take a picture with her mobile phone, with the same results. The emerald eyed woman thought of the strange electromagnetism that was manifesting in the office. That was the only believable explanation.

RIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGG

"Oh no…" She only managed to copy two walls, which has already been difficult because there were unknown symbols and she didn't know ancient Greek, when she heard the front door's bell ringing.

She took her piece of paper and went to the door, opening it slightly.

There was a team of four people in the yard, clad in uniforms, two of them carrying a large wooden office desk.

Sasuke has told her he was going to have everything replaced, but damn was he fast. _"Couldn't he have waited till tomorrow, I didn't finish copying the formulas…"_

"Good afternoon, Miss. Mr. Uchiha has sent us here to repaint some dirty walls and replace his office desk. My name is Hiroyuki Hamada and this is my team. Now if you would be so kind to let us inside?"

"Ah…yeah sure, come in please?" Sakura opened the front glass door wide and let the men do their job, leading them to the said office.

Surprisingly, no one said a thing, nor were they shocked to see what they had to cover in fresh paint. _"Bunch of weirdoes, just like him…at least the moron told them I don't speak Japanese…"_

While the said people did their job, Sakura managed to copy some more of the written content, but unfortunately, not entirely. Oh well, it was better than nothing. She was going to send a copy to Orochimaru later on. _"Technology is so overrated…"_

It was 1 am when Sasuke came home from his office, looking even worse than when he was under the LSD influence. He was obviously dead tired.

Sakura has tried to rest her equally tired body, but sleep never came to her, so when she got sick of thrashing her body like a baby in search for his Teddy Bear, she went to the kitchen and prepared a cup of hot chocolate, resting her exhausted frame on the window seat, listening to the small drops of rain dancing on the glass surface, lulling her to slumber.

"Hn…you didn't strike to me like the type of night owl, Sakura." The said woman turned her head in surprise, upon hearing Sasuke`s low husky one. He came into the kitchen, after throwing his suit case on the coffee table.

He had no idea where his suit jacket landed, nor did he give a damn about it. Plus his eyes were foggy and stingy. Those liquid crystal displays were a blatant joke.

"Well, you didn't either Sir…_you scream I am Dracula, let all the garlic come to me please, from then km radius, you stupid night werewolf_, but it is midnight already. The clock doesn't lie."

Sakura let her tired emerald orbs roam over her approaching boss` lean figure. He looked like he was ready to faint right there and then. That was one hell of a workaholic person.

The pink haired girl really hoped he wasn't drinking or flirting again, instead of doing his job, because God help her, he was in for a good beating and she was there to reshape his face.

Sasuke let his body fell on the chair, crossing his fingers in front of his face, looking absentmindedly at his maid. "Were you waiting for someone?"

Her small body was drown in that damned large T-Shirt she was so attached to, but her hair was damn and sticking to her face. She probably had a shower before coming in the kitchen.

"_Yes, I was waiting for the neighbor's Golden Retriever you handicapped stupid excuse of a jerk_…there is no one beside you that lives in here, so I think it makes the answer even more obvious, Mr. Uchiha."

And the ebony haired Uchiha couldn't help but watch her delicate gestures, entranced by how she was elegantly holding the hot cup of chocolate in between her hands and the way she was taking sips of the said beverage, acting like a lady.

And the fact that she was doing it out of reflex was even making it even more obvious that she wasn't an ordinary woman.

"Are you hungry?" Her soft voice echoed through the kitchen, making Sasuke snap out of his reverie. He covered his face with his hands, thinking about how much he worked just to get her out of his mind, without success.

He was plagued by images with her curvy body and soft skin, moaning loudly under him, almost encouraging his movements.

"I am not going to accept anything that is not your tomatoes and basil sandwiches." Seriously, Sasuke couldn't imagine his life without this maid's tasty sandwiches, expensive caviar and Kobe beef be damned.

Sakura let out a small smile. Of course she knew her boss was secretly worshipping her food, and that brought her a great happiness.

She hasn't realized until then that since she first started her mission, the house was not a lonely place to return anymore. It was both weird and pleasant to have someone living under the same roof.

Sharing the privacy with someone else was something so new to Sakura, but not unpleasant. She rose from her sit, taking the sandwiches from the food storage container, serving them on a plate to her expecting boss.

All the ways, she couldn't help but feel nervous when coming close to him. Sasuke was eying her intently, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Hn…" The said man took a bit of the said food, letting the tasty piece of toast whole grain bread fall in his rumbling stomach. He didn't have any food in two days and he was starving!

"You are welcome!" Sakura said sarcastically. _"One day…I am going to plant my foot up his monosyllabic stupid brooding face and imprint the brand logo of my sneakers on his forehead, turning him into a human billboard…stupid conceited jerk…"_

"By the way, if you don't mind me asking this…that mark on your left wrist…is that a tattoo?" Sakura was dying to find out about the small moon on her boss` wrist. She was waiting for a good opportunity to bring out the subject, but she couldn't restrain her curiosity.

Sasuke stirred his movements, taking a short break from stuffing his face (was he that hungry?), but didn't look at her.

His dark gaze was glued to the plate in front of him. Sakura knew he was again debating whether to let her know about the strange mark or not. She waited patiently for him to tell her. He looked in deep thoughts.

He wetted his lower lip with the tip of his tongue and closed his eyes briefly, then let stare fall on his wrist. "This…is not a tattoo. It is a birthmark."

"Really?" Sakura was surprised. Birthmarks were irregularities on the skin, caused by either excessive skin pigment or increased blood vessels and are usually red or brown, depending on the type.

But Sasuke`s small crescent moon was dark blue, just like ink, which was even more strange. "A small crescent moon…it is really unique. I have never seen something like this before."

But indeed, it was really beautiful. Sakura secretly wished for him not to conceal it, but then she realized others might question if it was a tattoo or not and in the high society it was not something to flash.

"Unique…indeed…"

Sasuke went silent after that, munching his food, not sparing her any glance, but it was not the awkward type. Sakura took a sit on the other available chair, finishing her chocolate, thinking about how much of a mystery the Uchiha was.

"_One could never get bored with such a person…"_

Same time, unknown location

RIIIINGGGGGG

"Speak!"

"_Everything went as planned Sir, we have what you are interested in."_

"Excellent. I knew you were capable of doing it. Have you encountered any troubles?"

"_Beside a really ugly looking woman who wasn't aware of our intention, everything went according to the plan."_

"Good. I am waiting for you to send me the things, by the end of the week. They are going to be shipped to me in secret. No one is to find out about this."

"Of course Sir. My lips are sealed."

The stoic man ended the call, a wicked smirk plastered on his face. He crossed his arms on his backs, looking at the map in front of him.

"Not let's see…what kind of connection the two of them have…I will allow no pest to stay in between me and my dream world."

He took his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. God if that man was not loathsome. Just like his idiotic ideas and vision of peace or shit. _"Load of crap…"_

"Now for the second part of the plan…"

1:30 am Tokyo, Sasuke`s home

After finishing the last bit of his food, Sasuke took his plate and put it into the sink, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

He threw a glance at his maid. She was washing her cup, humming a chorus from a song, her emerald eyes half closed, moving her hands expertly on the porcelain surface.

Before he could stop himself, the raven haired Uchiha took the necessary steps towards her, coming right behind her, shadowing her much smaller frame. Upon feeling his warmth radiating on her back, Sakura turned around, not realizing how close her boss really was.

"Sir…?" All the words she wanted to say, got stuck in her throat as soon as Sasuke raised his hand and run his fingers gently through her wet hair, brushing some tendrils of her pink locks from her face.

To her utter shock, Sakura did nothing to stop him, but her dazzling jaded orbs never left his handsome profile.

His midnight jet eyes were following the movements of his right hand, holding a sparkling emotion that the Sound agent couldn't place, but it made her heart melt like lava.

And when she felt her boss` hand delicately brush his fingers down her neck, tracing her collarbone, she closed her eyes, unconsciously leaning into his touch. She attempted to push him away, like he did back then in his office, but she couldn't.

The tingling sensation and the way his fingertips were dancing on her skin was like a hot lazy summer day, caressing her senses. Whenever Sasuke was around, he pulled her out of time.

"I hurt you…" The gentleness in his low velvety voice made Sakura`s heart skip a beat. She almost couldn't believe this was the man that tried to kill her not too long ago, radiating dark energy to the point it made the air freeze around him.

Sasuke was looking at the fragile creature that was gripping the edge of the sink with both hands, like her very life depended on it, trembling under his touch.

Seeing her without those ugly glasses and her ridiculous hairstyle was another story. He wanted to trail his fingers on her clear pearl perfectly shaped face so much it hurt him not to do so.

It was just too bad she has closed her emerald eyes, because Sasuke could have sworn he was going to be trapped into those shimmering green nephrite gems that reflected the light in a way that called his hidden inner from his darkness to light.

All her traits screamed innocence and it was exactly that purity what made her so different from the others.

He followed the pattern of the purple finger marks on her neck, wanting nothing more than to cut his hands for laying his fingers on her, the guilt burning his mind to the point he felt like going insane.

"You didn't want to do so." Karin told Sakura to listen to listen to what her body was telling her and it was exactly what she did in that moment.

And the answer was simple: her all being was screaming for her to pull him closer and do something, anything, just to feel his skin on her. The need was unbearable, but somehow…she couldn't find the strength to do so.

It was Anko`s advice that stopped her. She had to be sure of both their feelings, before getting closer to the man that was caressing her skin. The possibility of Sasuke toying with her feelings was something she had to pay attention to.

"Are you afraid of me, Sakura?" The said woman opened her eyes and fixed his black sapphire ones, looking for any sort of hidden intent. She found none. He was being honest with her and the soft tone in his voice betrayed his remorse.

"No." She was not. Sasuke made Sakura experience new feelings, as well as bringing to light denied emotions, locked into the depths of her conscience, but afraid of him she was not, because the jaded eyed girl knew he was not going to hurt her, even if he couldn't think straight.

She didn't forget how he shielded her in the club, when he shot their chaser. For the first time in a long time, Sakura felt secure.

"You should." Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. He could read her genuine feelings into those brilliant glowing eyes that were looking into his core and it ignited something inside his chest.

And the need to brush his lips on her plump pastel pink ones made him close his eyes tightly and retract his hand, before he did something he would regret. He swore to himself not to toy with her feelings any longer.

She wanted from him something he couldn't give her. He only knew how to respond to her body language, but he had no idea how to react to her heart's longing.

He slipped his hands into his pockets, attempting to leave the kitchen. But he didn't miss the disappointed look on her face when he pulled away from her.

And before he could stop himself, he whispered a word he didn't imagine ever telling to anyone beside his mother.

"Arigato, Sakura." And the said lady was certain her heart stopped beating and her eyes sparkled with an unidentified emotion that rose from the bottom of her heart like a snowdrop blooming from the frozen land, at the beginning of the spring. It was the very first word she truly learnt in Japanese.

"By the way, Mr. Uchiha, the men you have sent today, have replaced the broken desk and repainted the walls."

Sakura could have sworn Sasuke broke his neck with the speed he turned his head over his shoulder, eying her like she has grown another head.

"Sakura…I have not called for anyone to do those things."

The deadly silence that fell between the pair was broken by the breaking news that was heard on the kitchen radio.

And their eyes got wide opened upon hearing the shocking news, both of them sprinting in the direction of Sasuke`s office. Sakura thought she was going to faint.

"_We interrupt this program to announce the latest news from Indonesia. The heir of the famous cosmetic brands company, Amy Watanabe, has been found dead in her hotel room from Bali. _

_Police officers refrained from giving any information regarding the tragically death, but witness stated she had a large cut on her chest, in the shape of a pair of compasses." _

**Author's Note: **_Omg thank you guys for beautiful reviews, you have no idea just how glad you made me:* It brings me a lot of joy to see people are really interested into reading my story, and for this particular reason I try to put all the effort into making it better. I am glad you liked the previous chapter. _

_Well, to tell you the truth, I have tried everything to separate the lines, with no success. For some unknown reason, it just won't appear in here. I am going to look into this more. And thank you, being told I am on of your favorites, among so many talented authors here is an honor. _

_Congratulations for guessing what Sakura did next, you guys are smart. I am going to reveal more of Sasuke and his past, as well as the mark on his wrist, but you have to be a little patient, because it is really difficult for me to connect all the things I have in mind. But no, I will not kill him, he is my favorite character so no such drama here!_

_I absolutely promise there will be a Naruto and Sakura interaction in the upcoming chapters. Hehe I am glad to find another Naruto fan from Europe (I am sorry if I get this wrong) like me in here. _


	16. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Sasuke pushed the door of his office open, with a loud thud, barging inside, with his maid following him suit.

He stopped in the middle of the room, letting his dark eyes dart in every direction, taking in his surroundings and fisting his hand in his ebony locks in annoyance.

"Fuck…fuck!"

Sakura watched her boss twisting his handsome face in rage, not believing her ears. He didn't send anyone to repaint the walls and replace the old desk? That was craziness!

The rosette was massaging her forehead with her fingertips, thinking about how stupid has she been to trust those so called workers and let them inside Sasuke`s office.

If they weren't there because the Uchiha has called them, it meant someone else beside the two of them took notice about his drugged state and took advantage of the situation, which was twice as bad news. Was there a possibility for someone to watch them from the shadows?

"It is all my fault…I let them inside." Sakura whispered softly, not taking her emerald eyes from Sasuke, who was facing the white walls. Nothing. There was nothing left. The fake house painters have covered everything in fresh white paint.

"When did they come?" Sasuke didn't even turn around to look at Sakura. He was more than pissed off.

The thought of someone entering his house, without permission, when the pink haired woman was inside, alone, pretending to be someone else and rob him was bad news.

"Around 4 pm. It took them half an hour to cover the writings and change the broken desk, with a new one. I only took my eyes off them when their head asked for a glass of water."

The level of anxiety the Sound agent felt in that moment was overwhelming. That was no coincidence.

Those suspects have worked fast, without leaving a trace, which meant they were not ordinary burglars. And the fact that they didn't barge into the house at night was even more suspicious, because it meant they were cautious enough to not get caught by the security systems.

The guilt was washing through Sakura`s system like an angry waterfall. She bit her lower lip, not being able to face Sasuke. If something bad was going to happen, it was going to be her fault for letting her guard down and being so naïve. "Sir, I am so so…"

"Look at the walls." Sasuke knew he had to calm down, if he wanted to understand just what the hell happened in there. Someone managed to cross his security system and fool a smart woman like his maid.

They were more than mere thieves, he was sure of that. That would not have been the first time when someone has tried to rob the Uchiha heir, but something was different that time.

Sakura raised her glistening emerald orbs from the ground, that seemed to be very interesting all of sudden, looking at what Sasuke has asked her to, but she found nothing suspicious, except for the fact that the walls were indeed repainted, covering any trace of symbols or letters.

"_Did they paint the walls just to play the part of the house painters to the end and trick me or did they have any other ulterior motive?"_

"What exactly should I look for? I mean…there is nothing wrong with the way they worked, except for the fact that the writings are gone."

Sakura followed her boss onyx eyes studying the walls around him, with a calculating gaze. It was obvious from his stance that he was really angry, but the way he was nibbling his lower lip portrayed another emotion: bewilderment.

"And that is precisely the problem. There is not even a single mismatch in the pattern. Their work is perfect." Sakura didn't understand what her boss was trying to tell her. Did he sense something she overlooked?

She took another look at the said walls. Indeed, the painting was almost perfect and straight, successfully covering everything, without a trace of black marker. "Yeah, because they tried to fool me into thinking they were professional painters."

"No. They weren't trying to trick you Sakura. One of the reason why they came here was to make sure everything is gone, which is exactly the problem, because they knew exactly what was to be repaired in this office and no one beside you and me was aware of this."

Sakura`s eyes went wide upon hearing what Sasuke was telling her. They wanted to make the writings go away? But why? And the way her boss was pointing the facts was making her believe he was accusing her of slipping the information outside. Was he suspicious on her?

"I know what you think about Mr. Uchiha, but I can assure you I haven't told anyone about this."

"I know, and that is what bothers me in the first place. If they were ordinary thieves wanting to rob me, it is quite logical they wouldn't be coming in the middle of the day, disguised in house painters.

But they entered this house in broad daylight, pretending to be someone else…_like some maid I know all to well_…so it is quite clear they would suppose I have all the values and money in my office. But…"

"But…what?" Sakura had an idea of where was Sasuke trying to get with that, but she refrained from taking guesses herself. He was a freaking genius, so probably his judgment was more appropriate in that situation.

She listened to him intently, trying to make the necessary connections. Of course she was going to check the cameras she installed on the house as soon as they were finished and send them to Orochimaru for tracking.

Sasuke turned his head slightly, looking at his maid. What was so difficult for her to understand was unknown for him, but he was going to explain her nonetheless.

He had to make sure she wasn't the one leaking the information to others, because if she did…he narrowed his dark eyes and knotted his eyebrows.

He didn't wasn't to imagine it, but if this maid was really there to trick him, she wasn't going to live to tell the others. He would make sure of it.

"How the fuck did they know all the details in the first place, if none of us told anyone about what happened in here?"

Sakura finally caught his meaning. Sasuke was telling her that someone indeed kept an eye of them, while they were not even aware of it.

And they were so skilled that not even her CIA devices countered their technology. Her emerald eyes went wide. "They spied on us!"

Sasuke nodded once in confirmation, letting his gaze fall on the new desk. He took some steps towards the hard piece of wood, pocking the luscious surface with his fingers. "Exactly. And I think we can safely assume it is me they follow, not you."

Of course it was him, because they wouldn't have any interest in spying on his poor ugly maid. Sakura realized how important was to keep his cover not necessary in front of Sasuke (he has already seen much of her, so it was kind of pointless), but in front of the others as well.

"Right. By the way Sir, now that I know you are not the one that sent those guys, I find it relevant to tell you that they spoke English fluently and two of them were not Asians."

Unconsciously, Sakura`s mind was linking the piece of information with the shocking news of Amy Watanabe`s death. Was there any connection between the two events? Amy Watanabe…the girl that terrorized Sakura during high school has been murdered in Bali…

and the way she died, of course the Sound agent knew it was none other than Lorane. Were the guys that entered Sasuke`s office their henchmen as well?

Oh God…the rosette thought in horror at the possibility of they having the intention to kill her boss if he was home. She gripped the hem of her T-Shirt tightly, nervously playing with the cotton material. Sakura started to realize just how twisted the situation really was.

She took a quick glance at Sasuke`s back. He was eying the large new desk intently, his face devoid of emotions, but his jet eyes were basically sparkling. It was crystal clear he tried to figure out some things on his own. Just what was crossing his mind at that time?

"This is because they most likely work for an international organization and as soon as they saw your exotic looks, they safely assumed you are not Japanese…or they didn't know the language in the first place."

Sakura wanted to slap her forehead at that. Of course, if that stupid head of hers would have been more than one neuron inside, she could have answered them in Japanese and catch them out of guard.

Only…she didn't speak Japanese… _"damn it…"_ Wait a second…did he said international organization?

"But Sir, I don't understand. If they wanted to just rob you, they would have tried to incapacitate me first and then enter the house, but they acted civilian to the very end, doing nothing suspicious." Nothing in Sakura`s mind made sense anymore.

How in the world did four men find out about what happened with Sasuke in the first place? She considered the possibility of them hearing about the club scandal, with the drug dealers, involving the Uchiha heir as well, but that doesn't explain how they tracked them.

Their information was a hundred percent accurate, if they knew such details as a broken desk and drafted walls…wait a second…

"Sir, the color they used to repaint the walls…is the same shade as the previous one." Sasuke cocked his head on his left side, fixing Sakura`s emerald eyes with his own dark ones, raising an eyebrow and urging her to go on, because the same thought has just crossed his mind.

And if his intelligent maid has caught the same thing, then it might have some sort of relevance. "Go on."

The pink haired girl crossed her arms in front of her chest, attempting to calm down her nerves. There were million of thoughts crossing her mind at that moment, but she had no idea how to sort them out.

"At first glance, one would have thought that giving the fact that the walls were being painted in white to begin with, matching the color would have not been that difficult, but…"

Sakura made a short break in her speech to head to one of the walls that was the closest, tracing the pattern with her finger, scratching her nose. "…if you have looked carefully at the previous paint, the color was not pure white, but the lightest hue of yellow."

Sasuke didn't need another explanation. His dark eyes shot open, eying his maid in disbelief, almost urging her to confirm his suspicion. How could that have escaped his vigilance was amazing. "You mean…they knew the exact color shade…because they have been here before to study it."

"Yes, this is what I think Sir. The line between the two shades is so thin, that no one would have been able to tell the difference if they were to spy on this office from the outside…_not if they don't have a really high tech device_…"

The Uchiha brushed his fingers through his messy spiky ebony hair, pulling it backwards, eyes darting on the walls. She was right and he knew it.

The situation was even worse than he first thought, and the raven haired man had an idea of who might those suspects be.

The Sound agent let her eyes wander to the opened window, mentally calculating the distance between the main fence and the house, from that angle.

"_about 35 m…only our CIA devices could have spotted such details from the outside, and I am pretty certain no one has followed us from the streets, but witch the high electromagnetism manifesting in here, theoretically no device should have been able to see inside, which means…"_

Unexpectedly, it was Sasuke who has seemed to read Sakura`s mind and answered her untold question. "The last people to enter this office in the latest period of time, except you and I, are Naruto and my father."

"So…no one suspicious here I suppose…" Surprisingly Sasuke remained silent and that made Sakura take a double look at his hard face.

All of the people mentioned were basically the closest persons around the Uchiha heir. _"His best friend and his own father…there is no way any of them could have spied on him!"_

"Don't be so sure of it." At that, Sakura darted her jaded eyes from the walls to her boss, who surprisingly was looking at her intently.

She unconsciously took a step back, not liking the way he was penetrating her gaze, with his onyx eyes, almost like he was trying to confirm some thoughts that crossed his mind.

"But Sir…that could not be possible I mean…we are talking about your father and your best buddy here, so I don't think any of them had a reason to spy on you."

Sasuke let out a small sinister smirk, tilting his head and letting his ebony hair cover half of his face, all the way never taking his eyes off her." Sakura…how do you know Naruto is my best friend?"

Sakura could have sworn she heard some crows laughing and cawing at her "BUSTED".

Same time, Ravenna, Italy, Sound HQ

The sound of high heels echoed through the poor lighted long corridors, piercing the deadly silence. It has been almost 3 years since Tsunade Senju last entered the confinement of the most secret room from the Sound.

Unfortunately, those were not so pleasant memories. The blonde beautiful woman took hard large steps, already having the white glass door in her view. _"Someone is in there…"_

She pushed the door open, without knocking, barging into the sterile area, not even bothering to put an apron. In the past, that room was always full of scientists and rushed doctors.

At the present, it only served as a reminisce of the most atrocious stories. Tsunade could have sworn the screams of agony were still echoing through the white and blue high walls.

"Reminiscing the old good times, Tsunade?" A smooth low voice called from one of the tables, giving the curvy woman chills on her spine. That man was always scary and the surrounding atmosphere only added to the uncomfortable situation. _"What a creep…"_

"I wouldn't call them good, for they are still haunting my nightmares, but I can see that the creep mad doctor role still fits you like a glove, Orochimaru." The Otokage of the Sound was eying his friend and colleague with his amused amber eyes, smirking at the obvious discomfort the said woman felt.

"Heh…you are right. But remember, it takes a lot of insanity to create the most amazing things and to uncover the deepest secrets."

Orochimaru`s eyes glimmered in a devious way, making Tsunade`s eyebrows go down in disbelief. She took some steps in his direction, approaching his tall skinny figure.

"You and your obsessive fantasies always searched too deep into things that were supposed to stay in the shadows."

Tsunade threw Orochimaru a heated look then let her chocolate eyes wander around her. She crossed her arms in front of her well endowed chest, making her cleavage look two times bigger.

"Don't forget you were there to help as well. After all, you were one of the lead researchers, Tsunade." Orochimaru knew the woman in front of him has never agreed with all their work and research in the first place.

She was a brilliant woman and an equally extraordinary medic, surpassing everyone from her generation, her skills on par with his own.

But she lacked what it took for her to shine. Orochimaru let out a small smile. She was too cautious and soft…but that was precisely the reason he was there to compensate her faults.

"Hmpf…" The blonde old woman passed Orochimaru`s frame, that was leaning on the large desk in front of him, and planted her arms on the hard surface, her brown eyes taking in the files in front of her.

They looked old and used, but in a relatively good shape. Her sharp mind looked over the complex formulas and notes, realizing she recognized most of them.

They were all papers from their research times. She leaned in and took a random file, opening it and looking at the content. Her eyes went wide as plates.

"This is…" She couldn't believe what she was holding. Those were all secret documents, securely locked in the CIA archives, only known by a few higher ups, including her and the pale snake looking man that was not even watching in her direction.

"That's right. One of our biggest projects. Those are the results. Impressive, isn't it?"

Tsunade was looking over the yellow old sheets of paper, looking at the neat handwriting, trying to process what she was reading. Those were the results of their research all right, but there was more information there than she remembered.

"What is the meaning of this Orochimaru? I don't remember these symptoms, or this kind of behavior of this people and I personally took care of their health and supervised their cerebral activity."

Orochimaru extended a long arm behind him and took a hard covered blue file, handing it to his blonde Sound colleague, who was eying him in a funny way. Of course she was thrown off, after all, even she didn't know all the details of the story.

But Tsunade was his best friend and one of the people he trusted the most, so he decided to let her know about everything, for the pale man was certain that at some point of time, someone was to reveal the truth and let anyone know about their experiments.

And the most recent events lead the said man to believe that time would surely come quicker than one could have thought. _"This world is going to see another face…"_ Tsunade took the file from the Otokage`s hands, all the time fixing him with her hard stare.

It was not that she didn't trust Orochimaru, hell no, it was the other way around. But she knew that when it came to his work, their Leader tended to be a little…too dedicated. _"Insanity got a new meaning…" _

"But…this…are we talking about _that_ project?" Tsunade bit her nail, closing her eyes for a moment. Out of all the things they did together, that research was by far the most inhuman and evil of all, with the most painful consequences.

Nonetheless, it was really beneficent for the CIA, especially during the World War II and after, but for those people…the blonde woman was certain neither of the researchers that took part in that project were going to ever see the grass from Heaven.

Orochimaru nodded once, confirming her suspicions. He knew how emotionally involved in that was the blonde old lady that was eying him almost critically, after all…she had really good _personal _reasons to get involved in such actions. It was pitiful she had to suffer along with them as well. But such was life…

"Exactly my dear, those are all the results of our research involving the _AURA _project." Tsunade gripped the sheets of paper tightly, bowing her head, facing the white marble floor, her eyes going soft.

She couldn't believe it. After all the time she tried to forget those mental images, the dead ones returned from their graves to make her pay for the sins. The blonde woman, as well as her colleague Orochimaru, was some of the people that were unable to let go of the past.

"Those four people…how could have we…" Her usually harsh tone became soft, almost whispering her words, eyes glued to the ground. She couldn't face her ancestors properly, without guilt and shame washing through her system.

"We had no choice, Tsunade. It was not your fault. It was no one's fault. We only did what we thought was best for them."

Orochimaru knew how much suffering the topic was for the woman that was avoiding his gaze, but it was up to her to escape the relics of the past and move over. What they did was indeed atrocious, but no sane person could have blamed them for what happened further.

Tsunade slapped the heavy file on the desk with a loud thud, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the look in her chestnut eyes silently asking Orochimaru how could he have been so calm and act like all those things didn't happened. Was he that much of an unemotional bastard, or was he just a really good damn actor?

"How can you say that?! There is always another way out, but we were too selfish and absorbed in this shit to consider their own feelings!" Tsunade was aware that she was shouting at the top of her lungs, but she didn't care. No one was there to hear them anyways.

"True. But no one could have done more for them at that time. Remember, we were the best of the best."

"At that time? What do you mean by that?" Tsunade let her gaze follow the Otokage`s frame, going to one of the dusty bookshelves and grabbing another file, but that one looked newer and slightly different from the others.

He took a thick notebook as well, coming back to the blonde woman, raising his hands, silently urging her to take the objects, his face devoid of emotions.

She placed the notebook behind her on the desk and opened the file first, looking at the detailed drawings, sketches and text. She recognized Orochimaru`s italic handwriting on all the pages. So he was the one that drafted those sentences.

"What the…" Tsunade took a second look at the content, almost not believing her eyes.

She put the file back on the desk, grabbing the notebook and opening it at the front page, letting her eyes roam over the sheets. They went wide as saucers upon realizing what was she looking at.

"This results…unbelievable…" The said woman raised her gaze from the notebook and fixed it on the man in front of her, her heart racing in her chest, mouth wide open.

Orochimaru had an unreadable expression on his squared face, but his eyes had a maleficent glint in them, one that Tsunade hasn't seen since they worked together as scientists, and it was scaring her almost as much as the information she has just found out.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

"You…you continued the experiments!" The Otokage smirked wickedly at the puzzled woman. Tsunade let the notebook fall from her trembling hands, looking at her CIA colleague in a way that was silently asking him to confirm what she has just read.

He blinked once in confirmation making the blonde agent feel dizzy. She put her hand on her heart, attempting to calm her nerves.

"I did. And the last pages of the notebook you so unceremoniously dropped contain the results."

"I…I cannot believe you! How could you do this without telling me? You knew how important it was for both of us! Oh my God Orochimaru…and those four…those symptoms…what were they?"

Orochimaru leaned his body on the desk, crossing his arms. There were many things to be explained and he was certain Tsunade would not find her sleep for a long time, but he had to brief the information in a way that was going to answer her unspoken questions.

"You know we couldn't control them anymore. Their behavior has become erratic and they were endangering not only their lives, but ours as well. I was looking for a cure, just like you, until I realized there was no way to stop their abilities to manifest."

"To manifest? Orochimaru they acted like they were possessed! And their physical pain…all those tears and blood…" Tsunade pulled her hair backwards, facing the wall in front of her.

Damn that cold basement and the lack of windows. It made any sane person go nuts when staying there to long. She was picturing the events and those test subjects` suffering and struggling and it was paining her heart. "…and their extrasensory perception…"

"That's right. There was no way the normal human brain could have controlled something so powerful and vague. People need tangible things to hold on their sanity. And that was exactly what I tried to find out."

"A cure?"

"An explanation. It was child's play to make the cure, as soon as I understood the phenomenon." Tsunade`s eyes went wide upon hearing the information Orochimaru was sharing with her. A cure? That was what they tried to look for all those freaking 7 years, with no luck.

"You mean…you have found it?"

Orochimaru nodded once, smiling widely. After all those sleepless nights, he was able to figure out one of the secrets that made the brightest minds give up on, not being able to form a believable hypothesis.

"Yes."

"The why…why didn't you tell me? I could have used it to save all of them…I could have…"

"I realized it was too risky. You know what is worse than not having an idea of what is going on inside your mind, Tsunade?"

There he went again, talking in terms no one was able to understand. The old lady really hated when the Otokage spoke in a way that didn't make any sense.

His logic was questionable to being with and the way he was expressing himself was ambiguous, giving the impression that the things he said were having another interpretation. "What?"

"Realizing just how limited your human condition really is and how much hidden potential lies in you. Grandeur only comes to the people that have been born for it."

"…just…what in the world are you talking about Orochimaru? Because what you say makes no sense, as usual."

Tsunade covered her face with her palms. She was not able to make any connection at all, her brain going crazy upon thinking about the possible implications of her colleague's discovery.

"There are some really gifted people out there. But when they realize the true nature of their inner…that gift becomes a little…too much for them to handle. It takes more than just raw power to accept who you are.

And for some people…it is an impossible task." Orochimaru looked at the blonde woman like she has grown a tail, his face serene and his voice soft.

He knew all about her internal turmoil, but it was necessary for her to understand that even if you give your hundred percent, sometimes it just not enough.

"Their true nature? You do realize they died particularly because they awoken those abilities, right? You saw them with your own eyes Orochimaru, their freaking minds were crumbling and bleeding!"

If there was something the busty woman could not erase from her mind, was the amount of blood, associated with those test subject's screams in agony.

God only knows how many nights has she spent at their beds, whispering soothing words and promising she would do everything to ease their torment.

Every hour, moment, second, she watched them die inside, until there was nothing left from their sanity. She has never overcame her fear of blood since then.

Secretly, she was envying the Otokage for the way he was holding his ground, managing to carry on with the burden, unlike her, who has left her heart trapped in a past distant memory. Indeed, it took a dose of madness to not give it all up.

"It was precisely for this reason. It was too much for them to accept who they were. And when they did…I had to step in and put an end to their suffering.

Of course…on their own accord."

Tsunade`s eyes went wide as plates, her jaw hitting the ground. Orochimaru was having a passive attitude. He was talking to her like they were reminiscing past events from the high school prom. Was he not troubled at all? Didn't he have feelings of guilt or remorse?

"Oh no…you…please tell me you didn't…it cannot be true…" Tsunade was on the verge of tears. All the time, she had no idea of what was she dealing with. And the man in front of her was confessing things she didn't want to start thinking about.

Of course CIA has covered for every sin they did, they were basically doing illegal stuff legally, not being accused of anything, but the damage was there and innocent people suffered the consequences.

"It is exactly what you think. I let them die, without administrating them the antidote." Orochimaru knew what crossed Tsunade`s mind at that moment. She was accusing him of murder, but that was exactly the opposite of what he did.

After seeing that people struggle in misery for 27 days straight, he thought he was going to be the one going nuts.

And that was when he understood there were people out there with so much unexploited hidden potential, that it was almost a shame some of them refused to accept their abilities, choosing an easier way instead.

"So you are basically admitting that you are the one that killed them!" The blonde Sound agent was letting angry tears fall from her brown shimmering eyes, her lips trembling and all body shaking violently.

She could not believe what the man in front of her was telling her. Orochimaru was many things in Tsunade`s opinion, but a murderer he was not. Apparently, things were a little different…

"On the contrary my dear, the antidote would have been the one to kill them."

"WHAT?! Do you hear yourself talking? Nothing you told me so far makes it clearer; you are basically throwing me in the shadows more than before!"

"It is quite simple if you understand the nature of the things, like I told you. Once I realized that what they had, was not an illness or a side effect caused by a psychedelic substance, but a normal manifestation of their own hidden potential, it was plain obvious the cure was not going to make the symptoms disappear, on the contrary, it was going to let their full ability bloom, taking their inner abilities to the next level."

Tsunade`s head shot up upon realizing what Orochimaru tried to explain to her. Suddenly, everything started to make sense. She let her mind wander through the memories of those past events, making the necessary connection with the newfound information.

When realization has striking her, she pulled out a chair that was resting under the large table, letting her body fall on the same object, with her elbows resting on the hard surface, supporting her head.

"The cure…was not alleviating their symptoms…it was intensifying them…that was the actual cure: the revealing of their true skills..."

"To put it simply, yes."

"Oh my God Orochimaru, you didn't kill them…they were the ones asking you to let them die." Tsunade couldn't even face the stoic Otokage, the events taking a toll on her. How could she have been so blind to not realize what was truly going on?

"Unfortunately. It was their decision. They were not strong enough to deal with what was happening to them, so they chose death instead."

"My brother as well…"

Tsunade could not believe her brother was the one to pursue such a fate. He was the one always bragging about how he was going to lead the CIA when he grows up. How could have a person with so many dreams given up on life so easily, was beyond his sister`s understanding.

"I am sorry…"

A loud crack on the old desk, made the files and sheets of paper scatter in all directions. "Sorry isn't enough to bring him back!"

Orochimaru kept his calm demeanor upon seeing the sudden burst of his then angered colleague. That woman has always been violent, just like her uncle. And loud. But he could understand her pain.

Her younger brother has been one of the fourth people taking part in the experiment. Just like the others, he was a drug addict, and more than that, a psychic, with extrasensory abilities.

During the research, they have discovered that some certain drugs could be the trigger for such supernatural skills to awaken and that was how CIA made really good use of the Lysergic Acid Diethylamide`s effect on such gifted people, successfully using those test subjects that manifested telepathy to transmit secret information safely or clairvoyance to ensure the success of their mission.

No one beside the higher ups and the head researchers actually knew the fact that they were used as CIA agents as well, until their health condition made it impossible for them to take part in missions, so they were being taken care of…in silence.

"True. But it helped us understand what they have been gone through, better and prevent another event like this to happen in the future."

"And how do you think I feel knowing that my brother died because he was not strong enough to fight on his own with what the heck was happening to him?! If only I have known the truth, I would have spent more time with him, talking him into not to give up on life!"

In her mind, Tsunade always blamed herself for neglecting her younger brother and that was the reason why she couldn't move on, clinging to the memory of her little relative, feeling responsible for his death.

"Tsunade, there was no one that spent more time with him than you. Even I , cannot deny your love and devotion for your younger brother. You did more than enough."

"Screw that! How about you tell me just what in the world was wrong with my brother, beside the fact that he was moving things around him, with the power of his mind! Is this the inner potential you were talking about?"

"Yes and no. To make it short…how about I told you there was another person manifesting through each of them, like an alternate ego?"

"Wha…what?! You mean…like someone else living inside of them? How?"

"You see, everyone of us has this alternate id, confined in the most secret places of our conscience, manifesting at some points of time, for instance when you are angry or sad.

But this is not what I am talking about, because that would have been a normal occurrence. What our test subjects were feeling, was not a manifestation of that alter ego, it was something beyond that level of understanding."

Tsunade felt her head explode and Orochimaru was making it more difficult to understand, like usual. He was just like Uchiha Itachi from that point of view. No one was able to figure out just what the hell were they talking about, and their words only made sense into their heads.

"So…basically…they share their freaking minds with someone else's? Is this what you are trying to tell me?"

"No. They are not sharing just their minds with someone else's. They are living someone else's past lives, in their own time."

"…" Tsunade let her mouth unceremoniously hit the floor, her chestnut eyes going wide as saucers, pointing her finger at the not from that planet man that was relating the most unbelievable stories, with the most serene demeanor ever, like he was discussing the forecast and sports news. She was right, Orochimaru was insane.

Out of her own accord, she started to laugh, in pain, in madness, in disbelief. Her colleague was nuts and she was going nuts as well.

"HAHAHAHA…Orochimaru do you even realize what you are saying? My own brother…he was doing what?! Living another people's life? Like he was possessed or something?"

Orochimaru turned his back on the woman that was looking at him like she was watching "My Bloody Valentine" in 3D, and took an old dusty hard covered book, with golden covers, written entirely in Latin.

He gave it to Tsunade, who seemed to be in some sort of shock. Well, the pale man couldn't blame her, for he was just as stunned when he realized what was exactly going on.

"As much as I would like to enlighten you further Tsunade, I suggest you start refreshing your history and religious information. This is going to help."

The blonde woman took the book and opened it at the first page, reading the title in Latin, certainly not expecting what she found there. She took a second look to be sure her Latin skills weren't deceiving her.

"Entering the flesh again_?" _She raised her brown eyes, knotting her eyebrows, fixing Orochimaru with a questioning stare, nibbling her lower lip in a vain attempt to pull herself together.

Of course it wasn't working. One should have known that working for the CIA meant dealing with unconventional as well.

"Metempsychosis, or if you are not so fond of ancient Greek, I guess you could say…**transmigration of the soul**."

The calm and collected man smirked upon seeing the face Tsunade was having. Seriously, it was funnier than when Jirayia her fiancé dressed in a pair of pink furry lace thong and hid under the Christmas Tree to surprise her. She looked like a fish out of water.

"Oh my God Orochimaru…this is impossible, there is no such thing, it is a myth!"

"Tell that to all the ancient philosophers and religious movements. Read the underlined paragraph from page 306."

Tsunade quickly opened the said book to the mentioned page, reading the contents. "There are many individual believers and particular groups among the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that do believe in the transmigration of the souls, particularly reincarnation, including the mainstream historical and philosophical secret society that is supposed to have been founded in late medieval Germany, namely the Rosicrucianism. Is it correct?"

Orochimaru titled his head on his left side, brushing a tug of hair from his eyes, slightly content that the woman he was working with finally started to get the meaning of his words.

In all honesty, he had a lot of stuff to do and he has just found out that another rich heir of an important company has been killed that night. He didn't have time to provide long explanations to a troubled emotional woman.

"It is. And who do we know to be having members from the secret society of the Rosicrucianism among its followers?" The Otokage of the sound let a small smirk grace his features, upon watching realization hit the blonde woman.

Tsunade couldn't believe just how much sense everything made all of sudden. After all the years she has suffered, she was given the answer she has been looking for.

"The Freemasonry…Lorane!"

"You got that right, my dear Tsunade."

"Fuck, I cannot believe it! Orochimaru you are a genius in all honesty!" Indeed, the weird man in front of her was everything, but an imbecile he was not. It was then the busty woman realized just how freaking lucky the Sound was to have Orochimaru as its leader.

He managed to solve a mystery that would have probably taken the other minds from the CIA a whole life of research. And to think he figured out such a difficult case regarding her brother and the other skilled people, and even creating an antidote. And the connection with Lorane…

"There is something I don't understand Orochimaru. You said there is impossible for some people to deal with them being…reincarnated or whatever that is…which leads me to the following logical conclusion: there are people mentally strong enough to accept their destiny. Is that right?"

"Maybe…the world is full of wonders after all."

Tsunade raised a thin eyebrow, suddenly replaying the conversation she had with her student Sakura in her mind, putting two and two together. It was her turn to let out a small smirk at the man in front of her.

"How would you like to find out that I might know such people?"

The Otokage`s eyebrows went up, eyes widen in surprise. Of course he was not a fool to believe that very special people didn't exist on the Earth, beside the four people they have studied. But to think Tsunade has managed to encounter some of them was another story.

The old lady took some files and documents from the book, stood up and proceeded to the exit door. She had a lot of things to research, but first…she had to go and drown in sake for the rest of the night. Damn she needed alcohol and fast, or else she was certain she was going insane.

"I would be more than glad to hear all the details you know."

And Tsunade`s answer almost had the pale man faint, if not for the fact that he was Orochimaru and he didn't do fainting, in the first place. But his eyes went wide nonetheless upon hearing what the then leaving woman told him.

"Then you should give my beloved Cherry Blossom a call. She will be more than pleased to fill you in."

Japan, Tokyo, Sasuke`s villa

Sakura was having troubles breathing normally, her heart not being able to pump enough blood to keep her mind clear. How could she have been so stupid to leak out such information to an observant man like Sasuke? She was mentally punching herself for not choosing her words correctly."

"Answer me. And don't you dare say I told you when I was under the LSD influence or drunk, because I am not going to believe such a story." Sasuke was having her maid trapped into his onyx eyes, casting his spell on the said woman, successfully making her pinned to the ground.

The Uchiha was glad he was still keeping his guard up around Sakura, or else he would have missed that particular slip of her tongue.

He was really curious to what explanation was she going to provide him with, because the raven haired heir would be damned if he took anymore of her lies, especially when he was in such a difficult situation.

Sasuke was more than sure Naruto and Sakura didn't have time to meet one another in such short amount of time, and when the blonde idiot came to visit him, he had his maid on the supermarket, doing shopping.

If Sakura knew Naruto then it was indeed a really big secret how in the world were they aware of one another.

Sakura prayed to all the Heavens to take her right then and there and save her the trouble to find a good excuse to convince her boss she and the Akatsuki member didn't know each other.

It was pretty bad Sasuke didn't trust her to begin with and there she was in front of another tight situation. She should have known a lie was going to lead to another lie and so on. Indeed…all that connected them were pure lies…

The Sound agent closed her emerald eyes briefly, thinking about her options. Lying to him giving the context was pointless, for those impossibly dark penetrating eyes of his were going to look straight into her soul, reading her like an open book.

So her only option was to tell him something that held some sort of truth. She wetted her lips and opened her eyes, looking at Sasuke`s expecting jet ones.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but I didn't have the opportunity to do so. You got a phone call from Neji Hyuga, who said he couldn't reach you on your cell phone. He told me to deliver the following message to my boss: his best friend Uzumaki Naruto is in hospital."

Sasuke`s eyes went wide upon hearing what Sakura was telling him, not believing his ears. The dobe was sick and hospitalized? How come?

What could have happened in such short amount of time to injure him so bad? And how come he wasn't announced earlier by the events? Just how many other things were hidden from him?

"Why is he in there?" It was a stupid idea to not check his missed calls, because that arrogant conceited jerk Hyuga probably called him to let him know about Naruto`s situation.

Nonetheless, he could not stop his sharp mind to briefly wonder if the three most recent events weren't connected in some twisted way: Naruto`s sudden illness, his drugged state and the fake house painters spying on him and the death of another important heir, Amy Watanabe?

"I am not aware of the details myself, but it appears that he was poisoned with arsenic." Sasuke didn't even try to mask his bewilderment. What was Sakura saying? The blonde idiot has been ingesting a lethal poison?

Before he was given LSD? Just what the hell was happening in there? Because the raven heir Uchiha would be damned if he believed in coincidences.

That was for imbeciles who weren't even able to write their name without having more spelling errors than the word itself, but not for smart people like him.

"You should have told me earlier Sakura, Naruto is an important heir himself just like me. The two events might have some sort of connection." Sasuke turned his head from his maid, looking at the bookshelf from behind his new desk, his mind trying to solve the riddle.

Sakura was going to have cardiac arrest if she spent more time in that man`s presence. What? He was able to make the necessary connections between Naruto and him, managing to find the thing those two events had in common, and that being Lorane, without even being aware of?

"_God damn it, I don't know if it is the drug speaking, but he is a freaking genius!"_ Sakura felt stupid all of sudden. She had a brilliant mind herself, but there she was, the top elite CIA assassin, being painfully outsmarted by a mere businessman.

She couldn't help but rewind Orochimaru`s words in her mind, from their previous conversation, thinking that maybe those words held more truth that she was tempted to believe. _"Be aware of the Uchiha, he is a dark horse…"_

"I am sorry, Sir. By the way, putting aside the fact that they took your office desk and obviously everything that was resting inside, but apart of that, is anything else missing from your office, or their sole purpose was to get rid of the writings and take advantage of the fact that you destroyed your desk?"

Upon hearing what Sakura asked him, Sasuke snapped out of his deep thoughts, a wave of panic crossing through his veins, like an electrical discharge.

He went to his bookshelf almost wanting to let out a scream in frustration. How could he have been overlooking something so important?

With trembling hands, he opened some drawers and pulled out a few books, throwing them behind him, without a care. He had to make sure…He planted his palm on the walls behind the piece of furniture, imprinting his hand on the still fresh paint.

It was then the moment he realized what were those men really after and he wanted to bold out of the door and do some permanent damage on something…or some fake painters.

Sakura wanted to get closer to Sasuke when she saw him attacking the bookshelf, but she halted her movements when she saw the consternation enveloping his hard frame and his ebony eyes darting in all directions, like he was living a nightmare.

Just what could have happened to him all of sudden? She didn't like that look on her boss, it screamed danger and insanity.

"No…" Sasuke was mad, like seriously. Those bastards…the knew exactly what to look for and damn right they have found it.

That was obviously, because Sakura told him she only left his office for 5 minutes or so, so there was not way in hell enough time for them to roam aimlessly through his office and search for god only knows what.

Indeed, Sasuke had some really valuable paintings decorating the walls and some jewelry and money on a safe, but they weren't interested in that. Sasuke covered his tired face with both hands, almost wanting to slap his head on the office desk.

How could he have been so careless to let his guard down so easily to be played off in the most shameful way? Like stealing a candy from a child. And to think he was warned to be careful…

His iPad, laptop and all the documents regarding the Mangekyou…were gone! His strategy points, the complete profiles of his shareholders, the values of his stocks, has been stolen by God only knows who and to add to the fun, his _special _Pad and mini notebook as well. It was a disaster in all seriousness.

He bolted to the other side of the room, taking big hard steps, almost like he was defying gravity, approaching a high blue bookshelf, which was slightly different from the other in the office.

That one had a lot of hard covered books, bind in leather, cotton or Chinese xuan paper, of all colors, all written in different languages.

Sasuke grabbed one of the covered and pulled it roughly, revealing a fake book that was hiding a small safe behind.

He quickly introduced his password and unlocked it, looking inside. The content was safe all right. _"At least they didn't have this one as well…good thing I changed the place." _

The young Uchiha knew exactly the reason why they have managed to spy on him and how. He wanted to laugh at the irony of it. So he truly outsmarted them after all, but they have still found a way to fool him, into avoid his security system.

Sasuke was aware of the fact that the only people that crossed that office recently were him, his maid, Naruto and his oto-san. _"Now…someone out of this people…is lying."_

Of course, one would have been tempted to blame it on the maid, because the others were basically his most trusted people but…neither he nor Sakura were ordinary people. And he was not going to let himself being fooled again. One had to look underneath the underneath.

Maybe the ones that pulled such a stunt on him actually expected the Uchiha to state the obvious, successfully distracting him to see the actual truth.

No problem, his phone was still there. It absolutely killed his mind to do it, but he was going to solve that shit and take his stuff back…with a single phone call. _"Damn it all to hell…"_

Sakura was eying her boss suspiciously. What the hell was he doing? His broad back was covering the narrow wooden piece of furniture, so she couldn't be sure of what was confident there, but she had an idea of it containing some sort of value that Sasuke was afraid to have lost as well.

Nonetheless, it was really bad. If someone was keeping an eye on Sasuke all the times, the possibility of her being discovered was really high. What if those mysterious people were Lorane henchmen, targeting her raven haired boss? They were not safe anymore in that house.

Not only did they manage to fool her and the Uchiha heir, but they passed her devices and cameras as well. Moreover, she was certain Sasuke had some sort of security systems and they still managed to track him.

Following that trail of thoughts, the emerald eyed woman couldn't help but think at another possibility.

If the people that were spying on Sasuke installed some sort of hidden microphones or cameras, then how in the world was that working in his office and her own CIA devices were jammed? What about the electromagnetism?

Out of curiosity, the Sound agent slipped her hand on her pocket and as discreetly as she could, she pulled out her phone and pressed the menu bar, entering a special application she had from the Sound, that measured the electromagnetic field.

She made sure her boss was not looking at her, otherwise it was going to be quite the show.

He was not. For some unknown reason, he was scratching the wooden surface of the questionable looking piece of furniture with his nails, looking like an angered cat. Good.

But when the special program has loaded the results of the measurements, Sakura almost dropped the phone, if not for the fact that most of it was resting safely into her large T-Shirt pockets. _"WHAT?!" _

The pink haired agent couldn't believe her eyes and her jaw hit the floor. The abnormally high electromagnetic frequency she has measured in that office and sent the results to Aburame, for investigation…was gone! _"I cannot believe it, the __Lorentz force is 0!"_

That changed the things dramatically for the Sound lady, because she was sure of one fact: that powerful unknown electromagnetic field was the perfect security system Sasuke could have had in his office, because no one would have been able to install a working device there, according to what Shino has told her.

Even if those people were indeed Lorane, not even they had the necessary technology to beat such a powerful frequency. But for some unknown reason, it was completely gone on that particular moment!

That made no sense. Shino told her that the electromagnetism was not a natural one, but a human made one. So if it wasn't working at that moment, it only meant someone or something has deactivated it.

But who? It was either Sasuke or those people, and the former ones were the most reasonable explanation.

She quickly shoved the phone into her pocket when she saw her boss turn around and walk to the large slightly opened window, crossing his arms in front of his muscled chest, looking outside. Was he there to enjoy the view or was he doing the exact measurements she did minutes ago?

That was his house after all, so maybe he knew some more things than her. But something vibrated in her pockets and it was obviously her phone doing so, which was strange. She took a quick look at the screen, realized she didn't shut the application off, because she was scared Sasuke would have caught her.

And she felt her mind going numb while looking a the LCD screen. It was a miracle the fact that she didn't start to scream in shock. _"Are you fucking kidding me?"_ Not even a minute ago, the electromagnetism was zero.

But when Sakura looked at the phone again, she couldn't read anything. Everything displayed there was a complete mess, including the Lorentz forces or the frequencies. The value of the force was even higher than the previous electromagnetic field she measured!

Sakura took a hold of her messy hair, fisting her hand in her pink locks, biting her lips in consternation._ "Just what in the name of God happens here?!"_

She also felt a wave of nausea and headache hitting her suddenly, as well as her pulse accelerating, but she put it aside, thinking it was just the lack of sleep, but when she thought about it_…_

"_It is because of the abnormally high electromagnetism…it is harming me…"_ In a moment of inspiration, Sakura understood the most ridiculous thing possible, maybe even more terrifying than the fact that someone was keeping an eye of them, possibly even in that particular moment as well.

The values and results of the frequency went crazy in the moment Sasuke walked from the shelf to the window. _"When he got close to me, to cross the other side of the room…OH NO!"_

It was a good thing that Sasuke was not facing her, because Sakura looked like she was seeing aliens invading the Earth, dressed like Dracula, in high heels.

She double checked if there was some sort of possibility for her boss to see her in the glass of the window, then she took out her phone, hiding it in the much too long sleeve and raised her hand, in the direction of the ebony haired Uchiha.

The values shown by the EMF meter were so high that the application went dead, as soon as the message "error" appeared on the screen. She then moved her arm behind her, turning her head to look at the values.

She wanted to laugh, because what was she assisting to, was so insane and impossible that one could have believed they were filming a SF movie. It was unbelievable; she couldn't even start to formulate her sentences to tell her Papa about it. He would think she went nuts.

"_I knew this imbecile was a freaking alien, coming from far away Galaxies, because not only he is tremendously good looking, but his intellect is out of charts and now he has extrasensory perception…"_

The electromagnetism around her and in all freaking office was equal zero! All the way around, except her boss. It was not the four suspects who deactivated the electromagnetism. It was not even her boss doing it. Sasuke did not stop the magnetic field to manifest.

He was **controlling** it!

Sakura put her phone back into her pocket, closing her eyes, smiling like a demented woman, her hands going limp and her knees turning into jelly. She didn't even try to stand on her feet anymore, that was why she dropped her tired body on the ground, lying on her butt like a druggie on a rock concert.

She hid her face in between her crossed arms, not believing what she was seeing. That man…the drug…the powerful unknown electromagnetic force…the effects on him…his past…his skills…that man was a psychic, just like Tsunade has told her!

"_Are you afraid of me? You should."_ Those words he told her…Sakura was trying to put two and two together, realizing that Sasuke has tried to warn her somehow about the fact that he was a more dangerous man than she has thought.

But she still wasn't afraid of him, even if she was forcing her to react accordingly. Why? For a very simple reason: she realized her boss was somehow controlling the electromagnetism, so that whenever there was someone in the office, as long as he was around, they will not be affected by it.

That was why he kept his distance from her as much as he could. _"This is why he pulled away from my embrace that time…"_ For some unknown reason, Sakura felt hot tears burning in her emerald eyes, not able to contain them any longer.

She let out an involuntary sob, not caring if the man in front of her was hearing it, because she knew he was keeping his distance on purpose, but in that moment…

she wanted nothing more than to stand up and throw herself at him, getting lost in that hard rock warm body that provided her so much relief.

She also realized those people were able to track on him just because someone has been there before and installed a device that only worked when he was around, getting advantage of the fact that he was controlling that electromagnetism every time someone was present in his office as well.

They probably had a device with a switch off whenever he was alone in there or it was being empty. Sasuke didn't need to worry about the effects, because it was not affecting him at all.

Sasuke was beat tired and he was angry. If someone has been spying on him, it only meant they knew his secret, otherwise, they wouldn't have been to take advantage of the fact that he was dropping the level of the abnormal electromagnetic field around his office.

And if someone knew his abilities, it only meant they had a large insight over his past which was two times more catastrophic. _"No more playing around…"_

He was not a stupid man; the Uchiha realized the connection between the death of the Walmarkt CEO and the Watanabe heir. _"Don't forget Naruto…" _And damn right did he know they were targeting him as well.

Also, he realized that if the unknown suspects knew his secrets, then what they attempted to do was to wash away the proofs and make sure they were the only ones to have a copy of the writings.

Five minutes were more than enough to photograph the drafts, but they were imbeciles if they thought he didn't have a copy as well.

"_So they wanted that piece of information, huh? The question is: for what reason?"_ More importantly was who leaked that secret to them and why? _"There is a spy among us…"_

But what was really ripping his soul apart, was the soft muffled sounds his maid was doing. The fact that she was crying because of him again, was making his heart constrict painfully into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

He closed his eyes in anger, gripping the edge of the window tightly, letting the strong wind blow into his face, playing with his spiky raven locks.

The dark clouds were pouring big drops of rain, almost like attempting to wash away all the pain. The sky was crying and so was she.

But he couldn't go there and pull into his arms like he wished. He promised himself not to harm her any more. But apparently…even his distance was causing her agony.

"_Damn it…"_

"Sakura…" The said woman raised her head, surprised to hear her boss` soft call. She has never realized just how much ease his velvety low baritone voice was giving her.

She was the one that had to protect him and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if there was any problem in her searching for some sort of protection from him as well.

"Y…yes, Mr. Uchiha?" Sasuke turned his head over his shoulder, some locks of his dark hair being damp from the rain, sticking to his face, his expression calm and collected.

But his impossibly black garnet eyes held an unidentified emotion that was hitting her heart, almost like he wanted to burn her tears away and breathe life on her.

"Go to you room and sleep. I am going to take care of everything here…_and there as well_…"

The Uchiha heir couldn't even stand to look at the miserable woman in front of him. Her then dried curly hair was sticking in all the directions, looking like a bird has made a nest on her head.

Her pale face looked tired as hell, her small frame was drowned into that cheap large piece of clothing and her green wide eyes were looking straight into his heart, almost calling him to come and drown her into him.

He was absolutely entranced by those twinkling pure green diamond eyes, that were glistening with thin rivers of tears, like she was putting bits of her innocent self into each drop of salty liquid.

Never in his life was Sasuke more troubled to see a woman suffering that much like in that particular moment. He would be damned if his maid was going to wear those hideous big glasses that confined her emerald gemstones from him from then on.

She was not going to hide the window of her soul anymore, because Sasuke was certain he could not take in any sort of lie any longer.

All his life was based on lies and atrocious secrets, and the world he lived in was a blatant lie, made by money and expensive beverages. There was no type of loneliness that pained him more than to feel alone in a world full of people.

Sakura managed to somehow gain her energy and stand up, wiping some of the still falling tears from her cheeks. She was a mess and she looked like hell, she was aware.

And the fact that Sasuke was telling her to leave was a secret message that he was sending her away from his problems…"_from his life_…_from his heart_."

"I understand Sir. I am sorry…_for everything…for not being able to protect you_." She didn't even waited for her boss to tell something else, for she turned her back on him and bolted out of the room.

The tension was becoming too much for her to handle. She didn't have the amount of energy to deal with all the catastrophic events and her own feelings for the beautiful dark man.

It was impossible for her to act like an agent and his maid. She could have acted like someone she was not for a period of time, as part of her CIA job. _"But I cannot rip my heart in two as well…"_

Sakura was not aware of the sound of the footsteps that followed her. She was not even aware of the stormy weather or the loud thunders that were piercing the silence of the night.

It was when the electricity went down, throwing the entire neighborhood into a blackout, the young agent felt her inner walls break apart.

She absolutely loathed storms like that, because they only intensified the loneliness in her heart and the stillness of the house. She never had a real home. A house can only become a home, with warmth and love.

Sakura was almost certain she was not going to make it to her room alone, because she felt the foot melting under her steps, making it harder for her to attempt to climb the stairs.

It was in that moment her heart screamed for someone to come and help her get away from the sea of loneliness and pain, until she drowned completely.

And it was in that particular moment she felt a warm hand gripping her arm in a firm, but gentle hold, making her body stir and forcing her to turn around, realizing she was pulled in a tight embrace, in the arms of the one and only Sasuke Uchiha.

When Sakura exited his office, Sasuke`s body moved out of his own accord and before his mind had time to process what he was doing, he was already following his maid suit. He was going to be damned if he let her go like that…_like she was leaving my side_.

_/Don't pull her out of your life/_

Of course, his conscience knew what was better for him, but for some particular reason, the Uchiha actually listened to what the other voices in his head were telling him and as soon as he caught the sight of the little pink hair crying maid, that looked absolutely terrified by the sudden blackout, he knew exactly what to do.

If someone was to see the woman that has put her trembling arms around his slim waist, holding him for dear life, they were probably going to laugh at the sight of her messed up looks.

But in Sasuke`s eyes, no other model or actress every looked more beautiful than she was in that particular moment.

The warmth her body was providing, and the way her feminine curves were blending into his own frame, fitting every angle perfectly, like they were meant to be together from the beginning of the Universe, was doing funny things inside his heart.

It was small and almost unnoticeable, but he was able to feel it. That burning passion Sasuke was certain he erased from his system years ago, was being lit by the sobbing woman from his arms and it was immersing him in a whole new world of emotions and neglected feelings.

The young heir let his chin rest on his maid's head, closing his eyes for a brief, letting his senses take over and feel her on a whole new level.

_/Let her teach you/_

her unmistakable smell of dark chocolate and oranges and the softness and tenderness of her hold made his hormones go crazy with want.

There was nothing he wanted more than to put his hand on her soft cheek, wipe away those tears and kiss her. But he couldn't, because that woman was not a one night stand or a plaything. Sasuke was perfectly aware of the implications of a kiss, when it was about Sakura.

And she wanted something else from him, not only physical. If it was only sex she would have wished for, the raven haired man would have given it to her without any second thoughts.

He has asked her what did she crave for, when he was under the LSD influence, but instead of screaming at him to take her, like any whore would have done in her place, she asked him to stop.

It was not because she didn't want him just as much, because the Uchiha heir has seen the amount of pleasure he was giving her when he had her trapped under his body, she was melting under his touch, silently crying for more.

It was because she only wanted to give herself to him both physically and emotionally, and of course she wished for the same thing in return.

"_Feelings…can I really?"_ But he couldn't…he couldn't let her inside like she wanted him to; it was risky for both of them. Sasuke was certain that no matter what secret did she have, it was not going to even compare with his own.

She was already putting her life into a lot of danger by staying next to him; everyone was able to see it. And the fact that she was alone in the house, when people that probably wanted him gone were standing so close to her, was already nagging at his conscience.

It has been a long time since Sakura ever felt that happy on the inside and it was then when she realized just how alone her life truly was.

Sure, she had her Papa Orochimaru, Tsunade, Anko or Karin to take care of her, but she desired for something else they couldn't give her. Another sort of emotion in her life, except friendship and parental love, something deeper.

She didn't have a name for what she was looking for, because she has never felt that way, but there was a strange emptiness in her heart that screamed for completion.

And Sakura knew that the high pulse and the butterfly in her stomach that were making her queasy and shaky were all because of her boss.

The feel of his lean muscles so close to her was driving her insane. She wanted nothing more than to freeze the time and get lost in the sensation forever. She knew she had to refrain from getting close to that man, but Karin and Anko were right.

There was nothing wrong when both parties wanted it just as much.

And the fact that Sasuke came running to her and locked their bodies in the warmest embrace Sakura ever felt, made her realize she was having some sort of effect on him as well, no matter now much he tried to deny it.

The Sound agent was able to read what kind of man Sasuke really was, because he was just like Orochimaru from that point of view.

They were people of few words, letting their actions speak for themselves and everything they did was meaningful and not random. She closed her eyes, enjoying the hotness of his body and his amazing smell, his heart lulling her into sleep.

"_If two equally lonely people hold each other tight, are they able to complete each other and become one?"_

Two days later

Sakura was vacuum cleaning Sasuke`s room, iPod in her ears, listening to some metal song Karin has sent her. She didn't even bother to check on the band, the rhythm was absolutely addictive.

The Sound agent was banging her head from time to time, holding the vacuum cleaner's hose like a microphone, imagining she was in the middle of the concert, singing the lyrics she has already learned by heart. She was aware of the fact that her behavior was childish but she didn't give a damn about that.

She was alone in the big villa, her boss Sasuke trapped into his office at his company, doing God only knew what paperwork was bothering him, because he was brooding like hell whenever he went there, like someone was going to tie him up on a chair, and force him into pink fluffy Teddy Bears and colored blueberries and strawberry candies therapy.

"_PFhahaha…I can even imagine that bastard screaming in agony that the adorable fluffy Bear was burning his eyes and the candies were poisoning him."_

The pink haired lady was having the time of her life, picturing her stoic boss running from the maleficent big Teddy Bear and his evil hug.

After the incident from his office, Sakura sorted out her thoughts and so did Sasuke, no one bothered the other with further explanations. The raven haired Uchiha was working till late night and when he got home, he only spared her a glance, nodding once in acknowledgement and went straight to his room, sleeping.

She tried to contact Orochimaru with no luck, because her Papa was not answering her calls, and what was even weirder was the fact that Tsunade went MIA as well.

She knew that they were extremely busy people, that had to deal with many other agents and missions, but it was really weird.

There were many things Sakura needed to confirm with her boss and protector and she was slightly worried, although she knew sometimes her Papa was going to call her later when he got her message.

He probably knew about Sasuke from Tsunade and Amy Watanabe was already a hot topic among the media, so that was not a problem as well. He was probably thinking about the connections between the events as well.

Sakura got a call from Sasuke who asked her to go to the Mangekyou HQ and bring him some food. The pink haired agent knew that Sasuke was not wandering outside, drinking his ass off and whoring with God only knew what lascivious woman, instead, he was working at his company.

She was slightly worried for him, because she knew he was still recovering from the LSD trip and he was lacking sleep.

"_And when that workaholic self centered imbecile is going to get sick, guess who will have to take care of him…"_ She checked her clock, realizing she had to be there in two hours.

After she dusted the furniture and cleaned the windows as well, Sakura debated what to do next. Maybe watch some movies on the huge flat TV from the living room. The CIA agent snorted loudly at that.

While she was cleaning there as well, she has found some old Disney movies among the many DVDs her stoic boss had.

"_Wait until I am going to tell Karin about that, she will die of laughter...hehe he is worse than Sasori and that dude has Barbie Girl as his ring tone and a huge doll hanging above his bed…"_

RIIINGGG RIIIIINNNNNG

"Hmmm?" Sakura stopped the vacuum cleaner and checked her phone, slightly curious on who could have been calling her. She secretly wished it was Orochimaru, but no such luck there.

She let out a small frown upon seeing the message displayed on the screen. _"What the hell does she want?"_

"_Meet me at the small café near Sasuke`s Mangekyou in 20 minutes. I need to talk. Ten Ten"_

Now that threw Sakura off. Ten Ten of the Akatsuki wanted to rendezvous her? For what? Was it about her mission?

No, she was certain Itachi told his members not to interfere with her work. Did they have some sort of emergency? That was probably not the case either; otherwise she would have called her or sent an SOS signal.

But the message was clearly a civilian one, which meant what that woman wanted to talk about, was not related to their CIA jobs and that was weird. Ten Ten was one of the people that hated Sakura the most and the feelings were the same for the emerald eyed assassin.

She changed into another clothes, shoved her boss` lunch into her backpack, took her phones and left the house, thanking all the Gods that Ten Ten had the decency to meet her close to where Sasuke worked.

It kinda sucked to grab a cab, because she didn't speak Japanese and it was difficult to explain to them where she wanted to go.

The Japanese people were indeed very polite, but when they heard a young foreign lady dressed like she was a alcoholic, asking them to take her to the Mangekyou, they eyed her in disbelief. _"Let's all pray to the mighty God of Holly brooding Sasuke Uchiha…what a show off…"_

Ten Ten was sitting in the fancy looking café, choosing a table for two persons near the window, in a more secluded place, eying the menu. "They have 24 assortments of hot chocolate and coffee, my God!" The beautiful brown eyed Akatsuki member was mentally preparing herself for meeting Sakura, for God only knew she absolutely loathed the idea.

She was doing it for her friends and out of conscience…and because Neji has threatened her into moving to a hotel if she didn't show her gratitude over the Sound agent. _"Jerk…"_ So there she was, trying her best to rehearse her speech and still trying to sound convincing.

In all honesty, Ten Ten really hated Sakura, with burning passion. Everyone from the CIA was praising her like she was some sort of Goddess and the chestnut eyed woman was kind of sick of hearing phrases such as:

"Fuck, what a hot babe..." or "Athena of the Sound has managed to catch that head of the criminal organization we have been following for ten years, alone!" or "OMG she looks fantastic in that silky pink dress and her hair is also amazing!".

She couldn't understand just what in the world was making that girl so special in all the people's eyes. She was just an attention whore in all the other CIA women's eyes and the Akatsuki agent was agreeing with them.

Not only the way she acted was like she was superior to all of them in each aspect, but her way of talking and her manners were also annoying Ten Ten to no end.

She was just so full of herself that one could have thought she guarding Uchiha Sasuke was a match in Heaven, for the two of them had more things in common than they thought.

There was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that told the chocolate eyed lady that maybe she should see Sakura Haruno in another light and put herself into her place.

She was one of the Sound's elite, but they were the ones handling the bloodiest and dirtiest work, so maybe she was under a lot of pressure, not having time to deal with all the minor things.

Also, she couldn't deny Neji`s words that told her the Haruno girl was working twice as much as everyone else, being the last to leave the training ground and the first to be there and help whenever it was necessary.

Ten Ten felt really lucky to be a part of the Akatsuki, because they were all good friends, acting like a big family, but the Sound was more stoic and kept themselves in the shadows, so most of the time Sakura was probably alone, dealing with her own matters.

The Akatuski female member was an orphan and she knew the pink haired agent was one as well, so she could have understood her from that point of view.

When the chestnut haired woman met the Hyuga heir, he pulled her out of her loneliness, basically giving her a new chance to live and love, but the Haruno was alone, that was something everyone knew.

Sure, there were Tsunade and that freakish Otokage to shield her and Ten Ten wouldn't want to start thinking about her whore friend Karin, who was the worst thing CIA ever dealt with, but that was beside the point.

She was a female just like Athena of the Sound and also she was aware of the fact that a man was really important into any woman`s life, from every point of view.

Ten Ten was ready to bet her CIA career that her porcelain doll looking impassive face of the Sound assassin was just a cold façade, hiding her loneliness and insecurities.

No matter how stronger a woman wanted to appear, she needed a male in her life to complete her and support her, just like Neji did. The Akatsuki female let out a small smirk at that. If she was to be honest, the Sound assassin staying glued to the Uchiha was not an entirely bad thing_. _

"_It would not surprise me to live the day when I am going to take a bit of their wedding cake…" _

"Ahm…" The chocolate eyed woman raised her stare from the appealing menu and followed the direction of the sound, letting her gaze fall on the owner of the voice. Oh God forbids…she was never going to accept an undercover mission, money and duty be damned.

"Ah…hey." Out of courtesy, the Akatsuki agent stood up, waiting for Sakura to join her at the table, not once taking her eyes of her frame. The creature in front of her was clad completely in dark blue clothes…

"_couple outfits, that ass Uchiha wears dark blue on daily basis hahaha…" _, a two sized bigger top, a trashy looking long skirt and the most old fashioned cardigan, were creating the most hideous outfit possible.

And she was silently envisioning bloody scenes from difficult missions, in order to contain her laughter upon seeing her hairstyle and the oversized glasses, that were resting on her small nose.

She has concealed half of her face with that hairstyle, that looked like she was one of the burglars from the movie Home Alone…when they were being electrocuted.

She was tempted to take a photo and share it to all her CIA friends for blackmail like seriously. The mighty Goddess of wisdom and beauty Athena of the Sound, looking like a scarecrow.

Even the people around were looking at her, trying to be as discreet as possible, but failing miserably. "_No more Givenchy or Gucci for ya…"_

Ten Ten couldn't contain the image of the famous Uchiha Sasuke being seen with such a woman beside him, it was the funniest shit ever.

And the way she was walking like she was trying her best to blend with the fake appearance she was sporting, gained her a ticket straight to Jack Sparrow's crew.

The fact that she was wearing her combat boots didn't go unnoticed by the brown haired agent. _"Always on guard, huh.."_

"Let` sit." Sakura took the chair in front of the Akatsuki female agent, still not believing her eyes she came there on her own accord, meeting with that detestable woman, who was looking at her like she wanted to join the chorus of staring imbeciles and bash her to no end.

Of course, she looked completely different from her usual luxury clothed self, but that was part of the mission for Heaven`s sake, so if the brown eyed woman in front of her could not even understand such a simple notion, she was even stupider than she looked. _"And here I thought Sasuke has the attitude of a dying pig…"_

But the Sound agent couldn't give a fuck on what she was thinking about her. She was aware of her value and all that chestnut eyed tramp wanted to say, but she looked like she was having difficulties in restraining herself from doing so, was just pure jalousie. _"You will always be inferior to me, no matter how hard you try to hide it…"_

"Of course." As soon as the both women sat, each of them looked at the menus, almost like wanting to prolong the dreaded conversation that was about to come. Sakura ordered a latte macchiato and Ten Ten a peppermint hot chocolate.

The waiter attempted to flirt with the Akatsuki member, and when he got Sakura`s order, he was looking at her with a superior attitude.

The pink haired woman gave him the finger, not even bothering to look in his general direction, her emerald orbs never leaving the chestnut ones that were fixing her just as intense.

An awkward silence followed, both Sakura and Ten Ten looking at everything else around, not wanting to face the person in front of them_. "Okayyyy…this is even more disturbing than crossing the Mangekyou`s main hall, with all the whores eying me..."_

It was the Akatsuki female member that broke the silence, as soon as their order came. She took the hot cup in her hands, taking a sip of the delicious beverage, enjoying the aroma. Chocolate was indeed a woman's best friend.

"Look Athe…Sakura. I will be honest with you. I really don't like you…at all."

Sakura, who was busy mentally cursing that damn waiter for boiling her coffee like she has ordered tar instead of latte, imagining the most efficient way to shove a senbon down his ass, as soon as he was going to give them the check, shot her head up, not believing her ears.

"Have you called me here just to insult me? Because you know, giving me a call would have been an easier way to deal with the problem."

If that woman really thought she was going to be patient just because they are some sort of colleagues, she had another thing coming.

The Sound agent was not a patient woman and she didn't tolerate rude and sarcastic remarks. She was not going to take shit from anyone, especially those she considered to be brainwashed common dwarf mongooses in search for their much needed brain.

Ten Ten was tempted to let an affirmative answer, not even bothering to hide her hate for the stupid looking woman,who was eying her like she was some sort of pest, not even caring that she basically looked like she was there to mop the floors, not to meet some fancy looking lady. She was hiding her identity, but she hasn't given up her rude attitude.

"Let me finish. What I want to say is that, no matter what my opinion on you is…I want to thank you."

God, Ten Ten felt like somebody has shoved a rod down her neck, because she was almost chocking the words in disgust. Never in her life did she think she was going to have to express gratitude to the woman that was eying her like she spit white doves.

Sakura`s jaded orbs went wide as plates upon hearing what Ten Ten was telling her. She called her just to thank her? What the hell was wrong with the Akatsuki member, didn't their Hokage give them their daily pills for insanity? "Thanking me…what for?"

"For saving Naruto and coming to our rescue when we were in trouble. No one asked you to do so, but you have come nonetheless. And for that, I am thankful." Sakura was eying the Akatsuki female agent in disbelief.

Just what kind of twisted game was she pulling? There was no way in hell any of them would ever show gratitude towards the Sound members, they were mortal enemies after all. Has Ten Ten called just to laugh at her?

She took a sip of her latte macchiato, trying to find a possible explanation of the chestnut eyed woman's questionable behavior, after all, the first thing she told her was not thank you, but I don't like you and that spoke volumes because the first reaction was always the honest one.

"You do not need to thank me for that, I was just doing my job…_because you fuckin imbeciles of a so called agents need to be taught how to walk properly and you suck worse than Sasuke_…"

The pink haired agent closed her emerald eyes, elegantly drinking her coffee, not even standing the idea of having Ten Ten in front of her more than necessary.

She didn't need to wonder what was crossing that woman`s mind, for she was aware of all the rumors circulating among the CIA female population, regarding how much of a bitch she was and how high she thought of herself and that annoyed Sakura to no end.

They were basically criticizing her, without doing any effort in understanding her. Sakura couldn't help but realize just how much of a tactful man Sasuke really was, compared to the other people from the high society.

The woman in front of her was her colleague and she was listening to unfounded rumors, judging her because it was mainstream.

Unlike her boss, who was trying to figure out just what kind of person was he dealing with, as soon as he first laid his onyx orbs on her, searching for her inner self, not giving a damn about what the others thought.

It was really no wonder he was such a successful businessmen among all the others, and she felt really lucky to have been appointed to work for such an intelligent and observant person.

"I know. But if you weren't there, now we would have had an Akatsuki member less."

"Is that all you have to say?" Sakura threw a glance at the clock on the wall ("wtf it is in the shape of a cupcake?"), her mind drifting to one expecting sexy boss that craved her food, wanting nothing more than to escape that place already, because the thick atmosphere was giving her headaches.

Again that tone. Ten Ten was gripping her porcelain cup tightly, almost like she wanted to break it in half, not believing her ears.

There she was making the effort of the century for expressing her recognition towards the pink haired agent`s backup, and the hideous looking whore was talking like she was entitled to be hearing ovations each time she moved her finger.

She was so tempted to pour the hot chocolate right on that ridiculous looking messy hair and go. But that would be too low, even for her. And when she was angry, Ten Ten knew no boundaries.

"All I have to say?! What else do you expect me to say?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the woman that apparently decided to stop the charade and reveal her true thoughts. Not that she was in the mood to listen to whatever that disturbing agent had to say, she was called a slut for so many times, that she was almost taking it as a compliment (her friend Karin told her she was glad they were calling her a whore, because in her mind, to be a perfect whore for every different man out there, requested a lot of talent and feminine charm, that those so called women totally lacked).

"I don't know, I asked you first remember?"

"Don't be a smart ass Sakura." Ten Ten was getting irritated by the woman that was not even making the effort to watch her while she was talking, focusing intently on the cup of latte in front of her.

Sakura let out a small smirk. Leave it to an Akatsuki member to take it all too personal and corner the Sound agents whenever they got the chance.

At Balls and parties, whenever those two CIA offices met, one would say that those gathering were not boring in the slightest, because there was always someone to start the argument and not surprisingly it was an Akatsuki member.

The Sound had more class than that…with the exception of Karin and Anko…and Hidan, but he was a creep and no one listened to what he said. "Can't help it, I am smart after all."

Ten Ten stood up abruptly, planting her hands on the small table, almost spilling her own cup of chocolate in the process, her eyes pinning Sakura`s emerald ones, with the most intense glare one could have mustered.

Well….she was not even coming close to Sasuke, especially a drugged one, but she was trying. Sakura raised a thin eyebrow, not impressed by that rude woman's manners. _"What can you expect from someone like her…"_

"God only knows I tried, but one cannot have a normal conversation with you, without feeling inferior and this is exactly why I cannot stand you at all!"

Yes, the chocolate eyed agent was screaming and she was aware by all the attention she got from the people around, but she didn't give a damn about them. Instead, she focused her hate on the stupid looking maid in disguise, who had the audacity to smirk at her nonetheless.

"If you feel secondary in any way, do not blame it on the others, but on your lack of skills and ability to improve yourself. Besides…jealousy is such a horrible feeling, don't you agree, Ten Ten?"

Sakura could feel the murderous intent in her CIA colleague's infuriated eyes and that brought her so much joy.

Leave it to the Akatsuki sluts to embarrass themselves in front of the others. _"And they ask themselves why do we hate them…"_

Ten Ten was ready to take out her gun and shoot the pink haired bitch right there and then, the consequences be damned. She couldn't believe her ears what that woman was telling her!

Not only she considered herself better than the rest, but she was bragging about it, even when the Akatsuki female member called her to express her gratitude. Unbelievable.

"Ha! Me? Jealous? On a whore like you? That was a good one? You wish! At least I am where I am because everything I accomplished, was thanks to my own abilities, not whoring myself in front of the higher ups, like you did!"

At that Sakura`s smirk vanished from her face, her features betraying no more amusement whatsoever. She could have taken anything someone thrown at her, but to call her a whore that haven't worked for anything she had, was another story.

She stood up as well, throwing Ten Ten the darkest glare she could have mustered, dropping her voice with two octaves, spitting the words in front of her.

The effect was immediate, because she sensed the Akatsuki member stirring her shoulders, like prepared to defend herself. _"I have a good teacher at home…"_

"If you think I do not deserve to be called an elite, then how come I am the one guarding one of the most influential person alive and not you?"

"Because we all know just what kind of man he is, for all I know, you are just trying to get under his skin and seduce him into marrying you and pull you out of your misery!"

"Heh, yeah, and this is precisely why I conceal my real appearance from him and dress like a beggar. Nice logic Ten Ten, but do not ask yourself why you are always the one that has to look at my back….just like now."

And the Sound agent didn't spend anymore minute in that crowded place with the most hypocrite woman on the planet.

She has thrown the money for the coffee on the table, leaving much more than she had to pay and didn't even spare the Akatsuki member another glace, when she turned her back and left, already in a pissed off mood. _"I am going to vent my nerves on Sasuke!" _She was already fifteen minutes late.

"ARGHHHHHH!" Ten Ten wanted to run and punch the living daylights out of that intolerable agent. She was just as bad as everyone else said and the chestnut eyed lady was not going to ever change her mind about her, no matter what anyone would say.

She took a seat and put her head on her hands, looking at the stoic brown haired man that was approaching her, taking a sit on the opposite chair Sakura has occupied seconds ago.

"You do not have to say it, I know." She didn't even look into his eyes, because she has already seen the disappointment in them.

"Then I am not going to say it. But deep down you know…she is right, Ten Ten." Neji, who has followed the two women from another confined table, approached his fiancé, as soon as he has seen the Haruno girl leave the place.

In all honesty, the Hyuga heir expected them to start fighting each other and screw it up, like most of the times Akatsuki and the Sound encountered each other, but fortunately Sakura sensed the tension and smartly left.

Ten Ten was not holding her ground really well and her lavender eyed fiancé knew it best.

"I don't care what you think, and nor am I interesting to understand her. I promised I would call her and thank her for saving our asses, but I am not going to befriend her or change my mind. You saw it with your own eyes Neji, she is a bitch."

"I told you my opinion honey, but you were the one to corner her like that. You were already accusing her the very first time she approached you, because your first words were already a negative remark."

Neji took his fiancé's hand into his own, intertwining their fingers. He was not going to ever understand women.

"I wonder what her relationship with Uchiha looks like…"

RIIIIINGGGGGGGGGG RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGG

"_Yes?" _

"You know why I called."

"_I have a little idea of what this could be about…if it is you the one that contacted me."_

"I truly wished I didn't have to do it."

"_Now don't be so cold Sasuke, after all…we have known each other for many years."_

"Stop making it sound like we were in some kind of relationship."

"_If you want to put it like that…"_

"Stop beating around the bush and listen. They found us out."

"…_what do you mean by that?"_

"They entered my house and stole some relevant things from my office. I think they made the connection between you and I."

"_This is impossible."_

"I am afraid this is not the only thing. The other bad news is that they know about my past."

"_There is no way they could have done that. Everything is safely kept under my permanent surveillance." _

"Apparently, you were careless."

"_You as well, if they found a way to spy on you."_

"They spied on both of us. And you know what that means."

"_There are traitors among us."_

"Hn…"

"_What do you mean they are aware of your past? What exactly do they know about you?"_

"My past experiences."

"_This is no good. How do you know about that?"_

"I have been drugged and I had the same symptoms as then."

"_You mean the flashbacks?"_

"Let's say I turned my office walls into a giant papyrus."

"_Interesting. I want to see them."_

"Impossible. They have erased everything."

"_So they wanted to steal the information and make sure no one else is going to have it."_

"Something like this."

"_Have you taken photographs?" _

"Yes. I am going to send them to you."

"_Good. Were you been able to decipher them?"_

"I am working on that one. There are math formulas and theorems, as well as writings in ancient Greek and I think there was a wall covered in Egyptian hieroglyphs."

"_And I am going to help you out. One would have thought this is spontaneous, but we are talking about you, which means it must be connected to the previous experience." _

"Maybe…"

"_Sasuke, did you use those pills?"_

"Not this time."

"_Good."_

"_Any other unpleasant events?"_

"…I almost killed someone."

"_Someone…close to you?"_

"Does it matter?"

"_Yes."_

"My maid."

"…_what made you stop?"_

"The sound of my name coming from her lips."

"_Heh…who would have thought you have a romantic side."_

"Stop saying such nonsense. You from all the people should know better."

"_Precisely. I am glad to know there is someone else who has some sort of control over you."_

"She is not controlling me in any way."

"…_if you say so. On a more serious note, you said they stole from you. I have the feeling their rats haven't left Japan…yet. You have to stop them."_

"I know."

"_I have managed to track some suspects. They are four and they are hiding in an abandoned store from the harbor. I am going to send you the coordinates." _

"Good."

"_Sasuke, be careful. We cannot take any risk."_

"Leave them to me."

"_You know what you have to do…like always."_

Smirk. "Hn…it is going to be my pleasure."

And the line went dead. There wasn't need for the two people to talk more. They already knew each other all to well to waste time with unimportant stuff. And to the raven haired man's horror…they trusted each other as well.

Same time, another private phone conversation. Two hard and stoic people calling each other, each of them being on the other side of the world.

But distance wasn't relevant when they shared the same goals. Or so they hoped…for the sake of everyone.

RIIIIIIIIIIINNNG

"You're late!"

"_You're the one to talk? I didn't forget your last failure and it was up to me to deal with the consequences!"_

"I don't give a fuck about that. I did my part and so did you. Besides…it is not like they could have stopped us in the first place."

"_This is something that bothers me when it comes to you: you are too arrogant and overconfident. If you fail this, both of us are going down."_

"Relax. I have everything under control. They are going to ship me the goods by the end of this week."

"_Why the delay?"_

"I cannot risk to be tracked by the CIA and those pathetic excuses of children that call themselves agents."

"_Are you sure they don't suspect anything?"_

"Even if they do it, they will never figure us out. And if they manage to realize what is happening, it will be too late for them to do something. When the world is going to be ours, they will have to bow their heads to their leaders, like all the others."

"_I hope you know what you do, because I am already risking everything to help whatever twisted plan you have. Don't forget the risk I take in keeping my eyes on him and catch him out of guard."_

"Why? Are you having second thoughts now? Don't tell me you grew soft all of sudden."

"_Are you insane? I will do everything to be on the top and no one is going to stop this from happening."_

"And this my friend…is the attitude I like."

"_Don't talk to me like you are superior in any way. Keep in mind that I am the one that provides you the money for your stupid plans among…the other things."_

"Oh don't worry. When we are ready, you will be more than filthy rich to care about such things."

"_I hold you onto that. I want to know the results of your research as well, if you would be so…kind to enlighten me." _

"That will take some time to sort out, because there are many things that are missing, but I am going to put my hands on those files I need as well and give them to Pain. He will know what to do."

"_Can we trust that man? He seems crazy as hell to me."_

"He cannot harm us in any way. As long as I am going to fool him into thinking true peace will be accomplished, he is just a mere pawn in our hands. In the end, it is going to be history."

"_What was the stunt with that Watanabe slut? I thought you are not going to rush things up."_

"It was necessary, I assure you, besides the others will follow her suit. This world is more than ready for a change and I am going to be there to make sure things move in the right direction."

"_I don't care what you do to the others, but remember…I am going to deal with the Mangekyou and its…heir."_

"Hmpf…do as you wish. But I must confess…I already sent someone to deal with the problem as well."

"_Screw that!. I just don't want anything to stay in my way. If that person you are talking about is messing with my work in any way, I am going to kill him or her."_

"Heh…and you say I am the one rushing up."

"…_go die."_

"no my dear friend…we are doing everything together."

Beeep Beeeep Beeep

Time skip. One week later

Sakura was pissed off. For some odd reason, all the internet connections between the CIA went down. She has talked to Anko on the phone and the pregnant loud woman told her the Directorate of Science and Technology was dealing with the problem. Apparently, there was a virus in the system, but they were going to handle it in no time.

That was the reason she couldn't contact her Papa to talk about the Sasuke problem and Lorane, but she has found out he and Tsunade were stuck in their research labs, doing God only knew what, because her shishou`s fiancé, Jirayia was complaining of sex depriving, considering himself a victim of the modern independent women.

The pink haired woman has been working intently on finding logic between the most recent events, but found herself unable to connect everything and reach a conclusion.

Of course all that happened had a thing in common, namely Lorane, but that was it. Sakura couldn't put the pieces of the puzzles together, because she lacked many details from the stories, of course the biggest mystery of all being her boss, Sasuke.

In the last week, she hasn't interacted with him as much, because he was always either at the Mangekyou HQ, or at home, stuck in his office, doing paperwork. Yes, he was that workaholic; the jaded eyed Sound agent has heard him talking in his sleep about imbecile investors and their lack of economy knowledge.

She was currently at home, attempting to pull out her journal and bash some stupid creep boss of hers and annoying Akatsuki female members, when she heard the bell of the front door ringing.

Since the event with the four fake house painters, Sakura was really cautious with who she has allowed to enter the house. Sasuke even told her he was going to change the locks and the combination from the intercom, but she had to pay attention as well.

The sound agent took a firearm and hid it in her tight short pants, not taking any risks, despite the fact that she hated guns. She learned that Sasuke rarely had visitors and when he did, they didn't come to visit without calling beforehand to make sure he was at home.

Sakura went down the stairs, slightly irritated by the fact that whoever was at the door, was basically killing that small button, the annoying sound of the bell echoing through her ears.

"_I am going freaking deaf…"_ She was slightly surprised of the fact that the mystery person knew the intercom combination from the front gate, because he was already at the door. _"Just like the four suspects…weird…"_ She was already in guard, a hand on the knob, the other on her arm, instinctively.

"EEEEEppppp…."

And when she opened the door, she didn't even have time to react and back away, because she was engulfed by a frizz golden haired Akatsuki member, who literary threw himself at her and pulled her into a bear hug, successfully lifting her much smaller frame from the ground, jumping like a kid on a sugar rush.

"Sakura-chan!"

**Author's note: **Hmmm…is Orochimaru a good guy? Maybe…maybe not. I don't know hehe after all…when it comes to him, no one knows for sure.

Anyways, thanks guys for the support, hope you found this chapter interesting as well;)


	17. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

_And when she opened the door, she didn't even have time to react and back away, because she was engulfed by a frizz golden haired Akatsuki member, who literary threw himself at her and pulled her into a bear hug, successfully lifting her much smaller frame from the ground, jumping like a kid on a sugar rush._

"_Sakura-chan!"_

"What the…" Sakura tried to back away from the tight unexpected hug, to no avail. God was that man strong! It was exactly what she needed in that moment: another Akatsuki idiot to bother her further. After her not so fortunate encounter with Ten Ten, she has sworn the only time she was going to get closer to them than 10 km, was going to be at their funerals.

"…Uzumaki, as much as I would appreciate a free Carousel ride, I am afraid I would need to ask you to kindly put me the hell down and not deprive me of the much needed oxygen…NOW!" The Sound agent was not going to ever admit it out loud, but since her new discovered attraction and feelings for her boss, she has became quite uncomfortable with other males touching her or getting too familiar.

Her friend Karin was right; she had to sort out her feelings and get to know her own person better, because the pink haired assassin was not sure she was able to make the difference between friendship and romance, when it came to the opposite sex. Well…it was not her fault Sasuke was always confusing her with his mood swings.

She managed to pray her hands out of his grip (the blonde idiot was still repeating her name like he was a broken disk) and put them on his chest, pushing the sun kissed Akatsuki member away from her body. She was still dizzy and the fact that he took her by surprise wasn't helping her case either.

Naruto looked like he got the idea that he was invading her personal space and let her go, letting out a shy smile and rubbing his messy golden spiky hair with his free hand, apologetically. _"God this is one weird young dude…"_

"Hehe…sorry, I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but you know I couldn't help myself when you opened the door."

He then pointed his finger in the direction of a stunned Sakura, who looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time, not saying anymore words. "but you are too cute dressed like that. I bet Teme likes it as well hehe."

Sakura closed her eyes, mouth slightly opened, trying to get two things: one was what the hell was the Uzumaki blonde doing there? And second: how in the world was he able to tell that his friend wasn't bothered by the way she looked like? _"My God, is this man a telepath or something?_

The Sound agent fixed her slightly messed baggy clothes, combed her disheveled hair with her fingers, brushing away some longer pink strands that fell on her emerald eyes, blocking her view of the ridiculous character in front of her. She took in his appearance: baggy orange T-Shirt, a pair of tight black Jeans and a brown leather jacket.

"_So much for a rich heir, friends with Uchiha Sasuke…"_ And he called her cute…what the hell, was he blind or something? Because last time she checked, she looked like she has just climbed the tall fence of the mental hospital.

"I am going to ask you once: what the hell are you doing here? Sasuke is not home." Sakura put a hand on her slim waist, leaning her weight on one foot, raising a perfect shaped eyebrow, looking at the man in front of her expectantly.

He was blushing…why the hell was he blushing for? The Sound agent knew the Uzumaki was quite the character, but she never imagined he was this bad. _"I bet Itachi got his hands full with this one…"_

"I know, but I am not here to see the bastard. I am here to see you." Sakura almost wanted to open the door and throw his ass outside, manners be damned! What was he talking about? Why in the world would he want to see her, was a mystery to the jaded eyed woman.

Again, if there was a CIA relating problem, he wouldn't have came to Sasuke`s home, throwing himself at her the first time she opened the door. She secretly wondered if this was his way of greeting the others. _"If this is the way he acts in front of his best friend, I got to spy on this two when they get together…"_

"Really now? Mind telling me what for? And I must warn you: if you are here to play another Ten Ten episode, the door is out there." She was aware of the fact that she was rude and her tone a little bit too harsh, but Sakura didn't care. The truth was, she was really angry at the Akatsuki Tokyo gang for the way the chestnut eyed member treated her and she didn't want another similar experience.

They would never know, but all the rude remarks and unfounded accusations were cutting deep into her heart. No, Sakura was not a strong woman, she was aware and that was why all those bashings and badmouths were making her even more distant from the others.

She didn't have enough self trust like Karin and Anko, but she was trying her hardest to improve. And if the goofy man in front of her was there to mock her as well, she was going to mop the floors with his messy hair right there and then.

Nonetheless, Sakura was surprised to see a sudden reaction change in Naruto`s cheerful approach, because his wide smile turned into a thin line and his impossibly blue cerulean eyes went down, head slightly bowed in shame. Now that was a reaction she wasn't expecting from an Akatsuki member. At least his start was not so hostile as his female`s colleague.

"About that…I am sorry for the way she treated you. I will not try to defend her, nor judge her for her opinion. I assure you I would never say anything bad about you, Sakura-chan."

Naruto raised his ocean colored eyes, and looked into Sakura`s bright green tourmaline ones, reading the insecurity in those sparkling gems of hers, like he was watching into his own soul.

Naruto knew exactly how was she feeling, because he was just like her. He gave her the warmest smile he could have mustered, watching her emerald eyes go wide in surprise.

Of course, she was keeping her guard up, expecting him to insult her or make her feel bad, like all the others. _"She has a thick wall around her heart…just like Teme."_ "I find you to be the coolest woman."

Sakura didn't even try to hide her puzzlement upon hearing what Naruto was telling her. Was he trying to fool her? Maybe. But…deep down the pink haired agent knew that the tanned man in front of her was slightly different from his colleagues.

Never in her life has the Sound agent heard the Uzumaki badmouth the Sound or throw rude remarks at them, like all the others.

On the contrary, he was the one bragging about becoming Hokage one day and put an end to all the unnecessary hostility between the two offices. She secretly hoped he was going to accomplish his dreams.

Also, she knew just how much Naruto worked to be one of the best and she appreciated him for his effort. And what she also knew was his crush on her, because he wasn't even discreet when it came to expressing his feelings.

Naruto was the kind of person that could not hide his heart from the others, because everything he thought about was written in those crystal clear azure orbs, for anyone to see.

She let out a small smirk at the idea of him being Sasuke`s best friend, because the two of them were completely opposite from every point of view. One was the lightning and one was the darkness. Two completely antagonistic pieces of the same whole. _"Like Yin and Yang..."_

"Ah…I am not sure how to…respond to this…thank you…I guess."

There were so many things Naruto wanted to tell to the much smaller woman in front of him, but he knew that was not the best moment. Besides, he was there for another reason.

They were going to become really good friends in the future, the sun kissed man was sure of it, but he knew he had to gain the Sound agent`s trust first and if she was anything like his bastard of a best friend, he knew it was not going to be an easy task. But Naruto trusted his ability to befriend anyone around him with his sunny attitude.

He raised his **right **hand that was holding a plastic bag in Sakura`s direction, silently urging her to take her. She looked surprised, but she took it with a small "thank you", never once taking her eyes off his cerulean ones, almost like she wanted to make sure there wasn't a bomb hidden in there.

"What is it?" The emerald eyed lady opened the bag and looked inside. There was medium sized box, wrapped in Japanese paper, painted red and pink, with beautiful cranes and sakura trees patterns on it. Ok, the man had taste, she would give him that much.

"Open it up." Naruto looked at the woman in front of him, thinking about just how lucky one would be to have this woman around him all the times.

He wouldn't going to lie and tell he didn't like her, because he did. He fell for her when he first laid his eyes on her, always watching her efforts and struggling to overcome her fears and become and elite.

The Uzumaki heir knew she was an orphan when she was "adopted" into the Sound family and that pained his heart. Since his father died, her mother had difficult times to keep their small business intact and raise him, so Sakura never knowing the love and warmth of a parent must have felt awful.

He felt the need to go and embrace her whenever he saw her, because Naruto was able to see right through her cold attitude and feel the loneliness and suffering in her heart.

"Ok. I hope nothing will come out and bite me." And when her skilled hands unwrapped the cover, her mouth went wide in surprise and her emerald eyes turned into sparkling shooting stars.

"Oh my God, I cannot believe it!" Sakura shot her head up, eying the smiling golden haired man in front of her in disbelief, not bothering to conceal her enjoyment. From all the things…he hit the nail in the head all right! Maybe she got an idea of why was Sasuke willing to keep the young heir around and befriend him nonetheless.

There, in that box, was a plastic food storage container keeping the tastiest looking Tiramisu cake she ever laid her emerald eyes on. She let her eyes roam over the mouthwatering piece of food in front of her, not believing it.

She could see the smooth texture of the mascarpone cheese, melting the two layers of ladyfingers and the coffee syrup leaking on the creamy cake. And to top it all, it had extra cocoa powder on the top and small bits of chocolate, arranged in such a way, she could read a big "thank you" written on it.

"But…where…"

"My mom did it. She is a really skilled cook and Italian cuisine is her specialty." Seeing Sakura letting out a big genuine smile like a small child getting his much wanted super hero figurine for Christmas, was making Naruto the happiest person alive.

He couldn't understand why were his Akatsuki colleagues and the other CIA agents for the matter, say such things about the woman in front of him, because she was amazing in his eyes. Sure, she was stoic and serious most of the times, but that was understandable, because one cannot be carefree and friendly with the strangers, acting like a clown and smile like an idiot at everything that moved. That was his job.

Sakura turned around and took small steps in the direction of the kitchen, silently inviting the silly smiling blonde agent to follow her. She needed to find a spoon pronto! "How did you know this is my favorite dessert?"

"I didn't. But my crazy cousin did." Sakura turned her head abruptly over her shoulder, placing the box on the table and attempted to look for a large spoon (screw the manners, she had to stuff her face with that irresistible Tiramisu or she was going to die!).

"Cousin? You cannot possible mean Karin, can you?"

"Yes. I called your best friend and asked about what should I give you and she told me about your little…addiction hehe."

Sakura was left speechless. Who would have thought an Akatsuki member would have gone as far as to ask one of the people that hated him so much, about her taste. The Sound agent was no fool, for she knew exactly what kind of relationship Karin had with the other Uzumaki family members.

They basically threw her in the streets, closing the door in her face, when she became an orphan. No one was there to help her and Karin has sworn she was never going to forgive them for giving her the cold shoulder. But this guy…why for?

She bowed her head slightly, letting the messy hair cover the emerald eyes she was concealing from the world. "Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you do it? Going as far as to call a person that basically…"

"Because she is your friend and she knows you. I couldn't possibly be giving you something you will hate and think I just want to laugh at you now, could I? Besides, my mom wants to thank you as well, so I guess that made it double." Naruto never once left Sakura`s eyes, all the times keeping his glowing smile in place, showing her an honest and a cheerful attitude. He was not going to screw it up big times like Ten Ten. Naruto was an idiot most of the times, but he was an observant idiot. And he knew how to approach people and offer them help.

Sakura was amazed by the man in front of her. Not only was he genuine in his actions, but he was so foolish and cheerful that it was almost impossibly for her not to let out a small smile in reply as well. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable…to think Karin actually told you what I like. How did you convince her to speak?" Sakura shoved the spoon in the cake, not wasting anymore time.

And when she took a bit and let the savor engulf her, she couldn't help but moan at the feel of the tasty Tiramisu melt into her mouth, the sweetness of the cream and mascarpone and the soft layers of ladyfinger blending with the coffee syrup were doing magic on her senses. Screw Einstein, the one who invented the dessert should have gotten the Nobel Prize instead.

"MMMMMMMM…this is the tastiest Tiramisu cake I have had in all my life, your mother is brilliant!" Sakura was not going to lie, if that woman was to ever open a restaurant and serve that dish, she was going to be the first customer to come and the last to leave…every day.

"HAHAHAHA…I know, mom is the best when it comes to cooking, even Teme likes her food!

Well…actually…I called my cousin Karin on the CIA phone and after she spent half an hour to curse our family to hell and back, starting with our ancestors and list all the methods of killings she has in mind for all of us, including some very suggestive ones from the Middle Ages, she told me that you would sell your soul to the Devil for a bit of Tiramisu.

I wanted to order one from Italy, but my mom wouldn't have it, so she backed that one for you in my place. She also said she wants to meet you personally and thank you properly."

Naruto was aware that he was blushing like Neji`s beautiful cousin Hinata, but he couldn't help it. That was probably the longest conversation he had with the Sound agent, and he was overwhelmed. In Naruto`s opinion, Sakura couldn't have been cooler than that. Even dressed like the poorest maid on Earth, her overall attitude betrayed the Goddess inside.

Sakura, who was busy shoving large pieces of the tasty cake, raised her head and looked at the man in front of her in disbelief. He looked like a scared rabbit, in front of the hunter.

Was he blushing? The pink haired girl silently asked herself if she forgot the heater on. Who cared anyways? That Tiramisu was not going to live another day to tell its story. _"Oh Heavens, that woman used cocoa powder imported from Côte d'Ivoire!"_

"Heh…that's Karin for you. I know she hates on you guys, but one cannot blame on her. You said you mom wants to meet me? Are you insane?"

Naruto didn't want to approach the subject of him and his red headed cousin Karin. He tried his best to befriend her and make her understand she is more than welcomed to get closer to him and Kushina at least.

Hell even his mother couldn't take the stupid situation and hate between the relatives and took the first flight to Ravenna to knock some sense in her head. No one ever knew what happened there, but apparently things didn't go as smooth as he thought.

But Kushina was persistent and she still called her niece to check on her, from times to times, even going as far as to send her presents on Christmas and birthdays.

Karin was forced to somehow make peace with the woman and even answered and returned some of the calls. But it didn't mean they were friends. Naruto swore he was going to convince Karin that hate was a dumb thing and join their little family.

"I know. But I will do my best to fix it, believe it!" He gave Sakura a thumb up, putting a wide smile on his face to assure the Sound agent he was dead serious and he was not there to deceive her. "Besides you don't have to worry, my mom knows everything about CIA and us."

Sakura almost chocked with a piece of cake. She hit her chest with her fist, grabbing the bottle of water and taking a large gulp. " What?! You mean you told her about what you do?"

"Oh it was even simpler than this. She has been an agent as well, working for the Akatsuki. She had to quit as soon as I have been born, because my father died and she couldn't keep up with her CIA work and raise me as well. And she absolutely refused to let anyone take care of me."

That took Sakura by surprise all right. So the Uzumaki wasn't concealing his identity from his family, which was a good thing for him, she was aware. Her Papa and Anko were working together and it was really easy for them to collaborate, being honest with each other.

She had the other CIA colleague Uchiha Itachi who was concealing his identity and Sakura got a general idea of why that affected his relationship with his younger brother. She got really curios in meeting the said woman and see where her red headed insane friend Karin got it from. _"I bet Naruto`s mom is also pretty and has red hair hehe."_

"Wow…I mean that is pretty good…not bothering with hiding who you are from your mother. Nice."

Naruto took the available chair in front of the pink haired Sound agent, eying her intently. He then leaned in the chair, letting his head fall on his back, closing his eyes briefly. He couldn't agree more with Sakura. He was blessed with a mother like Kushina and the idea of having to lie on her was making his heart clench.

He also told her about his crush on the elite assassin. But when she attempted to have a motherly conversation with him, about what she called an introduction to why men should respect women, he bolted out of the house.

"Yeah…although I feel really bad for lying other very important people to me…"

Sakura didn't question Naruto on that one. She knew exactly who was he talking about: Sasuke. And the jaded eyed woman understood him perfectly, for she felt the exact thing every time her boss was around. The fact that she was hiding from him was paining her, but she had no choice. She was there to guard him, not to seduce him.

"I know what you mean…by the way, you still haven't told me the reason why you are here."

Naruto raised his head and let his ocean deep eyes crush with the pair of green nephrite gems, belonging to the one and only Sakura of the Sound. No matter how much she tried to conceal her identity, she was still amazingly beautiful.

Naruto secretly asked himself if Sasuke was able to see her real self. He got slightly jealous upon thinking his bastard of a best friend actually had an idea of who the Sound agent might be. The Uzumaki knew his buddy was not an idiot and the topic women was not a foreign one for him, either.

"I am here to thank you. Neji told me everything what happened when I was in the hospital. Not only you have saved my life, but you saved Sasuke Teme`s one as well, not abandoning him, despite the unpleasant events. And for that one, I will be forever grateful to you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stirred in her movements, her eyes not able to leave the man in front of her. She tried her best to look for any proof of dishonesty into his cerulean eyes, but she found none. He was completely sincere with her, and she couldn't help but feel attracted to the warmth the Akatsuki member was radiating.

She was able to see exactly why was the young agent able to make social acquaintance with everyone he encountered. His effervescent attitude and the energy he was giving off, were really attracting everything to him, like a magnet.

And Sakura couldn't help but compare him to Sasuke. He was too attracting people around him, but in another way. And the Sound agent realized she didn't have the necessary experience to differentiate between the two sorts of appeals. _"Karin is right, if I don't get to know myself better, I wont be able to read the others as well…"_

"…I…I told this to your colleague as well. No need to thank me for doing my job. You would have done the same in my place."

"I know, but I am no talking about CIA here, Sakura-chan. I am talking about the way you didn't give up on us and that was not part of your CIA job. You stayed by my side and tended my wounds until my teammates brought me to the hospital, where I was told by the doctor that it was you who administrated me the antidote I cannot spell the name of."

"Well…I didn't give too much thought on that one…I guess…I let my instinct talk for myself…I don't know…" Sakura let the spoon down as soon as she finished the cake (yes, all of it), supporting her chin with her left hand, thinking about…she didn't know what was she thinking about.

Apparently Akatsuki`s number one knucklehead was not that dumb as he let the other think. Was he playing that part as well, like she was concealing her identity from the others? She doubted it. Naruto was the straightforward kind, always acting before thinking, so that was beside the point.

Nevertheless, he made her reconsider some things. Of course she did what she thought was part of her job, but Naruto was making it sound like she had some kind of emotional involvement in the story as well, which was impossible in her view. What exactly was he seeing in her to be able to shake her emotionally that much?

"Sakura-chan, think about it. I heard what happened with the Teme from Neji and in all honesty, if I didn't have a thousand km long needle shoved down my damn vein, I would have come to check on you guys, the moment I was informed about him taking drugs." Naruto`s attitude become serious, being no more in cheerful mode and Sakura took the opportunity to find out more about the mystery that Sasuke was.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto let his right hand roam through his messy blonde locks, his stare fixed in a point above her head, looking like he was reminiscing some sort of unfortunate past event. "I don't know if Teme told you this or not, but he has been a drug addict during high school."

"_So he knows…"_ Sakura knew the raven haired Uchiha told her to not let anyone find out about his addiction, but apparently the Uzumaki was well informed on the situation. Of course, they shared the same dorm back there in Virginia.

"I am aware of this." Naruto`s deep blue eyes went wide upon hearing what Sakura confessed. He knew just how difficult that period has been for his troubled friend, but hearing that he shared the secret with his maid made him curious. Just what kind of relationship did the two of them have? That was one of the reasons Naruto came there as well. Among…checking on her and thank her.

"Really? Wow…I mean this is big, if the bastard told you about this it means he really trusts you, Sakura-chan. He told no one about it and I am ready to bet my ramen bowls collection not even Itachi knows about this…or his parents for the matter."

"Really? You mean you and I are the only ones to know?"

"Us and Suigetsu. He was there, living with us in the USA as well."

The pink haired agent thought hard about it. Who the hell was Suigetsu? She checked on the people that were close to Sasuke, but they were so many she lost the count. Her boss was doing business with…all the freaking Earth`s population. _"Ah…the Hozuki heir…of course…the other member of the Happy Three Friends…"_

"Was it that bad?"

Naruto didn't answer her the first time. Should he let the Sound agent know about it? Well…she was there to guard him all right, so she had the right to know as much as possible of her boss, not only for the sake of the mission, but for her own safety as well.

"You have no idea…" Naruto closed his eyes briefly, exhaling deeply. Well screw that, secrets were for people like his friend and his maid, not for a honest man like him. All those shit were cramping his style like seriously. "Sasuke Teme is the very person to acknowledge me and the very first bond I managed to form with someone.

When I was a kid, it was pretty difficult for me to blend into this high society, because as you can see, I am not quite a classy and mannered person myself, and for this particular reason I was always bullied and alone, not being able to have a single friend."

Sakura wanted to tell him that she understood perfectly, because she was just the same back at the orphanage and in high school. She couldn't believe how many things did she and the Uzumaki have in common.

It was in that particular moment the Sound agent realized that despite the fact that her office considered themselves better than the Akatsuki, they were doing the exact thing as them, meaning judging without knowing.

There she thought that Naruto was a spoiled idiot agent, that was given everything he wanted in his life, and he admitted he had a harsh childhood, similar to hers.

"But…weren't you two family friends or something?"

"We were, but we rarely seen each other in the beginning, because Sasuke was always in the Advanced Classes, while I was struggling to pass my exams. But he was the only one to not judge me or throw superior glances at me like he was the very best, even though he indeed was in the top, whatever he did.

We weren't exactly what you could call friends, but more like rivals. Although, the bond we share is deep and strong, because we grew together and did almost everything together."

Naruto thought about how lucky was he to have found a man like Sasuke as his best friend. He watched the ugly dressed woman in front of him, knowing exactly what crossed her mind at the moment. He knew that she has been alone before joining CIA.

"You know what kind of person the Teme is so I don't need to brief you on that one, but I can assure you that nothing you hear about him from the media or the other gossip diggers is actually the truth."

Sakura was aware of that. She knew her boss was much more than he left the others to believe and he was a master in manipulating the people around into seeing him in whatever light he pleased, successfully playing their feelings and emotions like a puppeteer master.

"I know that…"

"…actually….he was not always like this, Sakura-chan. You see, he was quiet and stoic back then as well, but there were moments when you could have seen him loosen up or even smile or laugh.

He was…having fun in the real meaning of the word, as well as…I dare to say, enjoying his life."

Sakura was startled upon hearing what Naruto was telling her. She couldn't portray the onyx eyed Uchiha being more like his sun kissed tanned friend, it was a completely opposite image of his self.

"Are you trying to tell me that there has been an event that changed him into what he is…today?" Although the pink haired woman knew exactly what could have caused the change. But she was not going to take second guesses. If the Uzumaki was ready to tell her some things about his friend`s past, she was all ears.

"Yeah. You see everyone would think that Sasuke Teme and his father have a perfect relationship, where they praise and help each other, like any other families do. But in reality, things are antithetical. The Bastard hates his father because Fugaku never viewed him as his dear child, but more like a pest."

Sakura`s jaw hit the floor, not believing what Naruto was telling her. She somehow figured that her boss` relationship with his family was not an idyllic one, from the moment she studied the family photo back there in his office, but she would have never imagined it was that bad.

"Are you serious? But why are they fighting for? I mean, sure, Sasuke is an arrogant jerk, with an attitude that made people wanna punch him to the Moon and back, but even I am not going to be a hypocrite and tell he is not brilliant in what he does.

After all the guy is a freaking genius, anyone is able to see. And I see him work his ass for his company, even skipping his lunch and sacrificing his sleeping hours for this." Suddenly, Sakura felt pity for her jet haired boss. So his life was far from perfect after all.

"I know what you say, but such is Uchiha Fugaku. In his mind, there is only one rightful son and heir of his company, and that is Itachi, his older brother. Sasuke Teme never had his place on his father`s side, being more of his mother`s son."

Only Naruto knew how many hours of anger and frustration Sasuke spent during the high school days, when his father was not even calling him on holidays.

They were only talking to each other when Sasuke was asking for money and his father was blaming him for being a bad kind who was not able to even support himself and spend the family money.

Naruto would have never been able to understand how can a father hate his own child. Sure, Minato died when he was still young, but Naruto remembered his loving father and he couldn't imagine themselves having the same belligerent relationship as Sasuke and Fugaku.

"But…what about his mother? Doesn't she have something to say in this as well?" Sakura was stunned. Everyone knew about the huge scandal in the Uchiha family upon the inheritance of the Mangekyou and Itachi running to Italy, but she never imagined Sasuke had to suffer that much.

"Unfortunately, his mother Mikoto is too sweet and caring. She is the only one that tries to keep her family united and mend whatever was left from their relationship, to no avail. She was the only one to support the Teme when Itachi left.

You probably don't know but the Bastard and Leader were very close as brothers when they were children.

Little Sasuke was always shielded by his older brother, following into his steps. But when Itachi left his family and position as the first in line heir, Sasuke has been destroyed.

Not only that, but he had to suffer the blame that everyone has thrown at him for his brother`s unexpected departure.

They even called him a traitor, for stealing a spot that didn't belong to him in the very first place, and unfortunately his father was one of those people. Teme was only fifteen at that time." Naruto felt angry tears prick at the corner of his cerulean eyes, not wanting to remember those days.

Him and Kushina were constantly checking on Sasuke and even offered him a home when the arguments and the media were taking a toll on him.

The Uzumaki heir was certain there were times when his best friend spent more time at his home than at the Uchiha mansion….or should he say castle (those people were extravagant and they liked to brag about it as well).

Sakura had a constricting feeling in her chest and a knot on her throat, trying to take in all the horrible events her CIA colleague was telling her.

She couldn't even feel the rich taste of the amazing cake she had, her mind drifting to her boss. She wanted to cry…for him, for all his pain. Yeah…she cried a lot apparently, whenever the topic Sasuke was brought up.

She was always being harsh with him, accusing him of all sorts of immoral things, but she never moved a finger to understand him better. The emerald eyed lady wanted to laugh at the irony of it.

There she was feeling proud of herself for figuring some parts of the puzzle her boss was, but in reality, she didn't understand a thing about him…about his hate on the others…about his cold behavior. Karin was right. Anko as well. She was a fool.

"I…don't know anything about him…I feel like an idiot…"

Naruto watched Sakura bit her lower lip, like wanting to prevent tears from falling and fidgeting her hands from her lap, not facing him. God, what a scene, they were both sharing salty liquid for a man that would probably laugh his ass out at how pathetic they looked like.

"You are not an idiot Sakura-chan, you understand him more than anyone would do, in such short amount of time and the fact that Teme shared some of his secrets with you, letting you know something more about himself than the others, proves it I am right."

"What happened next? Although I am not sure I really want to know…"

Naruto fixed another imaginary spot on the soft pink painted wall, letting his mind drift back in time. He never realized how much has passed since then. They were no longer kids and that pained the Akatsuki member, because he knew that his bond with Sasuke was suffering because of the distance.

"When Sasuke couldn't take more of his father's bashings, he took his CV and sent it to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, getting a positive answer after not even 2 days.

They accepted him without even conducting an interview when they saw his academic results. You know, the arrogant bastard had straight A in all the subject and the funniest thing of all was he wasn't even studying."

Ok, so Sakura knew Sasuke was freaking smart, but hearing it from his best friend was another story. She was very intelligent as well, but not even she managed to be perfect at every subject.

And she was certain the Uchiha has been attending only the top schools in the country. _"So he has a damn brain after all, hidden behind that chicken ass hairstyle…the annoying imbecile…"_

"When Fugaku realized Itachi was not going to come back, he placed his bets on Sasuke, not actually having a choice in the matter.

So he wanted his son to study economy and anything related to business, and Sasuke as the loving and considerate son he was, enrolled in all the classes that had nothing to do with the subject…at all. You know, there is no one to hate being a businessman more than Sasuke. He absolutely loathes the very idea of even getting close to the Mangekyou."

"And what has Sasuke been studying in high school exactly?" After realizing her boss was not an ordinary man, she was really interested in his hobbies.

Was Sasuke even aware of the fact that he was not like the others and worked on polishing his abilities, or he just didn't give a damn about that? Of course, he was controlling the energy around him, but that might have been a guess.

Naruto let out a small humorless laugh, remembering his friend telling the secretary to enroll him in everything that had Advanced Classes for elites and was not related to business. Of course, the young woman was too busy ogling him and she didn't catch the beauty of the scene, but that was not something new.

"That freaking jerk took math and sciences, but please do not make me tell you what exactly because I was never able to spell them correctly or to remember them for the matter.

But I can assure you only those freaking genius weird looking emo kids, without a childhood that are bullied in the movies took those classes and Sasuke even managed to be the best of them as well. But that times, he was actually studying, much to his father`s dismay."

Sakura had an idea of what the Uzumaki was talking about. She had the same classes back in high school, although she was not really good at everything. So somehow…Sasuke studying chemistry, math or physics was not that coincidental. Or was it? _"ARRGHGHG I am going nuts…nothing makes sense!"_

"So…he started to change…when exactly?"

"The change was already there. But I was too blind too see it. Even the fact that Sasuke was actually doing his homework and studied intently was strange. Sometimes, he was so absorbed in what he did, that he wasn't even attending parties and that spoke volumes.

Later on, Suigetsu joined our gang as well. He is just like me, much to Sasuke`s horror, but we have become good friends and we really had a lot of fun in high school, I am not going to complain.

But Teme didn't change his attitude, on the contrary he closed his heart from everyone and he even attempted to push us aside as well. He started to treat people like trash, not giving a damn about the others, or what they thought about them and that was different from how Sasuke was.

He ignored everyone that tried to get close to him and he treated women like they were mere sluts. Well, I will not going to lie and say they were not, you can imagine a prestigious high school were almost everyone had money has also its fair share of rich dumb idiots, that were only there because their parents were contributing with money.

Sasuke has turned into an arrogant bad boy, his attitude worsened to the point where everything he did was drugs, sex and gang fights. Seriously Sakura-chan, you cannot even start to imagine the situations I saw the Teme in. I think the teachers overlooked it because his academic results and good background.

They were not going to expel the Uchiha heir, but seriously, almost killing an older dude from a rival school because he hit his car accidentally and called him a freak, or having a foursome with the captain of the cheerleading team and two substitute teachers, all of them being high of cocaine, in the freaking chemistry lab was something I don't want to start to imagine."

"Ok…I don't want to start to imagine it either." Sure, Sasuke was not what one would call the most cheerful person ever, but seriously, picturing her composed boss in that kind of situations was impossible.

He just didn't look like that, Naruto was saying that he changed in high school, but from what she was hearing, he was different from his high school days as well.

"When he started to take on drugs, I tried to talk him into giving up because that was definitely going to end bad, but he would not have it. Sakura-chan I honestly didn't know what was happening to him, it was like he was a completely other person, like…

I couldn't even recognize the friend I thought of like my own brother anymore. Suigetsu was partaking in those activities as well, but he knew his limits.

I couldn't even imagine the day when a smart independent man like Sasuke would exchange the last money he had for drugs and wild parties. Sure, we did crazy things as well, but he started to hang with different kind of students, older…wilder…more dangerous.

In the tenth grade I was called to join the CIA and they have accepted me, but in exchange, I had to leave the country and train in Spain. My mother had no problem, for she did the exact thing, so she supported me. But I cannot forgive myself for abandoning Sasuke Teme when he needed me the most.

Even if I try to delude myself, I acted just like Itachi and his father and Suigetsu couldn't do more for him as well. Sure, he was there all right, but when he entered the last year of high school, his parents took him one year abroad to train him into taking over their own company as soon as he was going to graduate, so basically the three of us lost contact ever since.

I don't know if you are aware of this, but Teme was proposed to join CIA as well, when he was in the tenth grade…I think it was in the same time as me."

At that Sakura thought she was going to fall from the chair. "WHAT?! He was what? OMG Uzumaki, are you serious? Sasuke was asked to join CIA?" Now that was the last drop. The Sound agent felt her head explode. What she was learning about her boss was worth a novel.

"Wait a second…what branch of the CIA was he supposed to join? Tell me more!"

"Well I am not sure, because that was supposed to be a secret, but someone leaked the information and we only know it as a hot gossip. I think it was Kakashi sensei the one who told us.

Sasuke was called by the Hokage, Tobirama Senju to join us, but the Teme refused them and left, just like that, not telling anyone about that matter. I guess it was all a joke for him. Well…not that he was in his right mind to begin with…so I guess he would have worked as an Akatsuki agent.

Even Itachi doesn't know about it, but he was really sad to find out his brother didn't agree to it. In all honesty, no one of us knows exactly the reason why he hasn't joined us in the first place."

Sakura tried to understand just what the hell the blonde agent was trying to tell her. Her boss has blatantly refused to work for CIA? Now that she thought about it, the raven haired Uchiha would have made a damn fine agent, he certainly had the skills. But what she was really interested in was how did he overcame his drug addiction and apparently, his best friend was avoiding the subject, either on purpose, either he didn't know himself.

"What happened after that? Because I am sure he doesn't take drugs anymore and I know just how hard it can be to escape that alone." If Naruto was not going to tell her about it, Sakura decided to play dumb. Sasuke told her not even his parents were aware of his trips, so she would not betray his trust, even if it was his best friend the one she was talking about.

"I honestly have no idea, because as soon as I left Virginia, we lost all the contact. Sasuke Teme changed his phone number all of sudden and he even moved from the dorms.

I talked to his mother, but she said there was nothing wrong with her son and that he was calling her weekly to let her know he was fine. What I know is that he wasn't talking to his father at all.

Suigetsu told me that in the last months they spent together, until our stupid sailor friend abandoned the "ship" Sasuke was not even sleeping in their room at all and they only met during lunchtime.

Apparently, our bad boy friend was only coming to the tests and exams, having a lot of absences, but the teachers didn't mind him, because he managed to still pass everything with flying colors."

"I don't understand Uzumaki, you were already working for the CIA and I am sure as hell Lorane was making itself known from that time, so my question is: has no one tried to track him and follow what the hell was wrong there? Not even his brother? I cannot believe you guys, you say you were best friends."

"Well, it was not that simple you know. We were all at the beginning and it didn't seem suspicious at that time. I already knew the bastard was into bad shit like drugs and alcohol and it even crossed my mind that he had a girlfriend and they moved together, which was also a possibility, giving the amount of women the Teme had."

Now Sakura stiffed at that one. She didn't like to hear just how many women did her boss have on his bed and just how much more experience did he have, compared to her. _"Why the hell am I even thinking about this?!"_

Although, she could understand Naruto`s point of view. When she joined the CIA, the first two years were pure hell. She was training 20 hours per day, and those 4 hours of sleep were not enough.

She was always tired, having nutrition problems, losing weight and feeling dizzy, so she knew her colleague didn't have much time left to wonder where Sasuke was.

"Uzuma…"

"Ah…c`mon Sakura-chan, stop calling me that, you sound like my math teacher and she has terrorized me during high school days! You know I still have nightmares with her calling my name and solve God only knows what stupid exercise I am not going to ever need further."

"Okkayyy…I don't want to be the trigger of your nightmares…how should I call you?"

"Just Naruto would suffice." The sun kissed Uzumaki smiled widely upon seeing Sakura`s jaded orbs go slightly wide in surprise. That woman was so cute, he felt like going there and pulling her into another tight embrace. The feel of her was doing funny things to his stomach and he felt like blushing all of sudden.

Sakura was not sure why, but she found herself enjoying talking to the Akatsuki member all of sudden. Sure, what he was telling her was nasty and heartbreaking, but she felt relaxed in his presence. Indeed, he was Sasuke`s opposite.

When her boss was around, the pink dyed Sound agent felt on guard and attracted to him, wanting nothing more than to…she didn't even know what she wanted to do, but it was definitely not the same sort of thing she felt when she was in Uzumaki`s presence. When Naruto started to talk, Sakura felt like being with her friend Karin.

"Ok…Naruto?" The said man thought his face couldn't become redder. His name on her lips was sounding like music to his system. He was secretly envious on Sasuke for being in her presence all the times.

"So where was I? Oh yea…so as I was telling you, basically no one of us had any idea just what the hell he did the last two years of high school. When me and Suigetsu left, he was destroying himself with illegal substances, and whoring himself to the point he had three even four women at night.

But…for some unknown reason, when he graduated high school, as I told you, with top marks, he was absolutely cured! Like there was nothing wrong about him in the very first place!" Naruto was too engulfed in his story, flailing his hands on the air and let his eyes dart in each direction, like he was invoking spirits, to notice Sakura`s puzzlement.

"You mean, just like that? So he basically went MIA for two years doing drugs and other shameful things I don't want to even spell, then graduating high school being cured? You do realize this makes no sense at all, Naruto?"

Ok, so Sakura tried to solve the riddle. What Naruto didn't know, because he was not avoiding the topic on purpose, was the fact that Sasuke got professional help. _"More like…unconventional." _Of course, she almost forgot about his…abilities. The big question was…who the fuck helped the young Uchiha heir in overcoming his drug addiction?

"Not only was he cured Sakura, but he was another person. When we first met after almost three years, I couldn't recognize himself anymore and I am not talking about the fact that he is emo-ing at everything that moves and brooding all the times, because he was doing the exact thing from the moment he was born. What I want to say is that his…external aura had changed dramatically."

Sakura did her best to absorb what was about to come. Apparently, Uzumaki sensed something into his friend's demeanor, but he didn't know what that represented. Sakura knew all too well.

Those were the symptoms and after effect of the LSD, on people like him. She seriously needed to contact Orochimaru and ask him about those effects. Tsunade`s explanation was not enough.

"Changed…into a darker one?"

"You saw that as well? Well yeah I mean…hell not even Tobirama is that bad, and when that guy is angry, you feel like hiding under rocks and never get out. I could feel his maleficent intent from miles away and I didn't like it in the slightest. And the way he was acting around his father…God…

When Sasuke Teme graduated from high school, he went to Tokyo University and studied business, then his father took him under his wing and trained him into business…although from what I heard he didn't even need to do so, because as soon as Teme laid his eyes on the company related problems, the role fitted him like a glove.

I don't know much about company matters because mom doesn't pressure me into taking over our small business, as long as we are one of the main shareholders of the Mangekyou since our parent`s companies merged together, but Sasuke Teme has the vote of all the shareholders so he basically doesn't need his father`s help in anything. Not that he was going to ask for it."

Naruto went silent after that, silently telling Sakura that he has already told her more than she needed to know. But damn she had a million of questions to ask after what she has learned about her boss.

"Naruto, you said Hyuga filled you in with everything that happened, so I assume you know about the club scene. Sasuke managed a perfect head shoot, while being drugged, drunk and dizzy, in the darkness. How the hell do you explain this?"

"Honestly that threw me off as well. I mean, Teme is a martial arts expert, like all his family members, but I didn't know he also has such skills. And to aim in that state…"

"Ah one more thing…what is with that weird moon symbol on his left wrist?" Sakura already knew about that, but she wanted to hear another opinion. If Uzumaki knew something else that meant someone was lying.

"Ah that? I asked him as well, because I don't remember seeing it on him and Teme told me is a tattoo he got in high school and he is covering it with the wristwatch out of shame."

"_Tattoo…so one of them is lying, because that idiot told me is a birth mark."_

"Hm…I wouldn't cover that, because it looks really cool." Sakura rose from the chair and took the empty food storage container to the trashcan. She took some green tea from a shelf and attempted to boil some water. "It suits him…in a way. Want some tea?"

"Yeah, sure! Well…I guess you are right. Sakura-chan I have to make sure…be honest"

The said woman took two cups and turned her head on her shoulder to face the serious looking Naruto Uzumaki. It was hard to picture that energetic loud blonde acting like Sasuke, but it was a welcomed change.

"Hmmm?"

"Tell me, did Teme hurt you in any way, while he was high?" And the way Sakura`s emerald eyes shot open, almost dropping the cups she was gripping, didn't go unnoticed by the Akatsuki member. So something happened, ok.

"N-No. He did nothing to me."

"Don't lie to me Sakura-chan. You cannot even look into my eyes and tell me he did not lay a finger on you. What did he do?"

"I already told you Naruto. Nothing…_everything, he turned my hormones into a mess_!" Unexpectedly, Sakura wanted to tell him about Sasuke and she didn't know why.

Maybe it was because his cheerful attitude that screamed trust or maybe it was because she was really alone and lacked a friend around her, but she felt like she could have told him everything, which was absurd because she was a Sound agent and he was an Akatsuki member. Although, everyone knew Naruto was against their little "war".

Naruto sensed Sakura`s internal turmoil, because he acted before thinking about the consequences when he raised from the chair and approached her, putting his arms on her shoulders in a friendly manner, attempting to help her take a decision. He was right, he could feel it.

The two of them could be really good friends. Sure, the Uzumaki secretly wanted for more, but the way his CIA colleague reacted to all the details regarding Sasuke`s life told him there was much more happening between the two of them, and in all honesty, his bastard of a friend needed someone like Sakura in his life.

Sakura raised her green nephrite sparkling eyes, looking into Naruto`s deep blue ones, letting herself calm and welcome the feeling of having someone to share some of her insecurities with. She had the feeling the Uzumaki was able to understand her. She was right. She has judged him too harsh, without knowing him at all.

And she didn't shove his hands away that time, because she wanted to be selfish and borrow some of his radiating energy as well. She has been dead worried for her boss that week, and she couldn't even take a proper rest. She engulfed so much coffee that she was certain she had caffeine instead of blood, rushing through her veins.

"Thank you, Naruto. I want to tell you that…"

"Hn…now that is quite the scene if you were to ask me."

Both of the said people turned their heads in shock, their eyes going wide as saucers, upon seeing the owner of the house staying in the doorway, hands shoved into his pockets, heat tilted on the side, looking at them like they were trespassing his property.

Before Sakura had the chance to make a fool of herself and say something that would have probably embarrassed the both of them, Naruto beat her to it, letting a small smile take over his features, facing his friend with the most calm demeanor ever, all the way not letting go of her hands.

"Jealous?" All that crossed Sakura`s mind at the moment was how to dig a hole in the floor with the spoon she didn't get the chance to properly wash and hide inside. The tension in between the three of them has escalated so quickly, it was tangible. And it sure as hell wasn't a pleasant one.

She was slightly panicking inside, because she and Naruto have been so engulfed in their conversation, they didn't even take notice of Sasuke and God only knew when he came home.

What if he heard them talking about him? That would have been a disaster, because they were not supposed to know each other, and talking to one`s maid about her boss` private life was not something you would do to a stranger.

Sasuke raised a perfect shaped dark eyebrow eying the pair in front of him. The blonde idiot was looking at him like he was provoking him to show his true feelings and his maid looked like she wanted to make a run for it, because her jaded eyes were following his onyx ones with confusion and fear.

The raven haired Uchiha took a crazy guess when he thought about the possibility of Naruto and Sakura meeting each other before, but seeing the dobe in his kitchen, almost embracing his maid was another story.

He didn't need another confirmation of the fact that they knew each other from before and that was making them even more suspicious. His stare became even harder, fixing the two secret lovers with an intense glare, as if daring them to lie in his face and say the have just met.

"_So…Sakura knows Itachi and Itachi knows Naruto.. If A=B and B=C it means A=C. Basic arithmetic. The three of them are connected in some sort of way."_

"Hardly, if it is about you, dobe." His dark low voice and the bitter sarcastic tone was sending chills down Sakura`s spine. A quick glance at the Akatsuki member told her Naruto was not even faltering in front of the powerful man. They both pinned each other with their staring contest, not backing away, almost like they were silently communicating. Weird.

What she didn't understand was what was her boss doing home so early. It was six pm. She saw some files and DVDs in his left hand and guess he either forgot something in his office or he took the rest of the work at home. He did that from time to time.

"Heh…you deny the facts Teme. And the fact that I am better than you still stands."

"Hn…" Sasuke was not in the mood to argue with his imbecile friend. Instead, he found another thing to entertain himself. He shifted his peek at the dumbfounded pink haired maid that looked unable to move her emerald eyes from his figure, thinking hard.

"So…you two having an affair or something?"

It was then when the Sound agent snapped out of her induced fascination over her boss and realized how nasty the scene looked like_. "Oh fuck…how am I always in this kind of situations?"_ But when she wanted to pry Naruto`s hands away (not that she minded them, it provided some sort of comfort, but she didn't want to give her boss another false impression), the said blonde man, snuck his hand on her much smaller shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace, both of them facing Sasuke who looked like he wanted to take a large meat cleaver and decapitate the two people in front of him.

"What if we do?"

Oh Heavens, Sakura bowed her head in shame, not able to do anything…something…everything to put an end to the ridiculous situation. And the feel of Sasuke emanating a vile vibe, like wanting to bury them into the darkest corners of his twisted evil mind was becoming unbearable.

But what was surprising was the fact that Naruto`s embrace become even tighter, almost like the Akatsuki member sensed her discomfort and attempted to let her know he was there to not let anything happen. And for some unknown reason, it worked.

At first, Sasuke tried to maintain a passive and bored attitude upon seeing the circus from his kitchen. On the inside, he was fuming. He could not explain the feeling, but seeing his best friend pulling his maid into such an embrace, like he was having some sort of right over her, made him want to strangle the both of them with his bare hands, bothered by their intimate contact.

He couldn't even pull himself together and analyze the situation in front of him. Maybe the dobe came to see him and found Sakura home. And the raven haired Uchiha knew exactly what kind of man his friend was.

Naruto would befriend anything with a mouth and legs, the rest not important. Even their mortal enemy. So it was no wonder he charmed a lonely orphaned girl like Sakura as well.

But no, he found out that logics and feelings were not to be put into the same sentence. His judgment was clouded and he was fisting his unoccupied hand unconsciously.

"I couldn't care less about what you do, but do not think of my kitchen as a brothel." He turned his broad muscled back on them, attempting to leave the place, before he did something he would regret, when the dobe`s cheerful voice made him stop in his tracks.

"I came here to talk to you Teme. Got time?"

Sasuke eyed his so called best friend suspiciously. Ok, so he has visited the said blonde dobe in the hospital, four days ago, as soon as he got time. He looked better and his face was not having a green hue anymore.

Of course he didn't believe his little story about the rat's baits, but yeah…who was him to judge. Maybe he would have believed such a story if Ten Ten hasn't been involved as well. Naruto is dumb enough to ingest poison, is not like he wasn't eating the wall painting when he was a kid, but Hyuga`s fiancé was not that dumb to not watch her steps. And honestly….who the hell tries to exterminate the rats alone?!

"Hn…even if I haven't, you would still have found a way to nag me more. Let's go." Sasuke would have invited Naruto in the yard to talk, but for a reason that was beyond his understanding, he didn't like his friend around Sakura.

They were a little bit…to familiar to each other for his liking. Why the heck did he care anyways? _"Because I don't want people to ridicule us that my best friend is hooking up my poor maid…"_

_/It is because you don't want her to be with someone else/_

"_Just shut up will you? Stupid mental voices…"_

Naruto let out a loud laugh, let go of Sakura and pointed his finger at the raven haired Uchiha, comically. He was quite a character.

"You bet it, Teme!" The said Uzumaki crossed his hands behind his head, walking like he was parading for men summer swimming trunks, his energy contagious.

"See you around, Sakura-chan!" He turned his head slightly over his shoulder, eying the unresponsive Sound agent intently, winking in her direction.

Really, she was absolutely adorable. And he knew he was pissing off Sasuke, whose eyes went wider than Hubble satellite`s telescopes, when NASA put him "glasses". _"This is getting interesting…"_

"Y-Yes…bye, Naruto." Sakura was unable to say any other thing, because she felt like she was not inhaling enough air. Seriously, what the hell was that?

She had confusing feelings that werr racking her conscience and for some unknown reason, she felt the need to explain Sasuke some things. But she couldn't, because what she did was not his business, but somehow…she felt like she has betrayed him in some sort of a way.

The pink haired agent watched the retracting back of her CIA colleague, slightly disappointed they didn't have much time to talk, but that was no problem because she would make sure they were going to meet more in the future.

She felt her body freeze when her vicious brooding boss was not giving any sign of backing off as well, on the contrary, his shoulder was still glued to the frame of the door, arms crossed over his chest, not moving an inch from the previous position.

And the look he was giving her…it was both sinful and delicious. Sakura felt her body tremble, hair raising on her arms and it was not entirely from anxiety. She had that unexplainable feeling of attraction towards him, whenever he was around.

"_Why is he looking at me like that, I feel like a kindergarten child, upon seeing the sea for the first time."_ The Sound agent blindly let her shaking hands search for the edge of the sink for support. She felt her knees turn into jelly.

"We are leaving." And the young Uchiha heir turned his back abruptly, like he was not trying to hypnotize her seconds ago, his voice devoid of emotions. But he made a small pause in his walk, when he told her the last sentence, before he opened the door to proceed after the dobe. "I am going to enjoy the show…later." And left.

Sakura`s hand slipped on the wet surface of the sink, making her lose balance and fall on her butt. "Auch…my back is being abused too much, just…what the hell?!" She threw the spoon in the sink and bolted out of the kitchen in the direction of her room. _"I need release."_

Same time, Japan, Fukuoka Airport

A pair of silver high heels were crossing the crowded airport, stepping gracefully on the polished floor, a pink bag following it suit, making the rushed people take a double look in the direction of its owner, stopping dead in their tracks, whispering.

At her 179 cm height and perfect curved body, that lady was a killer. Her soft skin, slightly tanned from her Bali holiday was complimenting her fit body perfectly. A pair of light baby blue eyes, long lashes and thin eyebrows were watching the world around her with a superior attitude, her moves elegant and her demeanor unfaltering.

And her purple short silky dress was only enhancing her natural beauty and her ideal measures. Men couldn't take their hungry eyes off her curvaceous frame and her full chest and rounded ass. And the 12 cm high heels were making her already long slim toned legs look three times longer.

The said lady, surrounded by three bodyguards, in dark suits and dark glasses, and her maid and manager, turned all the heads in her direction. Her long golden tresses were cascading over her shoulders, sparkling in the light.

The young woman was already used to the attention she got from all over the place. After, all, she lived in the blitz of the camera, breathing luxury and branded accessories. She took out her Channel glasses, covering her glimmering clear eyes, from the sun rays, as soon as she got outside the airport.

"Welcome to Japan, miss Yamanaka. The limo is waiting for you."

"Thank you, Michelle."

The blonde girl waited for the chauffeur to open the door of the white limo, waiting patiently for her to climb in, while people were gathering around to take a better look at the pleasant view and some paparazzi were shoving each other away, to catch the best angle for a new hot picture of the beautiful woman.

At the age of 23, Ino Yamanaka was one of the world`s top model, posing for the most important designers, having multi million dollars contracts with all the famous agencies. Any famous magazine would have paid her any amount of money for a photo shooting.

Not only Ino was there in the top, but she was also the sole daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka, one of the richest man alive and the owner of the Yamanaka inc., a company that organized or supported all the high class events from the high society…including the upcoming famous annual Ball.

As soon as her little group entered the limo, she asked her maid to check on her schedule and turn on the conditioning. She didn't want to risk her makeup to be destroyed by the uncomfortable heat.

One would say she took a little break from the tumultuous life as a photo model. But Ino was there with a clear purpose. She opened up her Saint Laurent clutch, pulling out the newest number of Forbes Magazine, letting her blue eyes scan the cover, taking much pleasure in what she was seeing.

"_Looks like someone has just taken the telecom heir's place as the second richest man alive. Not bad…"_ She knew what she was talking about, after all, she has dated their eldest son for five months, until she got bored and dumped him. It was not her style to get attached to someone anyways, for she often played the men around until she found a better catch.

The model let a manicured finger meander over the front cover of the business magazine, tracing the tip of her tongue over her red lips, letting herself drown in the obsidian orbs that were facing the camera. _"Uchiha Sasuke…"_ She let a delicate smile grace her face, making her eyes sparkle even more.

Who didn't know the youngest Uchiha heir? He was the hottest topic even in the modeling industry. All her branch colleagues were eying the enchanting young male, secretly fantasizing about his gorgeous looks and body. Some of the actually managed to have a one night stand with the said man, praising him for his skills and fit frame…among the other things.

Sure, his brother Itachi was just as handsome, but he lacked that magnetic attraction that pulled people to him and he was keeping his life far from the cameras. And his scandal with the Mangekyou only worsened his image in the high society.

His younger brother managed to steal the spotlight all right. Ino let out a small smirk. To think that soon…he was going to be only hers…she was trembling with anticipation to meet him.

She raised her blue sea orbs wander on the window, taking in her surroundings. Her humble maid offered her a glass of mineral water. "How do you find the city so far, miss Yamanaka?"

"Absolutely _enchanting_."

Sasuke`s villa, Japan, Tokyo

_Dear my journal. _

_It has been two weeks since I first started to work for Sasuke and I must say my life turned upside down. It is not because of the mission itself, because guarding a business man whose life is as boring as it can get it is not that hard,, but my boss is anything but a simple man. When I first read his file and what the others write and say about him, I thought he is indeed a player whose sole purpose in life is to rob the poor ones and spend his money on beautiful women and luxury, but after spending 24 hours daily watching him I realized just how much of a mystery person Sasuke really is._

_I understood the fact that he is concealing his inner self from the outside world, not giving a damn if people are ogling him or badmouth him and I appreciate him for this. He does his job professionally, not having time to waste on irrelevant things._

_I figured out that my raven haired boss is much more than just a deviously gorgeous looking rich heir, he is the finest psychologist I have ever met, because he figures out what the others that interact with him think, successfully exploiting their weak and strong points in his favor._

_People that don't know him would think he is rash and superficial, but the truth is I see the way his impossibly dark eyes silently calculate his every move, doing nothing in vain or at random, and this is the reason why he successfully came the second in the top richest people alive, according to the business magazines._

_Also, he is not that cold and apathetic with everyone. I saw the way his dark gaze softens whenever something bad happens to his friends and I saw the tiny sparkle in his deep onyx eyes, whenever he talks about his beautiful caring mother._

_In a nutshell, he is the most complex character I know and for that reason, my life is not a boring one anymore. On the other hand, his versatile attitude throws me off most of the time, because I cannot predict what his next move will be or what he is thinking about when he let his stare fall on me, cornering me like a predator waiting his pray to take a wrong step._

_The problem is I cannot ignore the feelings he ignites into me whenever he is around, and when he is gone, I cannot get him out my mind for a moment. He is present even in my sleep. The first thing I have in mind when I wake up is Sasuke and he is also the last thing in my mind when I fall asleep. And I know it has nothing to do with the fact that I have to guard him._

_My conversation with Naruto raised a lot of questions into my head. It pains my heart to imagine a wild unleashed Sasuke, acting like a gang leader and a drug dealer, terrorizing the school and make his friends dead worried for him, because it does not mirror the image of his self from the present._

_But no matter how much of a bad boy my boss has been in the past and no matter how much hate his heart has accumulated in such a long time of struggling and suffering because of his father`s rejection and his brother`s sudden departure, I cannot help my heart to skip a beat or fasten its normal peace whenever he touches me or he gets closer to me, just to make me feel uncomfortable._

_And the thought of him having so much experience with the opposite gender, makes me feel out of my element. Karin told me to get to know my real self better and let my body speaks for myself, but I am afraid to put the logics aside and let my heart do as she pleases, because I would damn it all of it to hell and throw myself into his arms and kiss him, like I secretly wish to do._

_Seriously, I know this sounds stupid and childish, especially for a woman that turned 23 this spring and this is the reason why I haven't told anyone, but write it instead on this blank peace of paper. There is nothing that I would like more on this world at the moment than to have a taste of those succulent lips of his and the fact that I got the chance to do it so many times before makes me go crazy._

_I don't know what is happening to me because I haven't felt this way before over a man, but everything about him attracts me to the point I want to pull him closer and never let him go away and I have the feel of his hot toned body moving on my own is imprinted on my memory forever._

_He is the only male that does not make me feel weird and bothered when he invades my private space, on the contrary, he looks like he knows exactly what I want from him and he knows my body language like he has studied it beforehand. I would put it upon his skill and experience, but when he looks at me sometimes, like he sees right through me makes me take a second guess._

_I cannot help but wonder if he feels something whenever we look into each other`s eyes whenever we throw smartass retorts to each other, a thing I secretly find both refreshing and annoying, or when there is almost no distance between us and our breaths mix together._

_I don't have the guts to tell my Papa about this, because I know he advised me and warned me about getting closer to my boss more than necessary, so I don't want him to be disappointed on me. But I cannot deny my wants any longer._

_One would think that after everything that happened when I rescued him from the club and took care of him, we stopped acting like we were two lovers in denial, throwing ironic remarks at each other and putting an end to the flirty attitude, but that was not the case. On the contrary, I saw Sasuke trying to restrain his movements, maybe afraid to hurt me further, but failing to do so._

_I can understand he does not believe a word from the stories I tell him about my past, but we cannot ignore my overall appearance. Even so…I realized that Sasuke never treated me like a maid to begin with and that scares me a bit, but it is definitely a good change in the scenario._

_The thought of a ruthless boss to order me around is scaring the living daylights out of my independent self. I don't mind sharing the same space as him, because my boss is the perfect man to have around._

_He is a clean freak so I don't have much to clean or arrange and he is silent most of the times, spending time either at his company or in his weird large office, sometimes forgetting to eat._

_And I am not bothered by the fact that I sometimes go and serve him lunch at his office. When there is too dark outside, he even asks me to wait for him and gives me a ride home._

_Being in the passenger seat of his more than amazing car, with his perfect driving skills became one of my hobbies. And I cannot help but laugh at the obvious jealousy I get from the gorgeous looking women that eye us suspiciously whenever they see us together._

_And I realized that after our little intimate moment from his room, my boss is not going outside coming home in the mornings or look after every mini skirt that crosses his way, that much._

_Why the sudden change? I know I have no right to claim his attention in any way, because we are not in any sort of relationship, but I cannot stop my fist to clench whenever I see a good looking woman come and flirt her way into his pants, or discreetly slip her phone number or a hotel address into his pocket._

_I thought that becoming an agent and having money will help me put aside my hard past and change, but I understood how wrong I was. Working for Sasuke and the need to conceal my identity threw me back into my high school days, which makes me feel shy and insecure._

_To escape my past I have to go back in time and make peace with my previous self. That is the only way to move over for real and not leaving in regret. And this is probably what my brooding raven haired boss did in order to overcome his own monsters and carry on._

_I don't want to jump into conclusions, but I think I might get a new friend in the future. I know a small talk about a common person is not enough to get to know someone, but it is not like we are complete strangers. I realized I judged Naruto too harsh and I was wrong about him all the time._

_He is not like all the other Akatsuki members, because I saw the honesty into those cerulean warm eyes of his and his wide childish silly smile makes me smile as well. I am not bothered by his touches or attempts to flirt, because he is so shy and inexperienced, that it reminds me of myself so much._

_He is not invasive, on the contrary, he is friendly and his energy is refreshing. I don't mind having him around and I can understand why Sasuke is friends with him. They are completing each other._

_Where one lacks the other comes and fill him up. I wonder what are they going to talk about? Although…I don't like how my boss sounded when he left the house._

_But no matter how much of a pain in the ass Sasuke might be sometimes, I realized that having someone to expect to come back, even if it is late at night, makes me forget about the lonely feeling in my heart. And I definitely remember his tight embrace from the stairs, and the way his chin rested on the top of my head._

_I secretly wonder when the mission is going to end, will I ever be able to return to my solitude in Ravenna and move over, without him?_

Ravenna Italy, the Sound HQ Otokage`s office

Anko was sorting out some files, throwing repeated glances at her boring husband, who was killing the keyboard with his rapid fingers, brooding and frowning at the large screen. She put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head.

How could an energetically woman like her marry that stupid jackass was beyond her understanding. Oh yeah…she loved him. _"Pfff…how stupid…"_ The pregnant woman thought about her much younger female partner Sakura and her infatuation with her boss. _"That girl has been thrown from the Eden for tasting the forbidden fruit…"_

Anko was not the one to be fooled, because she had too much experience in the field. Sasuke Uchiha was the type of guy to make one suffer, because his inability to express emotions and have more walls around his heart than the Chinese wall. But when he got attached to someone, he was capable of loving with burning passion, like no other.

She did a short break in arranging those old dusty files and papers, looking at Orochimaru. She knew exactly what kind of men were the two of them. Her husband was completely oblivious to his proclaimed pink haired daughter's inner turmoil. Ten Ten and Karin were right, men were so stupid and were good only for reproduction. _"Sakura doesn't have any idea of what she got herself into…"_

"Are you done looking at me like I am some sort of expensive painting?" Orochimaru had so much work to do and to top it all, all the internet connections were down for some unknown reason, which made it almost impossible for him to keep in touch with the other agents and to monitor the situation.

"What makes you think I was looking at you? I have enough of your ugly face at home. Besides…I already have some very good material hanging on my walls as well."

"…damn you woman and your passion to spend my money…" In all honestly, the Otokage couldn't love his wife more than he did, she and their soon to come child were the dearest things in his life. But in that moment he was pissed as hell.

That spitfire crazy woman threatened him into taking her to a stupid auction and made him spend almost $1 million for a stupid painting of a famous painter he never heard of, that looked like someone has drunk red, green and black paint and vomited on a paper, creating a work of art.

Orochimaru was no talent, but he was certain his drawing of Tobirama Senju, hanging on his office door as a dartboard was looking better than that damn painting that was haunting his dreams. And Anko has hanged it into their freaking bedroom, just to annoy him further. He was going to burn that shit down and blame it on Jirayia when he was going to come for the Thanksgivings dinner.

"Heh…quit complaining you jerk, you men have no sense for arts whatsoever."

The front door opened suddenly, revealing a very hysteric looking Tsunade Senju on the other side. The said woman was never the one to show manners and bother herself with knocking or God forbids, asking for permission to invade someone else's private space.

Orochimaru looked in horror as his friend and colleague took large steps in his direction, punching his desk and fixing him with her hard stare. Not only that, but his wife was also in the room and when the two of them met…the Otokage wanted to let his body leak from the chair under the expensive piece of furniture and make a run for it.

"We have a huge problem!"

"Except for the fact that you barged into my space, disturbing my work and the internet being down?" Anko fixed Tsunade with a curious look. Indeed, there were some disturbing events in the last days and everyone was on guard when the results of the legist came and revealed the Watanabe girl was indeed killed by the Lorane.

"Quite it you freak! Someone has been in the basement and stole most of the files there, including our research on the Aura project."

Orochimaru didn't even need to hear out more, for he was up on his feet in no time and basically flew on the door, sprinting in the direction of his office, with his blonde friend Tsunade following him and his pregnant woman as well.

Anko knew some stuff about that secret project and although she didn't have all the details, she was aware of the fact that it brought much trouble to her husband and female colleague.

They took a secret elevator and arrived at the only hall that connected the main building with the said lab, sprinting towards the white glass door, getting inside. Orochimaru`s amber eyes going wide in shock.

"No…"

"I know, this is a disaster, I don't understand how could have such thing happened."

Orochimaru clenched his jaw and punched the white painted wall that was closer to him so hard it made his knuckles bleed, feeling his system being engulfed by rage. Anko watched her husband's frame trembling with fury.

She knew that look of his, it promised pain and murder intent. But she wasn't going to blame him, for she was just as shocked. Someone entered that freaking room that had more security around than the Pentagon? It was impossible.

"Tsunade, did you by any chance let anyone else know about this or forgot this door open when you were inside? Has someone spied on you?"

"Here? Are you nuts? There is no one beside the three of us who know about this thing…and Sakura, but she only knows about the project, not the room."

"You don't understand the situation my dear…not only someone was aware of this, but they stole all our research and results, managing to pass the security system. And because of that damned internet connection, I wasn't able to contact Cherry."

"So it means…someone has purposely hacked the internet connection, to pass our security system and rob you." Anko understood exactly just how bad that was. Someone was keeping a close eye on them, catching them out of guard. It was really bad; because she knew exactly it had to do with Lorane.

"…" Tsunade remained silent, but nodded in her friend`s direction. Anko got the message which was a good thing. They had a lot of work to do. If the documents have disappeared, all their work would be revealed…she was not ready to face the people that were going to find out about that.

"Does someone want to take revenge on us or blackmail you two for something?" Anko couldn't help but voice her thoughts. And her sharp eyes didn't miss the way Tsunade`s body stirred upon hearing her. She put a hand over the blonde woman`s shoulder, pulling her into her embrace, the busty agent not protesting.

"No. They could have done many things to do that, not even needing to go that far. It is more than obvious they want to use the information for their own unknown reasons and make sure they were the only ones to have access to all the data."

"Honey, I don't understand…I know this project is supposed to be a secret…but what do you mean you have to call your Sakura to talk to her?"

"I told her about those four people when she called me to ask for a medical advice." Tsunade felt the ground sleep under her feet. They were all in danger if their enemy used their work. Good thing she had some of the files at home studying them…or maybe they entered her home and robbed her as well.

"Seriously? And why would kiddo want to know about it?"

"It looks like Sasuke Uchiha has some similar symptoms as those four test subjects and she didn't know what to do, so I found it appropriate to let her know about it."

"Whoa…do you think it is a coincidence?"

"It is too early to jump to conclusions. I have to do more investigation and talk to Cherry. Tsunade, you stay here and help me do a list of every file and book missing. Darling, you call that bug guy Aburame and tell him to move the fuck faster and repair the connections. I have some calls to make."

"Roger! I will make sure he finishes with his work, after all…this is why CIA is paying him." Anko left the office, her job being simple. She let the two people to argue and deal with their stolen material. Things were taking a downhill and she didn't like it in the slightest.

7 pm japan, Tokyo, Sasuke`s home

After hiding her precious pink journal in the small night commode (yeah, she was lame she was aware), Sakura thought about going downstairs and prepare some food. She went at the grocery store but didn't have time to make a decent table. "I am sooo lazyyy!

She was lying on her tummy, enjoying the softness of the silky covers, spreading her arms and legs and rolling over her back, like a child. The pink haired woman took the beauty magazine she bought, but didn't have time to study when she got a message on her phone.

There was silence that week, with all the internet connections down. _"This is strange…we have a bug in the system in the same time with the burglars robbing Sasuke and Amy`s death…"_

She laughed softly at the message she got from her crazy red headed friend. That woman was one in a million.

"_Dior has a new fragrance on their pink lip gloss. Check it out. Maybe you are going to use it to seduce your sexy boss. Wink wink. Karin"_

Sakura was aware of the fact that she had to keep a low profile, but cosmetics were cosmetics. Besides, she couldn't resist a good quality product on her pretty face…she looked at the clock.

Her boss was with the Uzumaki so there was no need for her to baby sit him, because fuck he was in the presence of a CIA agent…maybe a trip to the big holly mall will do her no harm.

She managed to stick an invisible tracking device in Sasuke`s clothes so she kept an eye on him all the times. Good thing Shino`s new toy was not conditioned by the internet connections.

"Oh well…beauty is calling me." She shoved her credit card (one that she remembered the password first) into a small wallet, took her big glassed, threw another glance in the huge mirror on her bedroom to make sure she looked like hell and sprinted outside, in a really good mood. _"Here I come Dior…"_

But when she went downstairs to take her shoes and exit the house, the rosette took a glimpse of a small object thrown carelessly on the large sofa. "Hmmmm?" She went closer to take a better look and she couldn't help but arch her eyebrows in surprise.

It looked like her boss forgot his wallet at home. She took a hold of the black leather object, eying it intently. "Is he suffering from Alzheimer or something?" Now that was weird. Sasuke was not the kind of person to misplace his stuff, especially such important stuff.

She pulled out her pink phone she got as a gift and flipped it open, pressing the speed dial, pressing the device on her ear, not letting go of the wallet, playing with it absentmindedly.

Her boss` low velvety voice answered on the second call, making Sakura`s body stir involuntarily. She didn't forget the way he was eying her and Naruto and she sure as hell was worried upon the fact that he might have heard all the conversation they had.

"_Sakura"_ Oh heavens, nothing was sweeter than her name on his lips.

"Mr. Uchiha, I think you have forgotten you wallet at home. I found it on the sofa."

"…_Leave it. You can put it on the coffee table." _

"Okay…" She attempted to say goodbye, but the pompous jerk hung up on her, like the unmannered Gorilla he was. _"Stupid ungrateful bastard…"_ Although…Sakura was keeping her emerald eyes glued to the small screen, thinking about her boss` cold tone. Was he that angry at her?

Because she was not sure why, but Sakura was sure he was a little tot harsh, sounding like she was bothering him. Was he still with Naruto or did they separate ways and went some other place? _"Another woman?"_

Oh well, she couldn't care less about it. She closed the phone and placed it back on her pocket, cursing Sasuke in her mind, using the most original bashings she learned from a drunk Anko and Karin. Well…she was bothered by the thought of her boss with another female, but she shoved that thought aside.

Although…she knew she shouldn't have done it, but she couldn't stop her curious hands to open the wallet and take a peek inside. _"Is for security reasons…"_ Secretly she hoped to find a picture of his cat or dog inside, to use it for blackmail.

There was a pile of money inside, including $100 and $500 dollar Bills and Yen notes and many credit cards. _"Wow…this imbecile begs for the robbers to lessen this weight on his pocket."_ There were also many credit cards, as well as his driver's license and ID card.

She pulled out his identity document out of curiosity (honestly, she wanted to look at his photo), taking in his personal information and she couldn't help but let her eyes widen upon seeing that he didn't have a Japanese citizenship.

"_American? What the freaking hell?" _Why in the world was Sasuke having another citizenship was beyond Sakura`s understanding. Also, that was not written in his file, which was equally weird.

"_Wait a second…Sasuke`s both parents are having Japanese citizenship, of that I am sure. _

_And Japan is a __jus sanguinis__state, which means the citizenship, is not determined by the place of birth, but by the parent's citizenship, which automatically leads to the fact that Sasuke was born Japanese. _

_But I know that Japanese law forbids a dual citizenship in the normal circumstances, one being forced to give up his Japanese citizenship as soon as he got another one. So it means, Sasuke lost the Japanese citizenship when he got his American one. But why?"_

One would not change his citizenship on a whim, Sakura was sure of it. So her boss must have had a real good reason to do so. But why he did it remained a mystery. Should she ask him?

Maybe…she should find a good opportunity to do so. "Interesting…." She put the document back into its rightful place and placed it on the table. "Moreover…" Sakura let out a small smirk "…he knows I am going to roam through his belonging." She exited the house, thinking about how many other secrets gravitated around her handsome boss Sasuke.

Same time, Japan, Tokyo, Hurricane pub

"Teme, was that Sakura-chan?" Naruto finished the content of his second glass of Scotch, his cerulean eyes following his best friend's hand that slapped the phone on the small table taking a hold of his glass, emptying the content.

"Why the fuck do you care? Are you that obsessed with her?" Seriously, that was worse than having a shitfaced Suigetsu, nagging him about his maid casting a spell on him.

Naruto looked at Sasuke in disbelief. He got quite irritated as soon as the topic Sakura was brought up in the discussion and the blonde Uzumaki found no reason for his best buddy`s hostile attitude. "Are you?"

Sasuke`s hand stopped mid air upon hearing his friend's question. And to think he was in the process of ordering another round. "Dobe are you high or your sole purpose of calling me here is to annoy me further?"

"You are acting really possessive towards her and this makes me curious."

"Curious about…what?"

"About what you really think of her." Naruto looked in front of him, not facing his frowning friend. Seriously, did that man hear about smiling?

"Aren`t you a bit too interested in our relationship? Be careful dobe, you are acting suspicious."

"So you already talk about a relationship between you too." Naruto let out a carefree laugh. "Man Teme, you are so easy to read, is not even funny." He took a sip of his own beverage, emptying the content.

God he missed hanging around his bastard of a friend, drinking. Too bad Suigetsu went MIA those days. He muttered some lame excuses of joining his parents on some shit dinner, but the tanned Uzumaki was sure it was all about a woman. The manwhore betrayed his friends big time. Naruto was already planning his revenge on him.

"What I find it funny is the way you were almost hugging her in my kitchen. Mind telling me why the heck were you two so…cozy with each other?" Sasuke was sick beating around the bush.

He wanted to find out if the dobe and his maid really had a connection. No, screw that, he was certain they had. But he had many chances to make Naruto slip the truth. His maid was more cautious around him.

"She opened the door for me and let me in. Then I was really curious in what kind of woman would stay beside you so much time, without jump your ugly ass or run for her life, committing suicide."

Sasuke took his new glass of Whiskey and played with the crystal object, looking at the two small ice cubs on the bottom. "She would not have left you enter the house if I wasn't home, even thought you might have told her who you are. So it means she had a reason to do so."

Naruto looked at his friend, having a stupid looking expression on his face. Seriously, the man in front of him was ruining his mood and cramping his style. The hell was with him and his attitude? Was he auditioning for Scooby-Doo the movie or something?

Nevertheless, he knew just how observant Sasuke really was and he had to pay attention to what he told him. And maybe get the chance to mock him further.

"Hmpf…I told her to let me in and share some embarrassing stories with you and your magic Yo Yo. I can assure you we had a lot of fun."

Sasuke almost spit the content of his beverage, if not for his much practiced self control. He walked into the questionable pair the moment Naruto put his hands on his maid`s shoulders, cursing the fact that he didn't come there earlier.

"You didn't tell her about that…"

"And if I did you will what? C'mon Teme loosen up a bit and live." Naruto was mentally laughing his ass out loud upon seeing his friend's reaction. Oh he looked nervous all right. Served him right.

"Dobe…if you don't want to pay the hospital another sudden visit I suggest you stop your pathetic attempt to play smart and fuck off."

"Why not? She is a nice girl and I don't want her to be scared by your jackass attitude…._and in danger_."

"Hn…how do you know she is a nice girl? Did you see how she looks like?"

"So you tell me she is not a nice girl then? I find nothing wrong with the way she looks like. In my eyes, she is the most beautiful woman."

Naruto closed his deep ocean blue eyes for a moment, Sakura`s real image, dressed in one of her pale pink dressed during CIA`s gatherings and celebrations coming to his mind. She was not nice or beautiful. She was a Goddess.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that, titling his head on a side, looking at the tipsy man in front of him. The reason why he didn't take his wallet was that the dobe promised to pay for the drinks. The raven haired Uchiha was going to get shitfaced only to make him spend more money. Screw modesty, were they like brothers or not?

"Are you serious? Does that…thing looks beautiful to you?"

"Is she not?"

_I know she is, but the question is…how do you know?_ "Hn…"

"Yeah…you find her beautiful as well."

For Sasuke, the whole conversation was a déjà vu. Apparently, his two friends had two things in common: they got drunk quickly and they both assumed he had a thing for his maid.

_/Don't you even try to deny it/_

He was not going to. After all…Sasuke knew they were right. He took a large gulp of his drink. He promised her…they were going to have some fun.

8 pm Japan, Tokyo Mall

Sakura was having the time of her life. Like seriously. Now imagine an ugly trasy looking woman, parading in her all her caniche looking glory in a branded shop at the mall. The look she got from the cashier woman, that looked like Cruela de Vil on her period, was priceless.

One of the shop assistants approached her the moment she entered the shop and told her in what she thought was a false polite tone that the shop she entered was a branded one, but Sakura put her most fake smile and told her she knew how to read.

Surely, the other customers were eying her suspiciously, probably thinking she was there to dust the shelves or shoplift, but she couldn't give a damn. Seriously, the ridicule of the situation was pure epic ness.

It didn't take her too much time to find the much desired cosmetic, because it was up there with the new season arrivals, at a really high price. Not that she cared too much about that anyways.

But there was a small problem with a not so polite salesgirl that couldn't contain her stupid remarks about democracy and people that didn't know their place. Sakura was tempted to show the skinny woman with a dumb accent (she was not Japanese) just what exactly her place was, by punching her in her in that square face and throw her in the big trashcan outside the mall, but she refrained from doing so.

She wanted the sparkling pink lipstick, that had the aroma of wild cherries and strawberries and damn right was she going to have it. Secretly, she eyed a new perfume as well and debated whether to give it a try or not. _"Fuck yeah…"_

While she was being busy abusing the small bottle of perfume and smell it, she heard a high pitched voice giving orders at someone about some foundation cover up or something, she didn't pay attention because it was annoying as fuck.

But she really turned around and almost collided with the owner of the banshee commanding tone, when the said creature invaded her private space, almost chocking her with the amount of perfume she had (the fuck, did she used bugs spray or something? Cos that shit smelled on ten km radius.).

"Huh…is this place doing charity work or they let beggars come here on daily basis? I already feel insulted on sharing the same space with this creature. You cannot trust this branded shops nowadays."

Upon hearing the side remark, the Sound agent turned her body with the speed of light in the direction of the annoying noise, still holding the bottle of perfume in her hands, gripping it in an attempt to calm her nerves and not punch that woman in her face…and the then smirking cashier woman and sales girls.

And she snorted loudly upon seeing the owner of the irritating attitude and voice. Ino Yamanaka, the famous model and the biggest slut alive. Seriously, everyone knew that the Yamanaka girl was changing boyfriends like she changed socks. Maybe even more often. She just used her good looks to lure man and pretend to be a high class lady when in all honesty she was only making a fool of herself.

She was tempted to call her Sasuke`s female version, but with her newfound knowledge on how much of a complex character her boss was, she refrained from doing so.

And her superior attitude was pissing the frowning Sound agent off really bad. It was the exact reason why Sakura hated the rich people with burning passion. They always looked down at the poorer ones, considering money to be the ones to make the difference, not giving a damn about character.

And Ino Yamanaka was one of the worst. She was beautiful on the outside, but she was empty on the inside. And Sakura was certain she was dumb as fuck as well. When she gave an interview for a fashion magazine, she said she is a vegetarian, not standing the idea of killing animals, but she declared in the very same interview that she enjoys going hunting with her father and their family friends. _"What a stupid bitch…" _

Sakura had the proof of how superficial these kind of heirs were, right in front of her emerald eyes, because the woman in front of her was eying her in disgust, thinking she is a street rat, when in reality, the pink haired agent was just as stunning and rich, and definitely more famous among the secret organizations than her.

She couldn't contain the smirk that crossed her face, much to the blonde taller woman`s disbelief. She crossed her arms in front of her chest in defiance just to annoy her further. And damn well it worked.

"I could say the same thing, but the term charity deals with being generous and think about the others, which is exactly the opposite of who you really are. Moreover…it is me who feels outraged by the very idea of sharing the same planet as you, but living on Mars is still experimental."

Yamanaka`s baby blue eyes widen in disbelief, her jaw almost hitting the floor. She even forgot she had to behave herself in public, in order not to taint her image, but she couldn't help herself. In all her life, the blonde rich woman has not been that insulted. By someone who looked like that nonetheless…

"How dare you insult me you poor disgusting looking whore?!"

Sakura felt like laughing out loud, thinking that Karin wasn't there with her, to badmouth the bothersome model further. Gosh, she missed her friend like crazy. But that was a good piece of gossip. A CIA agent undercover was insulting a celebrity. First class entertainment.

"Insult? Honey, please don't think so low of me. If I wanted to insult you, by now, you would have been standing in all your fours, begging for mercy. Besides…I am sure you have practiced the said position many times before, so no problem in this department."

There were customers in the shop that recognized the Yamanaka woman and were watching in awe at the scene in front of them, cannot help but sympathize with the cheap dressed pink haired girl.

She was practically humiliating the much taller, branded clothed model, that had one bodyguard with her and her secretary, to back her up, both of them looking just as stunned. Sakura vaguely heard some weirdo shouting at her "you tell her babe", but she wasn't that sure. She was having so much fun. The woman in front of her was brooding worse than Sasuke.

"You…are going to pay dearly for this, hear me out! I swear I am going to…"

"Oh would you just shut the fuck up and back the hell away? I already had my daily dosage of shit, and my doctor didn't recommend me an overdose."

The Sound agent took a perfume and a lipstick from one of the shelves, marching straight to the cashier who didn't have time to react and question her about buying things that were worth $320 dollars, because Sakura threw her credit card at her, eying her expectantly. The said woman was too bewildered to protest.

She took her bag and bolted out of the shop, leaving a cheering crowd of people behind and a very pissed off Yamanaka Ino.

"Just wait and see you bitch…this is not the last time we meet. I am going to take what you have the dearest and make your life miserable."

She took big steps on the exit, already not in the mood for shopping, screaming at her personal maid and secretary. "What the hell are you waiting for, Michelle, c`mon. Your idea of recreation was a stupid one."

11 pm Japan, Tokyo, the harbor

Four men were hiding in an abandoned warehouse, near the Tokyo harbor, planning their next move. They managed to accomplish their mission, but the final step was in progress. They had to deliver the goods to their expectant boss and they already knew the man was not tolerating mistakes.

"Tonight, we are going to send the goods with the last shipment. Boss is expecting them to arrive two days from now." Their leader eyed the others, with a serious look on his face, his men listening carefully.

"Are you sure this is the safest way?"

"Yeah, what if someone manages to discover us and ruin our plan? I mean we entered that home and stole the things according to what the boss said but we were lucky no one suspected on us."

"Pfff…who was that stupid looking woman? A maid? I wouldn't even let her wash my car with that figure." Roars of laughter coming from the four assassins were heard in the small poorly lighted space. There was no one to hear them anyways, so there was no point in making a fuss over it. Or so they thought….

"Relax, no one knows about this. Our work was perfect. The owner of this stuff probably doesn't know what hit him." Two of them were lying on their backs, supporting their heads on some old boxes, smoking.

The other two were sitting on the floor, with their knees bent, playing cards, the stolen goods wrapped in a black box, resting safely in front of them.

"Yeah buddy, so damn right. These heirs are dumb as fuck. It was like stealing a candy from a baby."

"Yeah BHAHAHAHA…I wish I have been there and see his face when he realized we did a little painting on his office." They all let out a loud laugh, having fun at the image of the good's owner's stunned face.

"Then how about I grant your wish…considering it is going to be your last one?" A smooth dark tone came from the entrance, successfully covering the loud noise.

Silence.

The said four men didn't even have time to react, or do anything for the matter, because as soon as the unknown voice came, they were blinded by the powerful light coming from the entrance, then the sound of an engine getting close successfully made them go deaf for a moment.

And it only took the mystery man a moment to speed his black and red Kawasaki motorcycle and head their way, pulling out a sharp long blade, the sound of fine metal echoing through the air, making the four professional assassins' blood freeze in their veins.

The menacing aura coming from the man was overwhelming, because his completely black clothes, the expensive extremely fast vehicle and his visibly muscled frame and the attitude of a gang leader were making grown ups cry in fear. He looked like the Devil unleashed.

When they realized the danger approaching them at high speed, the four scared men jumped on their feet attempting to look take out their own weapons, but they didn't have time to even blink when the motorcycle stopped right in the middle in front of them and a second was all it took for the enigmatic character to adjust his blade in his left hand and cut their heads in one swift move, then bent his body, leaning further into his bike and speeding up in the opposite direction, successfully avoiding the splashing red liquid of blood coming from the decapitated men.

They looked like chicken without heads, their bodies hitting the floor with a loud thud, trashing violently, a pool of blood starting to form around them. He was eying the scene not in the bit bothered by the bloody massacre in front of him, his cold demeanor blending with the stillness of the night.

He pulled the helmet out of his head, shaking his head a few times, spreading the midnight jet locks free, the messy spikes rising at the back, into the shape of his signature hairstyle. He let his onyx eyes roam through the dusted place.

"Hn…a disgusting place to hide a gang of disgusting people."

Sasuke got off his Kawasaki motorcycle taking small steps in the direction of the dead people, with the intent of getting back his stolen goods. They should have known better than to mess up with him in the first place.

He lifted the box from the ground, heading back, pulling his phone out of his black jacket, pressing the necessary numbers. It was a miracle he still remembered the number.

"_Yes?"_

"It`s me."

"_Are you done?"_

"Yeah. I have gotten my stuff back. The fuckers were there as you said."

"_Excellent. I assume you took care of them."_

"Let`s say they got too confident and lost their heads on the way…They are going to send you a postcard form Hell."

"_Good. Have you checked them out?"_

"We were right. They are our men."

"_I see…I have news for you and I am afraid not good ones. But now that you got your stuff back, I am going to email you the details. Stay tuned."_

"Got it. I am hanging up."

The raven haired Uchiha shoved the phone back into his pocket, putting his helmet on, starting the engine. He threw a last glance backwards, almost like wanting to confirm something, then disappearing in the shadows of the town, heading back home. He better not let his little pink haired maid wait for him too much.

Same time Ravenna Italy, the Sound HQ, Otokage`s office

Anko has already finished up sorting all her files, while Tsunade and her husband were down in the secret room in the basement, doing their own work, when the phone suddenly called.

She approached the large wooden desk and answered the call. Shino Aburame`s voice echoed through the speaker, sounding worn out. The poor office probably worked his ass on getting rid of the nagging virus.

"Otokage`s office, this is Anko Mitarashi, speaking."

"_Anko? This is Shino Aburame. I have good news. We managed to repair the network connection. Internet is now working. Let the others know as well."_

"It was about damn time kid. I am going to tell my husband asap."

Anko pulled out her mobile phone, dialing Orochimaru`s number. She had to let him know about the good news. She knew he was dead worried for Sakura and the pregnant woman was to announce him as soon as they had internet again, because he wanted to talk to the little Cherry Blossom.

12 pm Japan Tokyo, Sasuke`s home

Sakura was spread all over the comfy living room sofa, eating spaghetti carbonara and watching a soap opera, when her boss decided to show his stupid ass home. The Sound agent was tired, but her day was good and she absolutely fell in love with her new perfume and lip gloss. She even applied them two times already, getting engulfed in their fragrances. And the lip gloss was absolutely tasty.

She heard the front door open, but she would be damned if she moved a finger or even hear head in the direction of the Uchiha. She was too comfortable there and the episode from the soap opera was at its climax.

Some half naked dude has just found out his cheating wife was pregnant with his child and he was screaming at the top of his lungs at her that he would not accept a bastard kid. He looked like Tarzan on ecstasy.

"I will never be able to understand people watching this shit." Sasuke`s velvety voice come from behind the sofa, making the Sound agent raise her head and turn her body slightly to face him. And when she did, she considered herself lucky for not dropping the bowl of pasta. _"Holly macaroni…"_

Sakura`s emerald eyes went plates wide upon seeing her boss. She had to take a double look.

The stupid conceited bastard was clad completely in a black motorcycle gear, a leather black jacket with two horizontal white stripes going from his sides, down his waist, a pair of dirt black gloves adorning his hands, with plastic knuckles, a pair of equally black adventure waterproof boots, covered in a silver plastic membrane and a pair of textile and leather tight pants.

It took all her self control not to let her jaw hit the floor till it reached the center of the Earth upon seeing the stunning looking raven haired heir in front of her. And the arrogant jerk knew exactly the effect he had on her, because he was fixing her jaded orbs with a playful stare, his onyx eyes partly conceited by some longer strands of his bangs falling messily on his face, smirking that irresistibly all knowing smirk of his.

"_I wanna castrate him so bad…after I jump his bones. Just look at him holly heavens"_ Sakura was not even aware of the fact that a long bit of spaghetti was hanging from her mouth, much to Sasuke`s amusement.

He realized in horror that the dobe was right, Sakura was really cute, especially when she was shocked. He was not the one to fall for their little charade.

Naruto could have pretended he had some sort on effect on Sakura, but he knew exactly what feelings did she have for the both of them. The funny looking maid was sure as hell not ogling his blonde friend like she was doing with him.

And he couldn't restrain himself for making her even more uncomfortable. She decided to be a little cheater and flirt with his best friend? No problem, Sasuke was not the one to back away from the challenge.

He was slightly bothered by the fact that he had to taint his hands with those filthy men`s blood, so he was there to have some sort of entertainment. Leave it to the star struck maid to make it all the funnier.

After he made sure he had it pinned on the ground with his dark eyes, he took small steps towards her, his smirk present on his handsome face, watching in contentment how the smaller woman in front of him was getting an interesting shade of red. My God, the look on her face was priceless.

He came right in front of her, making sure their bodies were slightly touching, faces a breath away, noses almost touching. Although, when he leaned in to whisper something into her ear, a strong smell of her own unique scent, mixing with another really addictive expensive perfume entered his senses, almost like giving his hormones a reason to go on rampage.

He stopped his movements mid step, having a better idea. He threw a quick glance at the unresponsive maid`s face, seeing that she had problems breathing normally and her jaded glimmering eyes were fixing some imaginary spot on his shoulder. Good.

As slowly as he could, Sasuke leaned it, titling his head even more towards her small chin, taking the other end of the spaghetti in between his moist lips, sucking on it loudly, eating the delicious piece of food, while letting his mouth get closer to Sakura`s own, all the way eying her in the most seductive manner he could, but refrain from touching her some other places.

Sakura was able to picture her brain open the top of her head, get out from the cranium and leave the Earth on a mini UFO, all the way waving its imaginary hand at her, sending kisses. _"There goes my sanity…"_

Seriously, it was pretty bad a stunning looking Sasuke was approaching her like a black puma in search for food, but when she realized what he was doing she though her knees were going to abandon the fight in that very moment.

"_Oh my God…"_ The feel of his hard rock body touching her, encompassing her senses into his hotness and delicious smell of his cologne and blood?! Was making her go crazy with want. And her traitorous body responded in no time to his closeness, because the butterflies in her stomach were roaming carefree right through her system and she had knots in her throat, making it impossible for the pink haired lady to breath normally.

And the constricting feeling in her lower abdomen and the wet feeling in between her legs was becoming more and more uncomfortable as his hot lips were getting closer to her own.

And his partly closed impossibly dark garnet eyes were trapping her into his spell, making her all body tremble in pleasure. She even felt his soft raven spikes brushing her collar bone and neck while his head was titled on his side, and she wanted nothing more than let her fingers play into his hair.

Just how much enchanting and sensual could that man be, because Sakura felt her all body go on fire and he was the source of the flame. She was shoving her nails into her palms to stop herself for slipping a hand on his broad shoulders and feel him closer.

And she thought she was going to explode when he finished sucking the long spaghetti coming impossibly close to her lips, feeling his cool breath on her skin, like a million of tingling caresses dancing on the silky rosy surface. She was not aware of the fact that she closed her eyes in the process, anticipation killing her.

If he didn't kiss her for real, she was sure her insane induced state would not refrain from fisting her hand into his midnight dark hair and melt their mouths together into an explosive kiss.

She unconsciously rubbed her tights together, the unknown pool of lava melting into her lower regions getting unbearable, almost forcing her to smash her hips on his own, when the smirking bastard didn't cut the pasta with his teeth, but encircled the tip of his warm moist tongue around the spaghetti, making sure he traced the corner of her mouth in the process, like wanting to prolong the painful anticipation.

"_Just fucking do it already!"_

RIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNG RIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGG

And the arousing moment was brutally interrupted by the unexpected sound of a phone ringing into Sakura`s pocket. _"NOOOOOO whoever that is I am going to break his neck!"_

But not a moment later, both of them stirred their movements, Sasuke pulling his body from his maid`s smaller frame, eyebrows furrowed, his eyes penetrating her own.

And his maid got the meaning of his questioning stare, because she froze in shock, and that time, not from his ministrations.

Someone was calling Sasuke`s maid. How in the freaking hell was that possible, since the only number she had was his own? Was that Naruto? Did they exchange phone numbers?

Sakura thought she was going to die. That was her freaking CIA phone ringing. She looked into Sasuke`s eyes, almost like begging him to overlook what he was hearing and leave her alone. But the bastard changed his demeanor with a hard one, not in the slightest in the flirting mode any longer. Her cover was almost to be revealed. Sasuke was not going to back off that time.

The raven haired Uchiha got closer to his maid one more time, almost daring her to serve him another lie. That was serious. Whoever was calling her had the answers he was looking for. He dropped his low baritone voice an octave almost whispering the words, in a dark way.

"Answer."

**Author`s Note: **_Well, I thought about a scene with Naruto and Sakura being seen embracing one another, but I didn't want them to be that close to each other yet…although I made Sasuke interrupt their little moment all right. Hope you liked that one._

_They are going to embrace and be seen by him in the future, but I am saving that for later. I want a further development in their relationship first. _

_Thanks for the support and hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Please do not hesitate to tell me more of your opinions, I want to know how to improve my writing and make this story more interesting to read. _


	18. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

_The raven haired Uchiha got closer to his maid one more time, almost daring her to serve him another lie. That was serious. Whoever was calling her had the answers he was looking for. He dropped his low baritone voice an octave almost whispering the words, in a dark way. _

"_Answer."_

Sakura was glued to the ground, her body going numb as seconds passed. She was not even able to form a coherent thought or think about a lie she could say to save herself from the disastrous situation. Once she pulled out her CIA phone, it was going to be over.

And the main problem was not the ultra expensive device, but how in the world would she be able to justify such a phone in her possession.

And whoever was calling her from the other side of the line was probably someone important, because that was not her message ringtone, so she assumed it was not Karin, to discuss gossip and fashion. _"I am so screwed!"_

Moreover, the pink haired girl took into account the possibility of Aburame Shino repairing the internet connection, so the person calling her might be her papa Orochimaru, which was twice as bad news. _"I have to think about something fast!"_

But she couldn't do anything or think of anything for the matter, because the way Sasuke was looking at her had her trapped in the spot, unable to react in any way.

She felt her mouth going dry and she was aware of the fact that she was sweating like crazy and had her lips partly parted, having difficulties in breathing normally.

And the fact that he was so close to her was not helping much either, the earlier intimate moment still fresh into her memory.

The raven haired Uchiha had his eyebrows knotted, and his lips pressed together in a tight line, eying her like he could see right through her amount of lies and deceiving.

Sakura could not explain it, but in that very particular moment Sasuke had a deadly semblance around him, that screamed danger and killing intent. It was just like Naruto has told her, the beautiful man in front of her was maleficent and he was well aware of the fact. She took a gulp, feeling tiny goose bumps pinching the soft skin on her arms.

Sasuke was furious. Not in a million years would he have expected such a stunt. The problem was quite simple. Either his maid has lied to him for a reason that was slipping from his logic, and had a phone indeed, or she has given the number he gave her to someone else, for a reason he didn't understand.

According to what he knew about her, the emerald eyed maid knew no one in Japan, besides him. Hell, she didn't even speak Japanese! And the ringtone she had…was different from her normal one.

Sure, he was not going to be absurd and suppose the pink haired girl wasn't changing the sounds out of boredom but…he was quite sure the phone he gave her did not have such melody in the menu.

So, the other option was the viable one. Sakura had another phone, but for some unknown reason, she has hidden that fact from him. Why?

Didn't she want to keep in touch with him? He fixed her jaded orbs with his dark gaze, looking at the scintillating thin golden hues of her irises, dancing in panic and bewilderment.

He could read everything into those dazzling dark green nephrite widened eyes of hers, that were watching him in a way that screamed both help and back away. She was silently telling him to not meddle into her matters and omit the event, but he was damned if he did so.

Was Sakura that stupid to think he would be the kind of man to be played like that? She couldn't possibly be thinking he was a dumb idiot like his blonde friend. Naruto…yeah he had a problem with that as well.

He had three suspects in mind, regarding his office and who spied on him and neither of them came clean at the moment.

And to add to the stupor, the last person suspicious in the equation was his loathsome father. That man detested his son, so he probably did his best to stay away from him as much as he could.

Currently, Naruto and Sakura were equally suspicious, but his maid was doing her best to catch his attention, successfully.

The truth is, Sasuke got an ego boost that night, not believing his eyes that he indeed managed to take away his stolen goods and kill those bastards. He entertained the idea of torturing them into spitting whatever they knew about their boss to him, but that would have been to dangerous.

The onyx eyed Uchiha had contradicting feelings regarding the maid that was almost shaking in panic in front of him. She never left his side when he had problems, even going as far as to come in a dangerous place and risk to be hurt, just to take him out.

At the same time, he couldn't ignore the possibility of her staying by his side particularly for the reason to betray him and that made him burning with fury, because if his guess was correct, she was there for the sole purpose to seduce him into thinking she is the poor unfortunate woman who wants a place to work, when in reality she wanted to get as close as possible and trick him.

If Sasuke would have thought like that, everything made sense. How those people were able to rob him, why is his maid concealing her identity and why all her past is made of lies.

But her connection to Itachi and Naruto was even worse. Were all the three of them against the Uchiha heir? That would be too dumb to consider, even for a cautious man like him.

On the other hand, the midnight eyed man couldn't help but feel he is missing something important from his judgment.

The look in his maid`s eyes was striking his mind, to the point he really thought he was going to lose it for real. There was some other sort of emotion hidden behind those shimmering emerald eyes, one he couldn't place, but it screamed honesty and guilt.

And the way she was pursing her lips looked like she was ready to confess something to him, but she was internally debating if she should let him know or not.

Sasuke knew how to read people all right and this woman in front of him didn't strike like the manipulating type. He met those kind of women and he won't be fooled by any of their games. But that girl…

"What are you waiting for?" His voice was cold, low and dark, almost like he wanted to focus all his thoughts on his words, letting Sakura know he isn't there to take shit.

"I…" Sakura wanted to say something to him, anything to make up for all her lies, but she couldn't find the proper words.

"_I will never find the words to say how much I would want you to know….__**everything**__."_ And the stupid phone was still ringing, which meant it was either an emergency or someone there really hated her and bad.

"What is the point in hiding now? Do it." Sasuke was aware of the fact that he was violating her privacy, but he couldn't care less.

After all, he was certain she did the very same thing. _"Don't delude yourself into thinking I don't know you roamed through my stuff and my documents as well."_

Sakura knew she had no choice in the matter. Her boss was not going to overlook the situation and his dark demeanor was scaring her.

It was one thing to be in the presence of a drugged Sasuke who didn't have much control over his actions to begin with, but it was another story to be in his presence when he was sane and awake, because the black eyed man knew exactly how to control her emotional state and make her torture herself to the point where she wanted to sing like a canary then go die.

Sasuke was able to see hesitance into her attitude and decided to make himself understood once and for all. If he ignored her deceiving until then, was not because he was stupid or naïve, but because he did it on his own accord. _"Not….any…longer"_

_/Listen to her heart, not her words/_

"_You shut up." _Sasuke put his index finger under his maid`s small chin, pulling her head closer to him, forcing her to look straight into his eyes and not bow her head and hide from him.

He was slightly troubled by the feel of her so close and her succulent looking pink lips and he could even smell her glitter lip gloss and perfume, slightly clouding his attention.

He was mentally slapping himself for his idiocy. There he was in front of a woman that was most likely hiding something big from him and maybe trying to harm him, and he was thinking about how he was so close in kissing her and feel her supple lips in between his own.

The taste of wild cherries and strawberries was still present on the tip of his tongue and god damn it if he didn't want to take that phone, answer the call and curs the unknown person to hell and back for interrupting his moment.

And he knew the pink haired funny looking maid was thinking the same as him, it was just obvious from the way her body was unconsciously trying to get closer to his own. _"We are both morons…you and I."_

Gently but firmly, Sasuke slipped a hand on her pocket, grabbing the offending still ringing object and attempted to pull it out and solve the riddle once and for all, when a warm sweaty small hand took a hold of **left **his wrist and stopped him.

Sasuke thought he was hallucinating, because out of her own accord, Sakura was touching his small moon with the tip of her fingers, sending an electric shock down his spine, making him wince for a second, his eyes going wide. _"What the fuck…"_

And he knew she felt it too, because her jade eyes went even wider in wonder and she tightened her hold on him, almost like she wanted to confirm that what she was feeling was not anxiety or panic.

And it had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to solve the problem once and for all and reveal the identity of the caller.

Sakura couldn't explain what she was feeling, because it was definitely something she wouldn't find in any psychological magazine or even in the dictionary.

But the Sound agent could have sworn she was hit by a spring gentle breeze, in a sunny day, with an infusion of a floral and sandalwood fragrance engulfing her senses, pure rapture washing through her system, engulfing her in a wave of extreme bliss.

It was the most powerful sensation she ever had and she didn't want it to ever end. She closed her eyes tightly, almost like wanting to see with her mind`s eyes and preserve the feeling. What was happening?

Out of her own accord, she gripped Sasuke`s wrist even tighter, realizing the contact was the one responsible for the unexplainable sensation, but she couldn't think straight in that moment to realize why was that happening.

The only reflection she had was the feel of her boss on her own body. Sakura couldn't explain why, but she was able to feel all of him in that moment, his thoughts, his struggle, his hotness and it was absolutely orgasmic.

In his mind, Sasuke was just as affected as her. What was that? Because he sure as hell had no feeling that even began to compare with what he was feeling in that moment. _"Are you kidding me?"_

The raven haired Uchiha felt like the marble floor flew under his feet and he was walking barefooted in the fresh morning grass, letting small crystal icy drops of dew massage the back of his feet. He couldn't remember a moment when he felt so calm and peaceful like then, all the negative thoughts magically disappeared from his mind.

_/Let her teach you…let her chase away your demons/_

His all senses went on fire and his body was engulfed in a sumptuous fusion of secret needs and forgotten memories of colors and energy.

The woman he was silently accusing of meaning him harm was making him lose his mind with a simple touch of her thing fingers, burning him, trapping him in her own spell.

Sasuke couldn't help himself and let his eyelids down, closing his jet black sapphire eyes and expanded his range of feeling, letting his sensitivity take control and feel the woman in front of him through his every fiber and damn wasn't it absolutely addictive.

He vaguely observed Sakura has done the same, having her own eyes shut tight, her eyelids trembling slightly from the pressure and expectation.

Life was an interesting thing, the Uchiha couldn't help but realize in awe. There he was, in front of a girl that was probably waiting for a moment to stab him in the back, both feeling the sparkling chemistry between them like the purest diamond, intoxicating their minds.

And the raven haired man found out it was impossibly for him to remove his finger from her chin, afraid to lose contact with her.

He couldn't stop but open up his fisted fingers and let his fingertips brush her silky skin, tracing her jaw line with his fingers, and gently let his palm rest on her rose red small cheek, like discovering her for the very first time.

Sakura was having troubles standing on her feet. She couldn't even hear the annoying ring coming from her phone any longer and she couldn't find it in her to care.

She was living her own fantasy right there and then. Never in her life has the pink haired agent felt like she has discovered eternity in the embrace of the most dangerous man alive.

In a moment of sparkling genius, Sakura found the name of the feeling she had: synesthesia…The mixture of emotions and sensations, where one was able to mix the five known senses and create a sixth one, with the power of her conscience.

She could basically taste the sweetness of his boss` feather like touch on her tongue, like drinking the most sugary honey and the feel of him being so close and affectionate, in the most delicious way possible.

And she figured out that it was Sasuke the one that was causing all of that, using his own abilities, but a quick glance at his shut eyes told her he was doing it without even being aware of what he was causing. He looked equally thrown off by what was going on there, but he didn't seem too bothered by that.

And when his long lean fingers held her face dearly, like being afraid to touch her, without her disappear right in front of his eyes, living a Fata Morgana in the hot desert, she thought her heart was going to jump of her chest.

She involuntarily tightened her grip on his hand, almost like wanting to confirm he was indeed there holding her. She was not hypnotized by her boss and she was not aroused by him. She was absolutely drunk. Drunk of him and the striking aura he was emitting.

How was it even possible for a man that was able to drop venom out of his mouth like the most poisonous snake to make one feel like drowning in the fountain of youth, forever trapped in the world of eternal love and beauty, was beyond Sakura`s understanding, but it was absolutely magical and gravity defying.

_/Kiss her now. Taste her and become addicted/_

Sasuke let his thumb trace the contour of his maid`s full heart shaped lower lip lazily, like wanting to draw imaginary lines on the fine outline, enjoying the delicacy and the softness of the texture, her skin feeling amazing under his fingertips.

He knew exactly what was happening to him. It was the drug's effect acting like a trigger for his most secluded feelings.

The Uchiha knew that the effects were not going to ever end. The nightmares returned to him in the last week and the inability to find sleep made him drown in files and paperwork at his company.

But he knew how to control them and not hurt the ones around him. He realized the woman in front of him was the one to cause such reactions from him.

The onyx eyed heir let his thumb follow the outline of Sakura`s perfectly shaped mouth, giving her upper lip the same attention, caressing the velvety skin gently, then letting his finger slip under her rosy lip, tracing her white pearl teeth, expertly submerging the young woman into his expert touches, making her open her mouth even more, giving him more access.

Sasuke vaguely heard the annoying phone ring tone going silent, but that was going to be ignored…for the moment.

The feel of the woman that was mimicking his fondle on her lips, stroking the back of his hand with her warm fingers, drawing lazy circles and rubbing the sensitive skin around his small birth mark, teasing him, was absolutely magical.

And he couldn't possibly more aroused by that woman then he was in that particular moment, the constricting feeling of his hardened member in his tight leather pants was almost making him want to pull her on the big sofa and take her right there and then, giving both of them what they secretly wanted.

He felt the apex of his lean finger moisten with the pink maid`s saliva, tempting him to replace his thumb with his tongue and explore further.

He died at the thought of how wet and warm she should be in her most sacred places and how would she mold her soft body around his own throbbing shaft, the very idea of his sinful touches blemishing her purity and pulling her to the dark side and teach her another meaning of the word sensual, making him go impossibly hard.

He was aware of her inexperienced state, her body betraying her and that made him feel proud. He wasn't dealing with virgins because it was the opposite of his needs and ideas of no strings attached, but he was having no problems in teaching this girl some tips.

Sakura was internally busy tying her common sense with a very tight rope and pulling it to her, but the damn mental health looked ready to take the first flight to La La Land.

Her traitorous inner self was staying in a corner laughing at her and waiving the much needed soundness of judgment goodbye.

"_Don't…don't let him cloud your judgment, fight him now! Pull his hand away from the phone and do something girl!"_

Sakura felt like a drunk person trying to find his way home, but not able to even see the streets clearly, roaming through the darkness, without a lantern. Her intoxicating boss was playing with her lips and it was the most amazing thing ever.

She attempted to open her emerald eyes, hoping she would be able to take back what was left from her sanity and pull herself together, but that proved to be an idiotic thing to do because when she did so, she was welcomed with the breathtaking sight of her gorgeous raven haired boss, standing impossibly close to her, having his own alluring dark eyes shut, his face serene.

The Sound agent wanted to scream Hallelujah at the sight of the strong lines of his beautiful face and masculine traits, looking more angelic then ever. He had the spirit of a demon, trapped in the body of an angel.

The way he looked like he was on ecstasy, without a frown or a brooding, made him look so much like his iconic mother, having a striking resemblance with the gorgeous looking woman.

He was for the lack of better words undeniably beautiful and Sakura was even more attracted to him upon seeing that he was able to let out some of his very well hidden emotions.

Naruto told her that at some point in his life, Sasuke was a normal person, who was not afraid to express more than hate and tease and the Sound agent asked herself if she was one of the people to make him feel more…give him more.

It was alluring, both the feel of his touch and his handsome figure.

Out of her own accord, Sakura let the tip of her tongue brush his finger, when he was stroking the inside of her lower lip, having an idea of how sweet was his pale perfect skin, wanting nothing more than to close that short distance and kiss him for real. Just how many chances to kiss did they have without doing it already?

But she knew she had to stop and get out of the situation as fast as possible, because she was afraid that with the newfound chemistry between the two of them, things were going to end in a way it should not be.

And she was so turned on, it was almost painful to bear the soggy feel in between her legs, damping her lace panties with sticky fluid, being almost tempted to take his hand from her pocket out and slip it inside her lingerie and let his expert digits work magic on her lower lips, the very feel of him touching her in the most private parts was sending delicious tremors down her spine.

Karin and Anko advised her to get a better understanding of herself and explore the wonders of being a woman and Sakura was tempted to let her body speak for herself, allured by the handsome man in front of her and his ministrations and experience the result of blending both the physical and emotional sensations Sasuke was flaming inside of her.

The pink haired girl was on the verge of pushing him to the sofa behind him, climb him and give in to the irresistible temptation.

She couldn't even start to picture his hard sultry body rocking on her, inside her, everywhere and turn the puddle of burning magma from the pit of her lower abdomen into an explosion of burning pleasure, making her tremble in bliss, like he did back then, in his room.

Sakura felt the unbearable urge to feel him on her skin and let the mysterious devious young heir touch her and cover her body in his velvety touches, igniting the fire inside her and make her melt into him.

She was on the verge of taking his long finger, that was busy pleasuring her lips, into her mouth and have a taste of his appetizing skin, liking and sucking his digit, tasting the probably delicious flavor on her tongue, and the fact that she barely touched it with the tip of her tongue was not helping her case.

In her mind, Sakura was picturing herself doing it, being aware it was outrageous and weird, but she wanted to feel something tangible of him, the need for him growing with each second passing.

She realized she wanted him on both spiritual and physical levels, the amount of emotions her boss being able to awaken into her heart was amazing.

It was the most amazing feeling ever, to desire someone with such ardor and he was an amazing man, no matter what his past was and how many unfortunate things has he done.

The jaded eyed girl felt her boss let his palm slide to the back of her head, massaging the tensed muscles on her neck, forcing her let out a soft moan when the tension left her body, making her more relaxed and tilt her head slightly on her left side, bending his own head, leaning in at the perfect angle, ready to cover her soft lips with his own moist ones, in the much expected kiss.

Sakura felt her all muscles tremble in anticipation, wanting to scream at the slow peace Sasuke was deliberately moving, almost like wanting to tease her more.

The arrogant bastard knew exactly what she felt and that was why he was not rushing things, letting their noses touch and rub to each other, amplifying the tingling sensation on her face and stomach and forcing the redness on her face go down her neck as well. She was hot, she was sweaty and she was bothered.

"Still not answering, Sakura?" Sasuke whispered the words on her lips, in a low arousing smooth voice, the level of sexuality sending delectable vibrations down her body, resting in the pits of her stomach, making her queasy.

The said pink haired woman was afraid that if she talked to him, she will brush his lips in the process and somehow, she wanted him to make the first step, because she has never been kissed before and she was certain her lack of experience was going to ruin the moment.

But she did one mistake all right, because the moment the phone rung once more, she let go of Sasuke`s wrist and attempted to catch him out of guard and take the phone out of his hand, but she forgot who was she talking about.

Sasuke Uchiha was not the man one would catch out of guard, not even when he was in a difficult situation.

She should have remembered the way he saved her life in the club, by shooting that assassin when being drugged and drunk. And in that particular moment he was nothing like that.

Her body jumped in surprise, when Sasuke tightened his grip on the device, and as soon as she let go on his wrist, he removed his hand from her pocket, holding the ringing cell phone in between them, eyes not once leaving hers, the moment absolutely ruined for the second time that night.

When he was not able to feel his maid playing with his moon symbol from his hand, Sasuke acted on pure instinct, upon sensing what she was about to do, and out of reflex he prevented her from grabbing the small object and push him away. Not a chance.

And when he took a glimpse on the said offending device, his dark orbs went wide upon realizing it was not the pink phone he gave her, but a completely black big smart phone, looking customized, weird an expensive as hell. Ok, he wasn't expecting this, but what was there left to surprise him more?

He managed to pull himself together, God only knew how, and act like the gentleman he was.

Although the device was still ringing, he didn't check the ID of the caller. He realized it would have been a childish thing to do and he had no right in questioning her about who was she talking to.

He was holding the phone in between them, fixing Sakura with a heated stare, raising his eyebrow and urging her to do something. The woman in front of him looked like she has just run the marathon and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sinking at the middle of the race.

Well…Titanic hasn't managed to cross it either, which proved both the ship and the pink haired maid were soaked, shaking and sinking.

Sakura could not take her shining eyes from Sasuke`s jet Beryl ones, fascinated by the silver hue around his irises and the way they seemed to burn with emotion. She realized in stupor he has not done what everyone would have in his place, meaning to check for the caller.

For some twisted reason, he was silently telling her he decided to trust her once again. Why?

Was he expecting her to tell him everything, on her own accord or he simply didn't care? She was so confused and her body felt weak all of sudden, losing the adrenaline rush from before.

She was aware of the fact that the latest events and her worry for Sasuke made her lose sleep and take fewer meals. She was certain she even lost some weight in the process, because she was always dizzy whenever she stood up abruptly.

"I…" Any explanation he was about to give froze in her throat upon taking a peek at who has called her. _"Papa Oro…oh dear Lord, no, not now!"_

Sakura wanted to turn around and run from the house, not stopping until she reached the airport and take the first flight to the Jungle. If she was to be lucky, some Anaconda snake or a really hungry lion would be so kind to eat her and put and end to her misery.

"This…does not look like pink to me." Sakura`s head shot up and almost pulled a muscle of her neck in the process, her eyes darting in all directions not able to look into those raven dark penetrating eyes of Sasuke`s.

What should she say then? That she has bought it on a whim, with the money he has given her? A poor woman would not go and spend her savings on such things.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind, that sounded painfully alike her troubled conscience was whispering at her to tell him the truth once and for all and be done with all the lies.

If Sasuke really felt some sort of connection between them, he was going to understand and not judge her. Maybe on an idyllic scenario, he would even accept her and her secret past.

But she couldn't do it. Her mission always came first, that was what she has been taught and she would not falter, no matter how much it pained her heart to see the accusing staring her boss had and his disappointment in her.

She knew exactly that the raven haired Uchiha found it difficult to approach people and he couldn't even trust his own relatives, so she was just like his father from this point of view.

Another person to deceive him and show him how right he was in acting indifferent towards everyone and treat them like trash. _"I deserve it…his hate…"_

"Out of words?"

"I…it…this…is a…gift." The pink haired agent wanted to slap her head with something hard, preferably a baseball bat, for what she has told him.

It was obviously a blatant lie because she was supposed to not have any relative or know anyone in Japan.

She quickly named all the possibilities in her head: winning it to some contest at the local mall, some old neighbor showing her gratitude for helping her carry the grocery bags…not a chance, because no one would have given her a freaking phone and call her ever after.

"A gift? From who?"

In a moment of desperation, Sakura did the most unfortunate thing ever, it being even worse than serving him a lie not even his grandmother was going to believe and had the "pleasure" in seeing Sasuke`s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, when he heard her answer.

"I…I am having a boyfriend. He gave it to me."

"…."

"_Her what?!" _And the raven haired Uchiha let out a humorless sinister laugh, not able to contain himself.

He also took a step back and looked at the still blinking screen, reading the ID of the unknown man_. "Papa Oro? The fuck? Are they already on pet names basis? Is he a gigolo or something?"_

From all the answers Sakura could have served him, that was definitely a good one. He wasn't expecting her to tell him she was seeing someone, especially when she has been living in Japan for two weeks.

And who would want a woman that looked like his maid? Seriously, were the people nowadays blind or in desperate need for a good fuck?

But he couldn't help the feeling of possessiveness at the thought of someone else being close to he woman in front of him.

She was concealing her identity and it was crystal clear that she was not an ugly woman, and the thought of someone else there seeing her hidden inner just like the raven heir did, was making him furious.

"_Don't listen to her words, listen to her heart…"_ Those words were ringing into Sasuke`s conscience, but he hasn't realized at that time what they truly meant. So Sakura was having another man in her life? Then she was not that innocent as she let the others think.

Not only that, but they were calling each other on such late hours and giving each other presents. Then why was his maid not backing away from his touches like one should have when having someone else? Sasuke never had a real relationship, but he was certain that meant cheating.

Although…he was not bothered by the fact that he was the third wheel. What didn't sit right with them was the idea of sharing Sakura with someone else.

No, he viewed no one as a real competition, for he was certain no matter who his maid was seeing, if she was indeed seeing someone else, was inferior to him in any way.

And it was blatantly obvious Sakura was feeling attracted to him, reacting to every touch or caress, so maybe she was aware of the fact that they couldn't have any sort of relationship, so she was trying to shove him away from her mind and life.

Before he could help himself, Sasuke let his mouth formulate the question that was nagging his brain.

"Who is he?" The dark eyed Uchiha was basically spiting the words in disgust, her attitude losing the sensuality from before, getting ice cold, his tone accusing and his stare hard and stoic.

"Why should I tell you Sir? It is not like we are in any sort of relationship…" Sakura couldn't help but feel like shit.

She wanted so much to tell him it was a lie she had to tell for the sake of everyone and the fact that she was not able to do so was making her heart constrict.

She felt burning tears threaten to fall and she removed her deep green agate eyes from him, fixing a spot behind her left shoulder, not able to maintain the eye contact. Sakura was afraid he was going to see right through her, but secretly she so wanted him to do so. _"For once Sasuke…please don't pretend to believe me…"_

Upon hearing what his maid was telling him, Sasuke really thought he was going to slap the phone in his hand to the hard surface of the floor.

Of course, she was right and he knew it all to well. She was just his maid, nothing more and nothing less, that was the only thing that connected them.

But he could not pretend he didn't care anymore and the moment they have just shared was something he couldn't ignore and he was sure she couldn't ignore it either. And the fact that she turned her head and looked like she was about to cry was making his heart wince.

In all honesty, he couldn't care less if she was seeing another man, as if it would have been the first time for the raven haired Uchiha to have someone else`s woman. The amount of married or engaged women he had in his bed was rivaling Don Juan`s agenda.

But Sakura was not just another woman to use for his pleasure and he found himself forced to respect her and her decision, even though he was a breath away to steal a kiss from her, without the said maid trying to stop him.

Sasuke wanted to laugh when realization hit him. The reason why they couldn't have a kiss was because they were not free to do so. Life was getting in their way all the times.

_/For you to have her, she has to be only yours/_

True. The voice inside his head was definitely wise. As long as lies and secrets were staying between them, they were not going to give in to one another.

For the first time in his life, Sasuke realized that he had to fight to have **everything in his life**, because he was not entitled to get any thing he cast his eyes on.

The Uchiha heir threw the phone at his stunned maid, watching her clumsily catching the device, looking like she wanted to bury it or drop it. Wasn't one supposed to be happy when love was calling?

Another idea hit Sasuke`s brain at the moment. There was no way in hell she could have found a boyfriend looking like a beggar, in such a short amount of time to be so close to her, without an ulterior motive and Sakura was too smart to be fooled.

He knew Itachi and Naruto knew her beforehand, so the very idea of her dating one of them was not sounding so science fiction all of sudden and that angered him even more.

What if Sakura was seeing for instance Naruto and he came to visit her that day, the raven haired heir interrupting an intimate moment back then in the kitchen?

That changed the rules of the game completely. If Sakura was seeing his brother Sasuke was certain he was going to murder the two of them, no comment, with the very sword he used to decapitate those people, because he couldn't stand another betrayal coming from Itachi. And his blonde idiot friend seeing his maid was another more probable option.

He recalled the way Naruto spoke about Sakura as if he was describing a precious work of art, but Sasuke thought his friend was just laughing at him. What if he wasn't? He was dead serious when he admitted he found his maid to be beautiful and charming, so there was a possibility for them to be together.

"Really now? If you are so committed to him…why would you almost let me kiss you?"

"Who said I was not going to stop you?"

"The way you were trembling in anticipation when I almost did it."

Sasuke turned his back abruptly on his maid, took his black helmet from the sofa where he threw it when he got home, as well as his leather wallet from the coffee table and headed upstairs. He needed to calm the hell down or he was going to do some more murder.

As soon as Sasuke left the living room, Sakura threw her tired body on the sofa, burying her head on a small pillow, letting out a scream of agony.

She couldn't believe how stupid she was. She felt like crying and going after Sasuke explaining him she couldn't tell him why, but she was not able to look at another man beside him.

She watched at the screen seeing that she had 30 missed calls from Orochimaru. She wanted to talk to her Papa so much, but she couldn't have hated him more than she did in that very particular moment for ruining her chances of kissing her boss.

She dragged her body upstairs in her room and pulled her laptop out of her bag, opening it and attempted to load the internet. It worked.

So Orochimaru was trying to contact her and let her know they could talk. She clicked on the DIAL key and waited. Damn stupid internet connection ruined her life.

"_Cherry? Finally, I was just two calls away to put my pride aside and call one of the Akatsuki members in Tokyo and ask them about you."_

Orochimaru was dead worried for his precious student. After everything that happened, nothing would have surprised him further. And the fact that they didn't manage to find out who stole the secret documents was taking a toll on him.

"Papa Oro…my God you couldn't have found a worse moment to call me!" Sakura was lying on her back, looking at the laptop screen upside down, like a baby.

"_Seriously? Did I interrupt something important?" _

"YESSS! You called me just when I was talking to Sasuke and I had to lie to him and tell I am seeing someone for him to not become suspicious on me." Sakura was tomato red, not even able to face the image of her sensei.

Orochimaru snorted loudly at that, visibly amused by the cute pouting on Sakura`s face. He really found her absolutely adorable when angry. _"Well, I know you are on a mission Cherry, but Papa understands you are a grown up woman now and you have your needs…"_

"Stop right there, Oro! Just don't start talking like Karin and your crazy wife, I had enough of heir mockery already!"

If there was something Sakura really appreciated at Orochimaru was the fact that he knew when to be discreet and not invade the other`s privacy, unlike some people with red hair she knew.

"_Ok ok, I am sorry. I couldn't resist, you are too adorable sometimes. Well, I am sure you know the reason I called you and I am pretty sure you wanted to contact me as well."_

The Otokage leaned further in his chair, resting his back on the comfortable surface, dead tired. He and Tsunade didn't have more than 20 hours of sleep…in the last week. He was barely keeping his amber eyes open.

"Papa Oro, I don't even know where to start from." Sakura massaged her temple with her fingers, her emerald eyes shut. Damn that throbbing headache. "I am sure you are aware of the fact that Sasuke has been drugged, aren't you?"

"_Yes, Tsunade has informed me of this. And before you ask, I must let you know I am well aware of the club incident and Amy Watanabe`s death."_

"What you don't know Papa, is the fact that Sasuke Uchiha, my stupid arrogant boss is not only having the same symptoms Tsunade shishou described when I called her, regarding your super ultra secret project which you have to tell me everything about, but he is having freaking paranormal powers and the LSD seemed to be the trigger of it."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at that, not quite impressed. _"Paranormal powers? You mean extrasensory perception?"_

"Yes that one!"

"_What are you talking about Cherry, I am sure everyone would have found out if the young Uchiha was able to communicate with the dead ones or levitate."_

Sakura rolled on the bad, landing on her tummy, facing her paternal figure. Was he accusing her of imagining things? "Oro, I am almost certain Sasuke is able to manipulate electricity or electromagnetism around him and I swear I am not lying."

"_He is able to what?"_ The Otokage was sure half of his mind was slowly drifting to sleep.

He was in his office, not able to stand on his feet or take more of those stupid white walls from the secret lab, so he went upstairs to steal some minutes of sleep, while Tsunade was cursing and punching things in anger, sorting files.

Of course he wanted to find out about the raven haired Uchiha and his symptoms, after his conversation with Tsunade, but he was doing his best to act disinterested in front of his daughter, to not let her be unnecessary worried.

"Remember when I called you and told you Sasuke is having a very powerful electromagnetic field surrounding his office?" the Sound leader nodded once, urging her to continue.

"I got the results from Shino and you are not going to believe it, but he told me they matched the frequency from the Shiseido Ginza incident, but beat our suspect`s intensity. Shino believes that it was the one to jam our devices and it is the very same field surrounding the Mangekyou HQ in that very moment.

Also, he told me there is no other device to emit such electromagnetism on the Earth, the only one coming close to it being at CERN, but is experimental.

Also, when I was in the office alone with him, I realized my boss is nullifying the powerful electromagnetism to protect the ones around him from the harmful effect!"

Orochimaru had an unreadable expression on his face. From Sakura`s point of view, he was sleeping with his eyes opened_. "So what you are trying to tell me is that you think LSD has caused your boss to act like one of the Power Puff Girls?"_

"To put it simply yes. But those animated characters are way cuter…_that bastard is not cute, he is freaking sexy as hell_…"

Orochimaru rubbed his blood shot tired eyes with his palms. _"Cherry…I am sure you must have misunderstood something, because I find this hard to believe. _

_Tsunade told you about those four people we used as test subjects, but there is more to that story than this. Some isolated symptoms are not enough to go as far as to declare him a psychic."_

"I know Oro and this is precisely why I wanted to hear your opinion. I don't know what to believe anymore and I know I might overreact, but I cannot ignore some facts. Sasuke is not a normal man and everything he does is out of ordinary.

Papa I must tell you something. Has shishou told you about his wall drawings as well?"

Orochimaru nodded once. Yes, he knew what Sakura was talking about. _"You mean those weird formulas and questionable Greek words?"_

"Those were complicated formulas and hieroglyphs Papa, can you believe it?! Who in the world takes LSD and turns into a freaking Jean-François Champollion all of sudden?"

Sakura was doing her best not to raise her tone more, because her boss was in the other room, probably being able to hear her. She vaguely heard the shower running.

"_LSD is a very powerful substance, with many possible consequences, so we cannot be sure how one will react to this, Cherry."_ In his mind, Orochimaru was putting two and two together, digging in the information Sakura was telling him. The four subject tests and Uchiha Sasuke…

"I know, I have studied the effects intently for the past week and this is not normal. What is worse is that I found out that Sasuke`s past has to deal with some very bad experiences, including drugs and someone knows about this because they barged into his house, fooling me and covering everything in fresh paint and stole some of his things.

Papa Oro, those people knew exactly what to do and what to replace, because they were probably spying on Sasuke!"

Orochimaru furrowed his eyebrows at that. He didn't like how that sounded. _"How were they able to spy on you if you have your devices and cameras installed in the house?"_

"Because of that stupid electromagnetic field from Sasuke`s office! No fucking camera or microphone works in there as long as my boss is not around to drop the levels, this is why I tell you he has some hidden powers, because they managed to do it while he was in the office.

And when I asked him about who has visited that haunted room recently, he told me that besides him, there were me, Uzumaki and his father. And the bastard is suspecting the three of us for wanting to rob him and harm him!"

"_It doesn't look too good. My dear, you do realize those people might be Lorane, don't you? Besides, they managed to kill another influential heir, Amy Watanabe and the events might be more than linked."_

Sakura stood on her knees, because she was yawning constantly, wanting nothing more than let her head hit the pillow and enter a semi comatose state.

" I know, but I assure you I am keeping a close eye on him. Besides, Sasuke looks aware of someone wanting to kill his ass, because he is always on guard. And his judgment and intelligence rivals your own Papa. I feel stupid compared to him."

"_I am glad to hear he is on guard as well, but don't let him discover you."_

The Sound agent was tired, sad and troubled, but she couldn't help the feeling of her Papa being too relaxed over the situation.

Of course, the Otokage was always calm and collected, analyzing things and not rushing to conclusions, but it was weird. Like he was hiding something from her.

"_Cherry, what Tsunade has told you about the four people having similar behavior as the young Uchiha heir, were all part of a bigger project we called the AURA project and it had to do with the effects of the LSD on people born with innate extrasensory perception, their skills manifesting when they ingested the psychedelic substance. _

_I will not get into all the details, because that would take me hours and you do not need to know at this point, but I feel the need to let you know someone has bugged CIA`s network, blocking the internet access to enter our base and steal all the documents relating the project we are talking about. _

_The only files they didn't get their hands on are the ones Tsunade took home to study further."_

Sakura`s mouth hit the floor upon hearing that. "What? They robbed you from all the people, are you serious Papa? Omg this is no coincidence, so Lorane is already making their move!"

The Sound agent got off the bad, starching her back, thinking hard. "It they managed to get so close to us means they can harm us when they feel like, which is awful! We are all in danger!"

"_That might be right my dear Blossom, but don't be so negative. If they could have eliminated us so easily, I assure you they would have done so."_

"But what does Lorane want your research for? Are they all LSD addicts or something?"

"_Probably not. The reason remains a mystery to us as well. We are trying to relate everything to what Jirayia has told us about the Freemasonry and reach a conclusion. _

_Also, Tsunade and I are trying to track the ones that stole from us and prevent the research to be made known. If someone finds out what was CIA secretly doing, people will lose faith in us."_

"And Lorane is going to take the chance to make us lose credibility and eliminate us from the inside!" Realization hit the pink haired agent full force.

The thought of Lorane being interested in such secret experiments and being in the possession of files that could destroy the Sound and the entire CIA organization was mind numbing.

CIA was the most efficient way of dealing with the criminality all over the world, so if the organization disappears so does the global security. And the look on her mentor's worn out face confirmed her fears. She fisted her hands in her messy hair.

"Does Akatsuki know about the robbery?"

"_No. Like I told you, this project is top secret and I would like to remind you not to let a word out about this. We are dealing with the problem, but we cannot afford to involve other people."_

"What is so special and terrifying about the AURA project anyways? Why is it top secret?"

"_Because we used human experiments, which was illegal, as well as CIA used them as their agents. Their bodies might be the key to understand immortality…in a way."_

"_What the fuck?"_ The rosette couldn't help but relate everything she heard of, with Sasuke. Immortality?

Was her protector working too much or he and the Sound members decided to test drugs and get high all of sudden? From paranormal activity to immortality…what a show. Sakura was going to be nuts at the end of the mission.

"Heh…and here I thought I only had to guard someone. Now I have to be a ghost hunter as well. CIA doesn't pay me enough for this."

"_This is why I told you not to bother with that and focus your energy into not letting Lorane get close to the Uchiha heir. Have you read the economy and business magazines?"_

"You know my passion is fashion Papa. Those things related to business are boring me to no end."

"_That is too bad, because you would have a general idea of what exactly is Lorane trying to accomplish."_

Sakura got curious at that. The only reason she opened up such magazines was to ogle at the handsome rich men, not read the content. Hell even Sasuke was hating all that had to do with business, and he was a company heir. "What do you mean?"

"_The statistics are no good. Not only the biggest heirs are murdered all over the world, but some smaller companies that depended on them are closing and people are losing their jobs._

_If this goes on, I am afraid we are going to face another economic crisis, sooner than you could imagine."_

Sakura was no specialist in the field, but what Orochimaru was telling her didn't sound too good. If they managed to somehow pull off such a scheme, then murdering Sasuke would have been in vain.

"Papa, if they mange to destabilize the world`s economy and take over, it would be chaos. This sounds like a well planned world domination scenario to me."

The Otokage crossed his hand over his dark brown hair, brushing away some strands that feel on his eyes. He was glad his self proclaimed daughter Sakura was a smart woman and caught his meaning.

He couldn't imagine dealing with imbecile people like Akatsuki. That Uzumaki kid and Inuzuka Kiba were pure idiots. Well…so was Hidan, but he was rather weird than stupid. Or both.

"_And I am afraid you are not far from the truth my dear. This is what I have in mind for some time. The safest way for the Freemasonry to come from the shadows and take over the world is to successfully control all the economy fields. And as you know, they are already doing it."_

"I think I can get an idea. Now that you mentioned it, Sasuke the imbecile is always complaining of something about maintaining his stocks` to its original value on the auction market. But from what I have seen, he managed to do so until now…_and he sacrifices his hours of sleeping for this_…"

"_Your boss is skilled. To come as the second most successful business man at this age and in this context is pretty amazing if you were to ask me."_

"Skilled? Pfff I talked a bit to the Uzumaki kid and he told me things about his past. He is a freaking genius…well an evil one I would say…but still genius."

Orochimaru eyed his pager which started beeping which meant there was an emergency or one of the agents was having troubles. _"Give me a freaking break, all I ask for is an hour of sleep…"_ The Otokage of the Sound wanted to talk more to Sakura and complain about his crazy pregnant wife and her stupid painting that she was worshipping, but he was running out of time.

"_Cherry, I got to go. Duty calling. Keep me updated with everything. I will call you later to check on you. I sent you a motorcycle like you asked me. A CIA agent is going to contact you for details, more likely by tomorrow morning."_

Sakura was sad she couldn't talk to her Papa more. She was really troubled after her conversation with Sasuke and the idea of her boss not getting closer to her because he thought she was already in a relationship was killing her slowly. She really needed him more than ever. But she knew he had stuff to do as their Leader.

"I wish we could talk more…I miss you Papa Oro…so much…" She let her head down, not wanting Orochimaru to see her unshed tears.

Not that she was able to hide a thing from him anyways. Just like her boss, the Sound leader was reading her like an open book, from the moment they met.

Orochimaru`s heart clenched when he saw his precious Cherry Blossom in the verge of crying. He wanted nothing more than to call her back and send someone else to guard on the Uchiha heir. But he knew it was not possible.

"_I know Cherry and I miss you just as much. Remember, I am here for you no matter what, and Anko and Tsunade as well. Even that excentric friend of yours, Karin. _

_You are not alone in this."_ He gave her a small encouraging smile. He knew that standing beside a man like the young Uchiha was hard, but there was no other choice.

"_Keep your guard up dear and remember to pay attention. This world is shaking. Lorane is gaining power."_

"I know Papa…I know." And the pink haired agent closed her laptop, letting tears finally slip from her glistening jaded eyes, not able to contain them any longer.

She was tired as hell, both mentally and physically and she was certain that no matter how many hours of sleeping she would get, she was not going to be better.

And her sobs were getting more powerful as the time passed. She felt so lonely and abandoned all of sudden and it was all because of her. She was the one keeping Sasuke away from herself and he has just acted accordingly.

She was lying in a fetal position in the bed, with her knees bent on her chest, resting her head on her crossed arms, crying.

That was a disaster, not only was she physically attracted to Sasuke but she started to fall for him as well, which was not good. There she was in front of a possibly world decline because of the Freemasonry and all she had in mind was the onyx eyed Uchiha`s disappointed look and retreating back.

Sakura didn't bother to open up her laptop aware of the fact that she could see well because of the angry tears clouding her view, cascading over her cheeks and wetting the soft mattress of the bed, but took her damned phone and pressed the necessary keys, putting the device on her ear, waiting for the red headed woman to answer. She prayed to all the Gods she would do, because she desperately needed someone to talk to.

She did on the fifth call.

"_Sakura?"_ Upon hearing the groggy voice of her best friend, Sakura started to sob even louder, covering her mouth with her free hand, to prevent her boss to hear her from the other room.

"…Rinnnnn." Karin has just returned from a very tiring mission in which she had to dye her red hair green and wear pierces, to blend with the gang drug dealers she had spent a week with. And the freaking cheap hair dye was not washable, which was driving the Sound seductress crazy.

But the sound of a crying Sakura made her alert in no time. In her mind, Karin was going to beat the crap out of anyone stupid enough to anger her pink haired friend. The red headed Uzumaki female loved Sakura like a sister.

"_Cherry, wassup girl? Are you crying? OMG who am I going to strangle? Don't tell me is Uchiha because I am going to snap!"_

The sound of her boss` name was making Sakura`s stomach clench painfully. "Kariiiiiinnnnn I screw it up big times and I don't know what to do! He is mad at me and I don't want him to not talk to me anymore!"

"_Oh Heavens, what happened now?" _

"Papa called me on the phone and Sasuke was there as well and he knew I don't have a phone, because that is the reason why he gave me one in the first place.

And he managed to take my phone off my pocket and I had to lie and tell him I have a boyfriend and…sob…it is a gift from him."

"…" Karin was left speechless. Just what the hell was her virgin friend doing, because the red headed thought of taking the first flight to Tokyo and solve the problem…her way. Then an idea struck her. Why not take advantage of the twisted situation?

"…Rin you there? C`mon say something just don't shut up because if you do I am going to lose my mind for real." Sakura was aware that she was crying and her voice was a bit too loud, but she didn't care. She secretly hoped Sasuke fell asleep or better died.

"_Cherry I cannot believe you, you are…a freaking GENIUS!"_ Sakura fell of the bed. For real. And she pulled the covers with her as well. What was her friend smocking, because of course, she was insane, but that was even too much, even for her.

"What the fuck are you talking about Karin, are you pregnant or Sasuke-syndrome is spreading. Haven't you paid attention to what I was telling you?"

"_Of course I was and this is why I am praising you. Thing about it Sakura. What has Anko told you?"_

Sakura roamed through her memory, searching for a valuable piece of information coming from that insane woman`s mouth, regarding the previous conversation. "Something about paying attention to Sasuke`s actions and not let him play me."

"_Exactly! And you did the best thing possible. Remember, men are hunters and that Uchiha is definitely one of them, which means he doesn't want a woman that would open up her legs for him whenever he breathes in her general direction. _

_A bitchy attitude is useful, but is not going to take you further than his bed, honey. And what you want from him is definitely not to have him inside your vagina, but your heart as well, I suppose."_

"Yeah…I guess you are right…but I still don't understand how is this….little philosophy on men`s psychology is going to help my case."

Sakura would never get used to her friend`s dirty language. And the easiness in her demeanor upon speaking about such private actions was stunning her.

"_Let me finish. As I was saying, men in general don't want an easy prey, with the exception of Hidan and Jirayia, but those are clinical cases and I am not going to talk about them._

_The male of the species wants to fight for a woman and take much pleasure in the fact that he won her heart, you got it?"_

"….somehow…"

"_Good. Which means, if you told your hot boss that you are seeing someone else, you silently told him the fact that you are not available for the moment and that has probably awoken his predator instinct. _

_And knowing that man he is probably willing to go to Hell and back for a pussy he finds worth."_ Karin secretly pitied her innocent little pink dyed friend like seriously. She missed so many things a woman was enjoying, that was driving her nuts.

Sure, her emerald eyed CIA colleague`s pureness was attracting many stares and the fact that she has managed to keep her soul untainted was admirable in the modern society, but she should seriously need to give in to the temptations from time to time.

"So you are telling me that Sasuke freaking Uchiha is going to fight a man that is not real, not even in my brain and win the ugliest poorest dirtiest looking maid of his heart? Karin are you sure you haven't forgotten your brain in some hairstyle salon?"

"_As much as I would like to agree with you, no, my brain is fine, thank you very much. Now back to our point, yes._

_This is exactly what he is going to do. I don't know if you remember but there was an old article from a gossip magazine two years ago involving Sasuke and that very rich ballerina from Switzerland."_

Sakura furrowed her delicate eyebrows in concentration. At least the tears stopped for a moment. Karin had a way of talking to people similar to Naruto`s that had a calming effect on her audience. "I don't remember."

"_Well it was quite the scandal if you ask me. The story went something along the lines of your boss meeting this gorgeous talented blonde ballerina, during a spectacle in Vienna. _

_They talked to each other to the after party and someone saw the two of them leaving to a hotel, spending the night. _

_The Uchiha family probably took care of the media, but from what I heard, that woman left her husband and even attempted to contact Sasuke to try a relationship. _

_They were spotted in some Casino in Monte Carlo, where they were probably doing it like rabbits on heat, in all available places, then Sasuke returned to Japan, alone."_

Sakura knew what kind of man Sasuke was all too well, because Naruto has told her. But she had difficulties in accepting her boss destroying other`s families, just for his mere pleasure. But she understood what Karin was telling her and it made sense.

"Well that was quite the story, I admit. Although it bothers me a bit."

"_What? The fact that he had many women? Don't delude yourself into thinking he is a saint Cherry, because we know just how much of a manwhore Sasuke is. But you can dream of being the last one to be by his side, forever._

_I mean c`mon Cherry, that dude is what…25? Heirs like them are probably forced by their families to marry and produce heirs to inherit their stupid fortune or whatever shit those people think about. If you don't move fast, someone else will steal Sasuke from you." _

Now that didn't cross Sakura`s mind. Karin was right. A man like Sasuke Uchiha had thousands of rich women, with a good background eying him and hoping to become the future Mrs. Uchiha. That was a train that was not waiting for her.

"Wait….why do you make it sound like I want a relationship with Sasuke whatsoever?"

"_Pffff….please Cherry, don't even try to deny it in front of me, because I know you better than my own shoes collection."_

"You don't even know all of your shoes."

"_That's why I said better. Back to the point, the fact that you told him the fact that you have a boyfriend was a good move. If he wants you, let him come and get you. _

_Of course, you should play your part as well, meaning let him boil a little bit inside and don't give in to his charms, although I know that might be really difficult."_

"Oh you have no idea…but I think you might be right."

"_Of course I am right, after all, aren't I the Sound`s number one seductress? And what do you mean I have no idea?_

_Wait a second…Cherry you said your Papa has interrupted a moment with Sasuke. And I am willing to bet all the shoes I don't even remember on the fact that it was an intense one. Am I right?"_

Sakura was blushing madly at their almost there kiss and the feelings they shared back then in the living room. How could she have explained that to her friend?

"Actually…it was much more than that. Rin I cannot even begin to understand what I was feeling, but remember when I told you Sasuke might have some sort of…hidden abilities?"

"…_I don't think you told me about this Cherry. What are you talking about?"_

"Never mind that then. The fact is…he…I…was able to feel…him…I mean his heart…I don't know, it is difficult to describe, but for a moment I felt a wave of intense joy and pleasure when I held his hand and I am sure he felt it as well.

Then he attempted to kiss me. Well…actually he did something even more erotic before Oro interrupted us."

"_Yeah…you kinda speak Chinese but I think I got the meaning…in a way. Wait…he attempted to kiss you more than once?"_

"Yes. I was eating spaghetti and I haven't realized a longer piece of pasta was hanging from my mouth, so he came closer to me, took the other hand on his mouth and engulfed all of it, until his lips came closer to mine…and the phone rang."

Karin threw her head backwards, comically, slapping her forehead with her hand. She realized she had dye remover on her palm. And now she glued all of it on her forehead. _"Oh freaking hell…that shit cost me $100 dollars."_

"_Are you freaking me?! I swear that snake faced leader of us is such a cockblocker sometimes! _

_And there I was preparing myself mentally for the grand moment of you two sharing that damn kiss already. Seriously, just how many failures do you guys have, considering the fact that this is Sasuke Uchiha we are talking about?" _

Sakura was just as disappointed as her friend…and bothered. God the wetness in between her legs was cold and bothersome, because it reminded her of how much she really wanted something to happen.

"I know, I honestly wanted him to do it as well, but for some twisted reason…when we try to kiss, something is happening."

"_I think is fate, playing with you guys, testing your attraction for each other."_

"Fate? Please Rin do not talk about that, you sound like that weirdo Hyuga and that is the last thing I need."

"_God forbids, do not put me on the same sentence as that man, I detest him!"_

"Ok sorry. By the way, that fiancé of his meet me last week under the false pretext of thanking me for saving their useless asses, but she ended up insulting me.

I swear I wanted to plant my foot down her mouth, mission undercover be damned! I get angry just when I hear her name."

"_What? Omg I cannot believe that whore to treat you like that. But Cherry, what can you ask from that people, you know just how much of a bunch of losers are they. That cousin of mine especially. By the way, did he come to see you after all?"_

"You mean Naruto? Well that was unexpected, but he was actually really honest with me and dare I say…friendly? He brought me the best Tiramisu ever and he said it was made by your aunt Kushina."

Karin was silent for a moment, thinking about her family. She was aware of the fact that the blonde idiot and his mother have treated her respectfully, even going as far as to personally come and look for her, but she couldn't.

She couldn't open up to them like Kushina wanted. The cuts were still there and they were deep. She needed time to overcome her past. Just like her jaded eyed friend.

"_Well…what can I say, that woman has got skills. But dear, don't be fooled by those people, you know how deceiving they can be."_

"Karin maybe you will not going to believe it, but I found myself enjoying Naruto`s company. He told me some things about Sasuke that made me realize I know nothing about him after all, and it was helpful.

I think he did it because he sensed my hesitation." Sakura knew Akatsuki were good at lying and manipulating people, but she couldn't picture the blonde Uzumaki in that role. He was just so different from them and had another vision of things.

Karin didn't like how that was going. Sakura sounded like she was befriending an Akatsuki which was unacceptable. This was not how things worked. But she wasn't going to be a total hypocrite and not give her cousin credit for his genuine intentions.

No matter how much Sound and Akatsuki hated each other, Sakura needed a friend to be close to her in Japan and if Naruto was willing to assume that role, Karin was not going to discourage her.

But she silently planned the cerulean eyed man`s funerals if he was going to just make fun of her.

"_Cherry, you know how much I loathe the Akatsuki members, my blonde retarded cousin as well. But if he can make you feel slightly better and even going as far as to share some secrets as well, I am not going to tell you to shove him off._

_Besides…you have an imaginary boyfriend now, isn't it?"_ Oh that stupid substance was getting sticky and Karin looked like an alien, emerging from a slug`s mouth. It was disgusting.

Sakura didn't like what she was hearing. Sure her boss was going to find out she doesn't have any lover in no time, she was sure of it, but she really hoped the raven haired man would put that aside and not ask anymore questions.

"Aaa….yeah. But what does he have to do with my imaginary friends?"

"_Are you kidding me? What better way to make a man jealous than to let him believe you are hooked up with his best friend? And we all know Naruto is head over heels for you. Why not use that to your benefit then?"_

"I cannot believe you Rin, how can you even suggest to use a honest and innocent man like Naruto like that?

Sasuke is already suspicious on us because he saw us almost embracing each other in his freaking house, and if I go and tell him we have a relationship he is going to skin us alive. I am sure he can do it no problem."

"_I didn't say you tell him you are in a relationship with Naruto. I told you to let him believe you have an affair. There is a difference between stupidity and subtlety you know?"_

"Yeah, but there is no difference in cheating and deceiving you know?" Sakura was never going to agree to her friend, no matter how logical and tempting that might have sounded. She saw the way her boss was eying them in the kitchen and it was anything but pleasant.

"_But you are not cheating on him because as far as I am concerned you two are not having a relationship. Ok, maybe you do but you are not aware of it and that Uchiha is holding back for god only knows what reason."_

The pink haired agent knew what Karin was talking about. It was absurd because she was right, they didn't have any sort of romantic relationship, but it was difficult to deny the unexplainable attraction and it was confusing. "I know, but I feel there is something going on between us, but I don't have a name for it."

"_And this is why I tell you to play your cards right and sort out your feelings. Who do you expect to tell you what is going on between you and that hot ass boss of yours, Santa? It is crystal clear that he doesn't just want to do you and get over it._

_He is taking his time to build the tension or some cheesy shit like this. Pay attention to what is he going to do next, now that he knows you have a boyfriend. Will he try to attract you more or will he give up?"_

"Oh my God Rin, what if he indeed believed this stupid lie and he is going to ignore me from now on? I am going to pull out what is left from my hair if this happens."

"_Fuck Cherry, this dude got you under his skin for real. Well if this happens you can always tell him the truth."_

"What truth?"

"_All of it."_

"Are you nuts?! I cannot go there and tell him I am here to baby sit him from the evil Lorane, this is even worse than lying to him about meeting imaginary boyfriends of his best friend!"

In all honesty, the red headed woman was sick about her friend`s struggles because that damn CIA job. She could have cared less about Orochimaru and his stupid mission as well. If her friend had a chance to find happiness in the arms of that Uchiha heir, so be it.

"_Then carry on with what you do. But remember a thing: if he is willing to fall for his poor ugly looking maid and embarrass himself and his family in the high society, then I don't think he is going to be so bothered by your secret job."_

"Huh…yeah, because what I do is moral and respectable. Rin, I am fucking killing people in case you forgot?"

"_Maybe. But you don't know everything about him as well."_ The red headed Uzumaki agent smirked at that. She got Sakura there. Honestly, in her mind, Karin was certain those people already had feelings for each other, it was just so obvious. But denial was in trend apparently.

"I am an idiot." Sakura looked at the clock. It was 2 am. Another sleepless night. She secretly wondered what was Sasuke doing. Or if he heard her. She was kinda loud when venting out.

"_No, you are just a virgin, but that is not a problem. You just need a little push in the right direction…or dick, but we are going to talk about that later."_

Sakura hid her head under the pillow in shame. Leave it to her demented friend to make her shy and exploit her inexperienced state. The bitch. "Karin I don't understand how your mind works…"

"_Mia cara amica, my brains works out just fine. But I cannot say the same about this stupid dye remover…honestly, why is it always our hair the one to suffer after a mission?"_

"Tell me about it…" The Sound agent combed her fingers through her short hair, thinking about her once long chocolate tresses in regret. She understood Karin perfectly.

"You know…bob is in fashion this spring."

"_Yeah, but it only looks good with an oval face like yours honey."_

"I can imagine…by the way, you would not believe who I just humiliated in the Dior shop today!" That brought the emerald eyed assassin much joy. That woman was entertaining when angry.

"_Who who who? Let me guess…a famous singer, a bald actor, an overrated teen idol, a model?"_ Karin was in for any latest hot gossip. She and her equally crazy virgin friend were always picking on annoying people whenever they got the chance.

"You got it right Rin with the last guess. I met Ino Yamanaka at the mall and she started to badmouth me because in her opinion, I am not entitled to be there."

"…_loooollllll for real? OMG Cherry this is priceless, maybe I can hack the security systems and see a recording! Wait…what is that slut doing in Tokyo anyways? Last time I checked, she was whoring herself in Indonesia, probably fucking some ancient Balinese statues."_

"I have no idea. But it was funny as hell. I swear she is not only a hooker, but she is stupid as fuck as well."

"_I can imagine nothing good would come out of that inexistent brain of hers."_

"Well probably yes…how are you by the way? Got a difficult mission?" Sakura was afraid her best friend was going to end the call and in all honesty she didn't want to be left alone.

If she was alone, she was going to think about things that bothered her. And Sasuke was one of those things. And she didn't want to think about him because it made he cry.

Karin swore she was going to take a scissor and cut those stupid locks. That or go to a professional salon and dye those stupid green strands in something more…less weird.

"_ . Cherry! I had to wear the stupidest things ever and blend with some punkers that belonged to some drug traffic gang and seduce their leader."_

"Sounds like shit. Was he hot at least?"

"_Fuck no! He was shorter than me and his cock was smaller than my lipstick! That was one of the worst fucks in my life!"_

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her friend. She was being selfish because she knew the red headed Uzumaki was tired and probably disgusted with herself for her job, but the conversation was calming her. And she knew that Karin probably wanted to vent out as well. "Hahahaha…you…you are unbelievable you know?"

"_Me? That small thing was unbelievable! By the way, I met Sasori on my way home and he says hi and asks you if you need some of his new poison to laugh at your boss."_

"….is he lacking test subjects or the lab rats finally filled in a lawsuit?"

"_Well he kinda tested on Hidan but you know nothing can harm that man. I swear if you chop off his head, he is still going to laugh like a demented crazy person. Sadistic weirdos."_

Sakura missed all the Sound gang like crazy. Sure, they were all insane she was aware, but they had their funny moments. "You are probably right…Rin…can you please talk to me more? I know you are tired but I…"

"_Don't even mention it. I will have enough time to rest in peace when I die. Besides…I have to totally tell you about my new neighbor, I swear he looks like Brad Pitt and to top it all he has the habit to mow the lawn half naked every morning and…"_

Sakura had no idea when she fell asleep listening to Karin`s funny stories, but her tired body welcomed the dreamless sleep. She has been more than worn out.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

Same time, unknown location

He was more than angry. He was fuming and the big hole in the door was a good proof of that. Someone has managed to delay his plan and find him out and that was unacceptable. And when his phone started to ring, he knew exactly who it was.

He grabbed the device and answered the offending machine, his voice harsh and guttural. The ruthless man was also tipsy. "WHAT!"

"_You are an idiot! I remember clearly warning you to pay attention to those kids, and they managed to trick you and probably discover some clues that would finally lead them to us!"_ The other person talking to the other end of the call was just as furious.

"Don't you dare raise your tone at me! Besides, you are the imbecile that wasn't able to make sure those goods were going to safely be shipped to me!

Do I need to remember you it was you fucking job to make sure no one would track our guys? And what have you done instead? Solving crosswords?"

"_My job? It was you who told them to delay the shipment, why are you blaming me for your incompetence? Besides, what do you need that shit for anyways, I thought you managed to steal some related documents from the CIA? Tell me they didn't discover that as well."_

"How many times do I have to explain you that we need all the information, otherwise is not going to work.

And don't make fun at me, of course those imbeciles were not able to catch me. For all I know, they are still working on the virus I put in their system. The fall of the network connections gave me enough time to cover any traces."

"_Thanks God. At least you didn't fail that as well. I am getting sick of your stupid mistakes. Besides, the person you send to deal with the Mangekyou problem is the worse step you could have taken. I don't trust that man at all. He is going to betray us."_

"Are you that dumb or you just want to piss me off more? I basically pulled him out of his misery and saved his freaking company, he sold his soul to me and hell is what he is going to face if he betrays me."

"_Huh yeah…because your plans always work. You are the one that has been tricked by a bunch of teenagers, that made a fool of you with every chance they got. You are going to drag us down and I am going to hunt you down if this happens."_

"Let me enlighten you with something, my dear atheist friend. I have the feeling that is not just about them here."

"_What are you talking about?"_

"My guess is that there is someone else involved. CIA is not the one that killed my four henchmen and got the stuff we wanted, from them."

"_Do you suggest there is another organization spying on us, having the same plans? I find this hard to believe. Besides…have you seen their corpses? Someone fucking decapitated them and disappeared without a trace. Whoever did it knew his job."_

"That's right. And this is why I am afraid we have to rush things up a bit. Don't worry for that man, I can guarantee for him with my own life."

"_You better be right, or else your mere life is not going to be enough to make up for the loss."_

The line went dead. Things were getting complicated and he knew it. There were too many people involved and too many things to do.

But he was going to succeed. His plan was perfect, he knew it. Only…there was a little problem to be dealt with. He was going to make sure no one was going to stand in between him and the world domination next time he moved his finger.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

Next morning, Japan, Narita International Airport

Sakura was…she was many things in that moment. For instance hungry. Apparently she crying half of the night was not good for her system.

And tired. Oh Heavens her feet and back was killing her. She was also hearing a constant ringing in her left ear, probably from spending too much time on the phone with Karin. But most of all, she was irritated.

Orochimaru promised she is going to have her motorcycle sent today and he was indeed a man of his words. And the Otokage was smart enough to send her a driving license for both mopeds and cars driving license, so she wouldn't repeat a club incident.

But never in her life would have she imagined her Papa had some sort of black humor to send her a freaking ancient moped, painted pink and white, that looked like Napoleon`s grandmother used it in her high school days.

Of course Sakura was not stupid and she knew all too well that a poor looking woman on a Ducati or Honda motorcycle would have attracted a lot of attention, but for Fuck`s sake, that thing looked like it was made from materials recovered from Titanic.

A CIA agent that came to investigate some deaths she was not aware of, has landed with a private jet that morning and her mentor found it convenient for the pink haired agent to meet him and have her vehicle delivered.

She looked at the man in front of her, who seemed a little amused by the situation. Either he wanted to laugh at the way she was dressed or at her angry comical face upon seeing what she was supposed to drive through the crowded streets of Tokyo. Probably both.

Of course the agent knew who she was, everyone from CIA knew Athena of the Sound, but to see the gorgeous looking young lady in those clothes was a sight to behold. The emerald eyed woman felt like punching him in the face.

"Well, this is it Miss. Haruno. Otokage-sama asked me to personally deliver you this…present. Here is your driver`s license as well."

The Sound agent took the documents from her colleague, muttering a small thank you for the effort.

"Whatever. If this prehistorically relic is still intact after traveling all the way from Italy, I suppose it is stable enough for me to drive it…_this or I am going to end my CIA career in glory_."

The said man let out a soft laugh, visibly entertained. Of course, all the agents had at least an undercover mission in their career so he knew at least one funny event would eventually come.

"Do you have a place to hide it?"

The pink haired girl thought about that intently. It was not like she could have hide it in Sasuke`s garage. Not that he lacked space, but she wasn't able to justify a mere phone. A vehicle belonging to her would have been even more suspicious.

"Yeah. There is a small supermarket in the neighborhood I live in and they provide free parking lots for any of their clients. I am going to leave it there, it is not like this thing is going to attract any attention."

"Good. Then I will take my leave. Got stuff to do. Good luck with your mission, Miss."

"Thanks. You too."

After the two agents parted ways, Sakura put the white helmet (at least it was not pink, she didn't want to look like an ice cream) and got on the said bike, folding the foot peg out, turning the key in the ignition.

The emerald eyed agent knew how to drive a motorcycle all too well. She, Karin and Hidan enjoyed riding to the high ways, during nighttime, making the police have a field day. Ravenna was spectacular at that time of the night and the wind blowing in their faces, combined with the high speed was giving Sakura an adrenaline rush. _"Ah old good times…"_

She squeezed the brake handle a few times then pushed down the kick start peg, until the engine roar to life.

To her stupor, it wasn't sounding like a lawn mower, as she was expecting it. It sounded more like an Yamaha engine, and the jaded eyed assassin couldn't contain a smirk to grace her features. _"Papa Oro is not a fool."_

That was a customized motorcycle, that looked like a cheap moped, but had only high tech parts, engine included. It was definitely one of Shino`s toys.

She bolted to the traffic jam of Tokyo, heading to the highway, GPS active. She was riding an ancient looking bike, that was swiftly flying in between the many cars. _"Nice…"_

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

8 am Tokyo, Mangekyou HQ

Juugo has just got out of the elevator, a pile of files in his hands, heading to his CEO`s office.

The telephones wouldn't stop ringing since yesterday and they got a lot of stuff to do. The dark eyed Uchiha has got mercy on him and send him home to rest, while he was working days and nights in his office.

The gentle orange haired secretary really pitied his boss. He looked dead tired and he was drinking tons of coffee or energy drinks….or everything that contained caffeine overdose.

At least his cute maid was bringing him meals, otherwise Juugo was not sure how much time would have Sasuke resisted without ingesting anything solid.

He knocked at the door three times then pushed the door opened. He didn't wait for an answer, because in the last week, the CEO has been so engulfed into his paper work that wouldn't even acknowledge his presence.

And for some unknown reason it seemed that he was in a particularly bad mood that morning. _"Did something happen to him yesterday?" _

"…Ja, du musst diese Dokumente von morgen zu senden, aber…" Sasuke raised his black sapphire eyes from some papers he was studying, making a small pause in the conversation he had with some Deutsch business partner to look at his secretary. God the work was never going to end.

Juugo was about to leave and come back when his boss was going to finish his call, which was probably going to take some good minutes, but the Uchiha heir made a small gesture with his hand, urging him to stay.

"...nein…sie sich nicht…bitte warten Sie einen Moment…" He put the call on wait and rose from the chair, heading to his secretary.

"Juugo, got those files?"

"Yes Sir. You have the latest statistics, as well as a copy of the New York and Tokyo auction market."

Sasuke took the papers and scanned them, looking at the results. Things were not looking so promising. "I see…most of the oil and gas companies had a drop in their stocks values….and this is directly affecting us as well."

The midnight haired young Uchiha went back to his desk, opening up a web page that provided him the stock exchange markets in real time.

This is how every trader or stock broker was able to follow the values of the stocks and bonds of his competitors and investors. "Fuck…that Watanabe inc. has dropped the prices with 20% percentage…"

Juugo knew what his boss was talking about. Ever since two important heirs were murdered in such a short amount of time, there was a shake in the market, and many other smaller investors went bankrupt.

He looked at the CEO in understanding. He was working twice as hard to avoid such thing happening to the Mangekyou.

Sure, Walmarkt and Watanabe inc. were really important companies, but if Mangekyou was to ever go down…Juugo shook his head. Such thing was not allowed to happen, either way it was going to be an economic disaster.

"I am aware, Mr. Uchiha. I talked to the shareholders that had stocks on both companies. They want to lower their number of stocks from the Mangekyou."

Sasuke closed his dark eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. That was not good. "If those idiots back off, we have to either raise the prices of the stocks or lower the authorized capital.

But Juugo, why are they taking their shares back from the Watanabe inc? Shouldn't they invest more money instead?"

"Haven't you heard the latest news Sir? Watanabe inc. has announced its insolvency. Their creditors have already asked for the liquidation and dissolution of the corporation in the court."

At that Sasuke`s dark eyes went wide. Ok, if that company has started that procedure, it will drag many others down as well, which means Mangekyou, as well as the others, will not be able to maintain the same value of their shares on the market.

"Fuck…this is bad."

"By the way, the Organizing Committee from the charity Ball has announced an upcoming event the next week."

"Event?" After all the problems they had, the raven haired man couldn't understand how could this people even think about that. Didn't they have their own companies to deal with?_ "And they ask themselves why their companies have a lot of debts…"_

"It seems that for some unknown reason, the number of VIPs and heirs is really high this year. There are 546 confirmed participants so far and the number is growing. This without including their families and secretaries.

So they organized a mountain trip next week, for some of them who would like to participate. They asked for your presence especially, Sir. The invitation is in between the files I have given you."

"A mountain trip, are you serious?" Sasuke felt like banging his head on his desk. He didn't have time for such stupid things. But it was not like he was going to not participate, for he knew how important the event was.

"I called them and asked for the details. They said you will get an e-mail by the end of this day."

"Juugo…"

"Yes Sir?"

"Bring me a coffee. And don't add sugar or milk."

"Of course. I will be right back."

…3 minutes later…

Riiiiiinngggggg

"Yes?"

"Mr. Uchiha, your friend is here to see you."

"My friend? Which of them? _Who from those two imbeciles is disturbing me at such time_…."

"It is…"

Juugo didn't have time to finish his sentence, because the door of the office opened, revealing the one and only Hozuki heir, hands shoved in his pockets, letting himself in, like he was walking in his garden, much to the raven haired man`s dismay.

"Yo, Sasuke. Still playing the dedicated businessman?"

Sasuke felt like strangling his friend. And he had many reasons to do so. First, he was really pissed off and it was not because of the poor stocks exchange. Sure, the Uchiha was giving his best to stay in the top, but he was doing it out of professionalism. In his mind, Mangekyou and all the others could go to hell.

What was really bothering him was Sakura and her questionable boyfriend. Ever since last night, he couldn't find his peace of mind at all. He kept playing their little incredible moment in his memory, not able to explain why was she able to making himself share some of his emotions with her. And the idea of other man touching her or God forbids make love to her….he was going to vent on the smirking man in front of him, he was sure.

"What the fuck is with that ludicrous look on your face, Suigetsu? Don't you have stuff to do?"

Suigetsu was having both his eyebrows raised, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. He knew all too well why his friend was trying to make small children cry. It was probably because of a woman, and he would dare to say he knew exactly what woman.

He planted himself in one of the armchairs, arms spread, head bent backwards, eying his friend, who looked like he was about to come and do some damage to his face. Funny as hell.

"Ah don't be such an antisocial jerk Sasuke, or you will chase away all the beautiful ladies. Besides, I do have some things in mind. This is why I am here."

Sasuke, who was busy printing some files, raised a dark eyebrow, urging him to go on. As if his stupid friend ever had something useful to do, beside women or alcohol.

"No shit. And what business could you possibly have with me?"

"I am here to take your emo ass out of this crypt and go to the swimming place." Suigetsu couldn't help but let out a loud laugh upon seeing how his friend`s eyebrows went down in a dark heated stare, like daring him to repeat what he has just said.

"Ok. You said your lame joke now fuck off because I`ve got stuff to do."

Suigetsu rose from the armchair and approached Sasuke`s large desk. Suigetsu was never going to understand what was his friend possibly be doing with such a huge piece of furniture. Maybe he lacked interior design imagination. That shit was expensive and had the size of a swimming pool.

"Dude, c`mon, don't be such a drama queen. What could possibly happen in three of four hours and the other office directors won't be able to solve without you? Besides, you are working your stupid head too much. Get a damn break and let's get going. Summer is about to come and my skin is still white."

Sasuke could not believe how he could have befriended such a carefree idiot. Going to have fun when things were like that…he had to drown in paper work if he wanted to avoid Mangekyou to have a similar fate as his rivals. And to forget about she belonging to someone else…for the moment.

"You have three seconds to get out, Suigetsu."

"Not a chance. I am not leaving from here, alone. And you my friend…are going to come with me. Besides…what better way to forget about a woman than to go hunt other ones."

"I swear I am going to kill you one day, mark my words Suigetsu, and throw your dead body to the sharks."

"Ok, now that we have establish how I am not going to spend money on funerals, can we please get the hell out of this depressing place and say hello to some sun rays and hot bikinis?"

Sasuke knew he was doomed the moment Suigetsu entered his office. That man could not possibly accept no for an answer and he was always driving them into problems, just like last time.

"I hate you." Nonetheless, he shoved some files into his suitcase (he was going to study them on the sun lounger), took his jacket and threw his imbecile smirking friend a glare that sent him a very clear message. And it promised danger and a lot of bandages.

Suigetsu followed his arrogant friend out of his office. "Yeah, I know, it is the first thing you told me when we met."

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

10 am Sasuke`s home, Japan, Tokyo

After taking her bike from the airport, Sakura left it on the neighborhood mall` s parking lot, which was 2 minutes far from Sasuke`s home and was currently watching some wrestling match, with much interest.

Actually, she was that kind of passionate fan, that was screaming and chanting for her favorite wrestler, completely oblivious to a raven haired man and his friend`s arrivals.

Sasuke told his sailor idiot friend they were going to pay his home a visit to change into something less…formal and more appropriate for the kind of activity they were going to do there.

"So, dude, am I going to meet her now?"

The onyx eyed Uchiha has just tasted his password on the intercom, pulling the front door open.

"Who?"

"George Washington…your maid, obviously!"

Sasuke threw Suigetsu a dark glare, not answering his question and entering his home. The truth was…since he found Sakura alone in the kitchen with the other dobe of his friend, holding hands, he felt kind of bothered by Suigetsu meeting her.

"I remember telling you to mind your own goddamn business, Suigetsu."

Both the heirs got in the hall that connected the living room with the kitchen, taking their shoes off. Sasuke was doing his best to ignore his loud friend, praying that Sakura was somewhere else, just not there.

"So? Where are you keeping her hidden, heh? By the way, give me a glass of water, I am thirsty."

The raven haired Uchiha was already in his way to the stairs, not paying attention to what the idiot behind him was shouting. Like he could care less what the hell did he want. He could go die of thirst, for all he cared. Now where was his trunks, usually Sasuke was swimming in his own pool, on his own home, naked. Yeah, living alone had advantages.

"You know where the kitchen is."

"Dude, seriously, what kind of…"

"GOOOOOOO DAVID HUNKS, BREAK THAT MOTHER FUCKER`S NECK! OHHH FOR FUCK`S SAKE, WAS THAT A DIAMOND DUST, OR ARE YOU A BALLERINA?! MOVE THE HELL FASTER YOU IMBECILE GORILLA!"

Both Sasuke and Suigetsu took a peek in the living room, startled by the feminine hollerings coming from the living room. When Sasuke caught the idea of what his maid was doing he wanted to die, because his buddy was already nagging him with his infatuation on the said female and seeing her in hysterics was not the way he imagined their meeting would be.

Suigetsu stopped dead in his tracks. There, in the living room, a pretty petite young woman, with a hairstyle that rivaled a rocker`s after a massive headbanging session, in a really weird color, clad in what looked like his best friend`s T-Shirt (Suigetsu was already using that information for blackmail), because it was basically drowning her in, looking like she has just escaped the Jungle, chased by wild hungry animals, was standing on the big sofa, in a comical position, fisting her arms and flailing, shouting at the top of her lungs the most inspiring curses, looking at the huge TV, at what looked like a wrestling match.

It didn't take the Hozuki heir 1 millisecond to sprint into the kitchen, close the door behind and let his body roll on the floor, anime style, tears in his eyes, laughing his ass out loud, his lungs screaming for air.

Never in his life would have Suigetsu imagined a man like Sasuke Uchiha would have been interested in a thing that looked and acted like a circus monkey. He saw his friend in all situations possible, but that was by far the most epic one. Wait until Naruto was going to find out, the two of them were going to have a field day.

Sasuke remained glued to the floor, watching his maid in disbelief. He slapped his forehead with his left hand. She is going to be the death of him.

"Sakura…"

"YEAH LIKE THIS YOU LOSER! OK! BREAK HIS ARM NEXT, HIS ARM, TO THE GROUND WITH HIM!"

"Sakura…" Sasuke was getting irritated. He had one piece of maid screaming in the living room and one piece of a bastard of a friend making dead rise from their graves with his loud laughing. And a company to deal with. He was sure he was not going to live till he reached 40.

"Sakura!" The said woman turned her head upon hearing Sasuke`s piercing voice, almost falling off the couch. She managed to regain balance in the last minute, by grabbing the edge of it. Sasuke looked like he was silently asking himself if she was even full-aged, because she acted like a kid. Little did she knew that what crossed the onyx eyed man`s mind was how cute she looked like.

"Mr. Uchiha! When did you come?…_omg I was so engulfed in this match that I haven't seen the GPS signal getting closer and this dimwit looks like he ingested sulfuric acid…I sooooo wanna kill him!_"

"Just now. What the heck are you looking at?" In all honesty, Sasuke was never going to understand wrestling. In his opinion, it was an insult for all the martial arts.

"Wrestling! And guess what? My favorite wrestler won all the matches!"

Sasuke looked at his maid, stunned. Ever since she started to work for him, he has never seen her truly enjoying something, like in that very moment, and he couldn't help the tiny sparkle in his chest, upon seeing her curl those desirable pink lips up, into the most ethereal smile he ever saw.

Her all delicate features seemed to glow and those green diamond eyes were gleaming of light and innocence, like she was attracting him to fade into its depths. He was at loss of all words. It was probably because of the way she was jumping and trashing her body on his expensive sofa, but her hair was not covering her face entirely for once.

She was so beautiful and tender looking, it was almost painful for the raven haired man to stay put and not pull her into his arms and kiss her. Even dressed in only a large piece of clothing and some short pants, she was lovely.

"Sir? Is something the matter?" Sakura became all shaky all of sudden. There was something in the way Sasuke was looking at her, as he was seeing a precious stone for the first time, admiring its beauty and that made her own body tense, but not in an unpleasant way.

"…Sakura…anata wa…" God, the Uchiha wanted to go, take a weapon of some sorts and perform hara-kiri. Look at him being so fascinated by his maid, that he couldn't even differentiate between Japanese and English. "…stop messing my expensive furniture and get down, before you break your neck or something."

"O-okay. Sorry." Sakura got off the couch, embarrassed by her childish behavior. She knew Sasuke was a stoic man and her acting like she was with her friend Karin, in her villa was lowering her chances to get closer to him. "_I am stupid stupid stupid…but he is so hot speaking this language I cannot even get close to understand…"_

"But Mr. Uchiha…why do I hear someone laughing in the kitchen?" Both of them turned their eyes in the direction of the closed door.

"That…is my friend Suigetsu, begging for a good beating." Sasuke turned around and started climbing the stairs, to his room. He was bothered by what he has seen, not in the mood to deal with his imbecile embarrassing friend. Why was he even ashamed with Suigetsu, because his maid was acting just as stupid as him?

"I am going outside."

"….Ok." _"Outside? Guess me and my new friend the speedy moped are going to take a little walk keke."_ Sakura really enjoyed her ride, that motorcycle in disguise (bah, just like her) was a killer on the roads. She arrived to Sasuke`s home in only 30 minutes from the airport. She secretly wondered how come police hasn't stopped her. The pink haired woman took small steps in the direction of the kitchen. _"I want to meet this friend of his."_

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Same time, Japan, Tokyo, Akatsuki`s private villa

Naruto emerged from the living room, dressed in his green pajamas with Panda bears and pink hearts, because he was a tough man like that, yawning and stretching his hands.

"`Morning guys!" The other two inhabitants of the spacious room eyed him intently. Ten Ten was curled on the sofa, with a bowl of cereals and milk in her lap, barely keeping her eyes opened. Neji has just returned from his morning training, all sweaty and brooding. It was really hot outside, for that season.

"Morning my ass…from where does all that energy comes from anyways?" The chestnut Akatsuki member was not going to ever understand that man`s stamina. And he was so loud, making her go deaf.

Naruto took a sit on the sofa, putting his arm around his female colleague`s shoulders, pulling her into a bear hug and stealing some of her breakfast. The said woman eyed him like she wanted to punch his face.

"Uzumaki, kitchen is that way. Please proceed."

"Awww…you are so boring Tennie, really. What is the point in making your own breakfast anyways?" The blonde haired man took the bottle of milk from the Akatsuki member`s hand and took a deep gulp.

Neji looked like he was going to throw up. "You guys are disgusting."

"Shut up Hyuga, your ass attitude is the only disgusting thing here. Just go and take a goddamn shower already." Ten Ten was always in a bad mood when she woke up. Really, who the hell invented mornings anyways?

"You hear the lady Neji, go die." The said man felt like strangling his fiancé and best friend, for annoying the hell out of him every morning. And the motherfuckers who were watching cartoons like two kindergarten children, were doing it on purpose every….fuckin…morning.

"I swear I am going to…"

"You know what guys? I have an idea!" Ten Ten and the Hyuga heir looked at Naruto in horror. When he got an idea it usually ended up with them either at the police office on hospital.

"Let`s hear it. But please do not say anything related to donkeys, champagne and mushrooms." The chestnut eyed woman was not going to forget that party all her life. No one ever talked about the orgy…not even Tsunade`s fiancé.

"Why don't we all take a break from doing nothing and head to the swimming place? I want to visit that new Aqua Land or whatever the name is. I hear they have artificial waves for surfing!"

The two engaged CIA members thought hard. That didn't sound too bad, considering it was Naruto the one to come up with the idea.

"I am in. Neji?"

"Yes, I would like to take a break and escape this hotness outside. God, I swear my skin is going to melt."

"AWESOME! We are going to have so much…"

"_WE ARE SORRY TO INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM! HERE IS THE LATEST NEWS FROM TOKYO. THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE DISCOVERED THE DECAPITATED BODIES OF FOUR UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE, NEAR THE TOKYO HARBOR. UNTIL NOW, THERE IS NO TRACE OF THE CRIMINALS AND POLICE DOES NOT HAVE ANY SUSPECT."_

The Akatsuki members watched in shock the disgusting scene of murder, with four bodies, separated from their heads. That looked like trouble.

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**Author`s Note: **_Ok, so this is the only way I found to separate the scenes, because for some reason I cannot understand, no other symbols or lines seem to work. I really hope this will make the story easier to follow. If it only worsens things please do tell me. I can totally understand what is like to read on the screen, doing your best to not skip sentences. _

_Also, I know this may sound childish and you can totally feel free to overlook this paragraph, because is not going to affect the story in any way, but I have the urge to let it out. I am being honest when I say the idea of giving up this story has crossed my mind. _

_I thought about the fact that it is not doing so well and why waste precious space here, when there are other more talented writers and much more appealing stories to be read._

_But after talking to my cousin and a very dear person to me, ElevatedJewel, I realized just how stupid I was to think like that. _

_Sure, all of us want to be appreciated, but just for those people that didn't give up on me and kept reading this story, coming back every new chapter and even sharing their opinions with me (like other two very important fans I know, who reviewed every chapter, sakura . souen and SasuSaku993 and for what I am extremely grateful), and for the fact that I love Naruto to no end and I do want to express it this way, I decided to continue. _

_I am sorry for such thoughts to have crossed my mind and I don't want you guys to misunderstand me, nor I want to disappoint you. I just felt like letting you know this… _

_I managed to write a new chapter…in a day, of that I am proud. I really hope you will like it as well. _

_Hm…I wonder who is Sasuke collaborating with… Well, no he is part of no experiment, nor is he working for a special secret branch, of that I can assure you. The rest…you will going to find out. _


	19. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

"…guys, doesn't this look a lil` bit…strange?" Ten Ten, just like the other two teammates, had the same appalled expression on her beautiful face, upon hearing such disturbing news.

Sure, they were Akatsuki members, meaning they were kind of dealing with occurrences that were anything but normal, although there was something that didn't sit right with her regarding the tragically deaths, and the chestnut eyed woman couldn't refrain from voicing her suspicions.

"I mean…look at the way they died. Doesn't this feel like Lorane or the Freemasonry?"

Neji, who was standing beside Naruto, arms crossed, furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, letting his lavender eyes take in the images of the crime scene. "I don't know what to say, Ten Ten, this does look like Lorane but somehow…it doesn't."

"Awww man, don't start speaking like Itachi, I don't get a word you say!" Naruto didn't understand what such events had to do with the three Akatsuki members. They were there to look for Lorane not to meddle with cases that were solved by the local police. And from what he understood, that was not Lorane`s style of dealing with things.

"What I want to say you dimwit, is that the killing method is definitely how Lorane would deal with its business, but this time, they didn't use their signature pair of compasses on the chests, which leads me to believe they are not the one involved in this mess, although it might be connected to it…in some way." The same thought as Naruto`s has crossed the Hyuga heir`s mind as well.

Of course they will let the Tokyo Police departments and prosecutors to deal with the case, as long as Lorane is not involved in any ways, but he couldn't help the alarm bells from his head ringing or the feeling that something was missing from the equation.

"Well this sucks. I mean, it might be just a revenge from a rival gang or an attempt to silence another mafia family or something, but still…"

Waking up in the morning, with a very energetic Naruto and her constantly brooding fiancé, watching the latest crimes from Tokyo, was definitely not Ten Ten`s idea of a good morning. Honestly, she wanted to go swimming and enjoy the sunny day. They will have enough time to deal with their own problems, later.

"Fuck this, I am calling Itachi." The Hyuga heir took the remote control, pressed a button that switched TV mode with the computer mode and called their Leader, much to Naruto and Ten Ten`s shock.

"The hell Neji…" The Akatsuki female member didn't have time to complain about the unnecessary action, because Itachi`s face appeared on the huge screen. The three CIA agents eyed their team leader with a questionable look on their faces.

He was on his office, standing in the armchair, with both legs bent under him, eating pancakes…with syrup…and pink strawberries cream topping.

"Ahm…Itachi….isn't that a bit too much overdose of calories for breakfast?" Ten Ten was quite amused. She knew that despite his struggling to appear serious, the older Uchiha brother was quite funny sometimes. Especially when he was stuffing his face. And he was criticizing Naruto and his ramen…

Itachi, who was too following the news about the said murder, was silently laughing like crazy. Those disoriented police officers were stupid as hell and that was precisely why they were not able to catch any important killer or suspect, always needing help either from CIA or INTERPOL.

"_Well, to answer your question Ten Ten, considering the fact that I haven't closed an eye for two days, this would be my dinner, so no."_ He shoved a large bit of pancake into his mouth, just to prove his point and annoy her more. The brown haired woman was a diet freak.

"You will die of diabetics Leader and I am going to remember you this at your funeral, through a very suggestive speech I am going to give."

Ten Ten really couldn't get people that were stuffing their faces with unhealthy food. In her mind, a person`s body was his temple and had to be worshipped and only be given the necessary things. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had a slow metabolism and had to train his ass and eat only seeds and musli to keep fit…

"_Why thank you, Tennie for the encouraging thoughts. Here I thought I was going to die in some dangerous mission, giving my life to save the world."_

"Can we please talk about things that require more than two neurons to process and spare me the trouble to take this TV and throw it on the window?"

Neji was irritated. He too entertained the idea of going to the swimming place and challenge Shikamaru`s laziness for once, but no. Those colleagues of his were absolutely sticking to their job to make his life miserable.

"Remove that stick up your ass Hyuga and go smell some lavender. It does magic to the nerves."

If there was something the chestnut eyed Akatsuki female member really enjoyed, was to see her fiancé's pearl eyes shut tight in annoyance, doing his best to control himself from killing someone. Ten Ten wanted to laugh at his ridicules expression. Like she didn't kick his ass so many times before…

Naruto started to laugh and a quick glance at the older Uchiha told him he too had troubles containing his visible snorting. The Uzumaki secretly hoped for him to spit the bits of food from his mouth, on the screen.

That would be funny as hell, and besides, it was not like he was going to get any sort of entertainment from the other younger Uchiha. That man was only funny when drunk.

"_Anyways…I imagine you guys called me for what happened last night, am I right?"_

Neji, who was currently fisting his hands in the direction of his smirking fiancé, turned his head, crossed his arms and watch his Leader with much interest.

That was a really observant man. "Actually yes. And seeing you are aware of this fact as well, tells me there is much more to this story than just an unfortunate tragic and bloody even."

Itachi went serious. The truth was he too has been really startled to find out that CIA has been contacted to take part in the investigation. Either it was a really difficult case to handle, with no trace or suspect, or some criminal organization that their agents were dealing with were involved.

"_You are right and to add to the stupor, it was Tokyo police department who has contacted CIA and asked for help. If I am not mistaken, Tobirama told me an agent has been sent to take part in the investigation and support the prosecutor. He was supposed to land in Japan this morning."_

Ten Ten raised a fine eyebrow at this, taken aback by one particular information. She munched another spoon of cereals and addressed her team leader. "Huh? Wait a second. You said the crime took place last night, right?"

Itachi nodded once in confirmation. He had an idea of what his female co-worker was having troubles in understanding because he too had the same question crossing his mind.

"I am not sure, but according to what we have so far, it was around midnight. But is difficult to say taking into account the fact that whoever the criminals were, they used a silent killing method instead of firearms."

"Well, then I suppose that agent was somewhere near Japan if he had time to fly all the way to Tokyo, after receiving this information, in such a short amount of time."

The Uchiha older brother understood what she wanted to state and her logic was good. Only things were much more twisted than they looked like, and it was precisely why Itachi was cracking his brain to find an explanation.

"_Your assumption is good, only the said agent flied from Ravenna and I know for sure, because from what I heard from the Hokage-sama, Otokage-sama sent a package for Haruno with the very same flight."_

Neji`s eyes widened in bewilderment upon hearing what their leader has said. He quickly looked for a possible explanation for the short amount of time the events happened. "Itachi, hold on a second.

From what you are telling us, the fact that that agent was able to cross such a distance, from Italy to Japan, in such a short amount of time, leads me to the following conclusion: that agent took notice about the event before the Tokyo police, am I correct?"

"_Yes, you are. We all know CIA gets the information earlier than the rest of the police corps and the INTERPOL, but the time still doesn't make any sense."_

The Hyuga heir was not able to process the facts. Indeed, it didn't make any sense. There was no such a large distance between Italy and Japan, if one was to take a CIA flight in a super fast plane, but he has been right.

Something was fishy in the situation. "I agree. But what I don't understand is why did you say Tokyo was the one to contact the CIA for information in the first place. It only means they didn't need to do so, because the agent was already on the move."

"_And he was able to do so, because CIA has been contacted first or should I say…someone from the CIA has known beforehand and sent an agent to investigate."_

The three Akatsuki members went silent at that. Indeed, CIA finding out about such events first was not new occurrence, but still…it was almost like someone…

"Leader, call me crazy but I have a theory. What if someone knew the crime was about to happen beforehand, and announced CIA about the matter? If you put it like this, it makes sense and the short amount of time fits the situation."

Ten Ten and Itachi`s eyes shot open, both of the agents digging in that newfound logic in Neji`s train of thoughts. Indeed, it made sense. But why would someone announce the CIA in the very first place, and not the closest police department?

"Itachi, if the murderers had an accomplice that betrayed them, wouldn't have been logical for that person to announce the ordinary police forces? I mean, normal people don't go and declare they are aware of a crime, to the freaking CIA."

Ten Ten couldn't help but voice her confusion. The whole situation didn't make any sense.

Itachi let out a small smirk at that. He was just as thrown off as his female colleague and the fact that there were already two of them with the same thoughts was already something to look for.

" _Exactly. Normal people would not announce the CIA. But exceptional people would."_

"What do you mean by not ordinary people?" Neji started to catch the meaning of his leader`s words. So it was just like he has guessed. There was someone that knew about that from the very beginning.

"_I mean people that are used to contact the CIA and know about their activities. And this is not what I would call normal."_

"I see. You are right."

Naruto, who has been listening to the conversation intently, for the millionth time, couldn't process any word. Why were those friends of his talking like they were filming a crime movie was beyond his understanding. "And what does it mean? English please."

The lavender eyed Hyuga heir slapped his forehead in annoyance. Leave it to the dumbest member of the Akatsuki to ruin another idea that crossed his mind. Itachi was looking at him with no expression of his face. Maybe because he realized he was running low on caramel syrup. Ten Ten threw a pillow in his face.

"_In a nutshell Naruto: If we do a little math and calculate the time passing from the murder to the agent`s arrival, we reach the conclusion that the said agent was already in the plane when the murder was in progress, which only means CIA, not only found out about the murder before the police, but it was even earlier than this._

_In other words, someone knew the assassination is going to take place before it happened and announced the CIA, who sent an agent to deal with the case immediately. Do you understand?"_

Naruto titled his head on his right shoulder, eyes tightly shut. He put his index finger under his chin, thinking hard. There was something he didn't actually get. "I don't think I understand everything, but there is something I find suspicious. Why did they send another agent, if we are already here?"

Three pairs of eyes looked in the direction of the dumb blonde idiot, wondering how in the world the same thought didn't cross their minds. Apparently, the Uzumaki had a good idea from time to time.

"Yeah, Naruto is right Itachi, couldn't have they contacted one of us instead? I assume the agent doesn't belong to Akatsuki or the Sound, right?"

"_Indeed, he doesn't. CIA has sent a regular agent to take care of the matter, for some reason I don't understand, they found it unnecessary to contact either the Hokage or the Otokage and give the mission to one of us. It only means the mission was not given to neither of the two offices because it is not that urgent or serious."_

"Well, if you think about it, we the Akatsuki only deal with the most difficult cases and except the fact that the method of killing is a bit…out of ordinary, it is not such a crucial case.

Things like this happen around the world on daily basis. And the Sound is out of question, because they only deal with the biggest cases, that require a dosage of unconventional."

"_I agree with everything what you said Neji."_

"Soooo…the heads of the CIA have announced Tobirama and Orochimaru about what happened, but decided not to involve their agents, right?"

"_Basically yes, this is how it looks like. They probably got notice about it in case something really bad happens and their assistance is required, but it doesn't look like something a regular CIA agent will not be able to handle."_

Ten Ten was eying the Akatsuki leader intently. The way he made it sound looked like an ordinary case.

But the fact that someone else knew about it and announced the CIA from all the people still didn't sit right with her. But she kept her mouth shut, not voicing out her thoughts. "So, should we overlook the incident then?

"_For the moment, yes. I know you probably find it weird for CIA to be announced, but there is the possibility for the mysterious traitor to have announced the police first and someone from there to have directed the message to the CIA higher ups."_

"…It still doesn't explain how CIA got notice beforehand, because what was the point for the police to announce them once again after that?"

Neji remained silent. Naruto as well. Itachi thought about that as well, but in his mind the things were quite clear. CIA gets a lot of anonymous messages involving many other more serious cases, so it was not such a big deal.

"_You never know. Maybe the police sent police officers to check for the validity of the message and something happened with them, so the Tokyo Department of Crime Investigation decided to contact CIA one more time to ask for back up."_

The chestnut female member of the Akatsuki was still not convinced. But maybe Itachi was right and they were too paranoiac. Well, it quite came with the description of the job. "I guess that makes sense…"

"_More importantly, tell me more about the Blue Lagoon incident. Neji, the INTERPOL thanked us for the help you provided and I wanted to congratulate you as well. Good job in keeping your cover up and capture those bastards. _

_I also have some good news for you guys, regarding the Hummingbird: we managed to locate their leader somewhere in Barbados. Akatsuki is already there and we managed to secure the place. It is just a matter of time before we see him behind the bars for a good long period of time."_

"Oh thanks Heavens, those guys were killing me slowly!" Ten Ten has been taking part in five of the missions involving the said drug dealers, even working as a prostitute undercover, without luck. It was indeed great news, which deserved celebration. She was going to have some spicy cocktails at the pool, no doubt about that.

"That is great to hear leader. We managed to capture many members and they have been interrogated, until some of them couldn't take any more of the tension and told us everything, including the leader`s location."

"_I am aware of the details. One of my ex high school colleague conducted the interrogation and sent me a copy of the report. I read some very interesting things regarding their activity. _

_What I am interested in is the scandal involving my foolish little brother. What is with those news and blurry pictures with him shooting someone? It took me three days to take care of most of the media and internet articles and get rid of them."_

Oh yeah, the club incident was still raising many questions into Neji`s head. Of course he couldn't go to his supposed family friend and ask him some tips about how to use firearms in the most ridiculous and impossible situations ever, without raising suspicions. And asking Athena was out of question, after Ten Ten basically humiliated her last week.

"Actually, I was there witnessing the whole scene. Your brother has managed a perfect head shot, while being drugged and probably drunk…in the darkness."

Itachi, who has just taken a sip of water from the glass, promptly spit it out on the screen, much to Naruto`s amusement who was sure something like that was about to happen. Too bad the context was not a funny one. He went serious when thinking about his best friend and his drug addiction…and Sakura.

"_Have you just said Sasuke has been given drugs? Neji please don't tell me he was one of the Hummingbird's target."_

Neji rolled his eyes. Leave it to Itachi to get dead worried over everything that had to deal with his younger brother. In all honestly, Neji was not quite a fan of Sasuke. Yes, they were family friends, but their own friendship was a questionable one. They were on the…tolerating each other level.

"I am sorry to tell you this leader, but…"

"Teme has been given LSD, but Sakura-chan was with him all the times. I talked to her yesterday and she refrained from telling me everything that happened with him and his effects, but the ways she was avoiding my questions tells me something really did happen. My guess is Sasuke Teme has been hurting her in a way."

Itachi rubbed his tired eyes with his palms, not believing his ears. How was it possible for his brother to always be in the middle of some sort of scandal, the older Uchiha couldn't understand.

Nonetheless, he was so worried for his little brother to the point he was ready to take his phone and give him a call. To his disappointment, Sasuke would probably hung up on him or even not answering.

No matter how much it hurt Itachi to be the target of his younger brother`s hate, he was more than entitled to suffer the consequences of his actions. He hoped such a day would come, when their relationship will be just like before.

"_My god…I have to give it to Haruno. Dealing with a man like my brother is probably driving her insane. Now I understand why CIA has sent her from all the people. It takes a mad person to understand another."_

"Yeah, Teme is really lucky to have such a great person to look after him. Man, I would kill for Sakura-chan to stay beside me all the times."

The blonde Uzumaki heir`s pupils were in the shape of hearts, his cerulean eyes envisioning him and the beautiful Sound agent on a private island, her feeding him coconuts and bananas and live happy forever after. Ten Ten slapped his face hard, to wake him up from a probably perverted fantasy. _"Damn Jirayia and Kakashi`s student…"_

"What do you mean you talked to Athena yesterday? On the phone I suppose…?" It was then when the Akatsuki female member realized what Naruto was stating to them, not quite sure her hearing was not deceiving her.

"Nope. I went to Teme`s house while he was outside and had a little chat with her. I also brought her some dessert she enjoys, made by mom to thank her. You should have seen the way she was eating the cake like a kid swimming in a chocolate pool. She was soooo kawaiiii!"

Neji and Itachi looked at the Akatsuki idiot in an indecipherable way. It was funny they both had their arms crossed and the same eyebrows raised in puzzlement. Ten Ten looked like she was about to go in a cardiac arrest. That or to murder Naruto and recreate the decapitation scene from the news, on their villa.

"What have you done?! I cannot believe you you…traitor! How would you go and fraternize with the enemy?!"

Naruto let out a small frown, his ocean blue eyes fixing her dark brown ones, in a knowing look. He was silently expressing his disappointment in her for treating Sakura like she was part of Lorane, not CIA.

" Ten Ten I am aware of your little encounter with Sakura-chan and the fact that you have insulted her is revolting. Also she is not our enemy, and the same goes for the other Sound agents as well."

"I don't give a shit about that. Those people are dangerous, Athena not being an exception. If you want to befriend her or marry her of fuck her is not my problem, but don't shove her down our throats as well. It is outrageous."

In her mind, the Akatsuki chestnut female member did nothing wrong to begin with and their little unfortunate chat only added to the repulsive feelings she had towards the pink haired assassin. She was certain nothing is going to change her opinion on her.

From his point of view, the Hyuga heir was not that bothered by the fact that Naruto has contacted the Sound agent. He too found all the hate to be lacking a solid proof and he found his fiancé`s behavior, as well as all the other Akatsuki agent`s ones to be childish and nonsensical.

Itachi knew the blonde Akatsuki agent`s infatuation for Sakura, but he couldn't find it in him to care. As long as his members weren't doing things to endanger them or the CIA, he wasn't going to infringe into their business, moreover their private lives. He had more important things to do.

"Ten Ten, you are exaggerating like usual, when it comes to this baloney, regarding the Akatsuki and the Sound. No one told you to mess with Naruto`s private life. If he wants to talk to her, let him be.

Besides, it was her the one to save his life, so I find nothing bad with the fact that he felt the need to express his gratitude…in a genuine way."

Neji threw his fiancé a gaze that silently told her he was not impressed by her attitude towards the emerald eyed woman. She gave him the middle finger pouting. She was right: Sakura was a witch that has spelled a cast on all the men around her not to hate her.

"_Guys, as much as I would like to hear more of your entertaining conversation about why do you hate Athena without a real reason, I have to let you know we got the results of the __forensic__ investigation, involving the last suspect that had spontaneous human combustion. Like I said, a medical examiner from the CIA has been sent to deal with the unknown cause of death."_

That caught the arguing Akatsuki members` attention. How could they ever forget how they almost lost one member in that mission? And much to Ten Ten`s horror…how the Sound saved them…again. That was getting too habitual for her liking.

"So? How are things going Itachi? Is it that paranormal as it sounds, or is just another stunt to confuse us?"

"_Just as you suspect Neji, it might not be that out of ordinary. According to the report, a small almost undetectable device was found in the dead killer`s liver, which under some circumstances, it can become active and act like a mini nuclear bomb, burning the body from the inside out, making it look like a SHC, when in reality this is not the case."_

"What do you mean by proper circumstances? Are they connected to the person or are they caused by…something else?"

"_Something else…more like someone else. I discussed it with Tobirama as well, and we both reached the conclusion that there was triggered by the suspect we didn't manage to eliminate. _

_Somehow, that small device resemblances CIA`s tracking devices, you know, that small capsules that when ingested, they transmit the global position to the satellite."_

"So you mean…they have copied this model as well? Because I remember you stated clearly the guns they used are just like the ones we use."

"_I am not saying they copied the device. I said they work similarly. My colleague said it is only his guess, but after he did some measurements of the surroundings, he is ready to bet the device was activated by a strange high electromagnetic frequency."_

"…like the one surrounding Shiseido and the hotel in the day we have been attacked and jammed our devices."

"_Actually, I have found out something interesting from the Sound Leader. There were actually two very powerful frequencies of electromagnetism at that time. One was coming from the hotel, where the Walmarkt heir was killed and the other one, surprisingly came from my ototou`s company, Mangekyou."_

Naruto`s sun tanned face turned serious upon hearing that his best friend had a connection in the case.

He from all the people knew what kind of past he had and the fact that Sasuke might be entangled in some sort of business with dangerous people was not going to be the first time. "Do you mean the Teme is involved in this mess as well?"

Searching for possible relation between his younger brother and the assassins was the first thing Itachi did and unfortunately the lack of information didn't help him reach any conclusion.

Until they got all the details of the mission, it is going to remain a mystery. _"I honestly have no idea Naruto. Probably not. It might be a coincidence or a murder attempt towards Sasuke."_

"Itachi, have you managed to find out if someone is indeed leaking information from the CIA?" The idea of having traitors among the organization was scaring Neji. How can they solve such complicated cases if they couldn't even trust their own people?

"_No. There has not been any suspicious activity besides the one we are talking about. We are currently investigating that as well."_

"Be careful leader. If someone is stealing our technology and sells it to our enemies, could mean they try to weaken our defensive mechanisms and destroy us from the inside.

If this happens, this world is going to face an impossibly high criminal rate." Ten Ten knew the worst scenario was for the CIA to be taken down and Lorane emerge from the shadows and put an end to their number 1 enemies. That couldn't be allowed to happen it they wanted to maintain the global order.

"_You too guys. Remember, you are there alone and there have been some unfortunate events happening. Try to put aside all the personal frustrations and collaborate, and although it pains me to advise you this, don't overlook Haruno`s help. _

_The Sound has more information on Lorane than us and she can be of real help. I know she cannot stand us as well, but she would not refrain from providing information you need."_

"That`s my LEADER!" Ten Ten elbowed her blonde partner in the ribs, hard, the said man wincing loudly, rubbing the sore spot. She almost hit him in one of his cuts.

"Shut up Uzumaki."

"Itachi, we have an important event in the future, to take care of. I am sure you are more than aware of the upcoming fund raising annual Ball."

The older Uchiha brother nodded once. He knew about that, for he even participated at some of them when he was younger. After he joined CIA he couldn't risk to be seen by his hating family, that would have been a disaster.

One cannot even begin to imagine the horror of having Itachi, Fugaku and Sasuke on the same room. Itachi could ignore his father with talent, but Sasuke…he didn't want to go there.

"_Yes."_

"I want a copy of all the participants and the people accompanying them. I tried to get a hand on it myself, but when I called the Organizing Committee they told me the number of the heirs and VIPs is growing."

"_Not a problem at all. I am going to send you a copy tonight or tomorrow. I also talked to the INTERPOL Department from Tokyo and after explaining the dangers of the situation, they agreed to come and back you guys up, in keeping the heirs out of any danger."_

"I just got a notice, but it looks like there is an upcoming event next week, consisting in some mountain trip, organized by the said Committee, for any of the guests to participate."

Itachi raised a fine eyebrow at that. He didn't know about such a change in the schedule. But any activity involving such important people targeted by the Freemasonry and other assassins raised the level of the danger, because guarding all those people was difficult and basically they were an easy target.

The older Uchiha son silently thought about his brother`s safety. He was glad he had a Sound assassin keeping an eye on him and she already proved herself worth of her reputation. There was a reason why Itachi didn't hate on Sakura.

"_I see…are you guys going to take part in the trip as well?"_

"Ten Ten and I will keep an eye on them from the shadows. The one that is going to be present among the other people is Naruto. I don't feel the necessity to let you know Sasuke`s presence is required there as well."

"Don't be afraid you two, I am going to keep a close eye on Teme and be sure to nag him to no end. Too bad Suigetsu is not going to be there as well, that bastard found a lame excuse to not participate. Jerk."

Neji and Itachi both had a small smirk plastered on their handsome faces. The very idea of Sasuke spending God only knew how much time in the mountains, stuck with two of the people he probably had no problem in murdering, was funny as hell.

"_I am sure my foolish little brother is silently crying of sadness upon hearing he will not have both his friends there to pester him."_

Ten Ten and Neji shorted loudly at Itachi`s sarcastic tone. And the fact that their blonde colleague didn't catch the meaning of his words was even funnier.

"I am sure he does…"

"_Guys, I am going. There are some files that need to be sorted, plus I have a meeting with the Hokage and his secretary and I have to mentally prepare myself for being screamed at."_

"Roger that! Don't forget to take some pills before."

"Screw that shit. Take some Vodka with you. It really helps." Neji and Naruto turned their heads on their female member, confused. The said female sensed their concern, because she pulled her long chocolate tresses into a messy ponytail and eyed them with an innocent look on her face.

"What? This is what I am always doing during our meetings. I don't want to lose my mental sanity like the Sound agents."

"Honey…I think it is too late for that now."

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

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}{

Same time, Japan, Tokyo, Sasuke`s home

Sakura was really curious in meeting the other one of Sasuke`s friends. From what she heard of, this one particular Hozuki heir was just as bad as Naruto.

All the stories and scandals involving him and many women were amusing her to no end. He had the same hobbies as her boss when it came to women and parties, but judging from his crises of laughter, it looks like he didn't have the same annoying impassive attitude.

The pink haired agent was not envisioning someone else sporting the unemotional cold attitude, in such a natural way as her boss.

It was true that the Akatsuki member Neji Hyuga was trying his best, but he looked more like extremely bored than impassive. Sakura was silently laughing at the thought of the Hyuga heir not having enough…fun into his life. Apparently his fiancé was not as good in her leisure time.

But just as she put her small hand on the door knob, attempting to enter the kitchen and have a little chat with Suigetsu and maybe find out where were they heading to (she secretly hoped it was not another club involved that time), the said man beat her to it, pulling the door open with so much force, successfully making Sakura lose balance and almost fall in the arms of the Hozuki heir.

"What the…" When Suigetsu was sure he was done with his hysterics…in a way, because he was going to have a second round when they reach their destination and make fun of Sasuke, he rose from the floor, tired of moping his friend`s kitchen floors and proceeded to the door.

Only when he opened the door, he almost collided with the very same person responsible with his abdominal cramps, landing right in his opened arms, successfully pushing him back into the room he wanted to leave, almost making them both to land on the ground.

"EEEEppppp…." Sakura, aware of the fact that she was going to make a fool of herself again, in a desperate attempt to prevent a shameful fall on the hard surface, put her hands in front of her, out of reflex, and fisted them into Sasuke`s friend`s shirt, shoving her nails into his shoulders.

The said man took some clumsy steps backwards, but miraculously didn't fall, catching her by her thin waist in the process, halting her movements.

"Ahm….S-so.."

"Warui warui….anata wa Sakura desu ne?" Still not moving from their more than suggestive position, Sakura`s brows went down, her emerald orbs more than confused.

What the hell was that man saying, because she couldn't understand a word. Of course it was Japanese, but that man was not aware of the fact that she didn't speak such a language…unfortunately. She should ask Shino for a mini translating device to solve the problem once and for all.

"I don't speak Japanese, I am sorry." Sakura didn't need to bother with Suigetsu not speaking English, because she already knew he had studied in the USA like her boss, so no problem in that department.

She pulled her small frame out of the man`s embrace, aware of the fact that if Sasuke was to walk in the kitchen and find her in a situation similar to the one before, that meant trouble.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at the woman in front of him, smirking widely at how quickly she let go of him, like a cheating wife afraid to be caught in the middle of her infidelity. _"Interesting."_

The truth was, the Hozuki heir couldn't wait for the moment he was going to meet the woman that had his friend to be thinking of her and even get angry at the thought of someone else wanting to get close to her, especially belonging to the male of the species.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, biting his lower lip with his long canine, his light blue eyes scanning the lady in front of him, with much interest, like wanting to disclosure just what was so fascinating about her.

At a first glance, she indeed looked like a poor maid, coming from a faraway land, spending all her life in a forest, not having human contact whatsoever.

Her short slightly curly hair was messy and pointed in all directions, like she had an overdose of hair foam and a very unskilled hairdresser, although he would admit, the color was really interesting. Yes, Suigetsu was a man for details, especially when it came to women that piqued his interest.

Although she was wearing a much too large piece of clothing, the young man saw right away that she had a fit curvy body, because she had half of her legs naked and damn right if her milky skin didn't look like silk. He let his eyes fix her oval shaped face, partly furrowing his eyebrows, like he was not able to see her clearly.

The Hozuki heir need to take a second glance at her delicate features, because of the stupid hair that covered almost all the points of interest, such as eyes, nose and cheeks, but he was able to sense a pair of the greenest emerald eyes he ever saw, as well as two small rosy cheeks.

Of course he saw her pink plump lips that seemed to have caught Sasuke`s attention and Suigetsu was not going to be a hypocrite and not admitting the bum looking young woman was beautiful, despite her desperate trying to conceal her look and the way she had no problem in manifesting her interest in such bloody shows as wrestling, with so much vitality was…cute.

Yeah, that was indeed an interesting woman and his friend had once again, a good eye. "_That bastard sees the underneath huh?"_

Sakura was well aware of the fact that the man in front of her was practically undressing her with his intense staring, but she found it to be really funny.

Indeed, he was more reserved in his gestures than Naruto, but they definitely share the same attitude, probably being the clowns of the parties wherever they went. She wanted to laugh at the irony. Sasuke`s only friends were exactly his opposite.

The pink haired agent was not going to lie and say he was not a beautiful guy, because it was the truth. Of course, he was nothing compared to his raven haired friend, but he was not one to put aside either.

He was tall and his athletic figure was well visible in the tight branded clothes he wore. The fact that he had a really light shade of hair color that looked almost white ("_like Sasuke`s office walls lol")_ and a pair of light blue with a lavender hue in the pupil eyes were only adding to his unique features.

And he was sporting an arrogant demeanor as well, judging by the way he was smirking in her general direction, almost conscious of the fact that she was checking him as well. He was indeed, handsome. _"I bet Karin would be interested in this one specimen hehe."_

"Well, I didn't know Sasuke hired such an…exotic looking woman to be his maid. A foreign nonetheless. How sweet of him." Suigetsu was slightly taken aback by the pink haired maid in front of him. What he found it to be weird was her general attitude and her aura that screamed confidence and control over the situation.

Those were definitely not traits a woman of the lower society would have. And despite her trashy looking clothes and disheveled general appearance, her manners were ladylike. Almost like she was holding back on purpose, but the Goddess inside of her was betraying her.

It was in that moment when the Hozuki heir understood exactly why was the Uchiha attracted to her. She was different from the other women, that was plain obviously, even for a superficial man like him.

The jaded eyed Sound agent didn't like the tone in Suigetsu`s voice. Sure, she was supposed to play the poor maid`s part and not let any suspicious gesture to betray her, but she couldn't help herself.

It was not like she was going to stay put and be servant in front of a man that had nothing special to begin with. Sure he had the money and all, but in her mind, he was just as simple minded as all the others that judged without knowing. People like Ten Ten or Ino Yamanaka were the perfect example.

"It was not Mr. Uchiha the one to hire me, but his secretary Juugo. I only sent the CV online and he was the one to make the selection." Sakura was avoiding to address Suigetsu in any way, on purpose.

She was not going to use honorifics with people that were not her boss. She only had to guard and pretend to be a commoner in front of him, taking advantage of the fact and hide from Lorane as well. The others could go to inferno and burn alive, for all she cared.

"Hehe that is quite the story if you were to ask me." Suigetsu observed that she refrain from addressing him in any way, and that amused him to no end. That was definitely not a common servant.

The young purple eyed man had a lot of maids and butlers at home and they weren't even raising their stares when their superiors were talking.

But this woman looked like she was the one superior to them in the conversation, almost forcing him not to look down on her, which was intriguing. Suigetsu knew exactly what kind of man Sasuke was, and he was not one to accept such defiance from his subordinates.

Hell he was not even treating his own friends respectfully. But apparently he was accepting this maid`s rude attitude. But why?

"Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't ask you what is your opinion in the matter."

Ok, Sakura knew she was crossing the line all right, but she didn't give a damn about it. That man was rude and she was just returning his polite attitude. Was that so wrong? Oh yea, she was a maid all right…but Sasuke`s. _"Only for him…"_

Suigetsu`s smirk faded upon hearing the woman in front of him, who had her arms on her back, eying him like she was talking to a younger kid that wronged her. He didn't like her tone at all, it sounded like she was ridiculing him.

Silently, he was dying to find out if that was the same attitude she had with her boss as well, because if that was true, then those two were the funniest pair he ever encountered. Suigetsu knew that among all the gorgeous women Sasuke had, no one began to compare with the one in front of him, in terms of attitude.

And she was also smart as well. Yeah, the Hozuki heir was an idiot, but not a complete idiot like Naruto.

He still had some brain left in his head. The pink haired woman`s attitude was refreshing and exclusive, which were rare traits to find in their circle of people. You sure as hell wouldn't find an independent and straightforward woman, between those sluts gravitating around them.

The Hozuki heir got closer to the said woman, who seemed to be backing away from him, almost invading her personal space, successfully shadowing her much shorter body, forcing her to straighten her neck and look at him.

"You are intriguing. I wonder why is Sasuke keeping you here, with you kind of attitude. From what I know…"

Suigetsu bent his head and almost pressed his mouth to Sakura`s ear, whispering some words to her. "…he might be playing you, until he gets bored and throws you in the streets."

The Sound agent`s eyes went wide upon hearing what Sasuke`s friend has just told her, because it was exactly the same warning Anko gave her, which was indeed a frightening thought.

She knew she should not trust her boss completely, but she couldn't trust this stranger either. From all she has seen of him, he was a not so subtle player as the young Uchiha. And he was lacking that fine irony as well.

"I am here just to serve him." The pink haired maid was aware that her voice came a little bit weaker that she intended, but she couldn't stop the small knot down her throat, that prevented her to fully articulate the words.

The idea of Sasuke keeping her in his some for the sole intent to entertain his boring life was stabbing her heart.

"I am sure of it. But mark my words. I have seen him doing it."

"Suigetsu, are you done yet?" A low dark rich voice interrupted the tension between the two people, startling them both.

Sasuke has just returned from his room, after finally finding the piece of clothing he was looking for and changed into something more casual.

He heard some noises coming from the kitchen and it didn't take a genius to reach the conclusion that his maid and his stupid friend were there, talking about things he didn't want to hear.

But when he caught the sight of them staying a little bit to close for his liking, the charcoal eyed man couldn't stop his fist from clenching, the scene with the same woman and another of his friends replaying in his mind, like a broken record.

Incredibly, how that messy looking pink haired maid of his was able to attract such an attention, from different people.

Sasuke was aware of the fact that Sakura was indeed and incredible woman, but after she told him she got a boyfriend, it was like he was picturing every male that got close to her to be the subject of his anger.

His friend Suigetsu bent his head on his side, looking over Sakura`s shoulder, in the direction of the menacing voice. He wanted to let out another round of laughter, upon seeing the possessiveness into his best friend`s so dark fired up orbs.

He knew the man that looked ready to send them both to Mars and plant their heads in the ground, as souvenirs to the aliens, had a thing for his emerald eyed maid, but to see it actually happening was another story.

And it was priceless. He couldn't wait to hear Naruto`s opinion on this thing. That blonde idiot was quite insightful when it came to cheesy stuff like romance whatsoever.

"There comes Prince Charming to the rescue."

Sakura turned her head abruptly and fixed her boss with a distraught gaze. _"Oh hell why does it always have to be him in the most inappropriate moments…"_

She knew the scene was similar to the one from the day before and the look in her boss` black beryl eyes told her everything she wanted to know. He was pissed off and he was not even looking at her, almost like he wanted to avoid her to know what was really crossing his mind.

"Stop being the idiot you are and come on, before I change my mind." Sasuke turned around and headed to the door, already opening it.

For a reason that was slipping from his mind, watching his maid with someone else was doing weird things to his stomach, because he could have sworn his all muscles tensed and he felt the need to go there and do something….anything to stop the disturbing scene.

In his maid, Sakura was not going to have someone else, when he was around. _"For me to have her, she has to be only mine…"_

He swore to himself he was not going to toy with the pink haired woman`s feelings and he will not, because what he expected from her was not a one night stand. At that point, he didn't even have a name for what he wanted from her.

Suigetsu took one last glance at Sakura`s expression, already confirming his suspicions. The thing that was going on between those two people was coming from both the parties.

The pink haired arrogant maid had feeling for him as well. The Hozuki heir couldn't help but mock Sasuke to no end for his newfound passion.

Of course, being a rich heir as well, he was well aware of the fact that a possible scandal involving the heir of the Mangekyou and his maid was not going to be pleasant in the slightest, and for this particular thought, the light eyed man admired his brooding friend. If there was something to interest him, the other could go fuck themselves.

"Relax dude, is not like the water park is going to be caught in a black hole all of sudden. Let all the beautiful women arrive first, I don't want to look all day at old hags and their nephews."

"_Bingo!"_ Was all that crossed Sakura`s mind. Like she secretly hoped for, the imbecile friend of her boss slipped out the information she was looking for. So they were going to have some fun at the swimming pool, huh?

Tracking Sasuke was not aproblem, especially after she got her moped and was able to keep the peace with him.

And it was really good she knew where they were heading, because it was not like she was going to spend a day at the pool, clad in sneakers and jeans. Good thing she had her swimsuit in her luggage.

God was it only morning and hot as hell outside. And the emerald eyed woman couldn't stop her inner self from flailing at the idea of having a view of Sasuke`s delicious body in a swim trunk for the whole day.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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11 am Japan, Tokyo, Aqua Park

"Awwww man, this is even better than I expected!" Naruto`s clear cerulean eyes were darting in all directions, like boomerangs, trying to have a better view at the wonders around him. Of course, he only managed to attract a lot of attention from the by passers.

Ten Ten slapped his head, annoyed by the always too loud Akatsuki member. He was such a child and he was embarrassing them all with his attire. The chocolate eyed woman looked at him in horror.

Naruto was dressed in a pair of orange shorts, with yellow straps, complementing his equally ridiculous colored attire with a green T-Shirt he bought from the entrance, with the Water Park's emblem on the middle consisting in a golden mermaid emerging from a shell, like a pirate`s flag.

He had a stupid looking dark brown beach hat, made of paper cotton, with huge brims, making him look like a giant mushroom and a pair of light blue flip flops.

And to top it all, he even brought his huge lifesaver…in the shape of a yellow duck! Ten Ten got closer to his fiancé, pushing him at the middle, embarrassed.

"Why are you stupid or do you want this entire people to recognize us? Stop making us all look stupid, you moron!" The chestnut Akatsuki member thanked all the Gods her partner had enough common sense to at least take his huge sun glasses that covered half of this face.

The blonde Uzumaki was quite famous in Japan, as one of the richest heirs. Almost everyone knew about his important family, especially his father Minato, and the fact that he befriended Uchiha Sasuke was attracting a lot of attention as well. Who in Japan was not aware of the famous duo?

Not to mention Neji was also there. But a quick look on his apathetic face told the chocolate haired lady, that her fiancé was probably contemplating the idea of the water turning into lava and melt all the idiots that annoyed him to no end.

The Hyuga heir absolutely despised all the crowded places and public gatherings, that one making no exception, but he was trying his best to please his lover and look like he was not bothered by all the attention they got, especially from some dudes that had the guts to ogle his fiancé.

He tightened his grip on Ten Ten`s waist, protectively, getting an elbow in his stomach from the said woman.

"Neji what the hell, do you suffer from Parkinson or something?" It was really difficult for Ten Ten to imagine a jealous Hyuga heir, but there he was sending lasers and melting rocks with his hard stare, in all directions. _"Stupid arrogant jerk…"_

"Let`s find some damn decent looking sun loungers, preferably outside this stupid place and sit. My feet hurt already and so is my brain."

Neji liked the idea of swimming on that sunny day, but the fact that his little gang got so much attention was revolting.

And his imbecile friend was jumping and waiving his hands in the air, pointing in the direction of some huge weird looking water slides, already marching in the direction of the most dangerous looking one.

"Oh c`mon dude, stop being such a Sasuke and ruin all the fun, you will scare someone and they will throw us outside." Naruto was in heaven. The place was crowded, the sun was shining and the pools were amazing.

"They better do it before I am going to punch someone, preferable with blonde hair."

The sun kissed Akatsuki member even spotted some water riders, in the shapes of large tubes winding in all directions imaginable, containing screaming people and a strong jet of water. His eyes went wide as saucers upon seeing so many ways of entertainment.

And to make the best of it, there were countless food places, with the unhealthiest things ever, almost calling him. He felt like Jerry the mouse, flying on a little fluffy cloud, in the direction of…has he just spotted some ramen sellers?

"RAMEN!" Much to his two companions` stupor, he sprinted in the direction of the said shop, screaming at the top of his lungs for them to join him and stop acting so dramatic.

The couple slapped their foreheads at the same time. Things were not going according to the plan. They should have known the Uzumaki had the mentality of a baboon upon seeing tasty bananas.

"I am going to kill him one day."

Ten Ten shook her head in disbelief. She was surrounded by the weirdest people around and that was a big thing to say, considering the fact that the Sound had Hidan and Orochimaru the snake man as their leader.

"C`mon. I spotted a not so crowded place beside that questionable looking swimming pool. I wonder why are there not so many people."

"Shouldn't we wait for Naruto?" The chestnut eyed woman was already heading in the said direction, doing her best not to drop her bag and sun umbrella.

"Honey, if we are lucky, we are going to lose him for two or three hours." Neji proceeded after his fiancé, already hating that place. It was not even 12 o`clock and already the place was packed. The Hyuga heir already knew Tokyo had 37.8 million people, but why have all decided to come there in the same day?

"Hmm? Why such a short time?"

"Because this is how long my yoga exercise is going to last to calm my nerves and not shove that stupid lifesaver down his throat or drown him. Honestly, I really hope for something entertaining to happen today, or this is going to be a waste of time."

"Neji…I wonder where all the enthusiasm from the morning has gone too."

"Forget the enthusiasm…if I stick with this guy much longer, my pride is the one which is going to vanish as well."

}{

"Fuck this is Heaven I swear, just look around you?" Suigetsu couldn't be more content with his decision to come and check the new place.

Not only it was really big and had enough swimming pools for one to actually swim, and not be shoved out by the other people that wanted to fill into the tiny space, like many other swimming pools, but the amount of barely dressed women was overwhelming, much to the Hozuki heir`s delight.

Sasuke was not in such as great mood as his idiot friend. All the way he nagged him about him and his obsession over his maid, and that annoyed the Uchiha heir to the point he entertained the idea of opening the door and kick his friend outside, in the street, when they arrived at a stop or something.

"And how would you know how Heaven looks like Suigetsu? As if you will ever be allowed to even look in its general direction."

Suigetsu eyed his friend in disbelief. Just what in the world was his problem anyways? The normal Sasuke would probably flirt his way into some chick`s bikinis by then, not even acknowledging his presence, like he did many other times. Apparently he found other hobbies, beside brooding constantly.

"I don't. But I am sure I wouldn't mind going to Hell if it is populated by such sexy ladies."

The two men have just passed a group of three very beautiful women, all of them in bikinis and all ogling the two heirs. The shark faced boy winked in their direction, making them blush. Sasuke didn't even spare them a glance.

And the pale eyed man couldn't contain a goofy smirk on his face. He knew exactly what was bothering the raven haired man, and it started with S and ended with Akura. He slapped Sasuke on his back making him wince and almost trip on someone`s towel. The dark haired man threw him a glance almost like daring him to do it again.

"Suigetsu, if you want me to beat the crap out of your stupid looking shark face, you just have to ask for it. Usually, I am not that generous, but you are my friend and I will try extra hard to please you."

"Dude, I swear, she is going to be the death of you. Just look at you! You are in a place full of hotties, but your only concern is a little too arrogant for her status young girl, that wash your boxers and brings you food.

Are you possessed by some monk or something?" Suigetsu knew he was pissing his friend off, but he couldn't care less.

The whole situation was entertaining and unexpected. He knew just how much the midnight haired heir loved to lure women, preferably in his bed, but he wasn't bother by other choice places either, and seeing his suffering face upon a woman that probably hasn't given herself to him was something to look for.

And the fact that he pestered him all the way from his home was visible in the frowning dark man`s general attitude, because he was looking straight ahead, taking large steps god only knows where.

"Sasuke, why the hell are we going so far from the entrance? All the fun is in the range of the main swimming pool."

The Hozuki heir was ready to hunt down some really hot chick and maybe take her for a walk later on, but apparently his friend had another idea, because he was heading in the opposite direction, where some huge questionable looking pool was situated.

He raised an eyebrow at the huge swimming pool in disbelief. It had artificial waves for surfing all right, but for some unknown reason, no one was doing surf, but only stayed there like morons, lying on surfboards or lifesavers, jumping like pop-corn whenever a wave hit them.

"Because I haven't paid $30 dollars for the ticket just to take care of the surrounding fence. They have security guards for this."

In all honesty, Sasuke really didn't want to be there, but his moronic friend didn't take no for an answer, and if that was the only way to make his loud mouth shut up, he was going to take the risk of an unpleasant event to happen.

The onyx eyed man couldn't explain why, but he had the feeling that something disturbing is going to happen, and the fact that Suigetsu was around, the chances for it to actually take place were even higher.

Sure, he was not going to lie to himself and admit the place looked really good and it had almost everything one could think of. He knew all too well just how much money the owner has invested to make it one of the biggest swimming places from the country and apparently he did a great job.

Also, the amount of gorgeous looking women was indeed really high, because everywhere he cast his sun glassed covered black eyes, he caught the sight of ladies throwing him star struck curious stares, smiling and batting their eyelashes at him, hoping to catch his attention.

But for some unnamed reason, Sasuke was not in the slightest impressed or attracted by any of them and he knew much of the fault was Sakura`s.

He just couldn't let his mind roam to some revealing body of a chick that passed him and Suigetsu, because everything that hit his brain was his maid`s unidentified boyfriend and her angelic smile she gave him in the living room.

And the Uchiha heir realized it was nothing like those false smiles women around had plastered on their make up painted faces. Just who the hell wore so much make up at the swimming pool anyways?

Sasuke was thinking in horror at the very idea of them leaving make up traces in the clear water where he was supposed to swim. He would reconsider taking a dip in the water. It was not like he didn't have anything to do in the first place.

Only if he could have escaped his bothersome friend in the first place and have some damn silence. Some little children has just passed him and managed to splash water on his legs, screaming and laughing. He already loathed coming there.

After crossing half of the Water Park, much to Suigetsu`s dismay, the two friends found two available sun loungers, not to far from the artificial waves pool, but not too close either, because the very idea of being splashed every time a wave hit those idiot`s fat bodies, that found it really entertaining to drown in water every five seconds, was not appealing in the slightest.

"Man I swear I don't get you. Have you just come out of the closet or you are doing it on purpose just to annoy me?" Suigetsu thought he was going to die.

Of course all the hot women were resting their inviting almost naked frames near the entrance, where they could spot every good looking guy that entered the place, but no.

His love suffering friend decided to stay in the middle of a freaking row of sun loungers, populated by married women with children and mostly old hags accompanying their nephews and it was disgusting. He was there to flirt and have fun and the idiom oldies but goldies was overrated in his opinion.

"If I wanted to see mummies, I would have gone to the museum, not coming to the freaking swimming pool."

Suigetsu pulled his T-Shirt out of his head, the only article that left on his fit body being his grey trunks. He removed his pants in Sasuke`s car, much to his friend`s stupor, but his face was too funny to miss.

Sasuke undressed as well, folding his clothes and put them into his bag, not even sparing a glance at his annoying friend. He chose the place on purpose, because in all honesty he didn't want to be disturbed by the sluts that were waiting for some hot catch, like they were on the streets, not swimming pool.

He was tempted to tell them the brothels were in the down town, but he refrained from attracting any more attention. They already had their eyes cast on him the moment he parked his car in the parking lot and the idea of being recognized by the others was sinister.

After the scandal from the Blue Lagoon, paparazzi were basically hunting them, ready to kill for another picture that would make those trash magazines sell like bread.

Also, he was not sure why, but ever since Sakura started working for him, he didn't feel the same drive to go and fuck whatever hot looking woman crossed his path. Like he was expecting to find something more in those empty eyes of theirs and he knew exactly what.

The Uchiha heir was a man of few words, unlike the other loud friends of his, but he liked people to understand what he was saying, preferably from the first time, and all those anencephalous females were doing when he whispered something on their ears was to tremble in pleasure and let out small smiles, that wanted to be cute, but failing miserably.

Sakura was not like that, she had a smart comeback for everything he said and had the guts to stand him up and voice out her frustrations, even going as far as to tell him she had a boyfriend and she wouldn't have allowed him to kiss her, which was a pleasant change in the scenery.

Sasuke found himself enjoying their batterings and subtle flirts, because it stirred the predator instinct, almost pushing him as far as to fight for her acknowledge. She wasn't the one to only fall for his charms, he was aware of it.

And that innocent genuine smile…the Uchiha heir shook his head, combing his spikes with his right hand. Suigetsu was right, that woman was the death of him. At least there were some advantages of him keeping away from those women. He was avoiding unnecessary scandals.

"Suigetsu, you don't even know how to spell the word museum correctly, so stop trying to be the smartass guy you are not and shut up already, you are giving me a headache."

The raven haired heir took out his sunscreen lotion and applied it on his pale sensible skin. He had also brought his really big sun umbrella. Sasuke would not be caught dead in the sun rays, not with his extremely white complexion.

He threw a glance around him at the imbecile guys with air inflated muscles, trying to be sexy and being redder than crabs, attempting to catch the ladies` eyes. _"Cancer is having a field day."_

Suigetsu took the sunscreen from his friend`s hand and applied some lotion to his own really pale skin, not bother by the fact that Sasuke was glaring daggers in his skull. As if the shark faced boy could care less about bringing the necessary stuff, as long as his all too caring friend was there to provide him supplies.

"Dude, let me tell you. If you are here just to sulk the whole day and look like you have just discovered Santa is not real, then why didn't you bring your little maid here as well, to keep you company?"

After almost finishing all the sunblock lotion, Suigetsu threw his body on the sun lounger, supporting his head with his hands looking at his friend with a knowing look on his light blue eyes.

Sasuke entertained the idea of shoving the almost empty lotion bottle down Suigetsu`s ass, but he refrained from doing so…in public places. And the stupid moronic jerk was smirking at him, winking.

As if he could have taken Sakura out, like they were dating or something. She had a boyfriend for God`s sake! Not that he was ever stopped by such unimportant details, but everything seemed different when it came to her.

"Hn…she has a boyfriend." Sasuke lied on his own sun lounger as well, opening his bag and pulling out some files regarding his company stocks to study. Didn't doctors always advertise working outside, to keep you healthy? Who was Sasuke to disagree?

Suigetsu covered his eyes with his arm, letting out a loud howl, finding his friend`s excuse to be absolutely hilarious. Was the younger Uchiha afraid of competition or the world was coming to an end?

As if that most likely virgin ugly looking maid could have found a boyfriend in such short amount of time. The white haired man couldn't have been more amused by his friend`s obliviousness.

"BWHAAHAHHAHA…man, for real? And you believed her when she told you that?" Suigetsu felt his body start to convulse. Sasuke`s facial expression was really…dare he say adorable?

Of course the dark eyed heir didn't believe her in the very first place, but the expensive phone and the fact that he was actually calling her were solid proofs that couldn't be ignored.

There were some men out there like his blonde dobe buddy Naruto that were not superficial and Sakura`s sharp mind and interesting attitude were definitely attractive.

"Why not?" Sasuke opened his file, letting his black beryl bored orbs scan the content. Those numbers were not looking too promising.

The Hozuki heir turned his head in his friend`s direction, uncovering one eye to watch him better. Look at him pretending not to care.

"Because she said that just to make you jealous, it is more than obvious. You my friend, the player of the century, are being played by your poor maid."

Toying with him? Sasuke raised his dark stare and fixed an imaginary point in front of him, thinking about what Suigetsu has just said. Was Sakura able to toy with his feelings, when it was more than visible she wanted him, just like he wanted her?

It crossed his mind at some point in time, but she just didn't seem to have it in her. Of course, she was hiding her life and looks from him, but those emerald sparking eyes were not deceiving him, he was sure of it.

"You don't know what you are talking about, Suigetsu."

"Is that right? Then where is this mysterious boyfriend of hers? Hidden in the depths of her pink haired mind? Have you ever seen him or her going on a date with him? Pflease…as if I haven't seen the way she looked at you, when you didn't even spare her a glance in the kitchen.

One must be blind not to sense the obvious attraction." The light purple blue eyed amused man couldn't believe such a smart man like his friend couldn't see the obvious in the situation.

Maybe because he was the one involved in the equation, the truth slipped from his head, because anyone could have seen through such a lie, it was just too common.

He silently admired that woman`s attitude to live alone with Sasuke Uchiha and not jump his bones with the first chance she got, even going as far as to lie to him and say she had a boyfriend.

"I don't know, I am not her bodyguard. And honestly, I couldn't care less about her private life." Sasuke`s conscience was laughing like crazy upon hearing such a lie. He was more than bothered at the fact that Sakura had someone else in his life, beside him.

It was an alien feeling of possessiveness that the Uchiha couldn't not overlook any longer, but what could he have done? He promised to himself he was going to respect her decision. She had to come to him out of her own accord.

"Honesty my friend…is a strong word when it comes to you." Suigetsu pulled out his iPod and pressed the Play button. All that heat started to make him dizzy and seeing his buddy's disinterest made him lose flirting mood as well. He was going to take a little nap to gain some energy than start his hunt.

}{

As soon as she saw Sasuke and his friend getting in the car and speeding in the said direction, Sakura threw a glance at the GPS and followed the map, which showed all the available swimming pools in the area. There was a new really huge swimming place and she was certain that was the place where her boss was heading.

Of course, the pink haired agent had no problem in tracking him with the sole help of the GPS when she knew he was at his company, because it was not like Lorane was going to kill him in broad daylight, inside his office nonetheless, not accordingly to her newest theory with the electromagnetism to protect him.

But him going in public crowded places made her sprint into her room, take her swimsuit (fuck was it Victoria`s Secret, but such was life, she didn't have time to buy a not so expensive one in such a short amount of time) and sun screen, change her clothes into a thin white cotton tunic, that stopped on her mid tights, giving a beautiful view of her toned long legs, a pair of flip flops (yeah, she could drive in that ones), dark sun glasses and a sun hat, to conceal her face and rode her moped to the said location.

When Sakura arrived to the Water Park, the parking lot was so full of cars and motorcycles, that it was impossible to find an empty spot, so she let her own vehicle near some bicycles for the lack of better ideas. It was not like that motorcycle didn't look like a bicycle with an engine.

She paid for the ticket and when she entered the said place, she stopped dead in her tracks. Not only the swimming place was huge, but it was packed with people, of all ages…and an overdose of sluts. _"Is this why he came here in the very first place?"_

Sakura`s heart clenched painfully in her chest upon thinking of Sasuke coming to this full of people place, just to flirt his way into some woman`s pants.

Of course, she already made peace with the idea of them not being involved in a relationship, but damn it both of them knew there was much more between them than that.

But wasn't she doing the very same thing, when lying to him she had a boyfriend? Her friend Karin was right, if she didn't do something to let him know she was more than willing to stop the charade and go further, she was going to lose him in favor of some other woman.

Sure, in the society Sasuke lived in, most of the women were just brainless whores in search for money and social status, but there were also a small number of intelligent and eloquent ladies that came closer to his standards.

"_I am one of them, damn it!"_ Her red headed`s friend idea of revealing him her identity and stop the lies that were breaking them apart seemed more and more appealing.

Just like back in the club, the Sound agent thought about where could Sasuke be, because finding someone in that place was mission impossible. Sure, that time there was not darkness, because the sun was shining and the sky was clear, but the large number of people was making it difficult.

"_Well, how difficult could be to spot him anyways? I have to look for a gorgeous male model between this wannabies…"_

Sakura headed in the direction of some pool that looked painfully alike one that had artificial waves for surfing, tempting her to go and prove her surfing skills. She was really good at it, but she knew she couldn't blow up her cover by pulling such a stunt. Besides, people were not surfing, but having fun in the waves.

If she wanted to spot her boss, all she had to do was to find a secluded place that provided a large view of the place and wait patiently for him to show his hot ass to the world.

It was impossible for him not to appear in her field of view at some point. The worst part was that she had put a GPS device on his car, because having his global position could have saved her a lot of trouble.

"_I swear I want to drown him in that pool for making me look for him every damn place…"_ She was slightly bothered by all the stares she got from the guys out there.

Of course, with her thin short slightly see through clothes and her hat that covered a stupid hairstyle, she herself looked like a bikini model and men around were winking and whistling at her, trying in vain to get her attention. She had a clear purpose in mind and that was to make sure nothing happens to Sasuke and it was not like she could have ogled another male beside her boss.

Sure, she took a quick glance at the men around and she spotted some really hot guys, but she had another specimen at home to compare, and they came no where closer to Sasuke.

Sakura found an available sun lounger near the swimming pool with the artificial waves, in the vicinity of some old lady with her nephew. She wouldn't have been that stupid to sit in close to a group of youngsters or God forbids men.

There were some available places to sit, but it was closer to the water slides and the amount of children that were splitting water in all the directions, making the floor slippery were not on her to do list.

The pink haired agent opened up her umbrella, applied some sunscreen lotion with olive oil and vitamin A and D, pulled out her pink iPod, playing her favorite Jazz playlist and laid further into the comfortable chair, her emerald eyes scanning the surroundings. She had some hot specimen to spot.

}{

"Neji help me apply sun protection…now!" Ten Ten was begging her lazy fiancé to help her with the said lotion, while the arrogant smirking bastard was impersonating a dead body in the sun lounger.

"Why darling, weren't you the one always complaining that I am too possessive? I gave it a little think and decided to give you some intimacy. So prove it you are an independent lady with a lot of flexibility and apply it yourself."

The Hyuga heir found a really cozy position to lie on his back with his hands crossed on his chest, not giving a damn about anything around.

He had a small hat covering all his face, so the chances for anyone to recognize him and pester him were low.

Maybe if he would be in the mood, he was going to swim later, as well. But his fiancé was bothering him with stupid things. Not that he minded touching her perfect shaped body, but he would like to do it in a more secluded place.

Ten Ten hit his shoulder with a hard fist, but the lavender eyed man only smirked more, not paying attention to her.

He secretly found the idea of ditching the Uzumaki and take her fiancé to a real date inspiring, but the blonde idiot was glued to them and the imbecile actually knew how to successfully use a tracking device.

"Stupid conceited arrogant flop, with a stick shoved up his ass, trying to be funny… If you don't do it now Hyuga, I am going to ask one of those guys over there that were eying me like a piece of meat since we came here."

Ten Ten was not lying with that one. Besides, those men were really good looking and a jealous unleashed pale eyed Neji was a really sexy one. The chocolate eyed woman was sadistic and she knew it, but she would blame Anko`s bad influence on her.

"Bah…go ahead. See if I care." When it came to his lover, Neji was indeed possessive, and no one was going to touch Ten Ten except him. Of course the annoying woman was doing it on purpose, but he was not going to appear angered.

Ten Ten raised an eyebrow at the man beside her, gave him a small innocent smile and the finger, and stood up, heading in the direction of a gang of young men, who were parading in front of the swimming pool, like they were doing a photo shooting for a famous magazine.

The chestnut eyed woman was mentally laughing upon seeing how ridiculous they looked like. It was crystal clear they were loaded, after all, they had more gold on their stupid all too muscled figures, than Japan`s National Bank.

She put a lot of effort in swinging her hips while taking small steps in their direction, glasses on her eyes, barely containing her laughter. She could sense her fiancé`s dark aura radiating from the behind, promising broken jaws and bruised eyes. So he thought he was smart, huh?

No problem, Ten Ten was more than in for the kill. She vaguely seen Naruto coming closer to the edge of the swimming pool, shouting some obscenities at some children that hit him with a ball on his head. _"What a clown…"_

"Hello guys, I wonder if you would be so kind to help a woman in need with applying this sunscreen. Don`t be afraid to touch **all** the places, I don't want to get a sun burn." The Akatsuki female agent dropped her voice an octave, making it sound seductive and alluring, all the time eying the little gang of bizarre looking creatures in front of her, that were funny tanned, barely containing her laughter.

"Of course, because we are real gentlemen, Am I right dudes?" The biggest of them winked suggestive in her direction, elbowing one of his equally imbecile friend in the ribs, while taking the lotion from her hands.

Of course Ten Ten was not going to let one of those hands touching a part of her body, but turning her head over her shoulders to see a slowly standing up brooding fiancé was worth all the trouble.

"Turn around babe and let me take care of that pretty skin of yours." But just as the said man attempted to apply the sunblock on Ten Ten`s back, a very wet Naruto Uzumaki came right in between them, successfully splashing everyone around and after shaking his head to remove the damp strands of his golden spikes that were blocking his view, put a frown on his face and pointed his finger in the direction of a stunned looking smaller than him male, that froze in his attempt to lure a beautiful Akatsuki agent.

"You! Don't you dare touch my friend with those filthy hands of yours, you perverted Tarzan in disguise, or else I am going to give your stupid looking face a much needed plastic surgery for free!"

The chocolate haired woman couldn't contain her laughter anymore and left a loud chuckle. Seriously, a really wet Uzumaki heir, with a serious expression on his funny looking tanned face, dressed like he has just robbed a small kid while he was attacking the water slides, acting like Mr. Bean was absolutely hilarious.

Howls of laughter were coming from the small gang of gorillas that apparently were not in the slightest impressed. Of course, on a first glance the sun kissed boy looked nothing like dangerous, but…he was not on a mission, because if he was…

Ten Ten was mentally smirking while picturing Naruto in his agent attire. It was a complete transformation. And those dudes had no idea who they were talking too.

"Awww…how cute, this hot babe is doing some money by babysitting mental deranged children!" Another wave of loud laughs came from the men, much to Naruto`s horror.

The chocolate eyed woman was having both her hands on her stomach still laughing, while taking a peek at Neji who turned his head and covered his face with a towel, lying as far as he could in the sun lounger, hiding behind the sun umbrella, in shame.

He was probably cursing his days of befriending the Uzumaki heir. Ten Ten had tears in her eyes, it was too priceless and her fiancé was a coward and a traitor.

Naruto straightened his muscled body, successfully shadowing the much shorter men, crossing his arms over his chest, attempting to look solemn, but it was not working that well.

His Akatsuki female colleague was eying him with her chestnut eyes half closed, barking at the nowadays heir`s imbecility. Really, if only they could buy a damn brain with their parent`s credit cards…

The Uzumaki was tall and really well built, but he had an unserious face, looking just like a kid, so people tended to make fun of him. You know, the type of kids that were bullied in the schools for no particular reason.

"Mental deranged children? Oh, I am really sorry, I didn't recognized you guys from the first time. I am glad to hear my friend is doing charity work, even in her leisure time. But to be mentally deranged you have to have a brain in the first place and you guys seem to lack it completely."

"Bwhahahaha you tell them buddy!" Ten Ten was aware of the attention they got from the people around, especially older ones that were eying them with reproaching stares, talking to one another probably about how troubled their generation was, but she couldn't help herself.

Naruto was damn funny and the said insulted people attempted to look offended, because their apparent leader took a step in front of the others trying to push her CIA colleague`s shoulders. The said man barely flinched. _"Blame those training reflexes…"_

"I am going to beat the hell out of you, you stupid bastard!"

The said man tried to punch Naruto in the face, but the Akatsuki member simply stepped aside, taking advantage of the really wet and slippery surface and when the said man slipped on the floor, coming really close to Naruto`s side, the said man grabbed his arm and threw him in the pool, much to the ladies` ovations. They seemed to enjoy such a bad boy attitude.

The other friends of the stupid looking guy went to the edge of the swimming pool laughing their asses off at the angered expression of their humiliated friend, who was flailing his hands in the air, scattering drops of water in all directions, having difficulties in keeping his body out of the surface.

It seemed like that was the deepest part of the pool and his feet were not touching the bottom.

"Take me out of here you imbeciles, I have chlorine in my eyes! I am going to have conjunctivitis!"

All the people that were closer to the scene were laughing like crazy, Naruto and Ten Ten included. The cerulean eyed man put a hand around his female colleague's waist and headed in the direction of their places, both having troubles in walking straight, because of their shrieks.

And seeing the Hyuga heir covering his tall frame with all their towels, hoping not to be spotted with such retarded people was making it more the funnier.

"HAHAAHAHHA…man that was...HAHAHA…epic!" Ten Ten threw her body on her fiancé`s, startling the said man to the point she thought he was going to break the sun lounger in half with the intensity of his jerk.

Naruto took the chocolate eyed Akatsuki member`s place, beside Neji. They were like a family and sharing their stuff and acting familiar towards each other was a normal occurrence between them.

"I know bhwhahaha…hear the cretin screaming that he has chlorine in his eyes looolll bwhahaha.." Naruto threw his head on his back, his eyes tight shut, laughing.

"And he had that white Gucci glasses on his eyes when you threw it in the water hahaha!" Ten Ten was able to hear the irritated man screaming colorful expressions at his friends for not coming there to help him find his stuff, much to the audience`s entertainment. Who said going to the swimming pool was not funny?

"Yeah, such an imbecile."

"Ten Ten…can you please stop damaging my body and get off me like…NOW? Thank you?" Neji was having troubles breathing, because his fiancé got comfortable on the top of him, not caring she was basically straddling him.

And the little vixen was rubbing her buttocks on his own ass and she knew all too well it was turning him on. Oh she was in for a good punish later on, the Hyuga heir was to make sure of it.

"No. You didn't want to help me with my sunscreen, so I am staying here, out of the sun rays. And why the hell are you covered in towels, for crying out loud Hyuga, you could have taken a damn tent and hide, or shove your empty head in the sand like an ostrich. Stupid jerk."

"Hey guys, who wants something to drink? They are selling cocktails on the other side of the pool."

"Really? I would like something cold to drink, this heat is killing me, but I am not going."

"Me neither. Not that I can move to begin with."

"Don't worry; I am going to take us something good. In the meantime, try not to kill each other until I come back. We don't need another murder today." Naruto took his wallet and his flip flops, heading to the pool bar.

"God don't mention that, I almost forgot the horrid scene."

"Sorry Sorry…I will be right back." Naruto eyed the long line of expecting people. He really hated waiting and he secretly wished for his friend Sasuke to be there as well. That would have made it even funnier.

}{

Sakura was about to give up looking for her boss. After realizing her idea of waiting for him to appear in her field of view was a dumb one, because of the amount of people roaming aimlessly, she started to look for him herself.

But she only managed to anger herself because of all the attention she got, so she was currently lying in her sun lounger, arms crossed, frowning.

"Where the fuck did that imbecile went anyways, is he a damn mermaid or something?"

Not only that, but the heat outside was unbelievable and there was no cloud on the sky. She was drinking water constantly, but she felt extremely week and she knew the reason why.

With all the stress and sleepless nights she had because of Sasuke, the pink haired woman was neglecting herself, not having proper meals. She was aware of the fact that she hadn't eaten anything from the previous day, but she simply lost her appetite.

All the emotional trouble was taking a toll on her, successfully draining her energy and the dizziness she felt was becoming regular. But the Uchiha simply wasn't giving her a rest, because there was always some trouble involved when in came to him.

And she couldn't stop her mind to drift to their incredible intimate moment and the aftermath with Naruto and her lies to him. The emerald eyed woman shook her head once trying to put those thoughts aside. It was not doing her any good to get upset because of her boss and their complicated situation.

It was pure luck the fact that she turned her head on her left side, catching the glimpse of the one and only Uchiha Sasuke and his friend. _"Thanks God!"_ Of course she wasn't able to see him, because he was not even standing that far from her place.

Plus, to think he was always so close to her reach, but she overlooked him. Maybe it was because of the fact that he was hiding under a huge blue sun umbrella. Sakura was mentally laughing at that.

He was indeed a vampire and sun was probably melting his skin. Maybe she should start wearing garlic around her neck, as a necklace and use it as a Sasuke-repeller.

The Uchiha heir decided to delight her view a little bit, because he put aside some files he was studying (was he that much of a workaholic, really?), slightly cracked his neck, probably to alleviate the pain he felt from supporting his head on the plastic surface of the sun lounger, and went in the direction of the showers.

Sakura was glad she had her glasses and sun hat to conceal most of her face, because she was sure her jaw hit the floor and her jaded eyes went wide as plates, upon catching the glimpse of Sasuke`s absolutely delicious body.

Of course it was not the first time she has seen him naked, but it was under different circumstances and she didn't have time to study him as intense as she was doing then.

He probably intended to go and refresh himself in the inviting pool, because he turned on the shower and let the water fall on his toned body, while pulling his raven locks backwards, getting all wet.

The Sound agent slapped her face upon seeing such a fine specimen in front of her. God the way his perfect shaped muscles flexed while he was busy washing his body was absolutely erotic and she could have sworn the bastard was slowing his movements on purpose, while splashing water on his sculpted abs, just to attract more attention.

As if he needed to do so in the very first place, because the pink haired maid was able to see the way the other women were basically ogling him, not even bothering to be discreet.

Sakura didn't know why, but Karin`s words rung in her mind. If she didn't do something, some other woman was going to steal away her boss and she was going to lose him forever. She was not going to delude herself into thinking she didn't want anything to happen between the two of them, because that was a blatant lie.

There was nothing that the Sound agent wanted more on that moment than to go to him, confess all the truth, let him know who she really was and how she looked like and join him in the pool, like most of the pairs present there were doing.

It really pained her to envision the onyx eyed Uchiha being affectionate and for instance, kissing and feeling up another woman in the crystal clear water, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

She knew what she was feeling and it was jealousy. Yes, the mighty Athena of the Sound, the woman that could have had any man she wanted at her feet, was jealous on a future Ms. Uchiha, she didn't even know in the first place. She was that pathetic.

After taking his shower, Sasuke proceeded to the swimming pool, where the water was the deepest and did a perfect dive head, disappearing under water.

The pink haired girl saw him resurfacing at the middle of the swimming pool, freestyle stroking like a damn pro, much to the other`s admiration.

Sakura pulled her chair on the side, so as she could have a perfect view on the said swimming pool and boss, sighing loudly. No matter what he did, her boss was truly outstanding.

And she couldn't blame the other for not taking their eyes off him. Seriously, even the older women and the freaking kids were watching him in awe. Sasuke was remarkable in everything he did, be it business or leisure. She secretly wondered if he knew how to surf as well.

"Oh well…I hope that idiot didn't forget the sunscreen. That skin should not stay in the sun rays…ever!" Sakura took another sip of water, feeling dehydrated. She silently prayed she was not going to have sunstroke. She spent almost an hour wandering around, looking for Sasuke.

"Whoaaaa…what the…" Sakura was busy devouring Sasuke with her stare, when she felt a really cold jet of water on her legs. She abruptly turned her head in the direction of the offending cold liquid, coming face to face with the kid that was standing on his butt, in the sun lounger, beside her.

The truth was…the pink haired agent really thought that finding a seat in a not so crowded place, in between families with children and old people was a good idea, for her to watch for the Uchiha`s back, as well as let her emerald eyes look around in search for any potential threat.

But that damn annoying little boy had a water gun the size of Lorane`s swords and that object`s jet could reach ten freaking meters.

And to top it all, the brat was a better aimer than most of the Akatsuki members. Seriously, Sakura would have suggested him to audition for the CIA, he got skills.

Only, his damn grandmother bought him two ice creams, a huge hot dog and some dessert the maid didn't know what it was, but it had a lot of cream topping and chocolate and it looked like a caloric bomb, meaning the brat was in a sugar rush, screaming, running away, going to the pool than coming back to splash everyone around, or shoot them with his water freaking pistol.

Upon sensing Sakura`s murderous glare, the old woman grabbed the kid by his hand and told him something in Japanese, looking like she was gently scolding him, but the jaded eyed frowning lady was not sure because she didn't understand a thing. The brat, bowed his head and told her, in his tiny voice"

"Sumimasen…"

Sakura slightly bowed her head in understanding, hoping he was asking for excuses, either way she was going to make a fool of herself. Well…she had a much lighter complexion than all the people there and her all aura screamed foreigner, so it was understandable.

Just as the emerald eyed Sound agent returned her attention towards her boss, she caught the sight of him climbing the stairs and getting out of the swimming pool, heading back to his place, which would have not been such a tragic thing if a damn blonde slut was not approaching him, intention obvious.

"_Please don't tell me she is going to hook him up or else I am going to disfigure his idiotic face, right now, screw the mission!" _Sakura couldn't explain but an amount of outrage washed through her system, making her clench her fists.

Just the very idea of a flirting Sasuke, right in front of her was out of question and it was in that moment the maid truly understood what her boss felt in the moment he saw his best friend touching her in the kitchen: betrayal.

Yes, she was aware of the fact that she was delusional and selfish, but Sakura didn't care. She was nurturing feelings for the dark haired man and they were much deeper than she thought, cutting deep into her core and turning her life upside down and damn if it wasn't the most unpleasing feeling ever.

Of course it happened just as the jaded irritated eyed girl has predicted. There in front of all those freaking people, the said blonde approached the Uchiha heir, pushing her huge chest in front, swaying her hips like she was pole dancing and parted her too long hair over her shoulder, attempting to be flirty.

Sakura wanted to laugh at her. She was barely dressed to begin with, wearing a glitter golden swim suit consisting in a too small bra, that didn't cover much of her well endowed chest and a pair of bikinis that should have been forbidden by law.

Her general attitude screamed sluttyness to the point it was painful for the eye to look in her general direction, because basically everything at her was freaking yellow. She looked like a solar panel. And a quick look on Sasuke`s face, told her he was probably thinking the same about the whore. _"Don't you dare…"_

The Sound agent was quite curious to watch the famous Sasuke Uchiha in action, flirting like a pro. Of course, she wanted nothing more than to go there, rip all that blonde hair out of that woman`s scalp and strangle her with it, at the same time, curious upon how honest was her boss. Was their small moments precious to him as well, or he was just another player out of many, just like Anko and surprisingly Suigetsu told her?

All the rational thinking left Sakura`s mind when she caught the sight of the said slut putting a manicured finger on her boss` broad chest, lazily going up and down, saying something she couldn't hear from that distance and to top it all, Sasuke did nothing to stop her.

"Oh no, over my dead body!" Something beyond understanding happened to Sakura`s body in the moment that hooker touched her boss, because out of her own accord, she moved her hands, acting purely on the impulse, when the emerald furious eyed woman pulled the water gun out of the kid from earlier`s small hands, stood up like the chair has burned her and jerked the trigger, shooting in the direction of the pair, letting a powerful jet of water wet the blonde slut right in her huge back, head and butt.

All the people around her who saw the comical scene eyed the strange young lady in bewilderment. The huge amount of resentment she felt in that moment was tangible, because her small body was trembling in fury, not even bothered by the fact that her boss might have seen her. Nothing matter in that moment and all that Sakura had in mind was to separate the two of them, no matter the method.

And apparently it worked, because the said then wet to the bones woman let out a high pitched annoying scream, watching around her and frowning dramatically at everyone that had the audacity to laugh at her distressed state.

Her chances of seducing the handsome brunette young man were ruined, because he too was smirking at her stupid looking face.

Really content of her own accomplishment, Sakura returned the very useful gun to the little child that was cheering on her in his own alien language, his small curious eyes darting from Sasuke to Sakura, clapping and pointing at her, while whispering something to his grandmother.

The said woman looked at her in appreciation. Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. Why the hell was she looking like she wanted to congratulate her? _"This people…are weird."_

The Sound agent didn't have time to react when the said old woman threw a towel right on her head and told her nephew to stand on her own sun lounger, looking like they were both the old lady`s relatives. "Hey, what are you…"

But when she wanted to pull the fluffy red towel from her head, a small hand prevented her from doing so.

The jaded eyed agent felt ready to scream at the poor kid, but the she realized in puzzlement that the gentle looking grandma has successfully covered her stunt from Sasuke and the blonde woman, who were basically scanning the area for the culprit. Unbelievable, that elder was brilliant!

Sakura turned her head over her shoulder and prayed to all the Gods that were not laughing at her in that moment, for those words to mean "thank you" in Japanese. It was not in her intention to be rude with her savior. It looked like not all the rich people agreed with their much too tainted society. Yeah, the woman was indeed a grandma, but she looked amazingly fit for her age, as well as she had expensive jewelry on her, so it was just obvious she was not a commoner.

"Ahm…a-arigatou…gozaimashita…_please tell me this is how you properly thank someone for saving your butt please please please_!"

"Doitashimashite." The said woman nodded politely at her, letting out a small knowing smile, as if reading her inner turmoil and called for his nephew to not bother her any more and come back. Sakura was certain then: Japanese people rocked!

Suigetsu has seen the whole scene, because when it came to flirts and women, his radar worked out just fine. And when he caught the sight of a jet of water looking like it was coming from another dimension, he swore he was going to pull out an abdominal muscle from laughing so hard.

So someone there really didn't like the idea of his friend to lure a…ok, that woman was a slut, even in his eyes, and that spoke volumes, because the Hozuki heir had all kinds of women, and when he says all kinds of women, the lower rank of sluts were also included.

He was curious if that incident was coincidental, but when he followed in the direction of the water jet, he only saw families and children, so it was more than obvious for him that some nasty kid found the scene disturbing.

A pair of blueish eyes were following Sasuke`s steps towards him, a smirk plastered on his face. So he was amused as well.

"Dude, I must confess you are really something you know? Making a woman wet without even touching her is something I find inspirational. Please make me your apprentice."

Sasuke took his navy blue towel and dried his body, looking at Suigetsu in a bored way. In all honesty, he wanted to find a good looking woman and have a little fun, but damn it if all that was crossing his mind was a pair of pink lips and a more appealing pink haired maid, waiting at home.

For reasons that slipped his mind at that time, Sakura was more present into his thoughts then ever.

Her touching him was completely different from everything he has experienced, and him wanting to confirm the fact that indeed his maid was special in his eyes, was the reason he let the blonde woman from before to touch him, when all he wanted to do in that moment was to shove her filthy hand away and even throw her in the pool he just exited.

But someone has beaten him to it and public humiliated her lame attempt of seduce. Served her right. He felt like going back to the showers to wash away the very idea of another woman, besides Sakura laying a finger on him, but people were watching him too intently and he was bothered by it.

The fact that no one has recognized him until then was a miracle. And some really questionable looking dude, with a hairstyle that looked like it was done by Naruto, in the same way he mixes with his noodles, was winking in his direction, giving the Uchiha shivers of disgust. Even men…

"Why don't you find inspiration some other place Suigetsu, for instance…out of my field of view? I already had my daily dosage of admirers."

The raven haired heir took a bottle of water, taking a large gulp. Some kid that was learning how to swim, has splashed him on the face and made him take a sip of that infested with too much chlorine water.

Suigetsu took the bottle from his hands like he deserved it, drinking all of it. "I am really well here, thank you very much. There is enough inspiration in those bikinis and hot skins around the place and apparently you my friend, are still looking for nirvana."

Sasuke threw his friend a heated dark glance, but the said man didn't even flinch. He was immune at the jet eyed Uchiha`s facial expressions and it was nothing funnier than seeing him lose his cool all the times.

"Since when are you a damn priest anyways? And how about you start I don't know…bringing you own fucking stuff Suigetsu? You are shit loaded, but you act like a beggar more than my maid."

"Aha! I knew it! You cannot even formulate a whole sentence without mentioning her as well. Just admit it man, you like her, is just plainly obvious."

The Uchiha threw his friend another glace, silently urging him to shut his mouth and not annoy him further, stood down, resuming on his reading material. "If it is just that obvious, then why do I need to confirm it? How about you work more on your damaged logic and fuck off already, you have bothered me all the way here."

"Like I told you back in the club dude…denial. This is the current you. But oh well…in all honesty I can understand your attraction. That woman is really a rare pearl in the ocean and something tells me there is much more to her story than just a poor ugly looking maid. And I am not even sure she is really ugly to begin with, man I swear those long legs of hers…"

Sasuke hit his friend`s head with the then empty bottle of water, all the way not raising his gaze from the papers. As if he could have focused on something else than her. Well, he did…but only with half of his brain, because the other was really busy deluding himself that the snow white haired heir`s words were not in the bit close to the actual truth.

And from his point of view, they were not. What he felt about Sakura was far deeper than just plain lust and no matter how much he tried to forget about her smile and the feelings she stirred in him when she held his hand, those images were coming back full force to plague him.

A really insane thought suddenly crossed the raven haired man`s mind and that what would have been for her to be there with him as well? Not as his servant, but as something else…a friend…a company…_a lover_.

Would she like to be closer to him than just serve him food and have something to comment on every word he said? And the things they could have done together…Sasuke has seen the amount of couples trying their best to refrain from showing public affection, but the chaste kisses stolen under water and the innocent caresses under the sun umbrellas, made him wonder how would have been like to experience all that with Sakura.

No, the Uchiha heir was not jealous on the others, god forbids, he didn't have the reasons to do so, he could have had all the women he wanted, without too much effort, that was obvious by the flirty glances he got from the female population, but…there was so much they could have offered him.

And ever since he met the pink haired maid, Sasuke realized he wanted something more intense when it came to women, deeper, stronger, another sort of emotion, far different from what he has experienced so far. Why being content with only a beautiful body, when there were very special ones out there that could give him more.

"Who the hell asked you for an opinion in the first place, like I would ever need love advices from you of all the people. As far as I am concerned, you were not able to have a single stable relationship with a lady, so stop being such a philosopher. Or maybe all the sun made your non existent brain magically bloom."

Suigetsu let out a small snort, shaking his head in distrust, at his friend`s antics. It was almost like the raven haired Uchiha was repudiating his own feelings. "Let me tell you man, the fact that I am still single is because I haven't found the perfect lady for me to give my undivided attention. You on the other side, are too stupid to even look for one."

Sasuke raised a perfect shaped dark eyebrow at his friend, not believing his ears that such a weighty speech could have come from his mouth. Apparently, he indeed grew a brain. "Really now?

Is this the reason why you have your pocket packed with phone numbers from willing whores and not even three hours have passed since we came here? I must admit, you are truly adamant in finding that special lady, since it takes so much effort and research."

"Haha keep talking Sasuke, but let`s see who is going to laugh at your picture in the newspapers, when you will marry that little interesting maid of yours on a deserted island and elope in Paris, to live happy forever after.

I am calling it now dude." Suigetsu was more than certain that in the end, that was what was going to happen. In all honesty, some interesting events taking place in their boring lives would be more than welcomed.

"Yeah….and I was more than ready to congratulate you for evolving from a brainless paramecium Suigetsu. Guess I got that one wrong." Sasuke resumed his work, not standing any more of his friend`s blabbering, because deep inside, the Uchiha heir almost pried for something like that to happen. Almost.

}{

Sakura was feeling good. After making sure her boss and that blonde cat girl didn't spot her, she resumed listening to her relaxing music and reading some controversial book Karin has recommended, about how to discover the Goddess in her, in 30 illustrated steps.

She was holding the said book at such an angle that no one would be able to see it. It only contained lemons and the pink haired agent was already tomato red. Her friend was beyond rehabilitation.

Suddenly, the Sound agent heard some commotion in front of her, coming from the pool that had diving platforms at 3, 5 and 10 meters. Of course, it was also 5 meters deep and not many people were diving or swimming in there.

She raised her hear to look in the direction of the loud noises and she spotted a middle aged woman screaming from the edge of the said pool, in panic, at someone that was inside the said swimming pool, but Sakura couldn't see anyone or anything suspect.

It was in the moment the said lady turned her head, looking around and flailing her hands, still shouting to the other people, something in Japanese, the emerald eyed maid realized what exactly happened.

And when she spotted some bubbles of air on the deep blue water surface she let her instincts kick in, not actually having time to process what was about to happen.

It only took Sakura 3 seconds to throw her sun glasses and hat away and sprint in the direction of the screaming woman, basically jumping over the other sun loungers and their stuff to arrive quicker and not bothering to even undress her thin cotton short dress she dived head into the water, doing her best to reach as deep as she could on the bottom.

The water was crystal clear, but at that depth she couldn't see to the bottom of the pool from the outside and she didn't have the water goggles to help her have a better view. It didn't matter, because as soon as she reached what she considered to be 4 meters deep, the Sound assassin caught the sight of a small little girl that was trashing her petite body in all directions, sinking and drowning, losing the much needed oxygen in the process.

The jaded eyed girl moved her slender body gracefully under the water, like a delicate mermaid, advancing towards the helpless young juvenile and as soon as she reached her then limp body, Sakura pressed her mouth over her smaller one, breathing some air into her much needing lungs, because she was well aware of what degenerative effects depravation of the oxygen were upon the brain.

She took the girl`s dainty frame into her arms, adjusting her body in a comfortable position and without wasting anymore time, she swum up to the surface, slightly dizzy because of the sudden loss of air from her own then burning lungs, but she has made it.

When Sakura resurfaced, the first thing she did was to inhale deeply, finding it hard to breathe normally again, after she spent probably two or three minutes under water until she reached the child and came back and her head was killing her, due to the high water pressure and sun.

The Sound agent was certain she was going to have a sun stroke, because her body felt lifeless, like someone has extracted the very life from her, leaving an empty carcass behind. But she had to put aside her own sufferings for ensuring the little unresponsive girl in her arms was not in any danger.

The pink haired girl used one hand to make her way through the pure liquid, finding it to be a more difficult task because of the extra body she had to carry and the wet piece of clothing that was slowing down her movements, making it twice as hard to stroke into the water.

She could see the crowd of curious screaming people on the edge of the pool, expecting to see a lifesaver in action, some of the men even jumping into the pool probably thinking she needed help. _"You should have done it in the first place you useless fellows…"_

Putting aside the fact that her body felt heavy and her vision was slightly blurry, the maid managed to get to the edge of the pool, where the crying desperate mother took her child from Sakura`s arms, laying the small unconscious child on the ground, calling for what looked like help.

Some older man helped Sakura out as well, but she couldn't even stand on her feel, falling in all her fours, coughing loudly, feeling like she has run on the marathon. What the hell was that kid doing in such a deep pool was a mystery to the Sound agent, but she couldn't bother with that one, because the agitation around alerted her senses that the danger didn't past.

Unwillingly to reveal herself to the world so much, the pink haired girl pulled the wet article of clothing out of her head, because there was no point in just keeping it on her already wet to the bones body, remaining just in her swim suit and approached the mother and the kid once again, kneeing on the girl`s head, much to the woman`s stupor.

She silently asked herself why wasn't there any lifeguard, but then she remembered seeing a youngster, clad in a pair of red stripped trunks, that instead of doing his damn job, was flirting his ass with some girls from the pool bar, not in the bit interested in the uproar going on around him. And the fact that the people around her were staring and whispering things she couldn't understand was making it all the more difficult.

Not even acknowledging the careless mother`s questioning gaze, Sakura checked for the kid`s vitals, realizing she had no pulse and she was not breathing either, so without wasting anymore time, she placed one hand in the top of the other over the small chest and paying extra carefulness to avoid breaking a rib that could have penetrated the lungs, and started the CPR.

Good thing the little girl started to breathe and cough after 20 chest compressions, water emerging from her mouth, followed by a hand gripping Sakura`s thigh and a pair of dark orbs darting in all directions. _"Thanks God…"_ Only when she heard a round of applauses and cheering did the emerald eyed agent realize she has saved another life.

}{

Naruto was still waiting in line to take the drinks he was supposed to treat his two thirsty expecting friends with, when a high pitched feminine scream caught his attention. Apparently something happened on a pool that was really close to the pool bar he was at, because there were many people gathered around something he couldn't see because of the amount of the umbrellas and other inhabitants populating the place and blocking his view.

But when he caught the sight of the object of interest in the center of attention, the sun kissed blue eyed Uzumaki thought his heart was going to bounce on his chest and he felt a wave of panic rising from the pit of his stomach, resting painfully in his throat, in the form of a chocking lump.

He watched in horror how a brunette crying mother, was hovering over a small unmoving frame, trembling in consternation and screaming at the unresponsive child something that sounded like her name, but she was not even stirring. Apparently, the girl fell into the pool and Naruto had an idea of why was it such a tragic thing, when looking at the high diving platform, quickly putting two and two together.

However, the moment when the Uzumaki left the useless queue and dashed in the said direction was when he caught the glimpse of the unmistakable life savior in the form of the one and only Haruno Sakura of the Sound, doing her best to pull her worn out body out of the pool, like attempting to regain her senses.

He was already on the road, unwrapping the bath towel from around his waist, when his CIA colleague started the CPR on the said girl. He was too busy worrying for her safety to consider the reason she was there in the very first time.

}{

Ten Ten was reading a fashion magazine when her chestnut bored eyes took a peek at a pretty large crowd of people, standing at the edge of some swimming pool, pointing their fingers and talking to one another about something that was obviously going on in front of them.

A fast glance over her side told her the Hyuga heir hasn't seen a thing, because he was busy sleeping, his stereos shoved deep in his ears, oblivious to the passing people. "Neji?" She put a hand on his shoulder, making him open an eye and look in her direction.

"What now?"

"What is going on there?" The chocolate locked lady pointed in the said direction, making the lavender eyed heir follow her movement, raising an eyebrow in confusion, not aware of what was going on either.

"I don't know, looks like something happened. Maybe is part of the entertainment program, who knows…"

"Duh yeah…and this is why I spot a woman being helped to get out of the pool and a group of distressed people…"

There was something else that caught Neji`s attention and that being a glimpse of a golden haired man, running in that direction like he was followed by angry bulls, pushing aside the people in front of him. "Is that Naruto over there?"

Ten Ten followed the speeding object, comprehending the fact that her fiancé was talking about their CIA colleague, making her body alert, and letting her sharp mind to take in the situation.

A crowd of people gathered around something, a soaked woman that entered the swimming pool clad in her clothes and a running Uzumaki heir. She threw a glance at Neji, who fixed her cognac orbs with a perceptive look. They didn't waste any more minute.

"Let`s go, this could be something serious."

}{

Suigetsu was engaged in savoring his fifth bottle of water…in the last 30 minutes, when something caught his attention, due to his remarkable male hormones that reacted to stimulating women. It was a lady that didn't even bother to remove the article her thin attire and let her killer body submerse in the deep water with a perfect head dive.

"Dude…have you seen that?" The Hozuki heir elbowed his trapped into business related files friend in the ribs, to catch his attention, to no avail. The said man was blatantly ignoring him, from the moment he had the audacity to point out his obvious interest in a certain pink haired maid. "Oy, Sasuke, don't ignore me you book warm freak!"

Still no answer. Suigetsu was getting irritated by the dark eyed man, who was neglecting his throaty voice with talent. "Earth to Sasuke, responding please! I am going to scream out loud that the Uchiha heir is in love with his commoner servant if you don't look in front of you."

That made the onyx annoyed eyed Sasuke to raise his penetrating gaze from the files he was studying with not that much pathos and fix it on his friend`s purple blue ones, as if daring him to do it and suffer the consequences. "And I am going to beat the hell out of your sorry ass until you won't be able to see a thing in front of you."

"Look there, something happened. Why are all those people gathered there and why do I hear a lady screaming for help? Also, some hot chick has dived into the pool earlier, but I am not able to spot her anywhere." Indeed, Suigetsu didn't remove his eyes from the water surface, but he couldn't catch the glimpse of the said female anywhere.

Sasuke had a feel of what was going on there and it was indeed not good. He let his jet orbs look around in search for the person that was paid to make sure everyone exited the swimming place on his feet, but he couldn't spot him anywhere.

Although, nothing could have matter for the raven haired heir the moment his sailor friend stood up and announced him about how the situation really was. "Dude…call me crazy but I think the chick that dived in the swimming pool looks like your maid…only she left her beggar looking face at home and decided to show her stunning face to the world today."

"What are you talking about, have you spent too much time under the sun rays?" However, the clamor before him attracted the interest of a pair of onyx eyes that followed the indicated direction, almost like wanting to confirm the object of his deepest desires was not there like Suigetsu indicated.

"Whoa looks like someone almost drown or something, I am going to check it out." The snow haired hair was already marching to the edge of the pool to join the other inquisitive stares, leaving a frowning Sasuke behind, who for some unknown reason decided to follow him.

He couldn't explain the sudden adrenaline surge infused through his veins by the mere thought of a presence that gently but subtly entered his conscience, calling for him to come, but he fall into steps with his ever too curious friend of his, heading to the pool.

}{

After Sakura made sure no threat was endangering the little girl`s life, she gained the last drop of energy she had left and stood up, from the second attempt, feeling her feet melting into the ground. Of course the accumulation of stress and worry, combined with spending too much time in the unbearable heat and lack of proper meals were weakening her body, but she would have enough time to deal with the problem later, her only concern in the moment being return to her place, drink a lot of liquids and hope she didn't gain a very particular all too observant man`s attention on her, that had the sun lounger not quite far from the place she was on.

All the scrutiny she got especially from the male population that were praising her for the show she provided started to annoy her even more, but what could she have expected after playing the hero and looking like a model, of course flirting attempts were conversational throwing in her direction, conveniently blocking her way out of the crowd.

Not to talk about the very worried mother, that has calmed her nerves and realizing who her daughter`s guardian angel was, stood up and took both Sakura`s hands into her own, fixing her emerald eyes with a hopeful one, moving her lips frantically, articulating the foreign words she could not grasp.

"What are you saying, I don't understand…"

"Now this is quite the show if you were to ask me." The Sound agent froze upon hearing that low rich baritone voice she knew and came to adore all to well, coming from behind her. _"No, just please don't…"_

She turned her head to face the owner of the piercing voice, along with the other audience; feeling like her own sun has disappeared into the ocean, darkness engulfing her judgment, making it impossibly for her to think straight.

Sasuke Uchiha, along with his friend Suigetsu, was standing there, arms crossed over his muscled chest, head titled like he was too having troubles grasping what was she doing there, trapping her already weakened frame to the solid surface with a smoldering black beryl gaze, scanning her general appearance.

His deep eyes went wide and his fine lips dead silent, resuming to just eye her like they were reenacted another first meeting in that very moment, the tension mimicking the previous one.

Surprisingly enough, it was the Hozuki heir that broke the silence and voiced all the thoughts that crossed Sasuke`s mind at that time, but he refrain from making them known. "Either all the water I drank was poisoned and I am starting to hallucinate, or you are indeed the maid I have met four hours ago, because I have troubles understanding."

The pink haired wet trembling girl felt the soft hair on her arms and neck rise along with the tension in her stomach and throat, making it impossibly for her to form a coherent word. How come whenever she did something, she managed to come even closer to reveal his identity in front of the last person supposed to find out who she really was.

But the Sound agent knew she had no escape from that situation, not after she made her cover being unnecessary in front of her boss, and was found in a place she was not supposed to be, miraculously at the same time he was. It screamed stalking all over the place.

She remained glued to the ground, mouth slightly agape, her emerald eyes remaining trapped into the dark heir one`s, imploringly to have mercy and not completely humiliate her in public. He could do everything he pleased to her in the confinement of his home, far from all the curious stares of the foreign people that had no right to barge into their private matters.

"…that is…I…"

"Why are you here, Sakura?" _"How come you are always there whenever I think of you, is this some sort of fate mocking me?"_ Sasuke was doing his best to replace his stunned shocked feelings upon casting his piercing gaze on the pink haired scared maid and his Goddess features, with confusion and anger that were more familiar emotions to him, not sure how to react to what he was experiencing.

He could not take his eyes off the absolutely gorgeous lady in front of him, whose pearl white wet was basically glimmering in the sun light, like she was covered in tiny precious gems, that rivaled the terror-stricken sparkling green garnet ones, that told him everything he wanted to know, and to his stupor they tried to reach for him, urging him to be more than an outsider to her like all the others and give her a hand.

The Uchiha heir could not even balance his own responses to her, because the chemistry and magnetic feel of her ravishing appearance made it impossibly to pull himself together and save both of them from that more than inconvenient situation.

There were people looking suspiciously at him, almost sensing the familiar feel of his face, but couldn't quite put their fingers on. That shaking Sakura in front of him was the most delightful lady he ever seen, without even try to deny it and beyond suspicion of harm and stupor of finding her there, he was enchanted by the angelic creature.

Sakura felt burning tears moistening her shining emerald eyes, a strange feeling of her heart being devoured out of her chest hiking from her chest to her mouth, basically testing the rejection and animosity of her confused boss on her tongue.

She wanted to cry until she ran out of liquid in her body, because the tension was absolutely unbearable. _"Don't stay there accusingly like all the others, you are no stranger to me…"_

Never in her life has the CIA agent felt more exposed and helpless, the state of vulnerability and loneliness uncovered in the pleading look on her jaded eyes, imploringly calling for the sole man she wanted relief from in that very moment.

And when the pink haired maid was certain she was going to faint from all the tension, a warm soft texture covered her cold damp skin of her bare shoulders, followed by a pair of strong arms pulling her into a protective embrace, almost like sensing her fear and insecurities.

"Sakura-chan, I was dead worried when I saw you getting out of the pool, are you all right? You are not hurt, are you? Oh my god you`re hands are freezing!"

The said woman closed her jaded eyes in what was pure alleviation, as soon as her tired stare caught the sight of a pair of sky blue clear eyes, filled with worry for her well being and his high pitched loud voice never sounded more smoothening than in that particular moment.

Naruto couldn't have found a better moment to come and help and the maid didn't even try to pry his welcoming hands away, relishing in the shielding support they were providing and the only word she couldn't have told him to sum up all her immense gratitude was a weak whispered:

"Thank you, Naruto," followed, by an honest small smile.

"So this is where we stand for now, huh?" Both the pair watched in the direction of a basically fuming Sasuke Uchiha, whose mood turned into a menacing mixture of rage and murder intent, almost like he was trying to ignite the pair in front of him to ashes. In his mind, everything fell into pieces. Sakura had an unexplainable appearance in a luxury place, and then his blonde imbecile friend comes to the rescue like the damn hero he was.

Sakura turned her bowed head on her side and let her gaze fall on Naruto`s shoulder, not able to meet that fierce glow of his blazing dark bottomless orbs, but the Akatsuki member didn't broke the eye contact, eying his friend with an accusatory look in his serious cerulean eyes.

The fact that his best friend was watching from the side lines like he was back in high school, bullying weaker people, instead of helping the young woman, was unacceptable.

"Sasuke, I thought you were the kind of man to make things move. Watching from the sidelines was not your type."

Suigetsu smartly chosen to remain quiet and watch the spectacle in front of him, but that time, not amused in the bit. He too was confused on why was the other best buddy of his protecting the suddenly not that ugly maid anymore. Things were getting heated.

"And having dates with mere servants was not your type either, but people do find other things to keep them interested."

Sakura felt like someone chopped off her soul and threw it in the vast bottomless sea, shattering in all directions upon hearing what Sasuke said. It was the first time she heard the degrading social status coming from his lips like toxin; the harshness into his deadly voice making her flinch, but the tanned Akatsuki tightened his embrace reminding her she was not alone.

"And here I thought you were more insightful when it came to judging things first, Teme. Going straight ahead without thinking was my job, remember?"

"Guys, what the hell?" Ten Ten came running to the scene, pushing the people aside to come closer to her colleague, with the Hyuga heir following her suit. She raised her chestnut eyes in dread upon seeing the participants to the show.

"Uchiha, Hozuki, you here as well?" But when she saw who exactly was the Uzumaki heir held so dearly she thought she would punch someone. "What is _she_ doing here, and why are you touching her Naruto?"

Sasuke was taken aback upon seeing Ten Ten joining them and it was not the fact that she was there made him reconsider things, but the way she accused Naruto of being with Sakura like she knew it from the first place.

Were they on a couple date? The chestnut eyed woman seemed to not like her too much, which was weird. To hate on someone meant to know that person very well in order to nurture such a deep weighty feeling for him.

"Stop screaming woman, you are creating a fuss." Neji too was shocked to see Athena of the Sound wet and trembling in his friend`s arms, but what almost made him stop dead in his tracks was the vile vibes coming from Sasuke, who looked like he was ready to take over the universe. And Suigetsu was standing right besides him, but he was just as confused. Just what the hell was going on there?

"Yes dobe, enlighten us why are the two of you together in a place of entertainment? You couldn't possibly be on a date, are you?"

Ten Ten fisted her hands tightly, having problems in controlling her rage upon seeing Sakura with Naruto. She knew that they were not dating and she, as well as her Akatsuki colleagues knew exactly that the reason why the Sound agent was there, was to protect the Uchiha heir, but apparently things went downhill. "They are not…"

"…n-no, we are not…"

"She is…"

"Yes, she came with me, I called her here." Four jaws belonging to Suigetsu, Ten Ten, Neji and Sakura`s hit the floor unceremoniously, not quite grasping what the Akatsuki member said with the most serene demeanor ever. Sasuke…he was not on that world anymore.

All he was seeing in front of him was red. He was absolutely livid and his stare made some people that were whispering and pointing at them back the hell away, because he was ready to inflict some pain.

He spoke low and calm, inflicting an overdose of venom and hate into his velvety voice that made his audience feel like being stabbed with an icicle in their spines, even the stoic Hyuga. "Is it true…Sakura?"

The other`s words and confession held no meaning to the raven haired livid man in that moment, only her sole answer. He wanted to hear the words from her own mouth and read the answer from her frightened avoiding jadeite gems.

Sasuke felt a burning fury boosting in his blood that he hasn't experienced in a long time, so vile that he was certain that if his maid was to give a positive answer, he would tell her to fuck off and disappear from his life once and for all. But she hid her face into the traitorous friend of his shoulder, remaining silent.

"Sasuke, this is not the time, let`s go somewhere else." Suigetsu was just as stunned, but he seemed to be the most level headed in that moment, because he saw people starting to recognize them, especially his murderous friend and he was not certain, but some paparazzi were following them as well, which was bad. Nonetheless, he heard some men and women voicing their guessing and that didn't stay right with the Hozuki heir.

"_Hey, that guys look familiar, haven't we seen them on some magazine or TV?"_

"Wow, are they fighting over that girl?"

"_That tall brunette guy is soooo hot, is he a celebrity or something?"_

"I think I recognize the pale guy with long brown hair, he looks like Hyuga Hyashi, my father`s business partner."

The Uchiha felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, attempting to make him back away and get a hold of himself, but he was damned if he let that situation slip out of his control.

He roughly shoved the benevolent intruding hand of his body not once taking his smoldering eyes from the pair. "Kindly get the fuck off Suigetsu, or you are going to become the victim of my anger."

"Uchiha, control yourself for fuck`s sake and let`s all do what Suigetsu said. This is not the place to act like a mad man." Neji too started to notice the knowing glances around him. He didn't want to be involved in some sort of scandal; his family was already giving him hell.

"Do not interfere, Hyuga."

"Guys cut it out, this is embarrassing." Ten Ten felt like snapping. The situation was ridiculous and all the eyes were glued to them. And that damn Athena was not saying a word. Where was all the spunk she often had vanished all of sudden?

"Teme, you are too rushing in jumping into conclusions. Why are you lying to yourself?"

"Nani? Repeat what you have said idiot, and I might reconsider making you bleed right here."

"Sasuke, seriously, knock it off and let`s scatter, people start to notice." Suigetsu wanted to just get the hell out of there, because the tensed atmosphere was degenerating.

"I told you to fuck off."

"Naruto, Ten Ten…and Sakura, get the hell out of here, I will handle this." Now that intrigued Sasuke. Even Neji as familiar with his maid? Just why the hell was she that familiar with all his friends all of sudden? Was the lame Hyuga trying to act civilian?

"You are taking no step back until you answer my question, Sakura." But the raven haired Uchiha would be damned if he didn't get his answers right then, the spectators could go fuck themselves for all he cared.

Ten Ten got closer to Naruto who turned his body around slightly, pulling Sakura with him as well, the said woman too weak and stressed to protest, shaking his head in disbelief. Just what the hell was the matter with his friend? But just when the CIA gang wanted to make a run for it, some slut shouted in the crowd the words that created an uproar between the gathered around people.

"Oh my God, is that Sasuke Uchiha?" And all the Hell broke lose because that only attracted more attention from the other people, not to mention other really rich heirs that knew them were there, they too recognizing not only the CEO of the Mangekyou, but the others as well.

It was in that moment when Sasuke came to his senses and letting his dark eyes dart in all direction, it didn't take much for him to realize not only he caused a scene, but there were also some paparazzi and people that were taking photographs or recording the events and that was atrocious. Another scandal like Blue Lagoon was going to make his father snap.

"Take my stuff and hers as well and bring them back later to my house, go!"

The Uchiha whispered the words into Suigetsu`s ears and in a blink of an eye, cut the distance between his blonde friend and his maid, gripping her much smaller hand tightly into his own, pulling her out of Naruto`s arms startling both, without letting them any chance to react and sprinted in the direction of the closest exit.

He welcomed his moment of inspiration for having in mind to head to his car to take his forgotten there documents, the car keys resting safely in his available hand.

There was no way in Hell he would have allowed Sakura to leave with his best friend, as long as he was still breathing, his body acting out of his own accord. And to Sasuke`s amazement, the pink haired maid had no attempt to stop him.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

**Author`s Note: **_Well, no, I am definitely not quitting writing this story and now I feel even sorrier for even stating this in the very first place. It was not in my intention to make my audience worried. Thank you for finding time to share some inspiring words with me and still stick to this story, I really appreciate this for I know all too well how difficult balancing school and leisure time can be. I really hope to finish this as soon as possible, because I will be in the last year of University and it will be really hard to keep up the fast updates._

_Well keke, I really like the fact that my readers are smart people and yes, as some of you noticed, there is a connection between Sasuke and Orochimaru which I am not going to deny, but I will stop here, because I will definitely slip more clues in the upcoming chapters besides…I gotta keep you in some sort of suspense, aren't I? And I must confess writing the scene with Sakura and Suigetsu from the previous chapter made me laugh like crazy. _

_I am sorry if this chapter was not that entertaining, I wanted to include more scenes, but for some reason that slips my mind, it took me more space than intended, but I am saving them for the next one. _


	20. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

A loud smack of glass hitting a hard surface pierced the deadly silence of Sasuke`s home, as soon as its absolutely enraged dark owner kicked the front door open, entering the confinement of the cold walls as fast as thunder, dragging a very scared tired pink haired maid, whose absolutely confused and troubled thoughts were holding her sanity for dear life, rivaling the firm crushing hand grip of her boss.

Without even finding her worth of giving an explanation for his livid demonic attitude, the Uchiha heir threw her in his car, as soon as the running pair exited the swimming place and speeded up in the direction of his house, all the way gripping the steering wheel like he was holding back not to snap and do something he would later regret all the while driving like a madman.

"Sir, please let me go, you are hurting me…" With a sharp pull of his strong arm, the raven haired man jerked Sakura`s unsteady trembling body in front of him, then backed her up against the wall with a harsh hold on her fragile hands, trapping her shaky frame in between the frigid surface of the house and his hot body.

The emerald eyed woman felt like all her walls were crumbling into millions of tiny particles, puncturing her already fragile soul in a mixture of blood and crushed hopes of better turn up of events.

No words could have ever begin to form into her mind in the moment Sasuke poured all his malicious feelings into his bottomless obsidian orbs and froze her heart with a long agonizing stare that let her now the last drop of water has successfully filled in the glass.

"I…" His usually collected dark alluring voice came out as a gravelly vile tone that promised permanent damage on anything that has wronged him. "…am a very patient man."

Sakura could only listen in absolute dread how the beautiful man in front of her turned into one of her most livid nightmares, not even daring to let her glimmering jadeite eyes leave his dark ones in fright of angering him even more than he was.

The way his whole body was absolutely trembling with malevolent intent in the projection of his own inner demons, constricting her much smaller hands in a snake like grip, successfully cut the air supply from her lungs.

The Sound agent has witnessed her boss in many mood swings, but she could have sworn the way he looked in that very moment was nothing in comparison. It was crystal clear from the way his burning in rage jet dark eyes were uncovering her already exposed state, that the man in front of her would take no more of her lies.

She should have known there was a limit of how many mistakes and unsolved questions he would agree to overlook and apparently that was the end for her.

The pink haired maid was not even deluding herself into thinking she was not afraid of him, for she felt the rancor of his aura in every bone that was cracking in her frame.

Sakura was absolutely paralyzed in terror at the thought of what was Sasuke going to do next. The way his perfect sculpted jaw was clenching painfully and his lips were barely able to articulate a word, proved her he was having an internal turmoil in containing his emotions and save both of them from a fate they didn't want to take part in.

Surprisingly, his ill will reflecting on every pore of her barely clothed skin like a veil made of acid, was not the one that made her long lashed wide emerald eyes sparkle with salty rivers of water, but the unshed frame of mind betraying the subject of her most dreaded feeling he could have nurtured for her: hate.

In that moment, she was sharing the same state of animosity with his brother and his father and it was a feeling close to being dead inside, trapped in a lifeless carcass, devoid of emotions. Sakura realized in shock that without Sasuke`s any sort of appreciation or positive emotion to enlighten her lonely broken life, she felt dead.

That was what she was secretly wanted from him all over the time they spent together: light. Someone to come and pull her out of a world of deception and agony and play her heart strings into a gentle loving melody of completion and devotion.

The jadeite eyed girl searched for her own source of glowing light into the depths of darkness and she would have willingly sold her soul to the demon in the form of a cherub, that was keeping her rooted in place , for a moment of passion.

Even in that context of extreme danger, all Sakura could think about was his closeness and his hostile demeanor towards her, in a sinfully attractive combination. It was absolutely insane her attraction towards him and she was drown in madness beyond salvation into his alluring alive almost translucent black sapphire eyes, not even caring if he was going to kiss her or kill her.

The Sound assassin could have taken everything from him, even his hate if he would have willingly succumbed himself to her, outside the limits of his inner monsters.

That was the striking difference between him and his completely opposite blue eyed Akatsuki friend: candidness. Where one came with hidden secluded to the world thoughts, the other had candor radiating from his glowing honest heart.

"But…" Sasuke made no effort in put some distance between their touching bodies, staying as glued to his maid as possible, feeling her own distress vibrating through his own body, like a broken string. "…you ran out of options."

There was no point in attempting and pull herself free out of his hard grip, because Sakura realized that as long as they didn't sort out their feelings and attraction towards one another, she was never going to be truly free from him anymore.

Even if she magically vanished in a faraway Galaxy, her heart would have painfully exploded into her chest whenever his name would fall on her ears, like a soothing sonata devoted to summer.

She didn't want to escape him and she didn't want him to feel the urge to clear away the very thought of her and their incredible magical moments together. _"Bite me to pieces, rip my soul away, you can even kill me, but don't let me walk away from your life, Sasuke…"_

A low almost whisper level low sob escaped the emerald eyed woman`s parted quivering lips, followed by angry burning rivulets of tears, streaming over her reddened soft cheeks, trailing the soft velvety skin down her delicate features, almost like the suffering girl spewed all her essence from her weakened body, like an ultimate calling to the dark man in front of her to gain his senses and listen to her heart.

Funny, how in her mind, the protective friendly warm embrace of the sun kissed Akatsuki member was not big enough to engulf all her sadness and secret needs, but the crushing grip of his darker counterpart was enough to fill her in, in all the possible aspects. Was it even possible to feel protection in the arms of the same man that had your life in the palm of his hands?

"Tell me…" Sakura let her eyelids fall, closing the glimmering windows of her soul, like it even did matter what was going to happen anymore. Her cover was screwed, and probably so was her mission.

The only think that remained uncertain was her mere existence. _"In your arms…it doesn't matter if it ends like this…_ "…is he the one?"

Karin was wrong, the Sound agent realized. Letting her boss consider a possible relationship between him and his best friend was not only knocking at his ego`s doors, but it made the very untamed beast come to the light and take **revenge** on everyone that has wronged him in any way.

She should have been aware that such unconventional methods were meant for ordinary people, and her boss didn't fall into that category.

He was special and everything related to him was unconventional to the point one would have thought he was not even part of that world, but a messenger sent from another time to deliver the most wanted secrets to the fallen society.

She knew what he was expecting from her: the **truth**. It was written all over that breathtakingly handsome pale face, that was contorted in such a sinister way and it only enhanced his **evil** side more. The drugs were not making him go evil, it only awaken that latent personality of his, letting it loose.

And she was going to be honest with him, for the first time they met, because Sakura was certain that if she served him another lie, like she was giving a street dog a piece of food, baiting him into thinking she had some sort of sympathy towards the unfortunate creature, Sasuke was going to teach her a lesson of pain and torture.

"No." Her dazzling shimmering with crystal tears jadeite orbs were strongly reflecting the genuine emotion, coming from the bottom of her heart.

There were so many other untold words that were stuck on her plump pink lips she wanted to tell him, but the courage to utter those unbearable sentences left her the moment she thought about her mission.

She couldn't. She couldn't let him knew more about her and it was a fact. No matter how many nights she would have to suffer the personification of hatred and betrayal on her retina, the rosette would not falter from her task, it was impossible.

Sasuke had no problem in admitting that he had conflicting thoughts piercing his skull, in the forms of electric discharges like invisible twinges caused by long needles.

Confusion was the worst form of emotion for a man that liked to be in control of everything all the times, like he was, but he couldn't stop the two voices in his mind to manifest. How could he have made peace into his trail of thoughts, when his mind was in contrast with his heart?

Images of his best friend openly admitting in front of all the audience that Sakura indeed joined him, upon his own calling, to spent the day with him and the other couple, were burning the inside of his soft eyelashes, angering him with the passing minutes.

When it came to the pink haired maid, he could accept her hidden history, he was not even bothered by the concealing of her looks and he was more than ready to let her coming as close as to touch him or share a kiss if she pleased, but he could not accept her exhibition of disloyalty. It was a line she should not dare to cross if she wanted to ever dream of getting something in return from him.

The much smaller woman in his hands admitted without faltering she was not dating his best friend. And he knew it was true, from the very moment she turned around in shame when Naruto split such a well placed lie, to cover their awkward moment back at the swimming place.

Sakura he knew would not feel ashamed upon what she felt and did, but that was a crucial revelation of her guilt upon letting the dishonesty in the dobe`s words go with the flow, playing along with his charade.

Was it possible for the charcoal eyed Uchiha heir to have misunderstood everything and see the truth in something fictional to begin with? Naruto was a friendly man, so maybe he just saved Sakura from a public embarrassment, smartly fighting him back then.

The Mangekyou CEO would not be a hypocrite and think the poor maid was not lured by such forms of attraction and entertainment, being a young possibly single woman in search for her place in life, so she going to the water park was not that much of a problem in his view.

"I am giving you one chance to reconsider your answer and it is the most you will get for me, Sakura. Is it true?" He had to be absolutely sure of the authenticity of her words, before exhaling a much needed breath of relief. Sasuke unconsciously tightened his hand grasp on her wrists, squeezing it to prove his point. He was dead serious.

"I am being honest. We are in no kind of romantic relationship. I am no viewing Naruto as a lover."

The Sound agent was completely straightforward in her confession, the feelings she had developed towards the tanned energetic CIA colleague never crossing the line between friendship and romance.

Her boss on the other hand…she knew there was no way she would ever consider her emotions stirred by him merely platonic and Sakura wanted nothing more than to voice out what her heart was feeling for him. She had strong feelings for him as a whole person, not only upon the sole idea of a perfect rich business man, wanted by many others.

Sasuke was a man with many flaws in comparison to the outstanding skills he let the others see, and that was making him irresistible in the pink haired maid`s mind.

She will not be satisfied with just a laughable illusion of a man her boss was not, until she will get **everything **he meant as a person. _"Everything you have to give, I want it."_

Pint-sized sparkling golden lines, mixed with blazing green verdant hues, created an unique pattern of earth oriented colors, like a velvety tulle Chinese embroidery, in the breathtakingly stunning pair of moist eyes that were letting free all of the emotions the woman in front of him could not loudly voice to him and God help him if Sasuke didn't forgot why was he keeping her trapped between him and the wall in the very first place.

The raven haired man was amazed by the easiness his feelings floated between anger and lust, in the blink of an eye whenever his maid was around his presence.

As soon as he confirmed the friendly relationship his suspects had, his resentful moods miraculously vanished from his system. Of course he had so many other questions to ask her, but all that he cared about was she to be free from other commitments.

"There has never been another one." Sakura was well aware of her boss` change in attitude, because in the short amount of time they spent together, she came to feel almost all sides of him and the way his voice dangerously dropped two octaves, its richness and smooth like silk baritone, sensually raised the swarm of butterfly from the pit of her stomach, the fluttering sensation tingling her skin in a delicious sensation and Sakura was certain beyond any doubt that no other man would ever be able to make her feel that much as the handsome Uchiha did.

She knew exactly what he meant with that remark, not even expecting an answer that was not meant to come out of her throat in the very first place, which only meant he was going to overlook the incident once again, for a reason it become more and more obvious in the pink haired maid`s mind.

That was the compromise Sasuke was willing to make for them both: he was not going to question her much too strange behavior and all the lies surrounding her, because he was able to read what he wanted to know in her very soul.

He was an expert in reading the words craved in her heart, like an ancient secret scroll meant for only his eyes to see.

The Uchiha couldn't not read her like an open book because she was allowing him to do so, it was because he was meant to read it in the very first place, like he was the poet and he was writing her in verses and rhymes, only known by him. It was the most addictive sensation ever.

Sakura was an independent lady, but she found herself not bothered by giving herself and let him take control. She wanted to close her eyes tight and let the senses speak for herself, but for some unknown reason, she too wanted to discover more into those impossible black pearl dark gems of his, feeling more of his own inner thoughts coming to light in tiny particles of scintillating flames, dancing in his irises.

It was alluring and she overlooked the fact that whenever Sasuke became seductive, his jet dark eyes were bathing in light, irradiating his unbelievable beautiful features, making his strong lines and sharp features glow with raw masculinity, leading the trapped maid to insanity and his amazing unique scent of burnt cedar and forest rain made Sakura`s skin tingle in delight.

"No one…_beside you_." If she would have been able to think straight, Sakura would have gone ten shades of her boss` favorite vegetable at how strangled and low her voice sounded in that moment, coming more like a moan then an answer per se, but it was impossible to even mutter a full sentence, when she felt her body starting to ignite.

There were only two available sources of warmth in the vicinity of Sakura and that were, Naruto`s towel still covering her bare shoulders for the world to see and her dark boss` rock hard hot body glued to her own and all she could think of was how his bare chest was pressing her exposed slightly damp front, the mixture between the radiating warmth of his frame and the freezing small drops of water resting on her soft skin, sending her senses straight to cloud nine.

She was beyond aroused by the pleasurable contact of their touching bodies, barely containing more shameful sounds of pure bliss to leave her mouth, relishing in the feel of the chiseled fine planes of his pectorals, rubbing her full rounded mounds in an electrifying friction, feeling her small rosy nipples harden visibly upon the contact and make the tiny shivers descend right in between the valley of her legs, in her most secluded parts.

"Finish that sentence…." Sasuke was too fighting his state of intoxication when his own body came in contact with her much smaller curvy perfect frame, almost pushing him to his limits of sanity. From the moment the malignant thoughts left his mind, everything became blurry in his peripheral vision, his penetrating gaze focusing only on the fine work of art in front of him. "…Sakura."

There was no one to interrupt his moment of savoring the spectacle of curvy planes and delicate features belonging to the one and only Sakura his maid and the first thought that hit his head was how absolutely gorgeous that woman truly was.

Sasuke was well aware of the fact that she was hiding behind ugly clothes but finally having the sight of her all barely dressed figure was another story.

The raven messy haired heir couldn't even begin to understand from where to start ogling, because every part of her was beyond perfection.

He was enchanted by her harmonious contours and lines, starting with her small rounded shoulders that made him free her hands of his inappropriate strong grip and cup them with his soft hands, tracing his fingers over the pair of fine shaped bones, caressing her collar bone with lazy circles, like he was touching a sculpture, fondling the supple skin.

And the woman in question seemed do her best to prevent him from finding out about the immense pleasure he was giving her, but the feeling was reciprocated.

Sasuke refrained from touching her in inappropriate places and invade her private space with touches that were coming closer to erotic, but the throbbing painfully tight sensation of his own arousal, caged into the cold wet trunks he wore, was determining his body instincts to kick in and mold their bodies together in a way that made all the clenching parts of their bodies grind in a pleasurable way.

And the constricting feeling in his lower abdomen only grew tenfold when he felt her small cold hands rest on his chest, small fingers applying pressure on his pale alabaster skin, caressing him up and down, each time coming closer to his own nipples, almost making him tremble with the anticipation of the upcoming contact with the sensitive skin around his areola.

He liked the idea of a bolder Sakura when it came to intimacy, but he would refrain from teaching her how to tease him and touch him, letting her explore on her own accord.

If the virgin maid didn't become accustomed to his body, they would never be able to cross the line and go further, and damn right after realizing just how much of a celestial being the pink haired girl was, he was sure that one day she was going to be only his to do as he pleased.

When Sakura felt Sasuke`s hands glide tenderly from her shoulders down her tiny waist, massaging the supple porcelain skin of her sides in the process then squeezing her protruding pelvic bones, applying only a bit of force to amplify the ripples of bliss flowing through her every pore, she couldn't help but rest her hands on his torso, burning with the need to feel him up as well.

"With what exactly…" If there was a thing to only add to the alluring feeling of his very own being caressing her body in such an enchanting manner was definitely his sinfully pleasant deep voice, whispering innuendos that almost all finished with his tongue rolling out her name seductively, making it sound regal.

Sasuke let out a small smirk at Sakura`s attempts to play his game, her sharp mind already adjusting to the subtle meaning of his words, letting his hand slide lower on her curvaceous hip, leaving a trail of goose bumps on the silky unblemished skin all over its way to the inside of her toned tight, using the back of his hand to massage the creamy margarite surface, in a lazy manner, his lips only curling up more upon feeling the shivers on her body in response to his gestures, when his long fingers brushed dangerously close to her sensitive skin of her groin.

"With all you yearn for…" The emerald eyed woman felt like she was floating above an erupting volcano, because she was engulfed in a burning sensation of desire for the handsome man and the tremors down her spine would not cease away, making her arch her back in response to his arousing ministrations, in need to feel his flaming touch closer to the much needed lower region of her bikini. What she earned for was him to touch her more.

"And what do I yearn for?" Sakura bit the inside of her cheek hard, to prevent an immoral moan to escape her mouth when her boss returned his attention to her hipbone, skillfully massaging the rounded surface in circular motions, gliding his rough palm to the small of her back then coming front, tracing the contour of her navel, feeling small trembles of pleasure escalade from all her body, up to her brain, clouding her mind.

"You tell me…" Sasuke skillfully caressed the luscious delicate skin of her navel, letting his fingertips memorize each firm but gentle muscle of her abdomen and just under her bellybutton, completely drown in the perfectly shaped silhouette of the unique divine creature in his arms and although the drunken of lust raven haired Uchiha swore he would not make her feel pressured, he couldn't help but slip a finger under the elastic band of her swim suit, gracefully caressing the slightly rosy tissue of her soft mound at the front of her womanhood, paying attention to not lose it and go even lower.

The response was immediate, because Sakura arched her neck, and closed her emerald eyes tightly in perfect synchronizing with an alluring soft whispered moan that left her all too tempting lips, sweeping her refined delicate hands to his collarbone, gripping and leaving tiny nail scratchings down his clavicle, only making the sinful man`s heart rate to increase and his blood pressure to rise, accumulating in the pit of his lower part.

"Mmmm…I…" The pink haired agent knew from the very moment the onyx eyed man almost touched in her more secluded parts that she was a lost cause, but the immense pleasure she felt was making it impossible for her to think straight.

His arousing skillful touches in repay to her own secret desires, made the muscles in all her body constrict, sending pulsating sensations of thrill down her backbone, igniting the deepest fantasies of her and the handsome man, in a mixture of pure erotic ecstasy.

Her all nerves were high and she could feel every part of his firm defined body, through every protruding delicate muscle that flexed under her touch, drowning her more into his amazing scent and alluring beauty.

It was nothing like Sakura has experienced with Sasuke until then, because he was never so brave in his movements like in that moment, but she welcomed the change with soft moans that become more frequently with each second passed under his spell.

"How about I give you…" Sasuke would have exploded if he didn't get a taste of that absolutely ravishing milky skin of his beautiful maid, not wasting any more second in pressing his hot mouth on her pulse, sucking the pulsating supple skin and applying butterfly kisses up to her jaw, then coming down to her throat, darting his wet tongue outside, caressing the smooth pale surface, leaving moist traces all the way to her collarbone, making the pink intoxicated woman arch her neck even more to provide his expert lips more access to the extremely sensitive area, not able to contain her body to melt into his own. "…some ideas."

"An…ahh…idea?" Sakura could not describe what she was feeling in that moment, but she was certain that it was not just pure chemistry.

All her beautiful raven haired boss did in that moment was amorous, but somehow it transcended the lust and carnal driving from the moment they both poured their inner feelings into their touches, exploring one another in a lovingly manner, bringing the intimacy to the spiritual level.

Under no gesture or caress of the Uchiha did the jadeite eyed lady felt exposed or uncomfortable at her lack of experience and it was all due to her deep feelings for him and the trust she had in his every hot move.

She has read in the book Karin has recommended the importance of emotions in every affectionate gesture two lovers shared, beyond salacious touches between strangers in search for relief, with no strings attached.

And that was why Sakura was certain she wouldn't be able to stand anyone beside Sasuke having physical contact in a more than platonic way, because it was not her body that was responsible for the flaming nerves or boiling blood, but her feelings towards his own persona and the fluttering sensation of butterflies dancing on her system was the best proof of the fact.

As soon as his soft lips touched the smooth skin of her neck, shoulders and collarbone, the Sound agent couldn't help but let her senses take control, reacting to his more than enchanting kisses and licks, not able to stop her slightly trembling hands from sliding down his ripped torso and trace his perfect sculpted eight packed abs with shy movements, palming and tracing the contours of the delicious lean fibers, imprinting the feel of its stretching under her touch and it was maddening.

"A name…" The Uchiha just couldn't get enough of her tasty velvety skin, her unique amazing feminine scent, mixed with her floral perfume and rivulets of water leaking from her damp curled short hair made the best aphrodisiac for his raging hormones.

Using his available hand, Sasuke slipped his fingers at the back of her neck, into her soft pink curls, pulling her thrown back head from the cold wall, towards his hot body, revealing more of her shoulders and collarbone for his insatiable mouth to explore her, feel her and taste every part of her.

His maid welcomed his touches by resting her small chin rest on his broad shoulder, relishing into his warmth embrace, granting him with arousing caresses on his body, making him amused of her inexperienced curious touches, like she was discovering the wonders of a man`s body for the first time, and he was certain it was true. The funniest part in the raven haired heir`s mind was the amount of emotion she was pouring into every graze of her gentle fingers, letting her heart speak for herself.

_/Listen to her heart, not her words/_

The jet dark eyed man truly understood the meaning of the profound phrase, when her naïve cautious movements awakened the male inside of him in an explosion of adrenaline and testosterone, like no other woman ever did, no matter how much experience she had. In his mind, there was no doubt she truly had feelings for him and damn right he was feeling just the same.

And when Sasuke felt her feather like palm glide down to his navel, feeling the V shaped muscles below his abs and tracing the deep contours of his fit hips, he grew impossibly hard and his onyx eyes become even darker, clouded with lust, reflecting in the hungry and wildly kisses and nibbling on her neck and shoulder.

"….what…name?" The Sound agent was absolutely fascinated by the perfection in forms of her handsome boss, the feel of his every line and bone driving her wild with desire for a specimen that rivaled Adonis.

He was impossibly handsome and well sculpted, and much to her great pleasure and self esteem, he seemed to also react to her touches, because it was difficult to ignore the protruding throbbing part dangerously close to where she was fondling him, pressing to her tight, the sensation electrifying.

"My name…_only mine_."

The pink haired girl felt her all fibers scream in passion as a response to the rhythmic involuntarily muscle contractions of her inner walls, causing blood to pool there like a burning magma in the form of collecting moisture droplets seeping from her hot core, drenching the soft fabric of her bikini, upon hearing the velvety low sexy voice of her boss, whispering the words on her ear, making her go crazy, not able to contain her moans any longer.

"Ahh…why?" The soft agonizing moans of her maid only encouraged Sasuke`s movements, because he snuck his toned arm on her small back, cradling her body in a tight embrace, all the way letting his calloused hand caress the fragile brocade texture up and down her spine, feeling the lost in pleasure beautiful maid arch her front in delight, urging him to continue.

"Because I want to hear it…_from you, only you_." The raven haired man was just as lost in gratification as the pink haired maid felling his blood burn into his veins in a mixture of heavenly sensations, far beyond physical.

He felt every part of her luscious frame screaming for his touches and that increased his own aroused state, making his heart thump in his chest, making him inhale deeply, being more and more difficult to control his need for her.

In all honesty, Sasuke was well aware of how that was going to end if one of them didn't stop, but a quick look into those shimmering darkened with want for him jaded eyes of his stunning maid told him she was giving in out of her own accord. That time, she was responsive, not defensive.

Of course, there was nothing to hide any longer for all her incredibly Goddess features were for him to see. Only if she wasn't concealing her parts of interest with her fitting swim suit…

"Mmmmm…I…S-Sir…"

Sakura was not sure of what came to her in the moment she felt her boss basically embracing her with his gentle but firm touch, pulling them closer than ever, but a newfound audacious confidence encouraged her to press her own soft lips on the side of his long neck, placing a gentle kiss on the soft skin, indulging in the incredible spicy flavor of his alabaster skin, the taste of him on her tongue magnetizing.

She wanted to experience his pleasure to cover her neck and shoulder blades in kisses and bite marks, drowning in the long trails of hot saliva he was leaving on her own skin and the fact that she was responding in the same way was making it twice more delectable.

She was beyond salvation and the low growl coming from his throat as a reaction to her own fondling, made her own body vibrate in a pleasurable way. That man was a mixture of fire and electricity and she was experiencing all on her own frame, in the shape of tingling sensations all over.

"Not that."

The onyx eyed Uchiha couldn't get enough of the maddening feeling of her skin on his mouth, pointing his attention to the shell of her ear, nibbling the elastic cartilage with his teeth, then darting the tip of his tongue all around the soft skin of and behind her earlobe, blowing warm air into the small passage, making the ticklish sensation amplify in Sakura`s body to the point she thought she was going to lose her mind for real.

It was getting really hard for the young agent to keep up with his provocative questions and form an answer.

"Mr. Uchiha…ohhh…"

During their intense make out session, Sakura realized that she was not only discovering Sasuke`s extremely sexy body, but hers as well. The way it became aroused whenever he placed chaste kisses or sensual caresses with his hands or tongue, she grew more aware of her own needs and responses, to the stimuli and it was enchanting.

Indeed she had no experience whatsoever, so she only let her boss lead the way through the mysterious path of succumbing to dark temptations. As for his part, the Uchiha heir felt his tonus level rise to impossibly levels from the adrenaline, her being a virgin making it impossible for him to guess her next step and the anticipation made him twice as hard.

"You got it wrong again, Sakuraaa." That time, the Mangekyou`s CEO made sure to let his maid`s so fitting name roll sensually over his tongue, prolonging the vocal at the end to add to the spell he was casting on her, with the desired effect.

And her lips teasing him, tasting his flesh in tiny strokes, adding the tip of her tongue to her wicked ministrations, like she was tasting a new ice cream fragrance for the first time, was unbelievably intimate for the lonely Uchiha.

She was discovering the wonders of being together with a man and he was rediscovering his most secluded long forgotten emotions. He was certain the way his heart was jumping into his broad chest was not completely from the physical pleasure. He had feelings for her he was not going to deny.

_/You want her, you need her and so is she./_

"…then how should I…"

Sakura was busy with her newfound passion for the handsome boss` smooth creamy skin, her shy licks and touches getting bolder with each caress, mimicking his movements and letting her tongue trail the contour of his collarbone up to his shoulder, even going as far as to gently bit the sensitive area, getting an immediate response in reward, with a firmer grip on her back.

The cocky jerk wanted to tease her, but she too could play his game. Although, the way he said her name made her heart skip a beat. God he was absolutely sensual in everything he did. Sakura was certain he had a significant contribution in writing Kama Sutra.

"Say my name." There was something Sasuke couldn't get out of his mind, even going as far as to hear it during his dreams.

The feel of his name on her lips. He absolutely needed to hear the gorgeous lady call him in their moment of newfound bliss and damn well she was going to do it, even if it would be him to force the word out of her rosy lips. He even fantasized of her screaming it, but that would have to wait…for the moment.

And the little vixen has just bit his shoulder, a part where he was extremely sensitive at, causing an immediate reaction of him to tighten his grip around her waist, and become wilder in his own fondlings, grazing his teeth down her neck, biting and sucking the smooth surface, harder, the mixture of both pain and pleasure washing through Sakura`s body, making her fidget into his arms.

She wanted more of him, he was aware, but he also knew she was not ready to go there yet.

Sakura was aware of what her boss wanted to hear. His rightful name without the honorifics and it meant more than a kinky fantasy, when it came to the two of them. It meant crossing the line and advancing in whatever relationship they had, proceeding to a more personal level.

She really wanted to say it, because secretly, Sakura enjoyed the unique resonance of his name, finding it extremely fitting, but she was not quite sure if she should. "I have just said it."

"Say it properly…like you do with the dobe."

The pink haired agent let her hands roam down the well-developed back muscles, feeling their hardness and shape, contracting with every gesture he did, letting her nails scratch the supple skin, not quite believing it how was it possible for a man to feel so soft.

Sakura vaguely felt a medium sized scar just above his hip, but it only added to the bad guy charms of his.

"…I can`t…I am…just a maid…"

There were two things that were becoming more and more unbearable for the pink haired agent, namely the hardened mass of smooth muscle tissue in her soft pink nipple and areola, sending cold chills down her spine, making the small buds of nerves protrude through the swim suit, in search for a touch and the feel of her slick passage inner walls clench and pulsate, only adding to the sogginess of her core.

Sakura knew exactly what she wanted her boss to do, but she couldn't find the right words to let him know. After all, wasn't he the one to ask her what she wanted from him in the very first place?

"You were never my subordinate."

The jet black haired young heir was well aware of the woman`s in front of him body language, feeling her incredible hardened pointing nipples on his own chiseled chest, begging for his attention, as well as her obvious attempts to pull her tights together and find some sort of relief, just like he did.

He wanted so much to grant her silent wish, but he would wait until she was ready to give herself to him. Ready to feel everything and understand everything. "…but if you want to be submissive to me…I don't mind at all."

And the fact that she was moving her hips and arched her back involuntary was not helping the pleasurable friction their glued bodies produced.

"Say it."

The emerald eyed lady, who was busy sinking deeper into the enormous sensation of beatitude, could feel the rising level of sexuality between them, the smell of raging hormones and hot touching bodies clouding her judgment even more, urging her movements and explorations of her boss` body, not able to refrain herself from planting chaste butterfly kisses on his Adam apple and perfect shaped sharp jaw.

And the mental stimulating state grew tenfold upon realizing she was able to caress his skin and roam her curious finger upon his broad back and torso freely, just because he was allowing her to do so, explore things and be aware of the sensation herself and much to her pleasure, she realized he was not forcing her into anything she was not ready for and that was exactly why the jadeite eyed assassin had complete trust in him.

Sasuke had something she did not: self-control. He was respecting her, letting her choose how far she wanted to go, betraying the fact that he too had feelings for her, if he was willing to compromise, although being the one in control.

"S-Sasuke…"

In the moment Sakura let the name fly out of her mouth, she also returned her hand from his back, descending it on his muscled left one, slowly tracing his bicep on the process, then let her fingers encircle his left wrist, acting purely out of her own will, touching the small unique moon, feeling the same absolutely dazzling magnetizing sensation of completion and warmth, just like the first time, taking both of them by surprise, making them pause their movements.

"…again…say that again…"

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha heir was not quite sure what happened to him in the moment Sakura whispered his name, her voice low, almost like a whimper, in the same time with her hand resting on his birthmark, but he felt an explosion of light and sweet nectar blowing in his heart, sending a jolt of electricity from his temples down his feet toes, making him see stars dancing under his partly opened eyelids, surpassing any orgasm he ever had.

The sensation was even more powerful than he remembered and it was sickening. He felt his brain shutting down and the other inner taking over. Any self-restraint was goodbye.

Sakura was absolutely trapped into Sasuke`s smoldering eyes, watching in awe how something flicked into his irises, covering the impossibly dark sapphire orbs with a foggy veil, lust absolutely unleashed off his body.

He palmed her flat stomach and gently but firmly pressed her smaller frame on the wall behind her, using his available hand to slip his palm behind her head, angling it in the perfect position, all the while his face came impossibly closer to her own, whispering upon her lips the words that made her own emerald eyes darken a shade, clouded with passion for him.

"Correct answer." And descended his soft lips on her own, stealing whatever answers she had to say, along with her first kiss, in the most intimate act the pink maid ever experienced.

Sakura`s world exploded literary when she felt Sasuke`s velvety moist lips brushing over her ones in gentle motions, slowly massaging the supple skin, letting her get accustomed to the alien feeling.

It was the most powerful sensation the pink haired agent felt and it was nothing compared to what Karin or Anko has been telling her or what she read from the books.

She couldn't even began to describe the feel of his moist mouth moving in slow caresses, lovingly, hotly, occasionally taking her plump lower lip in between his teeth, nibbling softly, not to hurt her, but only to add to the pleasure.

All her body was on fire and whatever control she had over her senses flew on the window. Her brain had a complete shut down.

She had no idea how to respond or what to do, but her body seemed to speak the same language as her boss`, because she started to imitate his movements, slowly but surely responding with the movements of her own lips, tasting him, grazing the silky texture of the supple tissue, not believing it how wonderful it truly felt to be kissed by him.

They had enough chances to do so, but Sakura was sure it was worth all the wait. She had no idea how a kiss should feel like, but the way the handsome man was letting his incredibly delicious full lips flick on her own, in a feather like subtle manner, revealed how skilled he really was and it didn't even matter if he practiced intently for it with other women.

In that moment, the Sound agent could feel him actually pour his feelings into the intimate contact, not just satisfying his hunger. He was taking his time, letting her get used to him, not rushing things and the feeling was thrilling.

Sasuke felt like he was having his own first kiss, because the moment Sakura started to reciprocate their connection, he lost it for real.

Although her movements were clumsy and timid, due to her lack of experience, the feel of her succulent full heart shaped lips, like two delicate rose petals, slowly but surely synchronizing with his own, was absolutely divine.

And the young man decided to have mercy on his poor maid and bent his leg and pressed it between her tights, parting them gently and let his knee rub her throbbing core, making her emerald eyes fly open in both shock and pure bliss, generated by the friction, and his amazing kiss, but he applied more pressure on her head to keep her steady and suppress a long moan, angling his own face for a better access.

Sakura could not help her hips grind on his hard muscled tight, trying to alleviate the flushed sensation, feeling more juices pooling in her throbbing lower region, fisting her hands in his midnight raven locks, letting her fingers massage his scalp, surprised by how silky soft his spikes really were.

She closed her eyes, losing herself in the feeling. Her face was getting a dark shade of red, her lungs screamed for air and she was hyperventilating by how fast her heart was betting, but she did nothing to stop Sasuke`s touches. She was in pure bliss, ecstasy exploding in both her body and heart.

The way hear heart seemed to skip a bit every time he was suckling on her lower lip and brushed his tongue over it, the kiss becoming more and more passionate, made Sakura realize she fell for him and hard, there was no point in denying it.

They were never meant to remain platonic, not even if she was supposed to be undercover. The way their bodies melted together in the fusion of fluttering sensations and trembling cells, was so perfect, it was almost natural. Like they were meant to be together beyond physical perception.

When Sasuke felt Sakura starting to grind her body up to his tight, in need for more contact, unconsciously brushing the hard bulge on his trunks every time, he was having difficulties in suppressing groans of delight to escape his mouth. As far as he was concerned, the fact that they were barefooted and in the hall meant less than nothing.

He would have been more than willing to take her right there on the floor. She was incredible and what she made him feel was unexplainable. Sasuke felt like they knew each other from before, like meeting in a previous life.

If the raven haired Uchiha was to believe his family lavender eyed friend, what happened between him and his maid was **fate**. He was more than certain their meeting was not coincidental.

The pair pulled apart for a brief, allowing them to take a much needed gulp of air, then resuming in their passionate kiss, like wanting to never stop and their fervent caresses and touches become even wilder.

Sakura let her hands roam candidly over his chest and abs, then down his navel, returning to his broad back, not getting enough of him.

Sasuke was doing the exact thing, pushing his own hips onto her own, meeting her movements halfway, rubbing their private regions together in the most delectable friction, all the way fondling her every curve, imprinting the feel of her milky pearl skin on his mind, pulling her closer to him.

He was certain that if someone would interrupt them in that moment, he was going to kill that person without second thoughts.

The Uchiha was right, she was unique, not only breathtakingly beautiful, but her feminine gestures and the feel of her on his own skin were amazing. In that moment, he felt like having **everything in his life** and his maid was sharing his vision.

Sakura was too lost in passion too realize her extremely turned on body grew weaker and the adrenaline rush pumped into her system covered the throbbing headache and dizziness.

It was in the moment she felt the floor fly from under her feet has the pink haired woman opened her foggy emerald eyes, removing her lips from the intoxicating kiss, much to her dismay, taking sharps gulps of air, panting heavily.

"Sasuke st…top…" The said man felt the growing fever and chills on his maid`s arms and forearms, accompanied by the burning skin of her plump slightly bruised lips, he too having troubles in catching his breath. He fixed her tired darkened emerald orbs, confused. He couldn't have possibly hurt her in any way, could he?

"…are you…"

But the said heir had not time to voice his confusion because Sakura had a weak attempt to hold onto him in vain, her small hands slipping from his neck, her body going limp in his arms, and it was only his reflexes speaking when he tightened his grip on her waist, successfully preventing her frame to fall on the floor. His heart filled with panic. She looked like she was fighting to hold on her consciousness.

"Sakura?"

Not wasting any more minute, the extremely arousing mood vanishing replaced by fear and alertness, the young male took his maid`s unmoving arm, prompting it around his shoulders, slipped his hand under her knees and took her into his arms, carrying her bridal style to the sofa from the living room, slowly lowering her down on the soft mattress.

He let his onyx eyes scan her body in search for any sign of illness. Her breath was shallow, the pearl white skin reddened considerably in the regions of her face and neck, having a hot and dry texture all of sudden and she seemed dizzy and disoriented, like she had troubles in figuring where she was.

Sasuke was no doctor, but his sharp mind quickly put two and two together: all the sudden symptoms and a day spent at the swimming pool, under the sun rays.

"Sunstroke…shit…"

The raven haired heir bolted in the direction of the kitchen, opening up the fridge in search for his electrolyte drinks and cold water for rehydration purposes, wetting some kitchen towels, returning to the suffering woman on his couch.

He sat on the coffee table, not caring about some files that were resting there, and elevated her head carefully urging her to drink the beverage, the said lady not protesting, raising her own arm to grab the bottle, but Sasuke did not remove his from the plastic surface. "Drink all of it, your skin is dry and your body is burning."

If Sakura wouldn't have felt her head being hit by a truck, she would have considered her boss` attention a cute gesture, his concern for her well being disclosing his feelings towards her.

Indeed, she knew there was much more to her than just sunstroke, although that was the reason she felt like fainting, if not for the supportive man`s firm grip on her.

A wet cold towel was resting on her forehead, the emerald eyed woman welcoming the freezing sensation on her hot skin. Her head was killing her slowly but she felt too weak to go to her room and take a painkiller.

_"Damn it…should I?"_ Of course, what happened earlier was amazing, but she didn't know if it was appropriate to ask him for help.

"..S-sir, would you…"

"Don't move, I will bring you a painkiller." And he was gone, without giving her a chance to even blink.

Sakura was…she had a hurricane in her mind…and a throbbing damn headache. But more than that, she felt her partly opened lips curl up in a small stupid smile at the still lingering feeling of her first kiss.

She had her first kiss and the moment had to be ruined by her carelessness and stupidity.

Sakura was not used to take care of another person, completely neglecting herself and she has paid the price. Although…she couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if they would have carried on. Where would they have stopped?

At some more heated kisses and passionate caresses? On the same sofa she was currently occupying? In his bedroom?

Soft steps approached the pink haired woman, her jadeite tired eyes following in the direction of the raven haired heir`s hand, holding a glass of water and a pill, silently offering the much needed items to her. He also brought her a fluffy navy blanket covering her almost naked body.

She took the painkiller from his expecting hand, muttering a small thank you. The pink haired maid meet his gaze for a moment and she was pleased with a calm look on his face, but his beautiful black beryl eyes screamed worry…for her.

"Thank you, Mr. Uchiha." Sasuke wanted to protest at the idea of her maintaining a safe distance between them, silently signalizing him she was willing to go further, but she would like to take her time and let everything dig in. And he was going to respect her decision, playing along, nodding once in understanding.

"Rest. I will be in my room." The raven haired Uchiha let his softened gaze rest on his maid`s figure a second more, like wanting to confirm his own inner turmoil, then turned his back, heading upstairs.

Sakura let her head hit the small satin pillow, closing her eyes, pulling the comfortable warm blanket up to her nose. She was hot and her skin was dry to the touch but Sasuke has brought her his own bed sheet and she visibly relaxed into his smell, imprinted in the texture, letting sleep come and rest her worn out body.

}{

Sasuke turned on his shower, letting the fast jet of freezing water hit the planes of his toned body, supporting his frame with his palms on the shower glass walls, head bent, eyes shut tight.

There were millions of thoughts shooting his mind at the moment, but there was a superior feel that engulfed his senses in the impression of Sakura`s unique scent tattooed on his skin and the vivid sensation of those breathtakingly soft rosy lips moving on its own were doing funny things with his stomach.

The constricting feeling in his swim suit was vanishing under the cold jet, having a soothing effect on his burning hormones, but it had no effect on the small fluttering in the pits of his stomach or the staccato fast beatings of his racing heart, like flapping bird wings, whenever he envisioned their amazing heated moment in the hall.

And she has again touched his small crescent moon, stirring the same reaction inside him as before. She was awakening something inside his mind…calling for something, someone, searching, exploring, knocking at the doors of his secluded from the world heart in a manner no one ever did before.

She was so pure, her soul too innocent for a man like him. And Sasuke realized he didn't deserve a woman like her. So gorgeous looking with her perfectly shaped toned curvaceous body and milky skin and the angelic angels and lines of her oval shaped face were adding to the image of perfection.

She was a Goddess in his eyes. Never in his life has the Uchiha heir encounter such an alluring combination in the form of a lady, screaming beauty and delicacy in manners and looks. And she had a brilliant mind as well.

Turning off the running shower, Sasuke put the black silk dressing gown over his body, exiting the bathroom and literarily threw his body on his king sized bed, taking a quick glace at the clock.

It was already 6 pm, but he felt absolutely exhausted, the nights he spent working for his company and the nightmares and stress visible, not to talk about his frustration caused by the lack of relief.

He let his pale eyelids close, covering his smoldering coal dark eyes from the world to see. He was sure he was going to sleep till tomorrow.

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5 pm, Hozuki mansion

Suigetsu was sitting on the veranda of his own villa, a thin mint cigarette in between his lips and a glass of expensive wine on his hand, looking intently at the small object resting on the table in front of him, thinking hard.

It has been a long time since he has been so confused about what was he supposed to do in that situation.

After his dark friend took his maid`s arm and bolted out of the swimming place, leaving a stunned crowd of cheering people behind, he asked himself how in the world was he going to bring their stuff back to Sasuke`s place if he had no idea where Sakura`s things were in the first place.

And the Hozuki heir didn't even have time to laugh at the fact that the Uchiha heir eloped with his poor but stunning looking pink haired maid, barefooted and almost naked, heading to his ridiculously expensive Maybach Exelero, like a pair of in love teenagers running from their opposing families to find happiness in Alaska. With the polar bears.

Good thing some weird looking old hag and her ADHD suffering nephew pointed in the direction of a sun lounger, indicating the place of the young woman`s things, so he could gather them and bring his own stuff, Sasuke`s and Sakura`s ones to his place, with the intention of returning them later.

But for the first time in his life, the light blue eyed man was dead serious. The situation was so ridiculously impossible, it was almost frightening.

Almost. Because he entertained the idea of heading straight to the oblivious brooding friend of his place and make fun of him until his raven locks would turn the same shade of white hair as his own.

Among the three best friends, Sasuke has always been the brilliant and most observant one when it came to people or situations, but apparently when he was the one involved in the equation, he became completely blind. Or was he doing it on purpose?

That could have been the case, for all he knew, Suigetsu was aware of the manipulating side of his friend.

The very idea of him being completely oblivious of what was going on around him was amusing the Hozuki to no end. He has been right to mock him about his inner feelings after all. To see the situation developing in front of his eyes was some other story.

Suigetsu took the cell phone that was resting in his pocket and dialed the number of his blonde friend, hoping he snapped out of his stupor by the time he got home and would answer his call. He had to, either way, the shark looking man was certain he was going to do something he would regret.

"_Suigetsu?"_ The goofy voice from the other line answered on his first call, meaning the always too energetic man was probably killing his own device with some childish new mainstream game.

"Dude, we have to talk. Meet me in half an hour."

"_Sure…is something the matter? Have you talked to Teme, cos he is not answering his phone."_

"Of course he doesn't. I have his things. All the things, his maid`s ones included."

"_Really? Then…shouldn't you return them first?"_

"This my friend…is what I want to talk to you about."

Silence.

"_Ok. Where do you want to meet?"_

"The usual place. Don't be late." And hung up. He really needed a good advice, even if it meant involving their common friend as well. Better than to go there and try solving the problem his own way.

As he himself declared, Suigetsu was better at tearing things apart.

But he didn't want to mess things not involving him that time. Sasuke`s friendship was too important. He took his car keys and went into the garage, taking the black leather object with him. He had things to take care of.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Same time, Akatsuki`s personal villa

"Who was that Naruto?" The said blonde Uzumaki heir turned his head to face his CIA colleague Ten Ten, who was eying him suspiciously. She looked pissed off all right.

"Suigetsu. He wanted to talk." Naruto was already climbing down the stairs of their home, thinking where in the world has he threw his car keys when they came from the swimming pool. He couldn't have possibly forgotten them in his green trunks that were resting soundly in the washing machine. After he dropped his last ones in the toilet, he didn't need another water experience.

The chestnut eyed female agent followed him downstairs, frowning. After they have all embarrassed themselves in front of a crowd of curious laughing and whispering people, just because some stupid Sound agent screwed it up big times, she was basically fuming. "About what happened today I suppose."

"Possibly, he didn't tell me. But he sounded serious and…worried?"

"Of course he did. Who wouldn't in his place? That woman made a fool of all of us." If there has been possibly for the Akatsuki female member to hate on Sakura even more, she was not sure such a level of animosity existed in the first place.

When she caught the sight of her back there, the brown haired woman was ready to go into cardiac arrest then mop the floors with her wet to the bones body. Naruto being there covering for her stupid ass was even worse. It was not like her colleague has not been warned to stay away from the Sound`s matters.

Naruto halted in his steps for a moment, thinking at what Ten Ten said. How could she have been so harsh with the emerald eyed agent was beyond his level of understanding.

The image of a helpless in the verge of crying pink haired beauty made his own heart take a turn upside down, jumping from his chest. "What are you talking about Tennie, she did nothing wrong. Teme just had a bad timing, that was all."

The cognac long lashed incredulous eyed woman snorted loudly at her colleague`s naivety. As far as she was concerned, the Uchiha heir couldn't have found a better moment to make his presence. Sakura deserved to be discovered once and for all. Her lies would make her sink deep.

"Yeah…blame it on Sasuke because that whore is not able to even keep up her cover."

Naruto turned his head abruptly, fixing his clear cerulean eyes on Ten Ten`s chocolate ones, knotting his eyebrows in disbelief. Just how much was her partner hating on his crush anyways? "How can you say such things, she saved that kid`s life, everyone saw it. She just got bad luck."

"Bad luck? Call me Neji if you want, but I think it is more like karma paying her back for her nasty attitude."

Naruto found his wallet and his car keys, heading to the yard where their SUV was resting. "What was she supposed to do, let the little girl drown? I honestly don't know why are you so against her. She did nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong? Have you seen those paparazzi basically hunting us down back there? We had to grab our stuff and run away like a bad gang caught by the police.

And the irony is that we are the good guys here! People have recognized us Naruto, especially you and Neji, I wouldn't be surprised if we are going to make the headlines tomorrow. And I am sure as hell Uchiha doesn't need another scandal."

The blonde Uzumaki got in the car, inserting the keys in the ignition, putting on his seat belt. He exhaled deeply. He loved Ten Ten to no end, but he couldn't understand how her mind worked.

"Look Tennie, if you want to bash her go ahead. I have no reason to dictate you who should you like. But at least do it based on solid credible proofs. You just sound jealous on her." He stepped on the gas and pulled the front gates open, exiting the yard.

"…I am not jealous on her…"

Deep inside, the Akatsuki member knew she was being unfair. But such was life, she was not a saint to forgive and forget. Her hate was not going to cease away, even if the words "hero" on the people`s lips for the Sound agent`s courageous act were ringing in her ears.

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_He crossed the long silent corridor bathed in the light of bulb-like small lamps with filament wires, hanging on the brick high walls of his home, supported by palm trunk wooden pillars, built in the form of exotic trees, having the column painted reddish brown like sandalwood and the leafy capitol carved in lotus flowers and jade-like clump of triangular bright grassy stems of papyrus plants._

_Scintillating rays were dancing on the clarion blue sky painted wooden ceiling, in the honor of the mighty worshipped Gods of protection, giving the impression of an endless passageway._

_Raised relief carved brick walls smoothed with a layer of plaster, portraying the detailed depiction of human beings and nature, preserving everything of the present time as clearly and perpetually, as a vivid extraordinary portrayal of time and life, were sheltering his luxurious dwelling from the bazaars._

_The handsome man`s steps were small and steady, echoing through the piercing silence of the vast space, while heading in the direction of his chamber…__**their **__chamber, with a very clear purpose on his mind._

_The diner party was on his guest`s taste as usual, and the abundance of expensive red wine poured in the golden cups by the young beautiful slave girls, kept his important companions entertained. But he had his thoughts on her all the time, his tipsy state not making her vivid image drift away, the need for her growing with each passing minute._

_The man knew her routine at that hour, when she bathed her luscious body in sweet oils and balms. A small smirk. He couldn't wait to have a taste…like always._

_He pushed the small door of their chamber open to let air in, entering the semi lighted by aromatic lavender and cinnamon candles vast space. The rich man cast his eyes on the light brown with a reddish hint cedar wood-frame bed made of intertwined cords, with golden linen folded sheets fir a mattress and a wooden headrest._

_An exquisite testimony of the countless nights of love and devotion, spent in her company. His love for her was transcendental, written in every shining star._

_Moon was sparkling through the high motif decorated latticed_ _windows, resting on the tasteful woven floor rugs, with a subtle oatmeal-colored field and accents in taupe and sienna, olive and camel, giving prominence to meandering tendrils and minutely-detailed wheat and lotus sprays throughout the field and border._

_A large crystal mirror emulated in bright red polychrome glass on the frame, hanging on the brick wall reflected the luxurious furnishings of ebony chests with delicate adornment strips applied and vessels of copper and vitreous glass glaze made of silica-sand enamel inlaid in pure gold leaves festooned with jewels._

_As far as he was concerned, all the symbols of wealth and status were useless for his greater purpose, but she loved every single treasure and precious ornamentations, so as long as it was in his power to give her everything she pleased, he was going to do so. If it was for her, everything was worth it._

"_You came."_

_ He turned his head in the direction of the soft melodic feminine voice, letting his dark gaze rest on the beautiful woman that welcomed his presence with a bright angelic smile on her delicate features._

"_You waited for me." _

_He took in her attire, fascinated by the way the auric embroidered linen sheath dress hugged her small fit curves from the ankles to just underneath her full firm breasts, covered with large silver and golden collar, encrusted in red and blue gemstones, held up by two shoulder straps, decorated with a turquoise oval broche, creating the perfect image of a royalty._

"_Are you sure?"_

_Her long straight silky raven hair was held in place by__a gold __diadem with detailed floral lotus motifs, encrusted in emerald gemstones, mirroring the sparkling candid jadeite shades of her almond shaped cat eyes. __Both upper and lower eyelids were painted in kohl and a line was added extending from the corner of her orbs to the sides of the perfect oval delicate face._

"_I am listening to your heart talking, not your words." _

_Another bright smile just for him. An extended strong arm towards the stunning lady. An invitation."Come closer." And she let her small steps advancing towards her man. She was not walking, she was floating._

_He let his arm rest on her tiny waist, descending on the small of her bare back, bringing her closer to his body, in a loving embrace. He followed the contour of her elegant high cheeks and full luscious lips, painted in red ochre grounded with water, making her look like a delicate flower._

"_I want to have the taste of you"_

_Before he could stop himself, the man leaned in and captured the appetizing soft rosy petals with his lips, in a chaste sweet kiss, making her let out a pleased moan, reciprocating his movements tenderly by parting her mouth to give him more access and letting their tongues engage in a sensual dance . She tasted like almond nut oil._

"_Soft like silk and sugary like nectar."_

_ He broke the kiss briefly, whispering the words on her plump bruised lips, giving her time to catch her breath, but he left his forehead rest on her own one, their noses touching in a tingling sensation._

"_Be careful not to become an addict." _

_She let her half opened emerald eyes rest on his handsome face, she too enchanted by the view of him. She has been so young when her family entrusted her life into his capable arms, but she was fascinated by his masculine charm ever since, loving him like no other. She entwined her fingers around his neck, holding him dearly into her arms._

_He stole another prolonged kiss, drunk of her unique scent of turpentine, irises, roses and bitter almonds oils and balms on her milky porcelain skin, tracing her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, then darting inside the hot cavern of her mouth, going deeper with each slow stroke, exploring every corner he could reach, tasting her more, massaging her own wet tongue, inviting her to join him. And she did._

"_I am afraid it is too late. I cannot stop thinking about your rosy lips." _

_And he couldn't. She was present into his memories, haunting him, calling him, pulling him closer to him every time. She was his in every way known by each deity. Only his._

"_Mmmmm…you are just being stubborn."_

_She couldn't contain a soft whimper when his long fingers slipped under her shoulder straps that were keeping the soft long gown in place, pulling them down her long arms, caressing the delicate skin in the process, revealing her firm rounded breasts to his hungry view._

_She was more than beautiful, she was appetizing. He let his slick tongue flick to the soft areola of her breast, taking long circular licks, putting her rosy erect nipple into his hot mouth, suckling gently the sensitive tissue, while his hand expertly massaged the other mound, cupping it and rubbing the swollen bud with his thumb, making the woman arch her beck in pleasure and fist her small hands into his silky hair, pulling his head closer to her chest._

_He repeated the motion to the other expecting breast, tracing his tongue over the valley of her chest, returning his attention from the base of the supple skin of her well endowed mound, to the hardened expectant nipple, pulling the smooth muscle in between his teeth, biting gently, then caressing the reddened area with long strokes of his tongue._

"_You want me just as much."_

_Lost in the pleasure her love was providing, she let her own hands roam to his torso, never too amazed by the sculpted delicate muscles of his chiseled chest and strong abs, sliding to his navel, then going to his lean back, using her orange and yellow henna dyed nails to leave small scratches on the slightly tanned velvety skin. He couldn't have been more handsome and alluring. She did want him. She has always wanted him._

"_You cannot decide for me as well."_

_Ah, she was not only gorgeous, but she was smart as well, always teasing him, using his words in her favor, just to arouse him even more. He left butterfly wet kisses on her neck and collarbone, biting the soft skin and sucking on her pulse, marking her, not getting enough of her velvet like creamy skin, bathed in expensive perfumes that drove him insane with need._

"_Don't you even try to deny it." _

_He pulled the golden gown down her hip, removing the linen piece of clothing of her delicate body, revealing its naked beauty to his eyes. She was a Goddess when it came to perfection of curves and shapes, not even the queen possessing such mixture of innocence and sensuality._

_Not removing her warm hands from his broad shoulders, he pulled her in the direction of the bed, lowering her smaller frame on the soft mattress and hovering over her, eying her with lustful gaze. No matter how many times they have done that, it always felt like the first time._

_She was so pure, so innocent in her shy gestures, like they were discovering each other for the first time. He let his hands caress her flat stomach and ribs, giving her a pleasant tickling sensation, the butterfly in her heart fluttering with undivided love. Only he could make her feel like fire, igniting every cell in her body. She slipped her hands on his perfect sculpted waist, embracing him, pulling him closer to her body._

"_I don't. Deep inside, you know it as well." _

_She put a hand on the back of his head, pulling him down and mashed their mouths together in a more passionate hard kiss, while he was fondling her inner tight with the back of his hand, giving her chills all over her body, making her moan more into his mouth. He has always been so good with pleasuring her, knowing exactly what she wanted._

_She let her own hand glide under his fine linen white and golden intricately pleated kilt, feeling his lean muscles and his obvious hardened throbbing member, protruding through the soft expensive fabric._

_She has always been shy, but everything with that man felt different and she found herself growing more accustomed to the feel of him on her hand, letting her fingers grip the base of the sensitive pulsating skin, her moves getting bolder much to his delight, gently moving her fist up and down his shaft in slow agonizing motions, pumping him._

"_Ah…faster…"_

_At the feel of her delicate hands pleasuring him, he couldn't contain a low guttural groan of ecstasy, pushing his hips into her hand, meeting her movements halfway, getting impossibly hard, his whole body ready to explode at the slow pace she was dictating._

_He urged her movements with another hard jerk of his hips, the said woman running her thumb over the tip, working up and down and rolling the foreskin back and forward swiftly, almost making him come._

_He lower his mouth on hers, biting her rosy lower lip hard, making her gasp in surprise and thrusting his tongue down her mouth in a ravishing kiss, feeling his blood boiling into his veins and heart thumping into his chest. She was his addiction._

"_You talked to him today…Oh!"_

_She felt him becoming wilder, bolder, taking her erect nipple into his mouth, sucking greedily like a thirsty man in the desert, all the while he used his palm to part her legs and run a lean finger up and down the highly sensitive skin of her soft folds, then gently pushing it inside her unfolded core, stroking her hot slick passage in a fast tempo, feeling her sweet juices leaking down his hand in anticipation. She threw her head backwards, letting a soft cry of delight escape her mouth._

"_He wants something from me."_

_She arched her back in response to his pumping on her, imitating the motion of her hand on his own erect member, both of them growing wilder in their movements, their sweat and harsh breaths mixing together, creating a hot sexual atmosphere. She needed him inside her, completing her, filling her like he always did._

"_Ahhhh…Something difficult?"_

_He removed his finger from his damp core, lowering his head to her navel, covering the smooth milky skin in chaste kisses, from her hips down her swollen inner lips, flicking his tongue to her swollen exposed clit, rubbing and suckling the small bundle of nerves, while his hands were fondling and caressing her long toned legs up to her inner tights._

_More moans of pleasure escaped her parted lips, while she gripped his dark locks, arching her back and pushing her hips up and forcing his tongue into her expecting core, feeling her all body trembling in bliss at the feel of him pleasuring her, eating her out and the burning pool in the pit of her lower abdomen was ready to explode._

"…_something impossible."_

_The taste of her juices on his tongue was driving him wild with desire and her whimpers and moans of bliss pushing him to the edge. The way her body was responding to his stroking, touches and tender caresses urged him to replace his tongue and finger with something harder, deeper._

_He raised his head to watch her face. Her swollen soft lips were partly parted, taking large gulps of air to calm her racing heart, her emerald eyes were tightly shut, letting her senses speak for herself and her full chest was going up and down with ever harsh breath she took._

"…_he…is the…pharaoh…"_

_She never looked more enchanting than that, all the way her hands were searching for any sort of contact with his hard body. He loved every part of her, wanting nothing more than to bury himself deep inside of her and stay there forever, in her embrace, engulfed in his warmth._

_He let his lips touch her panting ones, gently slipping his tongue between the supple skin, in a loving kiss, letting her taste herself on his tongue, the sensation electrifying._

"_He is just a fool."_

_She opened her sparkling clouded with lust jadeite eyes to look at the love of her life, not believing how handsome he really was. He himself looked like a divinity, coming from a faraway universe._

"_He promised you power…"_

_An ardent envelop of her hands around his broad torso pulled him closer to her body, feeling his hot skin on her one, pressing her mouth in the crook of his neck, feeling the throbbing pulse, placing a small kiss on the sensitive surface. He was just as dangerous as the almighty Ruler, but he was smarter than him._

"_I already have it."_

_He slipped his palms under her back, forcing her to arch her back, raising her hips on his level, aligning himself to her soaked sleeked opening and in one single swift thrust entered her, burying himself deep inside her, filling her to the hilt, making both of them scream in pure bliss, starting with slower pushes to let her get used to the feel of his thick long shaft inside her womanhood, then going faster and harder, raising her hips more to meet his pumping, searching for the perfect angle to his the same sweet spot inside of her he knew she liked, each time._

"_AAhhhh…Then you are…. just as fool….as him."_

_She feel her shut emerald orbs moisten with tears at the feel of him going deep inside of her, the feeling of fulfillment and devotion overwhelming. Their lovemaking has always been like the first time and his wild relentless movements were just like him. And she couldn't love his being more than that. The very idea of losing him was tearing her heart._

"_No my love…you and I…are both morons." _

_He gripped her hips and thrust into her slick passage vigorously, with abandoning moves, throwing his head backwards at the feel of her burning inner walls clamp around him, connecting herself to his body, mind and soul in an erotic dance of passion and burning love._

"_AAAArhhhhhghhh…" _

_She felt her whole muscles convulse when a powerful orgasm hit her like a tornado, a feel of complete exhilaration washing through her spine like an electrical discharge, making her see stars. He only managed two more sharp thrusts to bring him to the top as well, exploding inside of her, letting their juices to combine and hearts to beat in sync._

_He let his body collapse onto her own, holding her tightly, while coming back from his own release, letting himself relax at the sound of her rapid heartbeats and warm breaths on his skin._

_He buried his head on the junction between her neck and shoulder, lulled by the warmth and love radiating through every fiber of her body. A tired soft kiss placed on his pulse made him turn his head and capture her lips for the millionth time, not getting enough of her kisses. He had her because she was only his._

"_I am afraid…I don't want anyone else to take your place."_

_He cupped her cheek with his left hand, caressing it with his thumb, while she kissed the inside of hir wrist, just above his small moon well aware of the exciting feeling she was stirring inside of him when she pressed her soft lips on his mark._

"_You will not. Because I need you and you need me as well."_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**/You need her and she needs you as well/**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

"….what the…" Sasuke woke up like he was hit by lightning, with a burning pain in his left wrist and his whole body trembling. He was sweating like crazy as well, despite the really low temperature of his room. He gripped his left hand, the stinging sensation making his jaw clench.

He took a quick glance at the clock on the wall. It was 3 am. The raven haired Uchiha fisted his hand into his damp midnight locks, brushing the longer strands of hair from his onyx eyes, feeling extremely tired, despite the long sleep, confused.

He was getting used to waking up in the middle of the night, haunted by flashbacks and nightmares, but that time it was much vivid than ever.

He could even feel the erotic scene on his own skin, like he was taking part in it and probably he did. After all, wasn't that supposed to be a memory of some sort?

"Damn it…" His mouth felt dry and he was cold all of sudden. Sasuke got out of the bed, having troubles in gaining his balance and advance in the darkness.

Like usual, he was not able to remember much of the most important details of his dreams, but that time he had a piece of information worth mentioning and as much as he would have despised the idea of calling him of all the people, the situation was far too serious for him to act childish.

The raven haired head went downstairs in his office, moving swiftly and silently not wanting to wake Sakura up. Oh God his maid, he was hit by the feel of her full force and it was intense and agonizing.

The onyx eyed man was almost tempted to take a turn, go to the living room and sneak his body under the warm blanket, closer to her.

He opened the small safe and took out the device resting inside, calling the number saved on the fast dial, putting it to his ear, resting his back on the wooden book shelf. The said man answered on the third call.

"_Don't you ever sleep?"_

"I could say the same about you."

"_You sound tired. A restless night?"_

"Another flashback."

"_I see. Do you have any important clue for us? Anything to help us solve the riddle?"_

"Possibly. I have a name."

Sasuke heard the sound of paper rustling, followed by the muffled click of a pen.

"_Say it."_

"….Safyia."

A moment of silence.

"_A woman`s?"_

"Yes."

"_Hm…I see old habits die hard."_

"Be careful what you say next."

"_How do you know her?"_

"We were…intimate."

"…_I see. Are you sure this is all you have got?"_

"I suppose…"

"_How is your moon?"_

"It is reacting to the dream, like usual. But this time is more intense."

"_If the pain gets too serious you have to take the medicine again. Although, I am not sure how much more is it able to alleviate the pain."_

"Don't mind yourself with that one."

"_I assure you it is not my intention to pressure you Sasuke, but we need more information. A woman`s name is good, but not enough."_

"I am aware of it. But I cannot remember anything important."

"_Did she call you somehow?"_

"She did…._my love_…but she didn't use a name."

"_Sasuke, you know what I want to find out. What we have to find out for us to solve the mystery once and for all and stop the end of the world from happening. They are too close to find out and I didn't find a single trace of our stolen files."_

"I got back mine. You deal with your own problems and do it fast. I don't want to suffer the consequences of your mistakes."

"_Leave that to me. Police has been alerted by the crime. I suppose you will not lead them to you."_

"Your supposition is correct. They will not be able to track me."

"_A CIA agent has been sent to investigate the murder. Don't let your guard down. We don't need anymore suspicion around us."_

"He will be able to do absolutely nothing."

"_You still speak with such confidence."_

"I am just realistic."

"…_good."_

"Have you been able to decipher the writings on the walls? Is there any connection between it and my dreams?"

"_I am sure it is, but I did not have time to look deeper into the story. Those hieroglyphs are too complex for me to solve. I will have an expert to look at them."_

"Can we trust him?"

"_I can guarantee for him."_

"You better do."

"_Have you tried to find a meaning yourself? You have a sharp mind after all."_

"I am working my brain to find out the hidden message behind the formulas. I think there is much more to those numbers than simple theories."

"_I see. Keep on going, maybe you will find something useful."_

"….I do hope so."

"_All the data has to lead us to the answer of the biggest question."_

"What question?"

"_Sasuke…who were you or I should say…who are you?"_

"…nobility."

}{

Sasuke hung up the phone not quite in the mood to talk in crosswords with a not so pleasant to begin with person, getting irritated. Damn all the trouble, because it had to be him the one involved in such a deep mess.

"Fucking hell…" The raven haired Uchiha exited his office and heading back to his bedroom, his sleep ruined.

He entertained the idea of watching TV but the only shows he would find were either adult movies or midnight shows for single ladies and old senile hags, about relationships or pickles. The world he lived in was already demented.

Maybe he should take a dip in his inviting swimming pool, without being disturbed by anyone, but it was not that warm outside to begin with. Or he could simply turn on the Jacuzzi and relax his worn out body….

"MMMmmmmmm…." He stopped dead in his tracks, turning his head over his shoulder, darting his dark eyes in the direction of the soft mewl, raising a fine eyebrow. Was that his maid or some neighbor`s cat?

Sasuke swore if one single freaking furry creature dared to scratch his expensive entrance door or dirty his yard one more time, he was going to do a massacre among neighborhood pets, with no survivors. And he was not afraid by their eventual revenge either.

Nonetheless, he took the necessary steps in the direction of the sofa, getting closer to a sleeping beauty.

And when he got at the edge of the comfy piece of furniture, the raven haired Uchiha could have sworn there was someone up there having too much free time at his disposal, taking great pleasure in laughing at him. He could even feel the smell of cheese popcorn and soda.

There in his living room, spread all over his navy soft blanket, resting on her side was his sleeping maid, stark naked. He had no problem in slapping his forehead hard, trailing his hand over his tired face, pinching the bridge of his nose. _"Just what the freaking hell…" _

If there was something good in the situation was the fact that she had all her most private parts covered in his freaking warm piece of cloth, but the fact that she was gripping the smooth texture in between her legs, revealing all her delicious contours to his wide opened onyx eyes was clouding his judgment.

It was just obvious she removed her wet swimsuit, not wanting to catch a cold and the discarded on the armchair item was a solid proof of that, but at least she could have covered her too appealing curvaceous frame with the whole blanket. But no, she decided to be a damn vixen even in her sleep.

Sasuke leaned in, resting his upper body on the headrest, prompted on his crossed arms, letting his hunger gaze take in the creature in front of him.

He couldn't help but watch in awe how stunning every line and curve of her body really was, like a mythological mermaid emerging from the depths of the vast ocean, luring the unfortunate souls.

She was the perfect picture of a nude model posing for an artist, her feminine charms and her pure unblemished aura being worth of engraving on a piece of paper in coal, for eternity.

His pink haired maid was ethereal, with her pearly ivory skin, bathed in the moon light rays were giving her an angelic radiance, making her look like a mirage.

The Uchiha had imprinted the smooth incredibly soft texture on his fingertips and he went nuts with the need to feel her again, squirming under his touches and the dream he just had was not helping his imagination from drifting to those incredible scenes, not helping his mind from overlapping his dream with their intense make out session, amazed at the similarities.

He let his pale eyelids close for a brief, replaying the passionate gestures they shared, trying to make the connection between the stranger in his dream and Sakura, both of them having a striking common feature in the form of a pair of sparkling unique jadeite eyes and luscious heart shaped lips.

And it was not necessary the vision of her, but more like the feel of her and the emotions both the women were stirring inside his heart.

Sasuke was not certain who the main from the flashback really was, but even a cold unemotional man like him was able to sense the intensity of the love making, like he was living inside the mystery man`s mind.

And he couldn't overlook the similarity in sensations the pink haired girl from his time stirred with her innocent touches over his body, like she wanted to become one with his soul. It was much more than he could take at the moment.

Those flashbacks were part of someone else`s memory and they were forcefully invading his own conscience, making him live the illusion of another person`s experiences that didn't belong to him to begin with, but Sakura was there, alive, with him and he had her in his arms, embracing her, covering her with his kisses and fondlings and it was the most intense experience ever.

The Uchiha let his eyes rest on her parted pink full swollen lips like a proof of their twisted relationship and the sharp turn of events it took.

God the kiss…it was absolutely amazing, he was internally fighting his best to not lean in and capture his mouth with his own again and again, the feel of her velvety strawberries and cherries flavored rosy petals lingering on his own lips, like a memento of their connected bodies and hearts.

Sasuke was no fool, for he understood exactly the much deeper meaning of kissing his maid, different from what he experienced with many other women before her, and it was nothing to compare.

The midnight haired young heir felt like having his first real kiss as well, because that time he poured a part of whatever emotion he had for her and he felt through her amateurish unpolished movements that she too was sending him a very clear message.

She liked him and that was obvious from the way her body reacted to him, like they were meant to be together.

Were they really?

His mind drift to the dream again. Was it there a connection between the two women? Was it possible for her to have such a resemblance with a memory not eve he was aware of its provenience_? _

_"Do I know you from before, Sakura? Is it possible for the two of us to have ever met in another existence?"_

The then confused jet beryl eyed man couldn't stop his hand to descend on her small high cheek, cupping the delicate bone and brushing his thumb on the reddened creamy skin, not able to stop a small smirk to form on his handsome face when the said woman unconsciously leaned into his touch, letting out a soft content sigh, but not waking up.

He roamed his dark eyes over her perfect shaped shoulder blades, covered in his bit marks, down her elegant arms that were resting over her head, like a sleeping little baby, then on her deep cleavage and flat stomach, his imagination growing ten fold upon resting at the base of her navel, the rest concealed from his hungry stares.

Sasuke could have even picture those impossibly toned long legs straddling his waist while he…he shook his head, trying to regain his senses, either way he was going to end under the cold stream of his shower…twice that day. Something was fishy in his life all of sudden.

No, he was well aware of the mysteries revolving around her and the fact that he acted reckless upon overlooking the fact that she couldn't explain her phone and strange ID caller from the other line, as well as she couldn't explain just what was she doing there or what her connection to the people close to him was.

But the realization that he was not even afraid to let go of such details has strike him the moment his maid started to place chaste kisses down his alabaster skin, reciprocating his movements, tenderly, like a lover would do, not like a liar. She was only concealing her terrestrial identity, not the celestial one.

The Uchiha heir retracted his hand, not wanting to wake the beautiful woman up from her deep sleep, aware of how bad she felt.

He knew she was stressed and he was as well part of her worries, with his constant pushes and disbeliefs and it made his heart clench in his chest at the thought of him bringing her pain. Didn't he swore he was not going to hurt her?

On the other hand, he too questioned himself of the course of events from that day on, because what they did changed everything between them from the moment she didn't push him away from her body. She has welcomed him into her arms, and he was ready to give her all she wanted, even going as far as to have her right there and then, if she was to ask him.

There were bits of conversation in his still vivid flashback that Sasuke hasn't shared and they were just the same as the voices in his head, happening whenever he was around Sakura and it was undeniable how much he wanted her to be with him.

"I need you and you need me as well…"

The ardent confession came as a low whisper from his mouth, like the raven haired man wanted to hear the words aloud to confirm that what he remembered was correct. That is how the dream ended. But what did that mean? Was it just a simple confession between two close people or it came a subtle message delivered to him solely, as a warning?

Sasuke turned around and left the living room, not able to stand in the gorgeous regal looking lady`s presence without waking her up and finish what they have started, in that couch or whatever they felt like, all the way his name on her lips echoing through his more than dazed mind. He was right. He needed a damn cold shower…again.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

Next day, Sasuke`s home, 8 am

Sakura was slowly opening her emerald fogged orbs, taking her time to let her body fully wake up. For some unknown reason, she felt rested and energetically, like she was suffering from Naruto syndrome. The pink haired maid rolled on her back, changing sides, burying her face into the warm and fluffy blanket, sighing deeply at the relaxing feeling.

She shot her eyes open wide immediately alert. Something was not right. It was in the moment she took in her surroundings did she realize three very crucial things: one, she was naked. Two, she was not in her room and three, she was covered in Sasuke`s navy wool blanket.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAa…."

Sakura bolted out of the bad like she was in army and the commander came to announce an emergency, pulling the large piece of cloth with her in the process, tripping and landing directly on the coffee table, with her butt on the remote control, successfully turning the large TV on, scaring her shitless.

"AUCHCHCH!"

She got up, rubbing the hurt sensitive area, shaking her head, thinking hard. Ok, she couldn't have possibly done anything the day before, because she sure as hell would remember something big like that…or not. _"Why the hell am I naked then? And where is that imbecile anyways?"_

"Oh no…"

When the image of her hot boss came to her mind, Sakura was hit by a wave of excitement and a stupid carefree happiness, taking a sit back on the couch, covering her body with the blanket she was holding, burying her nose in the fluffy fabric that smelled like him and his expensive perfume.

She was reminded by everything that happened, starting with her at the swimming pool, saving a kid from drowning and embarrassing herself in front of her boss and the other Akatsuki members and how Naruto has saved her…then the moment Sasuke took her by the hand and both of them run away to the parking lot, jumping on his car, to his home.

Sakura could then understand why her feel were stinging her. It was because they were both barefooted to begin with and God only knew how could she have not observed until then.

No, correction, she knew exactly why and it had to do with some heavy make out session in the hall, giving the pink haired girl thrilling chills down her back when she recalled all the caresses and sweet kisses, his smell still present on her skin.

She closed her eyes, giggling like a school girl when she managed to paint her first golden fish, praised by her teacher, involuntarily nibbling her lower lip that had the memento of the passionate kiss the raven haired Uchiha has given her.

"My first kiss…" It finally happened and in the Sound agent`s mind, it couldn't have been more perfect and special than it was, given the situation they were in, but she couldn't have found a better man to steal it from her than him.

Even though she was hundred percent certain her cover was blown up and judging from his absolutely vile aura and penetrating dark gaze, her mental state as well, her boss managed to surprise once again.

Sakura leaned deeper into the comfy mattress, resting her back on the headrest of the sofa, blinking rapidly. She couldn't understand just what was the Uchiha thinking about when he changed his mood swing for the millionth time since she met him, like it was his second nature, going all sexy and sensual on her, like nothing ever happened.

Was he really not bothered by how screwed the situation really was or did he just play dumb all the time, the act being perfectly masked by his demeanor?

The emerald eyed woman was not sure why, but he truly seemed to not question her further and that was strange if one was to think that encountering your maid in the last place you would have think of, was anything but normal.

But all that her boss seemed to care in that moment was to confirm his suspicion of her being in a relationship with his best friend and the flick light in his dark orbs when she assured him the answer was negative, told her the young heir too had some feelings for her, because there was no way in hell any other normal men in his place would have overlook all the suspicious happenings regarding her past and present.

Not only that, but Sasuke seemed truly concerned for her well being, going as far as to bring her water and medicine like their roles were reversed, the pink haired maid well aware of the fact that he those small but significant gestures were out of his character.

He cared that was obvious and it was making her heart skip a beat at the thought of a possibility for him to somehow, reciprocate her feelings.

Of course, Sakura knew all too well that there were going to many changes into their relationship from there on, because he went as far as to ask his poor maid to say his name and not only once.

The Sound assassin couldn't stop her goofy smile at the memory of him, whispering hotly into her ear to call him on his given name. It felt different, better, more natural, intimate dare she say, but at the same time, so right and special.

How would she supposed to act around him from there one remained a mystery, because Sakura had no idea of the attitude to show him. A certain thing was her appearance, because it was useless to hide from him any longer.

He almost saw all she had to offer when he let his mouth pleasure her skin with expert kisses, the feel of him on her making her all face to redden in shame, upon looking back at all the moans and whimpers that escaped her mouth and would make her friend have a virtual tea party in congratulation.

"Oh well…not going to get worried over something I cannot control or prevent…"

The jadeite eyed assassin was certain that when she was going to see her boss, she would know what kind of attitude to have, after all she had a mission to carry on, no matter how emotionally involved she became. Orochimaru was not going to be happy…not that she planned on telling him in the first place. But Karin should find out pronto, but first…

She took a quick glance around the house, realizing that Sasuke was probably at his company, not wanting to wake her up (how cute of him), so, feeling really free in her movements, completely alone in the spacious villa, the pink haired maid gripped the blanket as she was gripping an Arabic veil and started to dance and spin around the vast living room, like a belly dancer in the middle of a grass field, floating over the ground, doing hustles and murmuring a love song, feeling wild and carefree.

Sakura had no idea why, but leaving aside all the nagging problems related to her CIA cover and work making place for her moment with Sasuke to enter her system, was stirring the butterfly in her stomach, but that time not in an arousing manner, because they were fluttering into her heart and it was a new and intense feeling. She really fell for him, not even trying to deny it. And it was making her really happy.

So happy that the emerald eyed woman hasn't even realized the fact that half of Sasuke`s home, the one that had half of the swimming pool inside, connecting the side yard with the living room, was made of glass and she was acting like a mentally deranged woman in front of the much older couple of neighbors, that were having breakfast on the porch, trying to relax under the morning sun.

It was in the moment she regained her senses was Sakura aware of the fact that she was giving a very suggestive view of her curved ass, to the frozen in shock people, making their jaw hit the floor upon seeing who was living with the famous Uchiha heir.

She came to an abrupt halt, quickly covering herself with the blanket, eying in dread the two people that were having their own eyes glued to her exposed body. The elder lady dropped what looked like a tea spoon and her husband was…he looked dead…and he was ogling her?! The pervert.

The pink haired maid turned around and sprinted in the direction of the couch jumping on it and covering her body with the blanket not even bothered by the fact that her naked but was up in the air. But a breaking news coming from the large TV screen caught her attention.

Sakura popped out her head from under the soft large piece of cloth, letting her jadeite curious eyes to follow what a Japanese woman was saying, not understanding a word. It seemed that a murder has been going on in what looked like an abandoned warehouse in Tokyo, because there were many police officers and probably the prosecutors.

But when the pictures of the four dead people were displayed on the screen, the pink haired woman covered her mouth with her hand in shock, eyes wide as plates.

They were the four men that robbed Sasuke and repainted the walls. Sakura quickly grabbed the remote control and surfed the channels until she came across an international broadcasting one, in German.

Apparently, those people have been found decapitated, with no trance of any suspect, like whoever did it vanished in thin air.

And the Sound agent knew exactly it was no coincidence. Whoever did it was a pro, who knew exactly how to get the job done. The murderer left the bodies there as a sign for whoever was there to see the consequences of their acts, but managed to escape the police`s vigilance.

Sakura knew that no other pictures or details were going to be shown on the TV because they were too disturbing for the general audience, but she was going to pay the police station a visit and find out more…and the morgue.

But she couldn't stop her mind to question who could have done it? Another international criminal organization that rivaled Lorane? Someone else for revenge? Not that it actually matter, because a crime was still a crime.

Also, the emerald eyed maid knew she should give Sasuke a call and let him know about the incident, and maybe he would be able to go to the police as well and recover his things. Man was he lucky. But when she wanted to take her phone, she realized it was missing.

"Oh my God…all my things…I left them back at the swimming place…I gotta take them back fast!" Sakura stood up and fisted her hands into her dyed curly hair, thinking about the fastest way to go to the said place and take back her phone and documents. But first she had to take a shower.

And the idea of talking to the raven haired Uchiha and hear his voice for the first time after their intense moment was making her both happy and nervous. She would need to call Karin and let her know. Orochimaru was not going to be pleased…well, not that he needed to find out anyways.

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Same time, Mangekyou HQ, CEO office

Sasuke was having troubles in keeping his mind focused on anything that didn't contain pink lips, emerald eyes and long milky legs, failing miserably. He gripped the pen he was holding, furrowing his dark eyebrows.

Not only he couldn't find his sleep at all the previous night, but there were a lot of company related files needed to be dealt with.

For some unknown reason that was bothering him to no end, the shipment he was expecting from the Norway company that was providing him car parts and metal alloys needed for their own factories, has delayed the delivery and that was no good.

The onyx eyed man even came to his company before the security guard or even the gatekeeper and of course he had to jump the fence to get to the underground parking lot and open the doors from inside out. He would have to hack his own security system and erase those scenes. God forbids for them to leak on the internet.

Moreover, Suigetsu has not brought his and Sakura`s stuff back from the swimming pool and was not answering the phone since the day before. Dobe as well. His shark looking white haired friend was in for a good beating if he didn't show up fast. Just what in the world were his two idiotic friends doing? _"Are they voodoo masters or something?"_

The Uchiha could even imagine his two friends dressed in kilts, with bone piercings on their noses, dancing around a huge fire camp, holding their sunblock lotions and chanting incantations. They were that demented.

Riiiiing Riiiiiiiingggg

Sasuke raised a fine eyebrow when his dark eyes fell on the ID caller. Why was his maid calling him on his company phone, from the home phone?

Oh, yeah, she didn't have her phone because Suigetsu was busy playing hide and seek. He was going to get beaten, that was for sure. The raven haired Uchiha answered the call.

"Sakura." The way his maid was stuttering was absolutely cute in Sasuke`s vision. He could even imagine her small face getting the same hue of red as his favorite vegetable.

It took the pink dyed lady from the other side of the line some moments to formulate her answer. Oh, she was nervous all right.

"_Ahm…Sir…I…have news that might…interest you."_ Sasuke would have liked to protest about the use of honorifics when addressing him, but he let it go. If his maid wanted to maintain a distance between them he could wait.

"News? About what?"

"_The four suspects that have robbed you have been found dead and…I was thinking that you might want to go to the police and…take your values back…"_

Ah that. The young heir couldn't contain a small smirk to grace his beautiful face. He was already two steps ahead, but wasn't his maid an intelligent woman?

Of course he was well aware that the Tokyo police department and the prosecutors were bound to find out about his crime, but only because he has allowed it and didn't dispose of the bodies. His warning has been more than clear. Not that the beautiful woman needed to know that.

"Really now? I suppose I could do that…"

Another moment of silence.

"Anything else you would like to say?"

Of course the Mangekyou CEO knew exactly that there were probably many things his shy gorgeous maid would like to say, but the idea of teasing her more and make her go crazy was amusing him to no end. It has always been refreshing to talk to her.

"…_I…mean…have you eaten yet?"_

It took everything he had for the jet eyed man not to let out a loud laugh when the sound of a slipped forehead graced his ears. Sakura was probably banging her head on some hard surface upon asking such a casual question, like she wanted to hook him up, but lacked flirt techniques.

And it was really cute…and innocent. So in reality, she wanted to see him and Sasuke would not go to delude himself into thinking he didn't want to be close to her either. If the gorgeous lady missed him so much, then why not grant her wish…

"Pasta. And make it double tomato sauce, just as I **like **it." Of course he dropped his voice two octaves lower, making it velvety and sensual just to be able to envision her all mind going numb. She was so easy to read, it was too priceless.

"Okay!" And it was Sakura who ended the conversation, surprisingly, probably not being able to hear more of his alluring voice. But the young heir let out a small smirk, not bothered by the fact that someone had the audacity to hang up on him.

Her maid was happy to hear he was not going to reject her silent permission to come to him. Of course, they needed to discuss some things and see where they stood from then. But her enthusiastic tone in that soft and melodic voice was doing funny things to his system.

Knock Knock

"Mr. Uchiha? I am sorry to interrupt, but this is important." Juugo came running into his CEO`s office, a pile of files in his hands, looking pretty worried.

"I hope it is about the delayed shipment and why aren't we able to contact the Norwegian company." And Sasuke almost dropped the phone from his hand upon hearing the real reason, not believing his ears.

"Haven't you heard the news, Sir? The owner of the Norwegian company has been killed in a car crash, as well as his Vice and two of his main shareholders. All their shipments have been cancelled and their creditors are expecting their money back. His wife couldn't take on the immense pressure and committed suicide this morning. They are almost bankrupt."

"Fuck…" The Uchiha pulled his midnight locks backwards, his gazed fixed on an imaginary point on his desk, not couldn't believe it how many problems were they encountering in such a short amount of time.

"What are we going to do Sir? Our factories are waiting for the delivery and the heads are afraid they would have to stop the production. Our clients would not be happy." The gentle secretary eyed his CEO expectantly, being all too aware of the consequences.

"What is the status of our shares on the stock market at the moment?"

"Our stocks dropped with 0.25% ."

"And it is going to go down even more by the end of this week."

"I am afraid it is going to be worse Sir."

Sasuke stood up and grabbed a file from the bookshelf, opening it up and letting his jet black eyes scan the contents. It was more than bad. It was a disaster. That company was their main provider. Without their microchips and gold alloys, Mangekyou could not make their own chip and car parts.

"We have to lower our shares on the auction market for the following month, so as to maintain its original value and not being forced to lower our authorized capital. If that happens, we will not gain profit and the investors would lower the value of their own shares as well.

Contact the Japanese companies. Mitsubishi or Honda. They are willing to trade with us and provide us the components we need. Same quality, but at a higher price.

We are going to let them buy some shares from us to compensate for the loss and they will become our main investors for the moment, until I figure something else up."

Juugo eyed the young man in front of him, stunned. He has been working with the brooding Uchiha since his father let the company on his hands and although he witnessed many of his genius moments, he couldn't contain his awe. To come up with such a strategy in less than two minutes was incredible.

"What about the Italians?"

"They are going to charge us the shipment and the custom taxes, is not worth it. Go contact the heads of all our factories around the world and tell them to expect the shipments of goods by tomorrow morning at last. I am going to personally talk to the two CEOs."

"Roger that. But Sir…do you think they will be willing to help us?"

Sasuke let out a small smirk, much to Juugo`s stupor. " They were the ones coming to my door to beg for a alliance."

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Same time, Sasuke`s villa

Sakura was busy taking her time into preparing her boss` favorite food, but that time she was not killing the spaghetti. In fact, she was humming a soft melody, in a relatively good mood.

She couldn't explain why but after the previous day`s events, she wanted to see Sasuke more than ever, although she couldn't be sure of what to tell him.

Yeah, the pink haired maid was well aware of the fact that something changed all right between them and it was difficult to understand how should she react, but the emerald eyed lady was certain of the fact that the moment the handsome raven haired man was going to be in front of her, she would get her answer.

In fact, after talking to him on the phone, she was quite certain the cocky bastard knew exactly how nervous she was upon their meeting, but the joy her heart felt at the idea of not having him to reject her request to see her was giving her hope.

He could have told her to wait until he arrived home as well, but it seemed that he too was eager to see her. It was just obvious from his playful mood.

What Sakura found it to be a little bit weird, was his reaction when she told him about the killed robbers and the idea of having his stuff back. From his bored and more than casual tone, it seemed that he didn't quite care which was suspicious. Was he even aware of the fact? Possibly. Then it meant he only wanted to mock her more. "Jerk."

Riiiiinnnng Riiiiinnnggg

"Hm?" That caught the Sound agent`s attention. As far as she was concerned, her boss was not expecting anyone and since the last incident, she was really cautious whenever someone was at the door.

Unwrapping the white apron, the pink haired assassin headed to the front door, grabbing the knob and pushing the door slightly opened, being welcomed with Suigetsu`s face on the doorway.

"Uh…Hello?" Sakura was not quite comfortable to be in his presence and his goofy grin was probably something to look out for. She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Suigetsu was holding two beach bags and shoved them to the confused woman.

"I am here to return this." Huh? So he took both their things? That was a good thing, he spared her the trouble of going there and look for them herself. Well…the moped was still there although…

"Thank you. You know, my boss is not home."

"I know, but I am here to chat."

The Sound agent raised a delicate eyebrow at that, coming on front of the door, closing it. She would not be caught dead alone in the house with Sasuke`s friend.

If that was a cheesy line to hook up a girl he was worse than Hidan. And her colleague only talked about questionable deities he worshipped and human sacrifices.

"To chat? About what?"

Suigetsu leaned his frame on the wall, his light purple eyes taking in the lady in front of him. Why was she bothering to conceal her look when she gave everybody a view of her toned killer body at the swimming pool?

"About some interesting things that piqued my interest."

Sakura didn't like the tone of his voice, nor the hidden meaning in his words. If he considered himself entertaining he would be welcomed with a well placed punch in his face.

"Interesting things…like what?"

The Hozuki heir came closer to the emerald eyed woman, slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small black leather covered rectangular object that made Sakura`s blood freeze and heart to stop. _"No…"_

"You. And I must confess…you are really a fascinating woman…CIA agent Haruno."

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**Author`s Note: **_Oh my god, have you guys read the latest manga? If you didn't, I am not going to spoil it for you, but I must say I am too hyped by the events! That was the most amazing chapter ever, I swear!_

_Well I am glad you enjoyed the pool scene and found it funny (sorry for causing trouble in the library, my fault:) I was afraid it was going to be boring, but oh well…seems it was well welcomed after all._

_And of course I have a cheesy scene for Ten Ten and Sakura just as you guessed, it is not like I am going to make the two of them hate on each other always. _

_Anyways, hope you guys will like this chapter as well. Thank you for the beautiful reviews and encouraging thoughts and follows. It means a lot. _


	21. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

If there have been another person alive in that moment that was more shocked than Sakura, she would have laughed right in his face, while fixing the small document in Suigetsu`s expectant hand with her emerald eyes, like she was Superman in front of the Kryptonite, not able to raise her own trembling hand and take back the compromising document.

There, in his the hand of the smirking Hozuki heir, was no other than her CIA card, along with the proof of how bad has she screwed the mission up, revealing her identity to no other than Sasuke`s other imbecile friend.

But apparently, that one was shoving his nose into other people`s business. For the Sound agent, it was more than obvious how did he find out about her private document.

"You…roamed through my stuff." Of course, she was shocked, petrified, but no way in hell was the jadeite eyed woman going to falter in front of a man that would be forced to not disclose her, when necessary.

Suigetsu couldn't have found a more appropriate moment to let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back, his whole body trembling. In his mind, the way Sasuke`s so called maid was standing her ground was absolutely memorable.

The mixture of both fear and anger into those sparkling emerald eyes that were glaring daggers into his skull like she was daring him to go tell someone and expect to make it out alive, were the solid proof of the reason why the shark faced man`s best buddy`s was so fascinated by her.

Suigetsu was right, Sasuke had good eye for details. And as he has just found out, their common blonde idiot friend also had a thing for the undercover agent.

The Hozuki heir would have had no problem in admitting he too felt attracted by her, but he was more superficial in terms of lusting after her gorgeous frame, than her other qualities.

"Can`t help it, I am a curious man. It comes as part of the job…I guess."

The pink dyed busted agent shook her head in disbelief, brushing her slightly curled messy hair with her fingers, rolling her eyes.

Call it assassin instinct, but there was something in those pearl blue eyes of his that didn't seem right with her and she couldn't explain the stinging sensation in his brains upon thinking there was something much more with the man in front of her that she was able to see.

"Haven't you heard that curiosity has killed the cat?" A delicate smirk graced Sakura`s rosy soft lips upon seeing the almost appalled expression of the young heir upon realizing the meaning behind her words.

She was a CIA agent and the organization was also famous for its dark history and the scandals behind the closed doors, expertly masked by the pretense of maintaining the world`s order, peace and security.

They knew all to well how to deal with the all too curious people, that meddled into their business, just like Suigetsu.

But the Hozuki heir managed to surprise the emerald eyed agent once again with a large smirk of its own like he was expecting such an open proclamation of war against him, not in a bit impressed. "I do but so as you know…it has nine lives."

Sakura has not removed her collected expression on her graceful features, but inside she was visualizing the man in front of her with a beautiful bruised eyed to mach the purpleish hue in his irises, a swollen cheek to perfectly complement the bumps in his empty head from her knuckles and a foot print straight into his butt.

What poison was Karin telling her Sasori lacked test subjects for? She had a future willing candidate grinning right in front of her.

"I am ready to take the risk."

The pink haired girl was debating if she should drug him into forgetting everything, CIA had such drugs in its arsenals and if the governmental organization didn't have, her Papa Orochimaru sure as hell didn't lack ideas in that department.

But she wanted to make sure of his intentions. Sasuke`s friend was an imbecile, probably having a neuron more than Naruto, but that only counted when they went out to drink and shared the bill, because even though he could have called the Uchiha right in the moment he discovered her secret identity, for some unknown reasons he didn't, instead he came straight to her, willing to talk and sort things out.

So if the young heir would want to try a compromise with her, for the sake of the mission, the jadeite lady would listen to whatever he had to say.

"Then let me in and let us talk. I assume you don't want curious ears to hear us."

Suigetsu had his gaze fixed right on those impossibly glimmering tourmaline orbs, blazing with deep insight and self discipline, amazed by how easily she managed to pull herself together and act professional.

So Sasuke`s maid was not only a CIA agent, but she was apparently a good one as well.

Of course the Hozuki had a ton of question to address her, that was the reason he came there after all, but being aware of who she truly was changed the way he should view her.

Sakura stepped aside, pulling the door open, silently inviting him inside, but her body language betrayed the fact that she was not that pleased with the current situation.

They both got inside the spacious villa, with Sakura asking him to take a sit in the living room, while she was in the kitchen preparing some coffee.

She came back after 5 minutes, finding an expecting Suigetsu thrown in the comfortable couch, acting natural and carefree, like he was in his own place, ready for cracking the TV with some lame video game he liked. She truly didn't like this one`s attitude in the bit.

But maybe a man that didn't go and reveal her secret job to everyone he encountered was not that bad after all.

She was not going to judge him harshly, based of unfounded information she deemed real, like the Akatsuki agents.

The pink haired maid took a sit on the couch as well, keeping a safe distance between them, that didn't go unnoticed by her conversation partner, but he refrained from saying anything. He too knew when to be serious.

"You wanted to talk. So talk." Gracefully as a well mannered lady, Sakura took a sip of the hot coffee, not removing her emerald eyes from the clear blue ones in front of her, turning her body so that she could properly face him.

She didn't need to maintain any servile or humble posture in front of a man that had discovered who she was.

Suigetsu was nibbling his lower lip with the long canine, like a true shark man thinking about how funny would it have been for Sasuke to find out about her.

In all honesty, the young heir was burning with the need to call his best friend and let him know about how much of a blind imbecile he truly was, not to discover such a thing, or even be aware of all the weird things surrounding his maid.

"No my dear, the one to talk is going to be you. And I must confess, I really like long stories, so don't refrain from giving me any detail."

"Hahahaha…no." It was absolutely impossible for Sakura to contain a small laugh upon hearing the guts of the man in front of her, like they were there to discuss forecast and knitting techniques.

And the tone in his voice like he was entitled to get al the answers he wanted was something that spoke volumes about his attitude towards things.

He shared this particular trait with his darker friend, because both of them expected to get everything they pleased no matter the consequences, but one of them was more cunning and subtle.

Suigetsu raised an inquisitive sharp eyebrow at the woman`s way of talking and handling the matters.

She was so reminiscent to Sasuke in more than one way it was almost too good to be true, how the two of them could have been such a perfect match, without even trying.

After having a conversation with his friend Naruto about the course of events that would come, he realized that probably divulging the concealed identity of the beautiful woman would somehow ruin whatever relation the two of them shared.

"Then I am going in for the kill. What is a CIA agent doing here from all the places, posing as Sasuke`s maid?"

"This is not your business. What I am really interesting in is why have you searched through my belongings?"

"You think like an agent all right which is absolutely lovely, but I am not here to play James Bond.

I want to know your part of the story before I go straight to the Mangekyou and put an end to this deception."

Sakura`s garnet confident stare darkened upon hearing the not so ingenious threat in the Hozuki`s speech.

Was he there to talk to her or sell her drugs? Because his manner of speaking was making it seem like he was a serial criminal in search for followers.

All the while talking to him she kept getting alerting messages into her brain that something was not right.

Suigetsu was not just a curious man who would go as low as to search into a stranger woman`s things, searching for thongs and other underwear related items, like pubescent youngsters that have discovered they have a dick and a pervert mind to add to the joy.

"Are you threatening me into exposing my identity to Sasuke? Please…as if he was going to ever believe such a story."

"HAHAHA…let us see how are you going to explain how all the things that have no sense when it comes to you and if he is going to believe you, then it is quite certain either he doesn't really have a brain and some invisible aliens took over his head controlling him, or he feels something for you and he is willing to overlook such a shocking news."

The reddened face of the lady in front of him and the way she let her intense stare fall on her lap for a brief, before darting back to him, not wanting to reveal her uncomfortable situation was more than solid proof of the fact that the pale eyed man hit the nail on the head.

"I would tell you to either go ahead and reveal him everything, or go fuck yourself, but I realize that you being here means you are not just interested into hearing more about the reason why I am here."

"Huh…I see why he likes you. You are smart…much smarter than all his previous women.

And I must confess…man were they many." Of course it was not necessary for the shark faced Hozuki heir to slip such a juicy gossip between his words, but he did it on purpose.

He didn't even need to hear from Naruto about the newfound feelings towards each other, relating his buddy and the pink haired agent, but he had to make absolutely sure.

"I am not here to hear about his agenda, of that I am certain myself. So my question still stands: what stopped you from going straight to that idiot and reveal everything?"

Another bark coming from Suigetsu. Aw man, hearing a woman cursing his playboy of a friend was pure gold, because she was not damn gorgeous looking, but she was cute when pouting like that as well.

And even if she spoke about him like his friend was trash, her tone had an unusual gentleness and warm in it that didn't fall into the hating category. Interesting.

"Actually…I think that would be me." Another voice joining the conversation made the both Sakura and Suigetsu turn their heads behind them and let their gazes fall on the blonde Akatsuki agent.

Suigetsu nodded slightly in acknowledgment, having a brief eye contact with his friend, not in the bit surprised by his unexpected appearance, but Sakura`s jaw hit the floor and she almost dropped the cup of coffee in shock.

She didn't even hear him entering the house. _"He is part of the CIA duh…"_

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

Ok, so Sakura was totally confused. Just what in the world was Naruto doing there as well and moreover, why did he seem to know everything about that as well?

Oh really now…it didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

Sakura darted her emerald orbs from the sun kissed Akatsuki to his friend, a knowing look on his eyes. Sasuke`s friends were weirder than hers. And that was already a bit too forced to begin with.

The always happy sun kissed man rubbed the back of his head, closing his eyes and giving her a wide grin, apologetically.

He took small steps towards the pair on the couch, sitting down on the armchair, facing them both.

"I am sorry to have scared you, Sakura-chan, but you know the Teme keeps a key of his back door hidden behind the cactuses so I let myself in."

A pair of beautiful shaped eyebrows rose up in surprise. "No he does not have a spare key hidden in the bushes."

"Well yeah…I didn't say he was aware of it."

"….huh?!"

The blonde idiot pulled out a small silver key from his pocket, raising the small object in front of his cerulean crossed eyes, presenting it to his small audience like it opened the Gates to Heaven.

"I made a copy without him knowing."

A pair of two dumbfounded eyes were watching them like he grown a beard and a pair of horns. It was Suigetsu who pointed a finger at the small object, a comical look on his face.

"Dude…that is…brilliant! Why didn't I know about this, we could have come here and eat his food for free and drink that expensive wine he keeps secluded into his office!"

Sakura snorted loudly crossing her arms. _"PFFF yeah…good luck in passing his electromagnetic field. At least dying drunk of expensive beverages is a happy sort of leaving this world."_

"Drink his beverages? Man that was low, even for you and you have the word low written on your birth certificate as the blood type.

I say, we come here and throw the wildest parties and make ourselves a reputation!"

The sun kissed Akatsuki member was rubbing his chin intently, like he was explaining Einstein`s mass-energy equivalence to the two stunned people in front of him.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow as his friend`s ideas. What could come out of that empty head of his troublesome friend never ceased to amaze him.

And the snow haired man was slapping himself for not thinking about the brilliant idea himself. "And how exactly is that different from my idea and not just as low, pray telling me?"

"Because if there is a party, then you invite more people and if there are more people means they were all going to drink Teme`s wine and so you are not the selfish man you are, but a generous one because you share it with the other unfortunate souls as well, duh!"

Suigetsu let his head hit the sofa`s headrest, covering his eyes with his hand, laughing like crazy, tears streaming from his eyes.

"HAHAHAH…Dude…this is like silently asking him to chop off your balls with a meat cleaver and throw it to that stupid angry big Pitbull that always runs after me whenever I come here drunk in the dawn."

Sakura, who was busy rubbing her emerald eyes with her fists, not believing what the hell was happening there, got the opportunity to join the intellectual conversation with a remark of her own. "Did you say Pitbull? Oh my God that fucking dog has trashed my clothes when I first came here!"

Both the men were eying her in what looked like pity and understanding. So the creature really had something against all the people from the universe…or those that were close to Sasuke.

"Really? I guess that was quite the meeting. What did Sasuke say?"

The Sound agent would never be able to forget the look her boss had when they first met, because he was basically melting rocks and made meteorites fall from the sky with the look he welcomed her with.

He was not that impressed by her performance. "I say he was probably asking himself what would people say about one piece of a hanged pink dyed maid on his front porch."

It was Naruto the one to give her a thumb up, grinning like he hasn't just trespassed his friend`s private property, laughing at her misfortune.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, that is the exact attitude he had upon meeting all of us.

You should have seen him in elementary school bwhahaha some twerp was staying on the same desk as him, eying him strangely having the audacity to ask Teme if he was brooding constantly because he was possessed by something Evil and you know what he answered?

That the Devil didn't have the guts to possess him because…he lacked hatred!"

The was a roar of laughter heard from the Uchiha mansion in that moment, because Sakura absolutely couldn't stop her laughter and when the other two buffoons have joined the chorus, that made it three mental deranged people echoing from the stoic man`s home.

"HAHAHA…I can totally imagine him saying something like that!"

Of course, Sakura was well aware of the attitude her boss had upon meeting other people, especially those who he deemed unimportant which made it like 99% of the World`s population, but hearing bits of his past was truly entertaining and her CIA colleague`s energy and humor was viral.

But…as much as the emerald eyed lady would like to bash on his boss more, she knew there was a situation expecting to be dealt with, so she composed herself, brushed some tears of laughter from her sparkling eyes and turn around to face the man that had found out about her secret.

"As much as I entertain the idea of trashing Sasuke`s house, I think we should resume our conversation."

The two other men in the room ceased their good time and went silent upon sensing the serious tone in the only female occupant of the living room.

When Sakura was in agent mode, the aura around her changed dramatically as well, imposing respect. Is a trait she intently worked on during her living with Tsunade and Orochimaru.

"Naruto, I would take a guess and say your friend here knows about you as well, since you were the one to convince him not to confess my secret life to my boss."

A pair of garnet hard eyes were cast upon a pair of deep sea inquisitive ones, silently asking him to confirm the suspicion.

The Akatsuki agent nodded once, smiling at her.

"Yeah, that's true. But I must say, it was the idiot over there that first call me to get-together and you should know, it is totally out of his character."

The pink haired maid return her attention to the said man, that was getting comfortable in the sofa, beside her, spreading his arms on the headrest, feet on the expensive glass table.

"Really? But why? I don't want to offend you Suigetsu, but you totally appeared as the type of guy to go shout it out loud."

The Hozuki hair bit his lower lip, then smirked in understanding. Yes, she got that right, he entertained the idea to go and tell everyone he knew such hot piece of gossip, but he knew he was an adult, not a teenager and so he should act upon age. Plus…

"I am not going to take back the fact that I consider you a really sharp woman Sakura, for your deep insight is impressive, and the fact that you have successfully kept it hidden from a genius like Sasuke speaks volumes. But…"

A brief gaze to the golden haired CIA agent and a small nod in acceptance was all that Suigetsu needed to go on with his own confession, after the small pause he made in his speech.

The pink haired beauty that was eying him expectantly didn't interrupt him, for she sensed there was much more to come.

"As I say…it is part of my job to make sure I am aware of all the details and not overlook anything, before I let actions speak for myself."

The emerald eyed woman furrowed her elegant eyebrows in confusion, not quite catching the meaning of the white haired man, or what did he want to prove.

Was he just bragging about how smart was he to go involve another person in the story or he was just that dumb, like her raven haired boss always said?

"I don't understand what are you talking about, although I wanted to ask you about what exactly did you mean with the job part…are you talking purely on amiability or there is something that slips from my mind?"

Instead of wasting unnecessary time in explaining her the situation, Suigetsu pulled out his wallet taking out a small plastic document, wordlessly urging the stunned woman to take it ,with an upward movement of his hand towards her.

Delicate fingers took the object, letting her jadeite astute orbs rest on the contents, not even bothering to conceal her utter shock upon seeing what purpose did the small document served.

She raised her head and fixed the man in front of her, not quite sure of what should she tell him.

Naruto was eying Sakura really amused, he too having a similar expression on his tanned face when finding out first, only he was failing miserably in keeping his cool.

Suigetsu grinned widely waving his hand in her direction like woman in love sending goodbyes to her enrolled in the naval forces gone to war husband.

"Is this real, or have you ordered online, because I have seen those fakes children use to play with, and I must confess they managed to impress me."

The Hozuki heir let out a loud laugh, visibly entertained by the beautiful lady`s antics. His ego suddenly burst at the idea of being able to impress a CIA agent like her with his background.

"I would have asked you the same thing, but I will not question your experience in the field of making the difference between authentic and counterfeit."

A small feminine laugh graced the two heir`s ears, followed by a shake of a head, small rose curls winding following the motion and adding to her charms.

The same thought crossed Naruto and Suigetsu`s minds right then in the form of jealousy on their common friend`s pure luck to have encountered such a fine lady.

A graceful hand was uplifted in the direction of the Hozuki heir, accompanied by an enchanting genuine rosy smile to add to the newfound information.

That was truly something she would not have expected. Indeed…Sasuke was surrounded by interesting people, just like him.

"This is sudden and totally unanticipated, but all that is left for me to do is to salute your versatile demeanor and properly express my delectation to meet you, agent Hozuki."

Instead of grating the charming woman in front of him with a hand shake like she would have expected, Suigetsu did a very unforeseen gesture in gently taking a hold of the fragile hand and placed a small kiss on the smooth skin, like a true gentleman, slightly startling Sakura, but she accepted the etiquette.

"Au contraire my dear, the pleasure is all mine. No need to be that formal though, we are not in the office now so a friendly environment would be beneficial for the tree of us."

The sharked face agent titled his head to act like he was disclosing some hidden alien message to the pink haired maid.

"Besides…don't forget we have a pure idiot in the form of my friend Naruto over there, whose brain cannot process more than once sentence at once and that should include at least one linking word."

"HEY! The pure idiot Naruto is in the room you know and let me tell you my vocabulary contains more than three words you motherfucker."

Naruto was flailing his hands in the air dramatically, pointing his middle finger in the direction of a smirking Suigetsu. Sakura found herself enjoying the company of the two men. But of course, she was still stunned.

"I must say dude…you totally finished your stock of big words with that sentence." Another round of fun and laughter, but that time the men in question joined the other two people.

"No really, you…I don't know where to even start from. An Interpol agent really? What office?"

"Organized crime and Maritime piracy, which works out just fine you know…my parents have a ship company that delivers goods all around the world. It makes the job easier."

"Nah…he is just a sailor with a wrecked ship the size of his dick, but he is quite good in making the picture bigger than it is."

"Forget my previous statement, this one epic fail is your most shrewd argument, but I totally sense your butthurt in this."

Naruto crossed his arms in front if his broad chest, having a dumb expression on his face. "Butthurt? On you? You do realize I am a special CIA agent right?"

"Who cares? I bet they all make fun of you. Don't tell me they use you as human target during sparring trainings?"

A pillow was thrown in the direction of the laughing Suigetsu, but of course he successfully avoided a hit, by catching the silk soft cushion.

Sakura was busy laughing at the two friends, not believing how similar to their own little family they were in acting friendly towards each other.

Both were really important tough people, but the way they childishly expressed their cordiality was refreshing.

"So Naruto did you know about Suigetsu`s secret identity or have you just found out?"

"Actually when this future dead man over there called me yesterday to meet and told me he discovered your secret CIA identity, it was me who told him that we work in the same branch and asked him to shut his mouth and don't say a word about that, because I will beat the crap out of him and make him confess he was high. He tends to slip nonsense like this when intoxicated."

A pair of plump petal rose lips parted in awe at Naruto`s honest confession, not quite believing an Akatsuki member went that far to cover for her, more than once.

"You mean…you endangered your own mission just to take my side?"

"Of course Sakura-chan. Didn't I tell you I will never let something harm you? I am a man of my words."

A silly wide grin revealing his pearl white teeth warmed Sakura`s heart to the point she herself couldn't contain a beam on her graceful features.

That man was truly different from all the other Akatsuki members and his candid feelings towards the people he deemed important was impressive.

To be able to nurture such deep connection in their area of expertise was remarkable and it was in that moment the Sound agent realized the emotional intelligence of the so called dobe.

He lacked mathematical and logical thinking all right, but he was really sharp when it came to perceive things around him.

"Unbelievable…but thank you, honestly, it is the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me."

Not wanting to be a hypocrite Sakura contained longing to go there and pull the sun kissed tanned man into a bear hug.

She started to grow really fond of him of course, as a friend. She knew all to well they will never cross the nonphysical love, since her heart was itching for his mysterious raven haired friend, that was waiting for her to come.

"I must say dude you totally got me on this one.

When you told me there is something really serious you have to say I was ready to jump from my sit and warn you to not tell me you turned out gay or grew a pair of wings, because that would have cramped my image really bad."

"Bah…yeah, and when you told me you work for the INTERPOL Department in Tokyo I was ready to check on my calendar and make sure in is not April 1st.

You are basically an idiot to the point you have made a statement out of your stupidity. How the hell did they hire you in the first place?"

"BHAHA I could say the same about you. Maybe because if we die, there would be not loss for humanity, because it doesn't lack imbeciles at all."

"Soooo….when you two found out about each other`s secret…you decided to keep mine as well? Because I assume you are not going to tell Sasuke about that…"

Of course Sakura knew all too well that from the moment Naruto opened his mouth to talk, her secret was safe, after all they were all in the same boat and it was totally against their rules to disclose the identity of the other agents.

CIA and INTERPOL had tight connections. She was quite surprised she hasn't heard of him being an agent so far and no one deemed important to announce her as well.

"Relax gorgeous, no one is going to announce Sasuke about how much more interesting you really are, although I am really curious if at least this level of shock would put another emotion beside boredom and apathy on his emo always grieving ugly face."

Of course Suigetsu was only going to reveal everything if he found out to be something that could have been harmful for his friend, but a CIA agent working undercover meant anything but. Although, he was slightly curious about what exactly her mission really was.

"If I am not too curious, why are you working for him undercover?"

Of course the unavoidable question was about to come sooner or later, but no matter how close the two organizations really were, Sakura had a secret mission to take care of and that meant no one was supposed to find out.

Although she could have slipped a bit of information to the newfound agent because she too had something to ask him and the fact that he was there saved her a lot of trouble.

"I am afraid I cannot give you any detail of my mission the reason obvious, but I am here to protect him.

I am sure you are well aware of all the crimes going on around among the important CEOs and heirs and the number raised alarmingly in the past months."

Suigetsu nodded once in understanding, his blue purple eyes resting on the stunning emerald ones in assurance. He too had a complex case to work on and couldn't have agreed more on the matter.

"I see. Well what can I say, with two agents to look out for him, that eternal player of a so called CEO is lucky. Man why in the world all the gorgeous women only gravitate around him? I would not mind some protection myself hehe."

"But you are an agent as well, why would you need someone to take care of you anyways?"

Of course the less virgin maid didn't catch the meaning of the innuendo and that made the two heirs to throw their heads back and laugh full heartedly, sharing the similar belief of how cute the lady really was.

"God you are truly something I swear. Naruto was right, I don't know just what exactly are you supposed to do, but there is no other woman more fit to stay beside him which makes me ask you…"

the Hozuki heir pursed his lips, rubbing his chin, appearing to imitate a man in deep thinking. "how is life with Sasuke, huh? Something spicy to let us know?"

A knowing wink threw in her direction from the visibly entertained Suigetsu made Sakura`s shimmering jadeite eyes to fall on her lap, her cheeks getting an interesting shade of tomato red. It was enough to confirm his suspicion.

"Oh man something did happen between you?"

Suigetsu couldn't help but get closer to the shy uncomfortable pink haired agent and envelop her in a brotherly embrace, like he was the father that found out about his daughter`s secret affair…with a man that run away with the circus.

She did nothing to push him aside, because his flirty attitude lacked emotion.

"N-no…why would you say such things? I am here to solely keep an eye on him…that`s all."

"That my dear…I find it hard to believe besides…look at you, you cannot even face me properly when speaking about that.

But I can totally understand you, his pretty ass attracts a lot of attention.

Honestly, if you apply some lipstick that mouth of his and dress him in a pretty gown, I might consider the idea of making him my company to the upcoming Ball."

Suigetsu`s confession only made the three of them burst in a crises of laughter, probably the same thoughts of an onyx eyed Uchiha outshining all the ladies out there crossing their much to insane minds at the moment.

And the fact that the shark faced heir looked dead serious was making tears come down from their shut eyes.

For some unknown reason, the emerald eyed maid found herself having fun in their company, although she was not a fan of Suigetsu in the very first place, giving him a chance to redeem himself in her eyes was not a bad decision.

And he came out clean and confessed his own identity to her which only assured her of his genuine intentions.

Besides, although she was not close to them to begin with, Sakura was able to experience a whole new world since she came to Tokyo in terms of strong feelings and undying emotions.

Not only she found out that love was the most complex feeling in the Universe that one would probably not have enough lives to grasp the entire meaning and experience all its joys, but she has discovered there were people she was able to connect with and they were accepting her as part of their tight circle, not judging.

"I…am not going to comment on that one." Of course Sakura found it funny the way his friends were badmouthed him, but the image of Sasuke`s raw masculinity and enchanting features made it hard for her to picture him in another context than pure sensuality and lust, given the fact that she had deeper feelings for him.

"Suigetsu, stop making Sakura-chan nervous and stop touching here you second in line bastard." Naruto stood up, threatening his laughing friend with what he hoped was a frightening face. That only made his audience laugh out more. Who could have taken the Akatsuki agent serious when he looked like that?

"Dude, stop being a possessive bitch and go bite my ass. Besides, our CIA colleague over here is not interested in your dull sun flower shaped figure, she is obviously into bad guys that might kill you in your sleep like Sasuke, aren't I right Sakura?"

The said woman took a pillow and covered her face in shame. Just what the hell was he talking about?

Was she that much of an easy to read idiot? Anko`s words once again rung into her ears. If she wasn't able to learn more of her body reactions, she was going to be an easy prey.

Although the mockery was obvious and the vile intent was missing from the two people`s intentions. They were two clowns that were acting accordingly.

There was a piece of information that made the tiny wheels in Sakura`s mind work intently and that being Naruto having a copy of Sasuke`s door, without him knowing about the fact.

When she entered the office after the four dead suspects barged into the house and replaced everything, her boss told her he had three suspects in his mind regarding who of them planned everything, and one was Naruto.

She threw a quick glance at the laughing annoyed looking CIA member like wanting to make sure she was just paranoid.

Was she that naïve to be played out by him or it was just her imagination? There was another secret agent among them for Heaven`s sake so the chances of both of them being played by him were low.

"God, what is wrong with you guys? We are in no kind of relationship!"

"Oh, so you already call it a relationship huh? I like where this is going." If there was a thing to really entertain Suigetsu was his friend`s women and relationships and this one pink haired woman was definitely something to look out for.

"I swear you are just like my best friend Karin, because she too has this bad habit of jumping into conclusions when it comes to my private life.

You know there is a good reason why people call it private, either ways all the houses would have been made of glass instead of brick walls."

"Karin? Is she just as hot as you? If she I a natural red head tell her I have a really big bad in my room and I wouldn't mind to spare her some space." The Hozuki heir winked in her direction, almost wanting to snort loudly at the dumbfounded expression on the pink haired agent`s face.

"You know…actually she is a natural red headed and she is crazy as hell. Maybe the two of you should meet one day, I am sure you are totally her type."

"You mean she loves well built, sharp and prominent gentlemen like me?"

"No, I mean masochistic bizarre fish looking men, who sport the attitude of mental hospital runaways in search for a place to go and practice sadistic sex related rituals."

Naruto fell of the armchair, not able to contain his stomach cramps, hitting the floor with his fist, laughing like he has seen a monk, covered in Hawaiian garlands dancing Macarena.

Suigetsu looked like he had heart attack, covering his chest with his hand, like he looked deeply offended.

"Man, she totally described you in a nutshell bhwhahaha."

"Hey…in my defense, I am a mental sadistic with a big heart. Besides…you know her friend as well?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, eying Naruto intently. She knew exactly what kind of relationship were those two relatives having, although the sun kissed rolling on the floor Akatsuki member expressed his will to befriend the eccentric female.

"Yeah she is my cousin, Uzumaki Karin, but she hates me. Maybe that is why I didn't introduced her to you on the very first place. That and the idea of becoming part of your family is horror to begin with."

Suigetsu had a questionable look on his face. "You mean you are ashamed with the idea of becoming my relative? Then why do you say we are brothers then? And…oh my god I must meet that woman!"

"Dude…I will totally not let my beloved cousin in your perverted filthy hands, because heaven forbids do I know just what purpose do they serve and besides…people finding out about us becoming relatives would blemish my reputation."

"What reputation? Everybody knows you are a sugar rushed child trapped in the body of an adult. Although, no one would ever believe you are not under age. And so as you know, I know how to properly treat a lady?"

"Do you really? Because I must warn you I tend to be really aggressive when it comes to my sister and hell I would punch the living daylights out of anyone who dares to wrong her in any ways."

Sakura had her suspicions upon this particular Hozuki heir because just as Sasuke, his reputation of a big playboy was quite known. Although…Karin would quite like him. He was mad as fuck and hot as well. Totally her style.

"Please don't refrain to become aggressive honey, but I must warn you I like it rough and kinky, after all I already admitted I am a little sadist and unconventional in bed."

Suigetsu even whispered the words just to prove his point, but all he managed to do was to amuse the other two people that were listening to his disgusting honest confessions.

Naruto took a sit on the same sofa his friends were occupying shoving Suigetsu`s hand over Sakura`s shoulders, replacing the offending hand with his own, pulling the smiling woman into his arms, protectively like he was shielding her from the danger his imbecile friend was not.

He was not a bad man, only a little insane. But that was no problem because that particular trait was something they all shared, Sasuke included.

Screw that, that man was mad as hell, totally surpassing them all and Naruto was well aware of the fact. Sakura as well.

"Dude, no one wants to hear about your poor unfortunate neuron in search of happiness, it is too revolting that law doesn't forbids people like you to reproduce, besides, you offend Sakura-chan`s delicate ears with such stupid things."

"BHAHAHA…man the only thing that has a sole neuron is your totally lacking brain and that one is made of a piece of ramen and an egg on the top.

Now I get why you never stop talking Naruto, it is because the void in your head would have sudden implosion, so keep that mouth of yours open all the times."

Sakura threw her head back, leaning on the Akatsuki blonde heir`s hand, totally enjoying the bickering between the two friends.

They were absolutely priceless. She was reminded of her other dear friends Sasori and Hidan, for they had the same relationship.

"I am stunned you even know such technical words to begin with Suigetsu. Maybe the provided you a brain when you joined the INTERPOL for God only knows you totally lack one.

Dude you should walk with an anchor tied on you shoes to prevent your empty head to rise in the air, like a hot air balloon."

"Naruto, if I am going to beat you to a pulp you would say I am an ill mannered man who doesn't know how to act in front of a lady."

"Do as you wish but don't call me to come and take you from Everest where you are going to land." Naruto declared solemnly, like he was finishing his speech on Miss Universe final contest.

"You do realize the fact that it is impossible to get to Everest in an air balloon, right? And you call me an empty headed?"

"I don't care. It is not because of the hot air balloon, it is your stupidity the one that will get you to the top Suigetsu."

"Man you are…I cannot even start to describe you…just…"

"In all honesty…I find it difficult to imagine how is Sasuke able to keep up with the two of you…especially when you guys hang up together."

Sakura found it really funny for her to listen to their friendly retorts, but she knew what kind of man her boss really was. Maybe he chose opposite people in his life in need for completion.

It was Naruto who stated the obvious. "Well he doesn't actually but Teme is not going to ever get rid of us, no matter how much he hides behind those infinite files on his office."

"You know there is actually a good reason why he is always drunk or gets laid whenever the three of us meet and it is not solely related to his testosterone drive. But he loves us too much to tell us to fuck off…although he always tells us this."

That made Sakura a little sad on the inside. After she had her first kiss with the midnight haired Uchiha, she felt deeply connected to him and the very idea of her newfound emotion being one sided was making her teary upon envisioning her boss acting like his friends were stating in the future as well.

But the all always observant Uzumaki sensed her change in demeanor, because with a little squeeze on the small shoulder and a reassuring bright smile that promised hope and change for the better in his dark friend`s attitude, he managed to place fortitude into her heart.

"Aw don't listen to this loser talking Sakura-chan, now that the Bastard has you he is not going to lust for other women, I will make sure to deprive him of his much needed ogling eyes with a well placed punch if that does happen."

"Yeah, this pathetic excuse of a human being that calls me looser, because is the only decent curse he knows, is right.

I know Sasuke and his taste and I must say even he is not that imbecile to throw away a woman like you. Like I said before…he has a good eye for minutiae if he still keeps you around despite the suspicious things that are related to your past and identity."

"By the way, were you with him at Blue Lagoon during the incident with the criminal organization? I assume you are aware of that since INTERPOL has been involved…or should I say…CIA got you guys involved."

"Yeah I was there and I must say the fucker left me there and eloped with some chick I found out was trying to rob him or drug him and before you ask, I am well aware of his little performance."

Of course the Uchiha heir skillfully targeting one of the criminals was a hot topic present on every agent`s lips.

"Plus, one of their hookers tried to fool me as well. Good thing I had her arrested the moment she tried to back me up against a wall and do me.

You should have seen her face when I told her that she should keep her arms crossed to get used to the position when she was going to end up in jail."

The pink haired assassin found it interesting to have another agent to exchange impressions upon that event, for that man looked like he had no problem in revealing things that normally should have been kept a secret.

She would make a good use out of that trait. The another idea struck her. "Wait a second…if you were there as well…why didn't you alert your colleagues first? Moreover…there were more CIA agents around as well…"

The shark man`s lips spread apart in a large grin, his fingers raised in the sign of peace. He knew exactly what she was subtlety wanting to confirm, but he was not an agent for nothing.

"I already done that, that was why my friends from the Tokyo Police Force were able to arrive there so quick.

Also, to answer to the question lingering on that pretty lips of yours, yeah, I know about Ten Ten and that Hyuga freak as well. He was there making a fool out of himself."

"So you are aware of the fact that they are CIA agents as well, right?"

"Bingo! Akatsuki or something like that…are you working along with them as well or are you just a regular agent? Although I find it difficult to believe, because they wouldn't have sent a normal CIA agent when their more skilled people were there…"

Ok, so he was not dumb at all. "Actually I belong to a different CIA office and the two branches don't quite get along with one another."

A pair of emerald apologetically darted to Naruto`s aquamarine sea ones when revealing their rivalry to their common agent friend. She got a nod of understanding in return, realizing she was excluding him from the equation.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at that. They didn't get along well? How come? They were all CIA agents after all.

"Huh? I thought hating people to the point you would entertain the idea of faking your own death to cut the bonds with them was Sasuke`s style, but you guys don't seem to have it in you."

"Me and Naruto are civilian right now, but the others would take any opportunity to bash on one another.

Lets just say our gatherings and Balls almost always turn into a battlefield where you go as far as to hide under the table to avoid being hit by a flaming banana or have caviar and sushi shoved down your dress."

Naruto`s head lowered in shame upon hearing the painful truth coming from his CIA colleague`s mouth, images of those absolutely horrid, somehow funny get together events invading his mind.

What was wrong with all of them? Suigetsu let out a bark, pinching the bridge of his nose, not quite picturing such people acting like elders on a wedding where they don't stand each other and fight for the fortune. "Man, for real? HAHAHA!"

"Yeah, she is not lying you know, I even saw agents fighting with the silverwares and it was insane!

One old hag agent threw an Yixing clay teapot in our Leader`s (Tobirama) head, shouting that she thought it was the tea tray instead, because it was equally rectangular and also made of wood."

Sakura couldn't contain a giggle to escape her throat, remembering the too epic face of the Hokage when he said that he had enough lawyers and money to avoid jail if he was to kill that woman with a toothpick.

"And the fact that he took off his shoe and threw it on her direction, the said woman avoiding it by opening her black lace umbrella was even priceless."

The three of them had a moment of silence, taking their time to imagine such a complicated defense move coming from an elder, took a quick glance to one another then burst into another round of howls.

Who knew such unfortunate shameful events could be a subject of entertaining. Maybe it was the friendly atmosphere between them.

"Dude that lady has been a retired Sound member so no wonder she made a fool of Tobirama, but I admit it was funny as fuck. I have even see Itachi laughing at that spoke volumes because Uchihas are too good to laugh."

"BHWHAHA Sound agent? What is that?"

"Is the name of my CIA branch."

"Really? This sounds cooler than Akatsuki. What the hell guys red clouds?"

Sakura was busy weeping some tears that escaped her jadeite gleaming amused orbs, totally entertained at the idea of spending more time in the company of the two men.

She would have never realized how easily making new acquaintances really was and the feeling of taking baby steps into the direction of a life of laughter and happiness, different from the solitude she was drowning in was refreshing.

Orochimaru has been right in sending here there alone, because she needed to stand on her own feet for a while and get to know the world better and form new opinions.

The emerald long lashed eyed agent was making a life right there and then and she had no problem in sharing beaming smiles to the two goofy agents when they playfully pulled her into a bear hug or laugh like crazy when one slapped the other`s head or bash on one another, despite meeting them for such a short amount of time.

After all, friendship and love didn't need time to struck someone when one was to find the right people.

Naruto had a lame attempt to look pathetic and hit Suigetsu`s shoulder, but the fool only managed to injure his hand, the said man avoiding the all to obvious punch. "What about them? Red clouds are the coolest man I keep telling you!"

"Pfff yeah where exactly? At rodeo? Please tell me they don't force you into wearing custom made attires with the logo as well, because I totally cannot envision the Hyuga wearing tight pants and a huge cloak…at least not with that long princess hair of his, that would make him the leader of the gay parade."

"Red clouds? Is this what Akatsuki means? Awesome, I really need to learn this damn language, because I am sick of going shopping and ask for bread and getting asked if I want it double sized with mayonnaise."

Sakura folded her long elegant arms across her full chest, pouting comically, feeling more and more at ease to be herself around the other two agents.

"Aww don't worry Sakura-chan, we can meet more often and teach you if you wanna, Japanese is great and it is not so difficult to learn once you got the hang of it."

Naruto was more than enchanted by the idea of spending more time in the company of his not so secret crush, even if it meant to stay platonic and not try to cross the line and attempt to ask for more.

He was not stupid. She was obviously not going to return his romantic feelings as long as Sasuke existed in their time.

"Ha! Look at you man, trying to be funny and flirt with the beautiful lady, using hook up lines copied form the teenagers magazines and blogs written by people without social life."

Suigetsu knew his friend was in love with Sakura, as he himself admitted when they met, but he himself could see the beautiful woman was more attracted by their other missing friend.

The Akatsuki agent got a red hue on his cheeks, not quite used to openly admitting his love for the undercover female when she was in the same room, in his embrace. But the said woman understood his intentions were not impure, so she got fun along with them, letting them be.

"At least I am using my natural born charms, not like other people that ogle them like pieces of meat!"

"If charms means inviting them to watch you stuffing your face with 20 bowls or ramen and make them pay half of the bill, then I am going to call Sasuke`s flirting get-the-fuck-off-my-face-but-feel-free-to-ride-my-dick method brilliant."

"Oh c`mon, I am sure he is not that bad…is he?"

"By the way…you haven't told us sweety, how is life with the famous Uchiha Sasuke? Has he managed to make you pay a visit to the psychiatrist?

He tends to be a little…how should I say it without insulting him like a true friend I am…crazy as fuck?"

Sakura pursed her lips, pointing her small chin with her pinky, thinking hard. How was her life with Sasuke after all? "In all honesty…is like riding a roller coaster."

Suigetsu bent his body in front of him, his body convulsing and his moves out of control. "I…bhwhahahaha…I am sure he would mind you riding his rollercoaster at all, but…wbahaha I can see you guys are not there yet."

Naruto slipped his forehead, letting his palm slide on his face, shaking his head in disbelief. Not only his friend was eccentric but he lacked in manners department.

Although…he too could sense the bright friendly aura in the room, not quite believing his cerulean clear eyes that the might Athena of the Sound was such an incredible woman when she dropped the hard stone façade, guessing the exact reason Sasuke was so attracted by her. That ice cold bastard has seen right through her, like he had X ray lasers into his eyes.

The Sound agent was beat red when Suigetsu finished his crises of laughter, not quite comfortable in being questioned about their unclear relationship, for she herself didn't know where they were standing.

"We…are not like that…"

"Awww c`mon Sakura-chan, don't listen to this stupid idiot, he is just upset he didn't find such a great woman to make his miserable life better and he is venting out on the others. Besides, we all agree Teme thinks higher of you if he is willing to wait."

"Yeah, this blonde dickless idiot is right, is the first time I have seen Sasuke being truly intrigued by a woman and let me tell you he is an absolutely empty headed cretin when it comes to feelings and social life, but he knows how to find what he wants in the people`s hearts, so if he is giving you a chance means you have something that really interests him and I am not talking about the fact that you look a billion times better than all the models and actresses he dated."

"My God dude, you sounded just like him."

Another round of laughter, but deep inside Sakura knew they were right…she truly hoped they were.

What the young handsome Uchiha let her feel when they got intimate was a genuine unknown emotion coming straight from the pits of his confined from the world soul and it lighted her whole being.

"Man…don't say that, I don't want old people to question whether I sleep into a coffin or a normal bed."

"Actually…even I entertained that idea when we first met."

"Duh…any normal living would have done it."

"Aw stop scaring Sakura-chan you moron, Bastard is not such a scary person, you are all exaggerating."

Two pairs of eyes fixed the sun kissed all too kind hearted Uzumaki like he was insane. Probably not even he would have believed such a lie. The said man scrapped his sun kissed spikes, laughing nervously.

"Well…he is a bit scary all right…all right, he makes grown up men hide in the trashcans when he walks on the street but seriously, once you get used to him it gets funny. Besides, no one is going to bully you as long as he is around."

"Ah yeah…because who is supposed to guard who? And by the way…why are you calling me Sakura-chan? Why the…chan at the end of my name?"

"-Chan is a suffix we the Japanese use for people we are really close to like in brother or sister or a friend. -Chan is for girls and –kun is for guys. Do you get it?"

"Hm…so if you call me Sakura-chan then…that would make you Naruto-kun?"

The said man had anime hearts in his blue glimmering eyes, like he has seen a bowl of gigantic Ramen landing on his top roof. He truly loved how that woman was saying his name. "Yeah, that is right."

"So what happens if I drop this suffix from someone`s name?"

It was Suigetsu who answered the question in Naruto`s place. "It means you get a little more intimate to the said person."

It was not difficult for the brilliant Sound agent to make the necessary connections and turn tomato red. "You mean…it I hypothetically speaking call my boss Sasuke, without adding the –kun at the end…does that make us intimate?"

"You got that right dear. Why…did he make you say his name? Oh Lord please tell me he did!"

How could Sakura ever start to confess the intimacy of the situation her handsome boss asked her to call out his name in the most seductive way possible, to some people she befriended minutes ago…two hours ago if she was to look at the clock on the wall. Damn was time literary flying.

"Heh…you are not answering so he did. Well…I don't know what to say… in all honesty our always ruminating somber friend doesn't giver a shit about tradition, he spent a great time outside the borders of the country so he is more into western style."

"But maybe he did make an exception this time."

"Hello! I am in the room for God`s sake!" The pink haired woman was hiding her face into Naruto`s shoulder, not able to face any of the man that seem to know exactly what was going on between her and the raven haired Uchiha and that didn't seem right with her.

On the other hand, those were the closest people to Sasuke so it was quite normal for them to be able to understand more of his attitude, just like she and Karin were able to understand each other without even speaking words.

But…behind their teasing remarks…those people were kinda trying to help and she could use their insight on her boss` actions to know more about him and maybe get closer.

"Warui warui…I honestly cannot wait to see how the two of you will progress but…I am kinda sick of seeing my best friend coming to this age and act like he is a teenager with raging hormones.

I think it is time to find himself a good woman to put him into his place from time to time and damn right you are more than perfect."

"Wow Suigetsu I cannot believe I am even considering this but…what you said was kind of…cheesy….and lovely!"

The blonde Uzumaki placed his left hand above his heart like he was confessing to the priest, closing his eyes to add to the dramatic moment. "Dude…deep inside your ugly perverted deprived corrupted body…there is a soul. I am deeply moved."

"…and I am deeply disgusted by your shenanigans, but I am dealing with it."

"Anyways…can we please change the subject before I am going to do some permanent impairment on someone or something? And guess it will be me the one to clean up afterwards and fuck I am tired as hell."

"Seriously sweetheart, why don't you stop with this…undercover shit and go properly date that anti social deranged friend of us instead? This way you are going to kill two rabbits with one stone. I mean…what is the point to all this?"

The pink haired maid took a moment to reflect on the question, because it sounded like something Karin has told her, holding the same idea of getting officially involved in the mission since she poured personal feelings into their relationship but…was it the right thing to do?

Suigetsu also knew what undercover really meant so he would just suggest her something so outrageous on a whim.

"I can not do this. I have to stick to my mission and stay detached, besides there are people out there that should not find out about me staying close to Sasuke. This is the reason why I keep my appearance concealed not from him, but from the others as well."

Both Naruto and the Hozuki agent eyed the sole female occupant of the couch with sympathetic stares.

The way she was thinking was logical and fitting for a true agent that didn't let emotions get in the way of her mission but, but what was even clearer than her undivided devotion to her job, was her feelings for the man she should not fall for.

"Well…I don't think we should consider you keeping your appearance hidden in front of him cos damn right were you gorgeous back there at the swimming place."

"Yeah Sakura-chan besides, who said that you liking Teme and being with him would get in the way of your mission? Aren`t feelings the ones to make us stronger after all?"

Sakura raised her forest shimmering eyes to rest on the azure friendly ones, taken aback by the deep meaning behind his honest remark.

She has never considered that way of looking at the things before and it was making her see things into a new light. What if he was right? Then should she…

"I don't know…I didn't have such things…_until now_…"

The deadly silence that fell among the three people when they realized what the pink haired confused lady was confessing was a sign for Suigetsu to stand up and end their encounter.

He had a lot of stuff to do and he didn't want to keep the others busy as well, although…if he were to be completely sincere, the Hozuki heir truly had fun and the pleasure to discover such a hidden part of the Sound agent was totally unexpected but welcomed. Things were getting interesting.

"Well…as much as I would like to spend more time in the company of such a fine lady and my moronic hyperactive knucklehead friend, duty calls." The shark faced heir headed to the door, hands slipped into his pocket, grinning at the other two agents.

Naruto and Sakura both stood up as well. "A tough case?"

"Actually yeah. I am sure both of you heard the news of some four decapitated dudes found in the warehouse near the Tokyo harbor."

The pink haired agent`s reaction was immediate, silently thankful for the INTERPOL agent to have brought up the topic. "By the way Suigetsu, I would like to have a look at the police report and have access to the morgue to study the dead bodies. It could help my mission as well…of course, if you would be willing to help."

"No problem. You can drop by the police whenever you please and look at everything that interests you. If you encounter any problems, just tell them you talked to me."

A small wink in her direction made the Sound agent let a small giggle brighten her delicate features. That man was a player all right, but a funny one. Definitely her friend Karin should find out about him.

"Yeah right, using work to flirt with Sakura-chan and then call me low and depraved. You suck dude!"

"Man…I am going. But don't forget: mess with her and you mess with our dear son of the Devil friend." Suigetsu waved his hand in the direction of his two companions and exited the house.

Sakura was beat red. How could they people assume she and Sasuke were already in a relationship so easily was beyond her emotional level of understanding.

Maybe it was her undisciplined mind that was making it all too difficult after all…A hand on her shoulder interrupted the thoughts.

"Don't worry, he is an idiot, but I know Suigetsu, he is a good man. Your secret is safe." Again that brilliant friendly smile of reassurance welcomed the pink haired woman as soon as she turned her head to follow the firm hand.

"Yeah, I know. It is an agent`s thing isn't it? Hey I was wondering…are you with your SUV?"

"Yeah, why? Need a ride?"

"Can you drop me to the Mangekyou?"

"BAHAHAHA man Suigetsu was right, you guys don't waste time!"

"Naruto…" A well intended fist landed into the Akatsuki member`s stomach, making him stumble two steps backwards, laughing and rubbing the painful area. That woman was a sight to behold and she was cute even when angry.

"Ok Ok I got it, you will have just a boss-maid encounter, nothing more. C`mon, lets not make Teme wait too long."

Blood started to boil into her face upon thinking about the upcoming meeting with Sasuke and the fact that she had absolutely zero idea of how she should greet him was dreading her.

"Yeah…ahm…Naruto…kun? Have I got it right?"

"Totally!"

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

Mangekyou HQ, CEO Office

A firm grip was holding an expensive pen, moving swiftly over the blank surface of a piece of paper, its owner never removing his intense onyx eyes from the large screen of the laptop, resting on the wooden large table.

For two hours was Sasuke imagining possible scenarios of an eventual drop of his stocks on the auction market, his sharp mind never missing one single element regarding the sell and buy of the shares at the moment.

The ebony deep in thoughts haired Uchiha has successfully convinced the famous Japanese brand Mitsubishi to become his main car parts provider, for they had the best price and quality of their products, leaving the unimportant matters to be discussed by the other heads of each factory, such as shipping, schedule and custom taxes.

But he knew exactly that once other companies were going to fall thanks to the insolvency of the Norwegian company, the market would face a crisis and it was so inevitable that Sasuke couldn't help but think in horror at the outcome if more important people were going to face a hideous end of their lives.

It was not brain surgery for his resourceful always too inventive mind to figure out that all the unexpected unfortunate deaths were part of a bigger plan to take over the world economy, belonging to some people who knew exactly when to strike at the opportune moment and that angered him more.

He was going to be one of those fools if he doesn't keep his guard up all the times, but instead of focusing on his tasks, his thoughts flew to Sakura and her ethereal feminine features that were fascinating and scaring him at the same time.

The fact that he had no control over his emotions when it came to those absolutely delicious soft rose petals of hers and forest shimmering eyes eying him with tenderness, was putting the raven haired Uchiha into a corner.

It was not the fact that he didn't know what to say to her the very first time she was going to cross his office doors, no far from it, it was precisely the need to see her what was getting the jet dark eyed man crazy.

And all those business related files and problems…he needed to get away, do something, anything…he felt suffocated…and he wanted his maid right then!

He had the urge to hold her into his arms, even kiss her of feel her soft skin under his touches, just for a second…it was not only extremely arousing for him, but soothing as well.

It was the feeling of running barefooted though a field of poppies and the fast peace of his heart whenever she smiled or run her small fingers over his frame that made Sasuke realized Sakura was having a calming effect on him, like his very mother.

Of course, he wasn't viewing her that way but they both had some sort of mysterious power over him and that was not making him troubled at all. He was even welcoming the emotion, to his utter stupor.

Riiiiiingggg Riiiiiiinggggg

"Speak."

"_Mr. Uchiha, there are some urgent files that have arrived from Norway that involves Mangekyou and the other business partners of the deceased heir that you should look at."_

"What kind of files and why is my presence required? Can`t you come here and bring them to me?"

"_I am afraid it is not that simple Sir. The creditors have already started the insolvency procedure and all the partners and creditors are required to assemble to receive their part of the debts. You know what this entitles."_

"_Damn it not now_…" The young heir was not going to keep his mind on company related meetings when that little vixen of his maid was supposed to come and make them have probably the most awkward conversation in the history of awkward couples but such was life.

"I am coming downstairs. Call a meeting with all the heads in the large meeting room. We are going to be the first ones to get back all the money they owe us."

"_Yes Mr. Uchiha, I am already on my way."_

"By the way, Juugo. When Sakura comes here tell her to wait in my office. Give her everything she wants and don't let anyone bother her."

"_Of course."_

Sasuke took his suit jacket and sprinted out of his office, a pile of files in his right hand and the laptop in the other. Those idiots were going to pester him into explaining over and over again his strategy.

He could have sworn none of them even had finished University, because they were a bunch of retarded loaded people. Of course…all that Sasuke wanted from them…was money. As the elevator rode up, his mind was slowly drifting to a pair of radiant wise verdant orbs…

}{

"Here you go Sakura-chan." Naruto graced Sakura with a wide beaming smile, waving his hand in her direction. The said woman returned his gesture with a honest friendly small smile of her own, her CIA colleague never ceasing to amuse her more.

During their way to Sasuke`s company, the sun kissed Uzumaki has entertained her with short stories from high school and campus back there in Virginia, slipping some juicy incidents involving his dark haired friend that made rivers of tears stream down her emerald eyes in laughter.

She was never going to associate stoicism with Sasuke`s name, upon finding out he was a hard core Tom and Jerry fan, going as far as to buy a pillow with the said pair and threaten to choke whoever dared to touch it.

"Thank you Naruto-kun. I left my bike back there at the swimming place and I didn't have the chance to get it back. It is quite difficult to move through such a large crowded city and rely just on walking."

The pink haired lady was having her right hand on the door, but hesitating to pull it open and head into her boss` working place.

Why was she so nervous all of sudden? It was not just the fact that she still had no idea how should she approach him, but the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering aimlessly in a tingling manner that betrayed both anxiousness and anticipation.

She felt like dying to see his handsome face, but at the same time she was afraid his reaction was not going to be one she expected.

It might have been her qualm radiating through every small aperture in her trembling skin that made Naruto fold his arms around her shoulders in a tight reassuring embrace, the woman reciprocating his gestures.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I am giving you an advice that you would probably find weird. Trust the Teme Sakura-chan and do not be afraid to be yourself in front of him, just like you acted in front of me and Suigetsu."

Sakura could only nod in agreement, finding it almost incredible how close she has become with the Akatsuki member in such a short amount of time.

It was probably the easiness in his approach that made everyone befriend him after seeing the glowing light surrounding his bright spirit.

"…why are you able to read my mind…_and your friend is reading my heart_…?"

"Because deep **inside**…**you are breakable and lonely**…just like I used to be. You have my cousin and the other Sound dudes who I know are weird and crazy as fuck, but caring, to back you up and now you have me as well to be there when you need me.

And you have that Bastard to give you what we cannot. Loneliness…is something no one should feel…ever."

It took every fiber of her body and all the self control so intently practiced during her training days to hold her emotions that were threatening to fall in the form of glistening tears from her tight shut emerald eyes when the truth behind those all knowing words escaped Naruto`s lips, but she only resumed in strengthen her grip on his embrace.

"What are you talking about Naruto-kun, you have the Akatsuki, you are not lonely."

He was truly Karin`s relative, for those Uzumaki people were so good in reading emotions, like they had extrasensory perception over what the others felt.

And what he said…were the exact feelings she always had imprinted into her soul, haunting her since she has left the orphanage, the two sole people that ever cared for her well being included.

"Hehe right, but it wasn't always like that. We will talk about it some other time. Want me to go take your motorcycle?"

The two newfound friends pulled apart with a small friendly pat on each other`s backs. In his mind, Naruto was well aware that his feelings transcended the amiable level, but he didn't mind being one sided if it meant being close to her and guide her as a simple friend.

"No, it is ok. I will go and take her later. Thank you for…**everything**." With a renewed strength, the pink haired maid got off the car, thanking her CIA colleague once again for his patience with her.

"Oy Sakura, tell the Teme if he doesn't treat you right, I am going to barge into his office and inflict some damage into his ugly ass."

A bright smile, followed by a soft giggle was what Uzumaki last saw before he stepped the gas and speeded up.

Not that he minded talking to Sakura, but the security guards were heading his way. Apparently, blocking the main entrance from the Mangekyou HQ was not a good idea.

The pink haired agent climbed the stairs and entered the said company in a really good mood, unaware of the pair of two hard black beryl eyes that have followed the pair all the time since Naruto stopped the car in front of the conference room`s panoramic window.

"Mr. Uchiha, what about the debt restructuring process? If all the creditors can compromise, we can restore liquidity of our client and rehabilitate its financial status, so as we could all get our loans back."

The said man was clasping the documents in his arms, a wave of rage hit him full force at the affectionate display revealed in front of his eyes. And the only mistake his imbecile blonde friend did…was to have the tinted window car down.

Blood was boiling in fury and disgust upon thinking that maybe the two of them were not completely honest with him in terms of their feelings towards each other.

He raised his impenetrable charcoal eyes to the audience, making the other people present take an involuntary gulp upon sensing the menacing aura of the CEO.

"I have already signed with Mitsubishi and they started to deliver the components we need to our factories.

I do not care what happens to the Norwegian company any longer. If they are not able to find a plan to rehabilitate, then they are not worth of my attention."

}{

A really bored out of her mind pink maid agent was occupying her boss` large comfy leather office chair, absolutely not giving a damn if someone was to walk inside and catch the sight of her.

As soon as she entered her boss` company she was greeted by his friendly secretary Juugo, who accompanied her into the raven haired man`s office, instructing her to stay there and wait for Sasuke, who was busy with god only knew what urgent meeting…at it has already been an hour.

In the meantime, the emerald eyed woman thought about all possible scenarios of her imminent encounter with the handsome CEO and their upcoming discussion.

She was well aware of the fact that between two out of ordinary people, a normal conversation was something she should least expect.

"We will probably start to throw smartass retorts at one another, until he does something really unexpected like he always does…the cocky bastard…"

She leaned further into the leather texture, pouting like a small kid, a newfound idea making her face get a light share of the blood`s color at the thought of them sharing another passionate moment there in his office.

It never been more real the thought of her being involved in whatever relationship was that what they had, with such a prominent man and it was a feeling that was giving her thrills down her spine.

Of course she was cursing the jet haired heir in her mind to hell and back so many times, but she too was enchanted by the idea of dating such an important man, despite the fact that her feelings for him had nothing to do with who he was in the high society.

But currently Sakura was in his territory and the fact that he had no problem in inviting her to roam freely through his office (because hell she looked at every file available), revealed some sort of trust he was placing on her, despite her many lies and hidden thoughts, and that only made her heart beat faster in anticipation.

It was not point in denying the obvious truth of her wanting to see him so bad it hurt. Yes, the Sound agent was scared, fidgeting with her hands as seconds passed in her favor, like she was waiting in line for dentist, but the emotion was a mixture between dread and need.

She didn't just want to see Sasuke, she craved for seeing him and it was tearing her apart not to see him elegantly open the office door and let those impossibly alluring onyx eyes of his trap her in his delicious word of sins and secret wants.

And her heart skipped a beat literary when the black hard door opened, announcing the imminent encounter that made the pink haired maid rose from the chair and inhale deeply.

}{

"Mr. Uchiha, I think you have a very interesting and totally unexpected guest, requesting to meet you."

Juugo, who was standing beside his CEO, participating to the never ending discussions, got a call from the receptionist who had troubles in letting him know who exactly was visiting. He sounded…star struck? He leaned in and whispered the information to a very pissed off Uchiha heir`s ear.

The brooding and frowning jet haired CEO titled his head and nodded once in confirmation, thinking hard about who the heck had the guts to barge into his company without announcing his presence at least three weeks in advance? What was Mangekyou, a hostel?

"Who the fuck is this person anyways, if my maid arrived an hour ago and she is in my office?"

"I think you will find this really suspicious Sir, but it is a woman. And not just a woman, a really famous one."

Sasuke raised a fine eyebrow at his secretary, his mind already focused on Sakura, not giving a damn about what slut was there to nag him. He was ready to tell Juugo to throw her outside his private space. "A famous one? Who?"

"Someone that goes by the name of Ino Yamanaka."

One of the creditors that were participating to the meeting that was closer to the Uchiha and heard the not so subtle message, choked on his water, spitting some drops on his iPad, cursing the lucky young handsome CEO for his guts to only lure stunning women.

Who didn't know the famous model Yamanaka, she was on all magazine covers, posing in the most provocative positions and clad in the most revealing lingerie?

The man wanted to sneak out of the impossibly stressful meeting and go meet the woman in Sasuke`s place. A quick glance at the dark Uchiha told him the said man couldn't give a fuck about that. And he didn't.

"What the hell is that whore doing here, wanting to meet me? I am sure she isn't here to do business, either way I would have been contacted by Yamanaka CEO himself. Tell the guards to throw her outside, I don't have time for this shit."

Sasuke resumed his attention to the arguing CEOs and banks representatives, who couldn't reach an agreement about the most efficient way to share the money between all of them, not giving a fuck about Ino and her surprising appearance.

In the past, he would have been interested in giving her a tour of his company…and some really secluded places to have a little _chat_, but he had a way finer and stunning woman waiting for him and his feelings for her were something that almost urged Sasuke to personally go there and kick the blonde model outside.

Like he needed another scandal involving a star, when he was almost sure he wanted to try something with Sakura.

"Just go there and tell her to fuck off and nag someone else. Give her Suigetsu`s number. He is willing and I am sure that woman doesn't mind whatever dick she jumps."

Juugo refrained for snort loudly at his boss` new attitude towards such sort of women, for he didn't want to disturb the meeting participants that were calmly shouting and screaming at one another, impressed by the welcomed change in demeanor of his CEO and damn right he knew his little interesting maid had a word in this.

Everyone from the company started to observe that Sasuke was gentler in his words and gestures towards the pink haired lady, like she was not just one of his servants.

But the secretary really liked Sakura, and so were many others…women workers loathed her, because she was stealing the show.

"I am afraid I cannot do this right now Sir, because she tricked the reception man into letting her wait for you in your office."

Sasuke`s eyes went wide for a moment in realization. He entertained the idea of going there to stop what was probably going to be a catastrophic disaster.

A quick glance in his left side told him they will probably not even take notice of his absence. Where those people beating each other as well?

The jet onyx eyed heir shook his head in disbelief. In his freaking office was Sakura waiting for him…and Yamanaka was heading there as well. _" Fuck my life."_

}{

A loud click followed by the two honey iron doors sliding open, revealed a stunning looking smirking Ino Yamanaka, that let her expensive high heels take small steps in the direction of her target`s office.

She licked her lips in anticipation upon finally meeting the famous Sasuke Uchiha in person.

The well known model was well aware of the reason she arrived in Tokyo, but that didn't mean she could not have fun.

Why wait for what they called the proper occasion to meet him when she was a door away from having the handsome man in his sight and maybe have a little…fun with him in the process.

Out of all the men Ino has dated and bedded, that wild unpredictable extremely gorgeous dark eyed Uchiha was way out of their league in both looks and intellect…and money.

She almost trembled at the idea of spending some really intense moments with him and his all so known taste for luxury and hot ladies told her she it was going to be piece of cake to have him at her feet.

Sure, he was smart, but even the smartest men are weak in front of such a charming golden haired woman like her and she knew exactly how to play those kind of males. It was her specialty.

A refined hand placed on the door knob. She was not going to beat and ask for permission. Ino Yamanaka waited for nobody. With a small push, she let herself in. _"Let the show begin."_

And entered the office stopping dead in her tracks.

It was not Sasuke Uchiha she found behind the large office desk.

A pair of forest green equally shocked widened eyes collided with her stunned ocean blue ones.

And the show indeed…began.

"You!"

"_You!"_

Sakura felt her pulse run like a crazy horse, as if she has just jumped from the Alps with a parachute and landed on an active volcano.

Instead of the sexy raven haired Uchiha entering the office door, the same slut she has basically humiliated in the mall not long ago has made her whorish appearance in his freaking office.

Was that some kind of lame stunt pulled out by him? Because if it was_…"I…am going to beat the crap out of him…using this hooker as a baseball bait."_

"What the fuck is a tramp doing into Sasuke Uchiha`s office, occupying his rightful position?!" Ino clenched her fists, her French manicured long nails shoved in the soft skin of her palm, her all frame trembling in fury.

Of all the things that could have possibly gone bad in her plan, it had to be this ridiculous looking woman the one to mess with her plans, like fate was punishing her for her malevolent intentions.

Sakura was having troubles in grasping the situation in front of her, in the form of a one and only Yamanaka slutty model barging into her boss` office, without even knocking, like she was his mother or lover. Suddenly, she felt sick…and hurt.

Was that Sasuke`s answer to their absolutely incredible moment together? Did he hate what they have become so bad to the point he decided to break her wings in her flight and laugh at her in front of that woman and all his subordinates?

The emerald woman knew better than to judge before jumping into conclusions, but she didn't have the nerves to let her sharp mind put two and two together and collect herself. Wasn't Naruto the one to tell her to trust Sasuke?

She straightened her pose with grace and attitude to painfully contrast with the pair of ripped black Jeans and large T-Shirt she was wearing (she left the ugly glasses at home on purpose), folded her delicate arms in front of her chest, like she was a queen in front of a peasant and eyed the trembling in rage woman in front of her with superiority.

"I could have asked you the very same question, but seeing that you let yourself in without even having the basic manners like this is some brothel instead of a powerful world company, tells me you are not even at the level of a beggar."

Ino`s mouth took a bit of the polished surface of the floor, not believing his eyes of the guts that woman in front of her had to insult her in such blatant way, even if she probably was well aware of who was she addressing to.

"I dare you to repeat what you have just said, because I am having troubles in grasping the meaning. Are you possibly that much of an imbecile to mess with me of all the people?"

"Of course you have troubles in grasping the meaning if your head is just as empty as your laughable threats.

Be aware of that malevolent whorish attitude of yours sweetie, other ways the Devil is going to sue you and ask for copyright for using his face and attitude."

If there was something that gave Sakura an ego burst in all honesty was the way the overdose makeup addict slut in front of her was fuming, looking like she wanted nothing more than to decapitate her and that made her laugh like mad inside.

Let her try, the Sound assassin would gladly throw her ass outside…on the window, screw the doors, they were too mainstream for her taste.

Yamanaka shut the office door and marched in the direction of the desk, her black heels echoing through the vast space of the office, seeing red.

She couldn't be that unlucky to have the view of the ugly looking woman once again after all the scandal blogs made fun of her and her lame performance from the Dior shop.

She planted her hands firmly on the hard wooden surface, her light blue eyes fixed on the arrogant smirking Sakura. The said commoner didn't even flinch.

"I cannot believe that from all the places you could have hid your ugly stinky presence, it has to be in this particular building and moment. Just how the hell did they even let a rat like you in?"

"The same way the local police didn't charge you with paying the vignette when walking with that ugly faces of yours and damage the roads and the cardiac people`s health."

"Are you hearing yourself talking or in the sewer you live there is no access to electricity?! I am the famous model Ino Yamanaka mind telling you catwalking is my specialty so watch your tongue."

The pink haired woman was amused to the max. It couldn't have been better than that. If this slut was there to see Sasuke she was in for another surprise.

She hasn't threatening her into calling her boss and let him know there was something bothering her, which meant the raven haired Uchiha didn't call her there in the very first place, which was the confirmation Sakura needed to calm her jealous heart. She never ceased away her smirk.

"I would say…in terms of walking like a diva…you would look as graceful as Pinocchio when he learned how to walk."

"You…I swear you will pay for your smartass retorts you street looking rat, mark my words!"

Ino was ready to cut the distance between them and strangle the smiling woman in front of her with her bare hands, popularity be damned. She wasn't going to take in all those obvious insulting words from a mere commoner.

"Pflease…you used so many old school threats that I will have to kindly ask you to use other insults, because you bore the hell out of me. Seriously, you are no competition. Do you really expect to spend more than 2 seconds in CEO`s presence. As if."

"And who the hell are you to decide whether I see Sasuke or not, his mother?"

"Watch your words you slut, until you personally meet him and he acknowledges you, which I strongly doubt, he is Mr. Uchiha for you, understood, or do I have to take a sheet and make you a diagram?"

The blonde revolted model let a loud unladylike snort, eying Sakura in disbelief. Never in her life did Ino felt so much hate towards someone, not even her model colleagues and the rivalry there was fierce.

"And I have to design one for you as well, because it seems that your tiny brain has been lost in that tent you are dressed on. I asked you who the fuck are you to question me?"

"His secretary duh. I thought it was obvious from the moment you have found me in here alone, at his office, sorting files. Are you that much of a retard street walker if you cannot even state the obvious?"

The pink haired amused to no end haired Sound agent made a small gesture with her hand, upon the desk, where indeed many files and pieces of paper were resting.

Ino was not to comment upon letting her light blue eyes dart on the said objects. In her mind it didn't make any sense how in the world such a person could be Sasuke`s secretary.

Maybe she was lying…but then again…her attitude and the fact that she was alone in his office were a solid proof…

She tried her luck nonetheless. "You cannot be his secretary, because I talked to him at the reception and he told me to wait in here. And he was a male too, so if you happen to be a drag queen at least put a damn sign on that wide forehead of yours."

Sakura did absolutely nothing to stop a laughter crises upon hearing the woman in front of her trying to outsmart her. She held her stomach with a hand, resting the other on the desk.

"No, you didn't, because if you would have indeed talked to a person that was not me, you would have found out that he is having an urgent meeting. But such is fate…"

"Trying to be smart huh?"

"No dear, I am not trying because it comes to me naturally, in comparison to some other totally cretin divas wannabe present in the room.

And so as you know, don't let yourself deceived by the appearances…I am nowhere near to an ordinary person. You should have known special people like my boss only hire equally gifted people to work for him."

Inside, Sakura was shouting BINGO! At the dumb expression on the model`s face. Ino looked thorn between turn her back and make a run or come and beat her. The verdant entertained eyed lady smirked in win.

There was no way in hell she would ever allow that woman close to the Uchiha.

Call it killer`s instinct, but there was something hidden deep inside those deep baby sky blue eyes of Yamanaka`s that spoke volume about her vile intent towards her boss, and she was there to guard him from such people.

Sakura was going to keep a close eye on this woman, because it seemed she had ulterior motives behind the false pretense of wanting to seduce the hot male.

"You can talk all that you wish, but lets see what you boss is going to say when I am going to tell him just how rude his secretary really is."

"Oh no don't misunderstand dear, I am not being rude with you because that would have implied grabbing your full of hair extensions fake ponytail and throw your slutty carcass outside a respectable place. We do not want such creatures to spoil Mr. Uchiha`s image."

"Hah! You talk like he is a saint to begin with. Like I don't know how much of a manwhore that man really is."

In her rage, Ino hasn't realized the sudden change in Sakura`s playful attitude, because the said pink haired agent lowered her chin and her forest green jadeite orbs got a darker shade, betraying a very obvious emotion poured in those sparkling gems of hers: killing intent.

Sasuke was far from the man that slut was characterizing him with so much easiness in her sugary practiced voice, like she was his very conscience talking.

The Uchiha was by far the most insightful and complex character out of there and no one was going to misjudge him in front of her.

"Maybe he is much more than that and you are going to have the surprise of your life."

"You back him up because you are his secretary, so keeping an unblemished image is your job. But keep in mind…you don't know him."

"And neither do you."

A tensed silence fell upon the large office, the vile intent so thick it was almost visible…until Juugo knocked once and entered the office, with what looked like caution. Maybe the gentle poor secretary was expecting some stilettos to fly in his direction.

"I am sorry, but Mr. Uchiha would not be here soon. There are some…_complications_ and his presence is required."

Indeed, some of the creditors were punching one another, arguing for ridiculously large amount of money they were entitled to get in return, but they just couldn't understand that the insolvent company had no such values to sell anymore to cover all the debts.

And of course it was Sasuke the one to try and mediate the conflict with a genius solution, just like he always did. There was also an older woman and a middle aged Spanish bank representative that were providing good advices, but the meeting was not going smoothly.

The Uchiha asked Juugo to go see if the two women were beating each other in his office (he was silently praying for his maid to throw Ino outside, because he knew that spitfire had it in her to do it) and bring him a painkiller for the throbbing headache…and something to eat.

Damned be the manners, if those imbeciles were throwing pencils at one another and delivered punches, there would be no problem in him eating pasta and cracking his ingenious mind to find a solution.

The orange haired tall man had the attention of both women and he couldn't help but watch in awe how the tramp looking poor maid was sporting the attitude of a royalty with such nonchalance as if it was her second nature, outshining the gorgeous looking model that had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

Silently, Juugo couldn't help but make his own pick. If it was to be honest, he would have chosen Sakura over Ino hands down.

"So how much time do I have to wait? I don't have all day you know, being a celebrity takes much of my damn time."

Ino let her gaze fall on her nails, like she was checking if she has grown up another finger out of sudden or she forgot how many did she have to begin with.

"Yeah, I am sure being a slut totally takes most of your time, but as far as I am concerned, you are supposed to work during the nights. Are you pulling out extra hours for more cash? Ah poor poor lady…"

Juugo bit his lower lip to prevent a laugh to escape his throat upon hearing Sasuke`s maid making a fool of such a famous lady, like she was insulting celebrities on daily basis. He could understand his CEO`s interest in keeping her close. That woman was more than she let the others believe.

"You…"

"I am sorry Miss. You can expect for him if you want, I am sure Mr. Uchiha will not mind, though I must warn you it might take another hour or maybe two."

"You heard the gentleman speaking you simple-minded roundworm whore, why don't you stop wasting our damn time and go fuck yourself some other place instead, I am sure there are other willing males outside that would give you a good one if you bat your fake eyelashes in their direction, like always."

"You…I swear to all the Heavens that…"

"Just cut it out already!

You made yourself understood the first time you threatened me in vain, like an ugly looking pig clad in Prada would ever be able to lay a finger on me in this lifetime.

Now get out before I snap and don't bother yourself with the elevator, jump on the window instead, because I am sure if not now, later on, you are going down anyways."

Now wasting anymore time in Sakura`s presence, Ino turned around abruptly and marched to the door, shoving Juugo in the process and exited the office not saying anymore words.

She rode the elevator down, screaming a the top of her lungs in the main hall that Uchiha Sasuke is an arrogant jerk and his all workers were a bunch of weird looking cretins with a nasty attitude.

All the people that were currently in the hall were laughing at the famous angry woman`s visible distress. Apparently their CEO got new hobbies if he was rejecting such stunning temptations.

For two minutes Juugo couldn't take his eyes off the still opened door, his finger pointed in the empty space Ino has occupied not long ago, blinking rapidly as if he had troubles in understanding what has occurred there. He turned his head in the direction of a smirking maid, both his eyebrows rose.

"…do I even want to know what was that?"

"No."

"Good. You know…you saved me a lot of trouble by making her leave."

Sakura pulled out the lunch box she prepared, heading to the true secretary of her raven haired boss, handing him the beautiful decorated wooden item, he nodding at her in understanding.

"I don't know what your opinion is on the matter Juugo, but I sure as hell wont believe the fact that she came there for any other reason that to add another scandal on my boss` agenda."

"You are right. Besides, it was Mr. Uchiha himself the one that told me to leave the meeting and check on you…he even told me to make sure no one is bothering you in any way."

The jadeite eyed lady felt a surge of unexpected joy burst into her heart upon hearing what Juugo was confessing her.

Not only Sasuke didn't have any intention in rendezvousing Ino, but he personally made his secretary come down and assure she was fine.

It was the proof she needed that he actually cared and she didn't need any other talk in confirmation of the emotions transpiring between the two of them.

She knew he was extremely busy, but even so his small gestures were speaking volumes and he knew she was going to understand him.

She exited the room with a newfound happiness. "Tell him I thank him for his concern and I do hope he is not exhausting himself. He tends to work too much sometimes. I put a green apple in there as well."

A small smile and she was gone, leaving a smirking secretary behind to watch in awe at the lady, glad that the young CEO finally found someone to actually care about him and not only for his looks or money.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

7 pm Tokyo Police Department

"Are you sure this is all you have found out until now? No other clue whatsoever?"

"I am afraid no Miss Haruno, but we are still investigating the case. We are waiting for the result of the expertise as well."

"I see…" Sakura was eying the dead bodies in front of her, not quite believing her eyes of what she was seeing. Not only the found bodies have been decapitated, but the method used was something that made her blood in her veins freeze in shock.

"A perfectly executed sword cut…they did not feel any pain, the death was instant."

The old legist let his eyes fall on the body that was closer to him, thinking about what the CIA agent has told him. The said woman knew what she was talking about and he couldn't have agreed more. Unfortunately, they had no suspect whatsoever.

"This is what I think as well. No other suspect on the INTERPOL list come even close to this method of killing and it only makes it even more difficult for us to identify the murdered, since we don't even know what kind of weapon is able to make such a cut."

Sakura closer her emerald orbs for a second, brushing a small strand of hair that fell on her face, thinking hard. "A really sharp one."

"Indeed. We have already called for a weapon expert to come and investigate further. Maybe we will get an answer to solve the riddle."

"Call one that specializes in traditional swords and fighting methods."

"Right. I will look out for the advice, thank you."

"No, I thank you for letting me come here and have a look." The pink haired girl raised her hand and shook the kind legist`s one, expressing her gratitude for sharing those information with her. It was indeed a very weird case.

She took her leave, seeing that it was almost 8 pm and it started to darken outside. And she still hasn't got her moped back, because as soon as she left the Mangekyou she went straight to the Police Department for Organized Crime and asked for the mission report.

It only took her CIA pass to have access to all the documents she wanted, without anyone to question her intentions and when she said Hozuki Suigetsu told her to come and have a look at the police report and expertise, all the agents were ready to bow their heads in her direction.

Well, most of them did it because she was a Sound agent and everyone knew that branch was another way of saying killers. She and her colleagues had a reputation to keep.

It was really windy outside and Sakura was only clad in a baggy T-Shirt, cursing herself for her stupidity to not take at leas a cardigan or something warmer.

She rubbed her forearms, feeling a bit cold, heading in the direction of the swimming place, trying her best to remember the route.

The emerald long lashed eyed maid found out that the only clue the police has not even managed to find out a single trace of the murderer, because he successfully covered his marks, pouring a special powder to camouflage any foot print and trick the dog`s noses.

There was a joke between the agents that dealt with the case which went something along the lines of a ninja being responsible for killing those people.

Sakura also found out that the four killed fake wall painters had no background whatsoever, which was really suspicious, because it looked like not even they were that clean to begin with.

The Tokyo Police Department was not even able to find a copy of their criminal record or any information regarding them, as if someone purposely deleted their bio to cover their identities.

And that method of killing…the pink haired assassin had a really good acknowledge on using swords and traditional weapons and she knew it took extremely good precision and skill to decapitate four people at once in a perfect head cut, from the first strike.

If she were to be honest, she herself could not do it. Even Lorane would need its best man, but they were her main suspects at the moment.

Moreover, when she asked about the stolen goods, they said there was nothing in there to begin with. Maybe they have already shipped the stolen things. Too bad.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar coming from behind her and Sakura halted her pacing abruptly, turning her head in the direction of the upcoming threat, her senses alert.

"What the freaking…"

In a blink of an eye, an ultra expensive shinny black and red Kawasaki bike approached her at a fast pace, like the owner was basically flying on the streets, passing her just when she was about to cross the street, slowing down and pushing forward on the right handgrip, the said vehicle coming to and abrupt halt, in a perfect counterweighting, much to the other people`s around`s delight.

"_What a show off…"_ If that was a cocky rich imbecile trying to be funny, Sakura was going to make sure he was not going to practice those stunts for at least three months. Being hospitalized had its wonders.

Maybe it was one of her annoying as fuck demented neighbors, that were throwing parties on daily basis and were picking up on her whenever they had the chance. She even kneed one of them in the groin at the supermarket for attempting to sneak a hand under her T-Shirt.

But all the insults she had prepared to greet the mysterious rider left Sakura`s mouth, that was too busy to hit the ground and be in the perfect coordination with her puzzled emerald wide as saucers eyes, when the man took out the black helmet off and shook his head once to spread those amazingly luscious raven haired spikes free from the restraint, she coming face to face to the one and only Uchiha Sasuke. How stupid of her not to recognize his attire from before.

It was in that moment her heart escaladed to her throat and everything around her magically vanished, her shocked gaze clashing with the jet sapphire ones, she secretly desired to see all day, but there was no word coming out her mouth to voice the feelings from her fast beating heart in that moment.

Sakura felt just like drowning in salty waters and Sasuke made no attempt or gesture to ease her distress, for he was having an indecipherable expression on his incredibly handsome face, never leaving her twinkling nephrite wide open orbs of hers, not even blinking like if he did, the magic he cast on her would instantly vanish.

"_Just don't stay there, do something, say something, anything…"_ A wave of panic hit the pink haired agent, her all body started to shake in both coldness and fright. Why was her boss acting like he has seen something he didn't want to see her in the first place?

Those penetrating hard eyes of his…Sakura felt hot tears sparkling at the corner of her sad jadeite orbs, like drops of dew glisten on the blades of her long delicate curled eyelashes, silently begging the unresponsive man in front of her to pull her out of the depths of sorrow and not torment her any longer.

It was pretty bad that they were in the middle of the crowded of people coming back from work street, in an intersection, where Sasuke had absolutely no problem in stopping like he owned the place, with all the eyes cast on them, belonging to the ogling in awe passer byes that caught the sight of the charming man.

The pink haired woman stood rooted in the place, not able to even make the smallest gesture, afraid she was going to break.

Why was he eying her like that? It was the fact that her boss had his walls up around him, like an impenetrable fortress expecting to be conquered.

The mere thought of that being his answer she was so foreseeing hit deep into Sakura`s heart, in the form of billion invisible needles cutting her skin open to the point where she found the last remaining energy to turn around and make a run for it. Out of that place and out of his life…

Sasuke could not believe his eyes how many emotions was he able to perceive in those open windows of his maid`s soul and he was overwhelmed with the amount of grieve she was feeling upon seeing his unmoving body, knowing exactly what crossed her mind in that moment.

Rejection…she was afraid of his repudiating feelings that she might so foolishly misunderstood yesterday, probably scolding herself for her naivety and lack of intuition, but that was far from the truth.

As soon as his boring meeting was finally over, the Uchiha heir lost no more seconds into jumping on his bike and get lost on the roads, in a vain attempt to devoid his head of unnecessary business relating topics, focusing solely on the simple image of the gorgeous lady waiting for him.

He was slightly surprise to find so far from home, aimlessly wandering around the streets like she was searching for her place under the vast sky, but his stomach constricted painfully when he was greeted with such a heartbroken emotion gracing her beautiful face. For him…because of him…he made her suffer again…

/Tell her you will never leave her side/

A black helmet thrown in her direction, which she barely caught in between her trembling hands made Sakura stop her attempts to leave the scene and hid under some rock for eternity, not even having time to demand an explanation.

"Get on."

The emerald eyed in the verge of crying agent couldn't not believe her ears what she was asked to do.

"_Get on…on what?"_ She had troubles processing such a simple request to join him on the luxury vehicle, raising her shining forest green eyes to silently look for the confirmation into the bottomless jet eyes that were eying her expectantly.

And she got an immediate answer in the form of the sexiest smirk the handsome man could produce and a flicker of light in the impossibly dark irises that took a playful mood, successfully replacing the grieve she felt with a burst or radiating energy.

"Stop ogling me like some damn fangirl and hurry up, I don't have all day…_but I have an eternity to spend with you_."

Sakura shook her head once to get back her sanity, put the helmet on and attempted to obey her boss` request, but the said man beat her to it.

"Wait a second." He unzipped his leather motorcycle jacket and covered her shoulders with it, probably aware of the cold wind blowing and her much too exposed state, taking his maid by surprise. "Put this on, I don't want to see you tremble like a dog taking a vaccination."

The pink haired lady was too busy being shocked to retort his obvious insult, welcoming the warmth the much too large jacket was providing, but she couldn't give a damn because when she pulled the zipper, Sasuke`s unique scent of forest rain and expensive cologne engulfed her in an irresistible combination.

She got on the bike, taking much pride in the other women`s around jealousy, attempting to grab the back of the seat, but the raven haired man`s hands took a hold of her own and made them rest around his waist, gluing her body to his hard rock one in a tight embrace.

"I suggest you hold on tight, because today I don't feel like being a model driver."

A small smirk over his shoulder at his star struck maid, followed by the release of the clutch and the hit of the starter button, reviving the engine assured him that the said woman got the message as she tightened her hold on his torso, so he basically flew from the spot, on the crowded streets, swiftly avoiding the cars on the road heading to God only knew where.

Sakura was too busy with a stupid smile that made its way to her lips not actually believing what she was experiencing. She was riding with the all too sexy Uchiha Sasuke, on his ridiculously expensive bike, wearing his jacket.

She rested her head in between his shoulder blades, looking straight ahead in awe how the streets were flowing under their feet, taking them both to whatever destination her boss had in mind. She didn't care.

His amazing scent embracing her, combined with the warmth the texture was providing and the feel of his abs under her fingers, protruding through the soft fabric of his motorcycle gear was enough to made the jadeite eyed lady realize that as long as he was around her, in her grasp he could head to the bottomless sea or the farthest star from the sun, and she would still feel an undying happiness. _"In the other people`s eyes, do we look like a couple?"_

The Sound agent was not sure of how much did they ride, because the crowded city was long left behind and they were the only riders taking the sinuous poorly lighted road through the forest, up to the closest peak in the area, having their traces lost in the embrace of the majestic forest green fir trees, guarding the confinement of the sacred wild nature, unfolding in front of their eyes.

Has her boss planned that trip from before or was it a spur of the moment? Sakura knew better.

There was nothing the onyx eyed Uchiha did on a whim, for he had every step planned beforehand. His answer…his own way of dealing with the situation…far from the company and far from the material things…"_Spiritual…he cares."_

And when the pair arrived at the top of the small road, Sakura`s breath hitched in her throat. High peaks covered in fir trees in the hues of the most vivid green, bathed in the glow of the sunset`s light were securely guarding the far away city of Tokyo at the foot of the hills, the view absolutely breathtaking.

The pink haired maid got off the bike and took away the helmet, taking baby steps in the direction of the gorgeous landscape, her jadeite shining eyes rivaling the verdant magical display of mother earth around her, muttering a small wow darting her orbs in all the directions possible, feeling her thoughts blend in the imperious silence of the old rocky hills, in the form of a sudden calm and peace of mind.

Sasuke joined her side but his interest was cast upon the lady beside him, amused by her antics. It was absolutely cute the way she was mumbling words of astonishment upon taking in the details of the landscape, like she was seeing a mountain view for the first time.

"This is…absolutely amazing!" Sakura turned her head on her shoulder to face her boss, not quite believing he had such a romantic side, hidden behind his cold unemotional façade.

Sasuke let a smirk grace his features, titling his head in response, his eyes fixed on those shimmering curious precious gems that were letting himself know how enchanted by his small gesture she really was.

Of course he would have never imagined the two of them talking about feelings of any sort, secluded in such an inappropriate environment as his office. Her feelings were not business.

"This is the exact thing my mother said when we came here for the first time…twenty years ago."

Sakura let her jadeite eyes rest on her boss` handsome face, digging in his confession, watching his reaction carefully.

He was looking at the beautiful sun going to rest behind the grandiose crest of the peaks, lost in a faraway memory, but there was not frown plastered on his features. He was always serene when reminiscing his mother, letting the pink haired maid realize how important that woman was in his life.

"She is right."

The raven haired Uchiha took some steps in front of a questioning looking Sakura, advancing through the soft lush of vegetation, taking the smaller hand of the beautiful lady`s in his own, surprising her, lowering his body on the small wet soft April grass and pulling the said woman down as well, in between his bent legs, her smaller back resting on his chest, sneaking a hand around her thin waist, in a tight embrace.

Sakura`s jaw almost hit the ground at the intimate closeness, not being able to realize what was happening in the first place.

Not only they were alone on the top of a cliff, with the spectacular view of the sun going down and darkness taking its rightful place, but Sasuke was holding her to his hard rock body in a position fitted for two lovers.

Amazing how her world could have changed so much in such short amount of time. The Sound agent felt the sharp feeling of despair and loneliness fading behind the rocky peaks, at the same slowly peace as the glowing sun.

Moon was going to rise soon, but she didn't care. Darkness never felt so welcoming and complacent and she was not afraid that her monsters would come back to haunt her troubled mind, expecting to rip her soul apart at the absence of the light.

She felt protected in the embrace of the most enchanting man she could have ever found.

Why was the emerald eyed lady felt anxious upon meeting her boss for the first time after their relationship took a new turn, was a mystery to her. Naruto has been right all the times, she should trust Sasuke.

Funny how all the day she has been with the bright Akatsuki agent, the very embodiment of the sun that was calmly making place for the dark to take over and then, in the moment of fading light, she was trapped in the tight embrace of the wielder of the moon symbol, the sole man that was rivaling the breathtaking sunset in beauty and grace and was making the butterflies in her stomach dance as the pale rays of light were caressing the delicate blades of the grass around her.

In that moment, all the emotions of happiness one could have learned in a lifetime were washing through Sakura`s system, flaming her blood with adoration for the raven haired man.

She couldn't stop her head to slightly turn backwards to eye the man that was making her feel like the Gods have blessed her with the perception of undying affection, her cheeks getting rosy at the view of his calm features.

He was not looking at her, rather at a faraway point, so she took her time to study his demeanor, both of them shielded but the mother nature herself, their feelings securely kept away from any curious eye.

Time has stopped for Sakura in that moment. It held no value in his arms. _"Nothing but you."_

It didn't matter that Sasuke was absolutely silent, like not wanting to disturb the tranquil blow of the wind through the leafy rustling trees, making their leaves dance in a fortune-telling manner, mimicking their heartbeats.

Sakura raised her hand and delicately traced her fingers to her boss` sharp jaw line, following the contour of his regal features never too amazed by the softness of his unblemished pale skin.

And when the Uchiha heir leaned into her touch resting his amazing coal bottomless eyes rest on her sparkling with emotion jade ones, she thought her heart would not be able to contain her bliss any longer.

She liked him so much it was burning her mind not to feel him closer to her, to the point they were connected in the oldest form of expressing undivided unity and affection.

Sakura descended her hand to the raven haired man`s neck and drunk of the multitude of flowing staggering emotions taking the best of her senses, pulled his head down until there was no physical gap between them and gently as a dove`s flight, pressed her soft petal rose lips on his, as her own answer to the unvoiced crucial question.

Sasuke has never felt his heart taking a completely turn from the darkness it has been facing for such a long time and watch in the direction of the dancing blazing with fondness sparkles of pure gold and glimmering green eyes of the girl kissing him in her own clumsy way, like she was taking time into getting used to the idea.

He was feeling everything through that small, feather like kiss of hers: her intoxicated floral scent, deliciously combined with dark chocolate and fruits, her absolutely succulent full heart shaped lips massaging his own, her warm breath fanning his face, engulfing his senses and her delicate fingers roam candidly through his silky locks, kneading his scalp in a relaxing motion. It was absolutely intoxicating for the jet coal eyed heir the way her feminine features and gestures were blending in the virgin nature, calling for his name, like mantra and he was willingly succumbing into her charms.

A soft moan escaped Sakura`s lips when Sasuke slipped his left hand under the jacket and T-Shirt, caressing the milky skin of her waist and stomach, in perfect harmony with his skilled lips connected to hers, sending tremors of pleasure down her spine, clouding her mind.

If he was not busy drowning under the beautiful woman`s spell, the young Uchiha would have laughed at her failed attempts to properly kiss him, not only once bumping her nose on his own, not quite managing to find the best angle and that stirred the animal inside of him even more.

Sasuke knew exactly that he would not have accepted Sakura either way than pure like the warm blanket of snow safely covering the Earth during winter, her innocence stirring some deep emotions into his heart, making it fasten its peace with every stroke of her moist lips, her wild cherries and strawberry taste driving him mad with desire.

She was not only virtuous in body, but her mind as well. The raven haired man knew exactly that the woman in his arms was experiencing the true meaning of life through every small gesture he did, being influenced by the things she came in contact with, him being no exception.

And it was precisely that virginity the one responsible for feeling a deeper connection with the stunning lady, in the most mysterious and undiscovered path of tenderness and fervor they were walking together in that very moment of such affectionate gestures.

His maid was absolutely breathtaking and he would accept nothing less to picture her ethereal figure.

A small smirk made its way up to Sasuke`s face. Sakura has bit his upper lip, having troubles in getting a proper rhythm. He pulled his mouth apart, but only a bit, just so as she was able to hear his whisper.

"You are doing it wrong." The pink haired lady, who had troubles in keeping her breath steady, inhaling sharply, clashed her slightly scared open windows to her soul to his charcoal ones, obviously ashamed by her lack of skill.

She couldn't possibly be afraid he was going to reject her for such unimportant specific element. "…I know…" Sakura lowered her head, not able to look into those enchanting sparkling dark sapphire burning orbs, her face getting a cute shade of red. That was embarrassing.

A long lean finger slipped under her small chin aligned her mouth with the good-looking man`s hot one, resuming their initial position.

She was immediately trapped by the view of that angelic face of his, not believing her eyes how gorgeous looking he really was.

The Sound agent felt her toes curl in delight and she was assaulted by trembling and electrical discharges down her body at the contact with him.

"Follow my lead…"

Sasuke titled his head until he was content with the angle of their touching faces and brushed his soft lips on the blooming luscious rosy petals of _his _lady, starting with a slow suave movement, wordlessly showing her the secret behind the intimate contact, feeling his own state of arousal grow to impossibly high levels of adrenaline, pulsating through his every fiber, down to the lower region of his abdomen, almost urging him to switch positions, pin her to the smooth rug of grass and ravish her with hungry kisses.

Sakura let her body take control and tell her boss the words that were coming straight from the bottom of her core, unable to feel anything except Sasuke`s silky exquisite lips grazing her own, in an elegant waltz of nibbling and tasting flesh, the feelings flowing to their touching mouths making the pink haired trapped lady to sneak the other hand around the raven haired man`s shoulder, pulling her body closer to his, like wanting to melt all the distance between them in a passionate connection of souls.

Her bold movement was rewarded with her being embraced tightly by the beautiful man who leaned in more onto her body, so that her refined beautiful hands could reach him better, their movements getting more heated with each passing moment.

The enchanted rosette could not believe her eyes at how wonderful it truly felt to kiss Sasuke all over again, not wanting to ever stop and the said man did nothing to stop her from exploring his mouth and do whatever she wanted.

There has been no form of protest in his movements when she even pecked his lower lip and suckled on it, fascinated by how heavenly sweet he truly felt on her mouth, then trapped his upper one into her full shaped ones, trying to dance to the same beat of their hearts, taking much pleasure at the mere thought of him not even dictating his own rhythm, leaving her room to dictate whatever peace she found appropriate.

From time to time Sasuke changed sides, cupping the delicate shaped bone of her cheek, caressing her face in a tenderly way, silently showing her how to arch her neck and apply the right pressure upon his lips at the right moment, the said lady following his movements, responding with mild flicks of those absolutely savory rosy lips of hers.

In all his life never did the charcoal delighted eyed heir encounter such a gorgeous lady and kissing her felt like drinking heavenly food, feeding him the necessary sweet nectar for him to feel alive, not having enough of that brocade soft skin of her mouth, like a pair of gentle butterfly wings, fluttering on his own lips, getting better and better, making his all muscles scream in delight at the feel of her glued to his own body, successfully getting under his skin.

Slowly but surely, his pink haired stunning maid was digging her way into his heart, writing her name in honey and colors, painting a new way of living in her own vision, the thought of her belonging to nobody but him imprinted into his mind.

In her mind, Sakura was absolutely stunned by the way their faces molded together in such a perfect manner, like someone has planned for them to meet one another and taste the forbidden fruit together.

She was certain she wasn't even able to say her name in that moment she felt a warm calloused hand ascend on her spine, caressing her velvety skin, fondling her back in a lazy motion, like the said man had all the time in the world to cover her with his expert touches.

All her senses were alert, it was even like an extrasensory experience to be caged into his warm embrace, being kissed by him, because she became aware of the handsome man in the context of the mountain`s amazing view, suddenly alert of things she was not even paying attention to.

A perfumed summer wind was blowing through the trees, the sound of the dancing leaves creating an eerie atmosphere of love and heaven covering the earth in its blessings, on the same manner Sasuke was touching her heart with shared emotions.

Sakura was able to feel the nature`s response to their intimacy, only adding to the small trembles of sensuality pinching on her skin, making her insides melt when she felt the tip of her handsome boss` moist hot tongue grazing her lower lip, tasting her.

Instinctively, she let her own one briefly touch his roaming one, her pulse going wild at the divine taste of him, replaying to his slow strokes with her own, opening her mouth when she felt him brush her teeth, not quite believing he took the opportunity to let himself into her hot cavern, deepening their kiss. She vaguely asked herself if that was what people called French kiss, but she would look into the story later.

The experience was not an unpleasant one, on the contrary it was giving chills down her spine and her inner walls started to constrict, a pool of steaming lava burning in between her legs, damping her panties with her essence, as a token of the extremely aroused state she was in, when Sasuke`s tongue skillfully massage her cavern, venturing as deep as he could rich, rolling and massaging her own, luring her to join his game and explore as well.

The forest green eyed agent gradually pushed her muscular organ into her midnight haired boss` mouth, not quite believing what she was doing, but when she got the taste of him, she swore she was going to become an addict.

_/Be careful not to become an addict/_

She let her tongue lazily brush his perfect pearl white teeth, then go down his own tongue, flicking over it, then coming back and darting farther to discover all of him, his saliva mixing with her own, in the form of the syrupy nectar making her let out louder moans of gratitude, the sensation maddening.

Sakura did know Sasuke felt the same thing at their touching exploring bodies, because the manly growls coming from his throat, vibrating through her chest making her two times more turned on and the way his hands roamed from her small back to her torso, letting his hand glide her ribs and up to the valley in between her breasts, slightly touching her well endowed chest in the process, were the solid proof of the fact that he found her inexperienced moves not in the bit bothersome.

It was in the moment the young Uchiha brother pulled their mouths apart, his eyelids partly closed and panting has the Sound agent realize her lungs were screaming for air, inhaling sharply the much needed oxygen. It was amazing how she not realized she has been holding her breath all the times.

"You…are getting…the hang of it." Sasuke felt a small choir of cherubs playing their harps into his ears, his all body being in fire by the sight of those magnetizing viridian glistening darkened in lust eyes searching for his dark beryl ones.

"You…are a good…teacher." All the deep breathes she took were not enough for the pink haired agent to calm her racing heart from jumping from her chest at the dark alluring silky baritone voice almost whispering the words meant for only her ears to hear.

Everything about the raven haired man embracing her tightly was written in a perfect rhapsody of extreme joy and yearning, because in that moment there was nothing Sakura wanted more than to remain in his arms forever.

It was in the moment his heart skipped a beat, taking him by surprise at the electrifying emotion washing through him like a cyclone has Sasuke captured the sugary luscious brocade lips in a chaste sweet kiss for the millionth time, pulling apart from the graceful lady, aware of the fact that her lack of experience made it hard for her to prologue the contact.

No problem, with his newfound motivation the young Uchiha swore she was going to practice intently with him whenever she liked it.

The fact that it was her the one to kiss him first confirmed the fact that the man that was holding her heart into his expecting hands was him and no other.

"Practice makes perfect." A small smirk sent the innocent shy emerald eyed woman straight to cloud nine, taking notice that despite their small break, her boss has not removed his hands from under her piece of clothing, caressing her gently like he wanted to lull her into slumber, just like she was playing with his unique spikes, tracing her fingers along the silky jet midnight locks, occasionally taking a longer strand in between her fingers, curling it over her index. And it seemed the man was not displeased by the contact.

"Only if you find a suitable partner." Sakura let a graceful beaming smile lighten her beautiful face, lowering her pure jadeite shining of devotion eyes at the obvious meaning behind Sasuke`s words, feeling his forehead rest on her own, his bangs tickling her cheeks.

"And what do I need to qualify a suitable in your eyes, Sakura?" Of course the charcoal amused eyed Uchiha took his time into sinfully rolling the woman`s name on his tongue, feeling her body tremble in response to his spell.

"…I don't know because I…haven't found someone else better to compare."

A sudden flash of possessiveness shot Sasuke`s system at the simple thought of another one beside him having the taste of the amazing lady in his arms, making him stop his hand from fondling her milky skin, and folded his arms around her waist, tightly hugging her much smaller frame.

"And I can assure you there is no such man out there for you to do so." Sakura was well aware of the words game she was playing but the burning flame in those seductive alive ash irises assured her of his own craving for her, the sight of his masculine features working its magic on her heart, mind and soul, making her hands slide down his neck, palming his shoulder blades, amazed at the smooth texture of the alabaster skin.

"I don't want to do so…with another." She was aware of what she was saying to a brilliant minded man that had a sixth sense for details but she couldn't care less, because that was the most honest thought she was confessing, coming clean in front of him.

"Hn…of course." Sakura placed another timid kiss on Sasuke`s lips quite content of her development, not having enough palpation of the honeyed velour skin shifting in between her partly open mouth, swiftly, but delicately almost like she didn't want to hurt him, finding the proper moment to slip her tongue in his hot mouth, listening to the sound of the skin on skin contact, not minding at all if he rolled his own tongue and teased her own, like they were fighting for dominance.

It was his experience that took over quickly, forcing her to withdraw, nibbling her lower lip to let her know he needed more access then taking his turn in exploring her, just as lost in the feel, urging the movements of his own mouth, pressing her face closer to his on, leaving her breathless and red like a crab.

That radiant archangelic smiles she was giving him, containing the amount of rapture and innocence coming straight from her pure soul was doing funny things into Sasuke`s icy unemotional nature, because he realized it was solely for him to see. The raven haired Uchiha couldn't help but brush some strands of the unique rosy hair out of her face, not believing how incredible superb her delicate feminine features were unfolding in front of his stare.

The precision in lines and curves framing her beautiful face, the glowing ivory skin like the purest lily and the sublime forest-green eyes sewed in tiny golden wires, like Chinese embroidery, illuminating her features even more never ceased to fascinate the young heir, to the point he wanted to find the finest jeweler and cover her in gemstones.

It was there. Tiny indeed, but he felt it struggling to come to the light. The strong feelings he had for her. It was undeniable, he wanted her. And bad.

"I…what are we…Mr. Uchi…"

"Don't even dare to call me by my family name when we are alone, Sakura." She blushed ten times more upon hearing his commanding tone. It made her heart beat faster than normal.

"I asked Naruto-kun about this and he told me that Japanese people use honorifics according to the level of closeness between them."

Sasuke would have liked to protest at the suffix, but he knew all to well that –kun was for friends, although…the image of the two of them embracing in the black car was still nagging his mind.

"That is true."

"And I also asked him about the drop of the suffixes and he told me that…it is for…"

She couldn't say it, no matter how much she tried, lowering her gaze from his deep dark one, biting her slightly bruised lips to prevent another goofy smile to caress her face.

Sasuke knew all to well what was there to be shy about. Intimacy. And it was him who told her not to call him by using honorifics in the first place.

He raised her chin with his index finger, tracing her jaw line in the process, giving the girl in his arms goose bumps all over her arms. "It is for what, Sakura?"

"For…more intimate people…like family members, really close friends or…lovers…_do you think of me like this_?"

A small smirk. "And? Do we fall in any of the categories?" If there was a way to make Sakura more embarrassed than she was, she would have liked to know, because her hiding her face into the onyx smirking eyed Uchiha`s broad shoulder was a good proof of her shyness. He had a way with his words that threw any self confidence aside, but he was indeed a smooth talker.

"What I know for sure is that we are not members of the same family." The Sound agent turned her body around to rest her small back on her boss` chiseled chest, hear head prompted on his shoulder.

His warm breath was fanning her neck and right ear, making her feel tingling pinches all over her body. It that was his way of talking about them, it was not in the bit uncomfortable.

"Then we are left with the other two options." Sasuke couldn't have been more entertained by the way Sakura did not remove her hand from his hair, like she had a newfound hobby, intently practicing.

Not that he minded. She had the same gentle way of tugging his midnight locks like his mother.

"Like…extremely close friends?" Sakura closed her emerald eyes, relishing in the warm hands resting on her tummy, fingers intertwined in a firm hold.

"It could be but…extremely close friends do not share stolen kisses under the moonlight."

"But Sasuke, the moon has not risen…yet." It was her way of saying to give her more time and a small nod of the sharp minded man confirmed her unspoken words. Everything was easier when it came to the two of them. Their own unique way of communicating.

"Then I am going to let it shine when the time will come…_I will wait for you a lifetime_." Sakura felt the tip of Sasuke`s nose caressing the sensitive skin behind her ear, then taking her ear shell in between his moist lips, suckling and nibbling gently, sending electric jolts down Sakura`s body, resting at her throbbing damp core in a pleasurable way.

"By the way…I was wondering if you could teach me some basic Japanese…you know, I am tired of shopping for vegetables and get alcoholic beverages instead."

The Sound agent let her long eyelashes connect, titling her head to give her onyx eyed boss more access for his skilful mouth to place butterfly kisses down her neck. It felt incredibly good and romantic.

"Hn…I suppose I could do that. What do you want to know?" Although the raven haired Uchiha found her confession really funny, he was taking much joy at the taste of her supple skin in between his teeth, planting chaste kisses down her long thin neck, suckling and leaving hot trails of saliva down the smooth area, up to the junction of her shoulder. She tasted absolutely divine, making his pulse increase and adrenaline pump through his muscles.

"Well, for instance, how do you greet someone?"

"Konnichi wa." Sakura never heard Sasuke speak Japanese, but the way he articulated the words in his native language was absolutely enchanting and she liked that side of him even more.

"And how would you ask what is this?"

"Kore wa nan desu ka?"

"Hmm…what about I don't understand Japanese?"

"You do not have to state that, it is just obvious." A small frown.

"Sasuke…"

"Watashi wa nihongo ga wakarimasen."

The pink haired lady spotted a small owl crossing the darkened sky, just above the high pin trees, swiftly defying gravity. She pointed her finger in her direction, catching Sasuke`s attention.

"Look. Birds are flying on the sky. How would you say that?"

The jet dark pearl eyed heir thought for a moment. Japanese don't have grammatical rules, so providing an accurate translation was difficult. "Tori ga sora o tobimasu."

"…there is no way I am going to remember this."

"It is not that difficult." Sasuke pressed his lips on her jaw in a long kiss, making his enchanted curious maid to let out a small feminine moan. God was she absolutely divine. He was even more turned on.

"Yeah…for a native. Look…a star. How do I call it?"

"The North Star."

Sakura felt the urge to elbow him for the smartass retort, but that would have meant disturbing him from kissing her neck and that was out of question. It felt too good.

"I know that. I mean how do you say star in Japanese?"

"Hoshi."

Before she could stop herself and realize what she was about to say, Sakura turned her head to face Sasuke, their noses touching in the process, their lips impossibly close.

"What about…I like you?"

The raven haired Uchiha stirred his body for a second, surprised at the unexpected question, but he gave her a manly smirk that made her breath hitch in her throat leaning in and whispering hotly into her ear the words she secretly wished to hear from him, in his low velvety voice:

"Anata ga daisuki desu."

Rivers of happiness were flowing from Sakura`s heart in the moment she heard the words leave her boss` lips and the way he said it made the meaning even more intimate. And she didn't fail to catch the glimpse of a shooting star, in the corner of her shimmering joyful eyes, silently longing for her wish to come true.

**Author`s Note: **_ElevatedJewel let`s see, yes the small moon on Sasuke`s wrist is following the same concept of the transmigration of the souls from the manga, but of course the characters are different in my story. And thank you for the amazing words, like always:)_

_MyGuiltyPleasure, I don't want to get rid of you as well and hell yeah, I totally worship SasuSaku and if I don't see the two of them together in the end I am going to be really mad! They are perfect together._

_SasuSaku I totally have to check on that fic, I swear your nickname made my day. Sorry if I made Suigetsu act a little bit…out of character, but I found it more entertaining this way and yeah, how can you not love him, he is absolutely funny._

_SakuraSouen you got the reason about Sasuke right, he indeed used his influence to silence the media and the people that saw the scene were mostly drunk and it was darkness. And Ten Ten and Sakura scene might be coming sooner than you would expect hehe_

_Thank you guys for all the support and amazing reviews, I am you biggest fan, don't forget;) as well as thank you all for following and reading this story. Hope you like this chapter as well._


	22. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Maybe there was a chance for the emerald enchanted woman to find her own paradise in the crumbling world surrounding her, trapped in the arms of the very man she first loathed, but couldn't imagine her life without anymore.

Funny how in the short amount of time they have spent together, Sakura has managed to see so many different faces of Sasuke, falling for each every one, accepting the raven haired man like part of her existence, successfully replacing solitude with faith.

The pink haired lady felt her heart rise in her chest, like moon shining above the grandiose peaks surrounding the pair in the confinement of their roof, sealing their tender caresses and whispers out of time, in the name of the eternal glory of devotion towards one another.

It was Sasuke`s lukewarm breath fanning on her small ear while the words flew from his low silky voice trapping the jadeite eyed lady in his arms in his spellbound, even though it was not actually a confession per se, but more of a hidden message meant for her, well aware of the fact that Sakura spoke the same language as him. It was their own unique way of understanding one another.

"I think this…is something I am going to remember." Was it possible for her glistening moist sparkling garnet eyes to nurture crystal drops of salty tears of contentment at the thought of the ravishing handsome dark eyed Uchiha someday sharing the same strong feelings as hers?

She let her eyelids cover the filled with happiness windows of her heart, enraptured by Sasuke`s unsteady heart beat and the feel of his hot body encompassing her much smaller frame, protectively, tenderly, with all the gentleness in the world, like she was a breakable porcelain doll that had to be maneuvered carefully.

Inwardly, Sasuke was taking much pleasure into the feel of his beautiful maid`s frame tremble in bliss at the deep meaning of his remark.

Of course he was well aware of the fact that she was not simply asking him for a translation, but her sharp mind has found a way to bait him into slipping the words she was so expecting to hear from him.

The onyx eyed amused Uchiha would have laughed at her naivety to play mind games with him, but she was no ordinary lady in his life. That was Sakura and he valued her more than he was willing to admit out loud.

Not only his pulse was running high and the feel of her soft skin under his touch flooding him with resplendent emotions and overwhelming feelings straight from her heart and mirrored in the pair of precious jadeite gems he secretly dreamed of and longed to see every day, but he was able to see another way of the corrupt society he was living in and disgusted him to no end.

"Aren`t you a little bit exclusivist?" Sasuke resumed in covering the creamy floral scented skin of his maid`s neck and shoulders in kisses, encircling her delicate curvaceous body with his strong arms, gluing her to his hard rock frame, not accepting any distance in between them.

"Why would you say such things?" Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to stop a moan in delight to escape her throat at the feel of the young heir`s soft lips brushing and biting the supple skin, covering her in his hungry touches, increasing the level of electric jolts running down her body, mixing with the tickling sensation she felt, getting difficult for the young agent to keep her head in place, letting him taste every cell of her body.

"Because you seem uninterested by the other phrases." Silently, the young Uchiha heir was cursing the fact that he gave his jacket to the gorgeous lady, because he couldn't reveal much of her absolutely delicious skin for his mouth to roam on, but he solved the problem with a swift movement of his left hand, pulling the zipper down and slipping the large T-Shirt she was wearing down her arm, revealing her graceful perfect shaped shoulder.

"It is not the fact that I am not curious about learning more. Is just because there are certain things that pique my interest."

Sakura had no attempt to stop him whatsoever, even if the cool breeze was making the hair rise on her arms feeling slightly cold, because soon her all body burst in flames at the feel of his slick tongue expertly rolling over the rounded bone, up to her collar bone, as far as he could reach, a surge of sparkling energy matter washing through her in a flash, causing her body to tremble under his touches, titling her head involuntary and slightly raising her shoulders to limit his access, not quite being able to take more of the tickling pinches enveloping her senses.

Not that the pink haired assassin really minded her boss` caressing her, but her extremely turned on body started to react to his ministrations and the soggy feel of her damped core and her inner walls contracting rhythmically was a good proof of the fact that she was expecting him to give her more and she started to get an idea of exactly what.

She got the answer the previous day when he was pleasuring her against the wall, he too aware of their needs.

"Don't." Sasuke let his palm trace the fine contour of her jaw line, cupping her cheek and raise her face towards him, crashing his smoldering jet black pearl eyes with the beaming forest green ones, letting himself get lost at the feel of the sparkling emotions poured into the amazing amalgam of pure gold and viridian, flicking the tip of his nose on her smaller delicate one, rubbing gently just to tease her more.

The Uchiha heir was well aware of the effect he had upon her, but there was no one to witness their passionate moment, besides the rocky solitary cliffs, the clear sky and God when he angled his head and let their lips connect, stealing another welcomed kiss from the beautiful young woman, who graced his manly ego with a soft feminine moan when he slipped past her savory wild cherries flavored parted lips, pushing his own lips forward slightly applying a bit of muscle tension around them and let his tongue slide inside her expecting mouth, resting on her own, stroking her in swift motions, then pulling back to let her do the same.

Sakura absolutely couldn't get enough of sharing kisses with the handsome man in the middle of the raw nature, drunk of his fire and ocean amazing scent, blended with the burnt cedar and fir trees scent, making the chemistry between them sparkle with intensity, urging the movements of their lip lock, growing more passionate as their bodies grew even hotter.

It was in the moment the breathless rosette broke their contact, inhaling sharply to provide her lungs the vital oxygen did she realize just how far from their maid and boss relationship the two of them were in that moment and it has been almost a month since they first met.

But it was overwhelming just how much she craved for the onyx panting eyed Uchiha`s touches and sensual whispers secluded on her lips, present in every passionate kisses of his, the feeling of them being so close in mind and body was making her tremble in need. Need for him. For everything he was.

It has been a long time since Sasuke has kept his onyx eyed shut during sharing a kiss with someone, and that was the proof he needed to confirm that his racing heart and running on fire pulse were not a normal reaction of his body at the contact with a gorgeous looking woman, glued to him.

The intensity of the moment and the taste of her succulent lips moving untamed on his own were making the young heir to let his eyelids rest over his jet bottomless eyes, letting his other senses to perceive the pink haired beauty with every fiber, under his expert touches.

Yes, in his mind, the raven haired man was not making the necessary connections between the words Sakura and maid, for she was never his servant to begin with. She was everything he was entitled to possess, his lady, the woman that had made him feel something he thought was not possible for a man like him: jealousy and rage at the thought of her trapped in the embrace of someone else that was not him.

"What…other things have piqued your interest, Sakura?"

The fact that an unpolished lady has almost left a pro like him breathless, was speaking volumes at the amount of emotions poured in the contact between them and it was the emerald eyed woman`s visible to the point of palpable strong emotions for him, inflicted to every caress of her lips on his mouth.

A shifting motion of her body, successfully turning around and let her small curvy frame rest on her knees, in between Sasuke`s parted bent knees, brought Sakura face to face to the man she lusted for, sneaking her hands behind his neck, lowering his head towards her, their foreheads touching.

His muscled arms wasted no time in encircling her gracefully shaped waist, embracing her.

From the moment they came on the top of cliff, the rosy haired agent didn't remember spending a millisecond apart of the hard rock body of her boss, getting more and more accustomed to the feel of him, getting her addicted.

"Many things I cannot begin to voice…" Indeed, how could she have told him the fact that she was there to act as his guardian, but the moment she allowed emotions to set in between them she has gone against her own rules.

But sin has never been as sweet as in that moment. Sakura was not on the top of the mountain. She felt at the top of the world.

As long as she had Sasuke beside her, she could have done everything. Naruto has been right.

The burst of power she felt blooming inside her soul was the solid evidence of the sexy male`s holding her ability to gave her what the others could have not. Another sort of emotion and connection. Deeper. Stronger. Intense. Intimate. And it felt like Heaven has opened the gates for her to walk in.

"Then how about showing me instead? You are way more honest in your movements than words."

Of course Sasuke couldn't help himself to make his thoughts about her hidden life known to her, but he was not a stupid man, nor someone one would have a chance to play with. He was indulging in her charms just because he wanted to do so, not because she was pressuring him in any ways.

She had secrets around her identity all right, but his instincts…and the annoying never ending voice in his head was urging him to believe her honest heart and the fact that no harm was going to expect him at the end of the waterfall if he placed his trust on her.

Sakura felt a sharp pain through her heart upon hearing the words she knew they held so much truth behind them, but that was something she couldn't deny because in the most ironic way of life, everyone around Sasuke has been lying to him about who they were and those were supposed to be their closest ones: his brother, his friends, she…

The Sound agent placed a quick chaste kiss upon his lips, him returning the affectionate display instantly.

A quick glance at his unbelievable coal eyes surprised the young girl with the fact that even though he felt the need to remind her he was well aware of the things going on around him, his gaze was not a reproaching one; on the contrary it held some level of tolerance and acceptance.

"In this very moment…I am hundred percent honest with you." Sasuke didn't need to hear the words leaving her mouth, for he was able to read everything in the jadeite eyes darkened with longing and honesty when he brushed some fallen strands of the unique dyed pink hair from her face, not wanting to have any barrier between her angelic figure and his hungry eyes.

There were secrets in the world that people sometimes couldn't or were not allowed to disclose, even to the people they loved and he and Sakura were just like that. She was having her own things to hide just like him.

Of course he was intrigued by her secret life but how could he have been that hypocrite to press her into revealing everything when he himself couldn't have been completely honest with her.

"Then how about when we go back? Are you going to be sincere then as well?" The raven haired Uchiha has seen an apologetically emotion flicking through the deep shining eyes of hers that silently told him she was not going to reveal more, but assured him of the fact that what she was feeling was genuine.

It was right. He simply didn't care anymore, moreover he was accepting it…her. With everything she had to offer, even her secrets, he wanted all of her, not just bits and that was exactly why he was that bothered of her decision to keep everything secluded from the curious eyes. How can he have her when he didn't know her to begin with?

Although…he gave her his consent to stay and to say whatever she wanted…just like he allowed her to kiss him or play with his hair.

Apparently she found it delectable for she was twirling longer strands of his raven midnight locks on her fingers and massaged his scalp in a relaxing manner. Maybe she should do it more often.

"In attitude or words?" Sakura didn't like where the conversation was heading and she was not even aware of how much time has passed since they were there, not that she cared anyways, but it was her guilty conscience speaking when she lowered her head almost in shame, not able to fix those all knowing endless coal eyes seeing right through her deception.

"Both. But what I am really interested in now…" Sasuke let his hand glide down her hip, fondling the delicate rounded bone, making the girl in his arms snuggle closer to him searching for more contact, titling his head and placed butterfly kisses on her cheek then down her chin, making Sakura lean into the touch, he skin trembling in pleasure. "…is not speaking."

"Then…are you going to delay the conversation until we arrive home?" Sasuke couldn't refrain to smirk at the slip of the words referring to his home, like they were a couple sharing the same house.

Their home…but that reminded him…what were they after all? A couple they were not, because no one muttered those words and he couldn't be seen with his maid in public…not that he actually gave a fuck about what people thought about him anyways.

Friends was out of questions. Sakura could befriend Naruto, even Suigetsu if she pleased for all he cared, but they have long crossed the amiability side like they were never meant to stay platonic.

The Uchiha heir has not forget about the memory he had from his dream with the two strangers in love and the resemblance with his life was striking and could not have been overlooked.

In a strange way, it was amusing him to no end the fact that he didn't even have a name for whatever relationship they had, but what he knew was the fact that he had feelings for her that were reciprocated by the woman trembling in his arms, shown in every small moan of pleasure that escaped her rosy lips.

But he realized it didn't matter anymore, because they were silently consenting to let things between them going with the flow to a destination unknown and that was better.

He was not a man for relationships so an eventual discussion about cheesy complicated things was bothering him, so Sakura being a pragmatic woman just like him was picture perfect.

"No." Speaking by rosy lips…For a reason he couldn't understand, the dark eyed Uchiha just couldn't get enough to kiss the beautiful lady that was holding him for dear life, aware of the fact that he made her feel bad with his questions materialized in her small hands fisting in his soft hair, halting her movements.

Sasuke removed his hands from her curvy toned body he came to enjoy so much feeling under his fingertips and place them both on the sides of her face, angling her head slightly and not wasting anymore seconds, crashed their lips together in an insatiable kiss, locking their mouths together, his movements rapid and passionate, applying hard pressure on the smooth silky glossy tissue of her lower lip, biting harshly, startling Sakura and forcing her to open her mouth wider for him to dart his tongue inside, all the time his hold on her preventing her to pull back.

The emerald startled woman felt her insides flame at the intensity and unleashed motions of her ravenous boss on hers, his urging lips sucking on her ones, biting and tracing them with his moist tongue made her knees turn into jelly, not able to support her body weight on her own or prevent louder sounds of delight to vibrate on her chest.

The way Sasuke was kissing her in that moment was just as unpredictable and mind blowing as every move he did and made the Sound agent let her long lashes rest on her darkened with lust forest green eyes, trying in vain to keep up with his fast peace.

The shining stars above them were projecting under her eyelashes in an explosion of supernovas and rainbows.

He absolutely swore he was going to respect her limits and listen to her body language signalizing him what she wanted or what she needed, but damn was the midnight haired Uchiha too turned on by the feel of that delectable woman and her amazing taste on his mouth to give a damn about morals in that moment.

Everything related to his maid tasted like sweetest pollen of a delicate cherry blossom flower, just like the very essence of Sakura and that got him over the edge with need and want for her, not quite able contain his movements when he shifted his body, slipped his hand over her spine and lowered them both on the rug of soft grass, lying on their sides, not once breaking the kiss.

Sakura felt like her boss has read her mind in the moment he decided to get more physical, because there was no way she couldn't have thought of to keeping up with his fast peace and keep her body steady, while small tremors were tingling her skin in euphoria, heating her insides.

As soon as she felt her back hit the muggy narrow leaves of the grass, the rosette let her head rest on Sasuke`s lean shoulder, moving her arm smoother and quickly on his broad chest, slipping on his back embracing him, absolutely content with how their bodies were glued perfectly to each other, while their lips were dancing together, tasting, exploring, getting crazy together.

The pink haired lady couldn't contain her small smile when realization that the handsome man absolutely enjoyed the taste of her lip balm made its way to her mind, because the way he was suckling on each lip in turn and trailing the plump luscious parted petals with rapid flicks of his tongue, then retracting for a moment to imprint the sweet aroma on his mouth was absolutely memorable. And the cocky bastard thought she has not realized what he was secretly doing.

"Why?" Sakura wanted to slap her head on the soft grassy cushion at the thought of her not actually remembering what were they talking about, her all senses focused on the hotness radiating from Sasuke`s toned body flaming her skin through the thin cotton material of her T-Shirt.

She wanted to let the other hand stray on his absolutely velvet soft raven hair she loved so much, but it was impossible from that position to do it, so she let her fingertips trail over his neck and shoulder blades as far as she was able to reach, the feel of his smooth skin under her graze clouding her senses.

Sasuke briefly broke the kiss, letting his head rest on his arm, his cheek brushing her small perfectly shaped one in the process. "Because if I have ever sensed the danger of being stabbed in the heart in my sleep by you, I would have never allowed you this close to me in the first place."

He trapped his maid`s pointed chin in between his thumb and index, arcing her head to let their heated stares meet amazed at the glimmering amount of feel she was letting him see, the amazing multitudes of verdant hues rivaling the nature around, enhancing her ladylike gentle features in the form of an angelic beauty. She was absolutely gorgeous, there was no point in denying it.

Sakura followed the lead of his long fingers, clashing her emerald eyes with his burning coal ones, amazed at the incredible shimmering shades of sapphire black enfolding in front of her, his penetrating bottomless orbs letting her know about the unspoken threat behind his words, made her feel a mixture of both fright and lust, the meaning behind his heated look obvious. He was no fool.

"Nonetheless, you let me lay beside you."

There was barely any distance left between their touching faces, their breaths hotly blending in a staccato rhythm, fanning over each other`s lips and that gave the pink haired lady lot of time to study the attractive male better, never too tired to awe at his perfect shaped angles and sharp masculine features.

Incredible how handsome that man could have been, so regal looking that one would have sworn he was nobility.

Well…his family name quite placed him in the category and the though of him being in her grasp, so intimately touching him was giving her the sensation of raising above the earth, defying gravity, intensifying the feeling of effervescent dragonflies zooming around down her spine.

The young Uchiha playfully eyed the woman in his arms ogling him like she was discovering his existence for the first time, vaguely aware of a gentle hand caressing his skin, partly closing his dark eyes to perceive her curious touch, aware of every thought that crossed her mind in that moment.

She had become more aware of what they were doing and who she was making out with and the tiny feel of her almost getting shy at the idea of feeling up such a prominent man like him was obvious in the lazy manner she didn't dare to let her palm descend more on his torso or place her lips back on his and he would have snorted at her obvious distress if he wasn't that turned on to begin with.

During the time they had gotten closer the young heir had no eyes for any woman and that automatically implied no physical contact whatsoever and his hormones were reacting wildly at her touches or mere closeness, that time stirred by feelings as well, getting harder to ignore the constricting feeling in lower regions, visible to the tight pants he wore. Damned the fact that she had to be a virgin and an appetizing one as well.

"Sakura…kiss me." And the way he cryptically whispered the obvious command upon her parted lips, tracing the tip of his tongue on the corner of her mouth, send electric jolts down the forest-green eyed woman`s muscles, his low manly voice knocking the air out of her chest.

She did exactly what he wanted, parting her silky rosy lips more and caging his tongue inside her mouth, kissing him with all she had, titling her head involuntarily in search for a better angle to deepen the contact, getting the grasp of the technique with each passing movement of her mouth on his, deep inside melting at the idea of being commanded by him in such a deliciously sinful way.

It was probably the way her boss skillfully and swiftly slipped a hand under her thin piece of cloth that hid the view of her beautiful body from the world`s eyes, stopping right on her well endowed chest, palming the obvious deep cleavage up and down, what determined Sakura to get over her eternal virgin thoughts, letting her intoxicated extremely aroused state to take over and dictate the following movements.

Using a little bit of her strength, the pink haired lady grabbed Sasuke`s shoulder and changed her center of mass successfully pushing the surprised man on the ground, laying on his back, she wasting no time in climbing at the top of him, with both her tights straddling his waist and her hands fisted on his broad shoulders, breaking their contact for a moment, hovering over him.

If Sasuke has been shocked at her bold move he was good at hiding it, because he simply let his coal eyes burn into her own slightly wide bathing in the excitement of her jadeite ones, a smirk making its way on his reddened lips almost like daring her to continue what she had in mind.

She could do to him anything she wanted for all that he cared, the fact that she decided to take her time and spicy their intense make out session more not bothering the raven haired Uchiha at all, on the contrary it almost made the beast in him growl in delight at her wild attitude, like a lioness straddling the pray before letting the animalistic instinct taking over.

There has only been a little problem in the form of the hot lady pressing her round firm ass right on his lower abdomen, millimeters apart of his throbbing member like the little vixen was doing her best to tease him more.

Not only have the onyx eyed heir had the urge to grip those full rounded buttocks of hers and give it a squeeze, but the way the hot woman had him pinned to the grass, inhaling sharply through her bruised parted soft lips, with her slightly damp hair covering her clouded eyes was a major turn on.

It has been quite a long time since the young heir has found a woman to be so naturally sensual and feminine in her gestures and contact, not quite believing he was almost tempted to let her dominate him, but the way the moonlight was reflecting into her brilliant garnet precious gemstones eyes was making it hard for him to let out any form of protest.

"Sasuke…I...want to be honest…" Sakura was absolutely shocked by her reaction, not quite understanding exactly what she was doing, but there was something about the man under her that was stirring some sort of inner id that knew exactly how to react to his voice or touches and take control over her movements, because normally she wouldn't have dared to pull out such a stunt.

It was funny how the smirking gorgeous man made not attempt to stop her and looked like he was expecting to see what she had prepared for him. Well he did make his thoughts known when he confessed he was not afraid of her. "..I…have no idea of what I am doing…but I cannot stop this."

The midnight haired man to let a small laugh to grace Sakura`s ears, while his chest rumbled at the loss of air pressure in the lungs, making Sakura`s own ribcage vibrate and add to the small tremors she already felt down her skin, was an impossible task upon hearing what she has told him, in the most innocent admission ever known.

How could she have been so pure, yet so enchanting at the same time was a mystery to Sasuke. **Ineffable**.

That was the proper way to portray the mystical creature that had him straddled. The killer combination between lust, innocence and transcendent, all trapped in the delicate body of his maid.

"And who exactly told you to stop? Because you sure haven't heard me utter such words."

There was something that ignited into Sakura`s heart at the sight of a carefree Uchiha heir letting out a small laugh, in the form of an energetic surge, making her blood boil in need for him.

Why was he hiding that part of his, because if she considered him to be handsome, that serene and playful look on his face made him tremendously divine.

Vaguely the pink haired girl realized her lips were slightly stinging at the prolonged contact and she felt a pinching pain on her lower one and the salty taste of a rivulet of blood told her they were probably forcing it, but that didn't stop her in the bit to nod once in understanding, lower her body until there was no distance left between them and literary crash her mouth onto his own pouring all her yearning for his touches in that ardent kiss she has given him.

Sasuke had his right hand fixed on her hip, trying to prevent her move too much on his aching sensitive region of his groin, and his left one went straight under the cotton fabric of the T-Shirt she was wearing and encircled her upper body, until it reached her flexed spine, skillfully unclasping the bra she was wearing, letting her full rounded breasts spread free of the bindings, sensing her bewilderment through her kiss, but she did nothing to protest.

Wasn't she the one that said she couldn't stop in the first place? Who said the young heir had any control left? And when he let his palm rest on her right chest, Sasuke truly felt he lost it for real.

Not only her curves were perfectly filled out, but the skin of the soft tissue, was made of silk, feeling amazing under his fingers, like she was made of sea foam when the waves crushed the rocky cliffs.

The raven haired Uchiha couldn't help but cup the rounded mound and give a light squeeze and encircle the rosy small bud with his index finger and rub its tip with his thumb, using feather like movements not to hurt her.

Her response was immediate, because he felt the smooth skin around the areola harden upon the contact and the long high pitched moans muffled by their kiss coming from Sakura let him know she did like what he was doing.

When she felt the handsome man`s hand expertly working its magic on her breast, Sakura lost her mind in pleasure. Never had the thought of asking him to stop hit her, because hell if she didn't want his movements to never cease.

An explosion of speeding electric jolts were waving down her body at the feel of him playing with her nipple, coming to a halt right in between the valley of her tights, in the most secluded area, making her arch her back and lean into his touch.

The pink haired maid swore she was going to murder his if he stopped pleasuring her, extremely aware of her hardened small bud and the painful constricting feeling she felt on her chest when he broke the contact to caress and lightly squeeze her breast, like a new born exploring his mother`s chest for the first time.

While her boss had the attention diverted to heir liplock and her full bosom, Sakura took the opportunity to slide her hands down his sides to the hem of his long sleeve black riding shirt, successfully removing it out of his pants.

It was only her vast acknowledge in the field that had the Sound agent in awe at the thought of the smooth lightweight worsted fabric covering her boss` body. _"Sharkskin…this arrogant jerk…this shit is expensive as hell."_

Not that she minded, because the way he looked like dress like that was the best aphrodisiac for her senses ever. No wonder everyone in the vicinity stopped in their tracks to stare at him, when he found her on the street.

Sasuke`s muscles stirred at the ideas crossing his mind in the moment he felt Sakura pulling at his shirt, but he got an answer of what her intentions were when he felt a pair of long thin hands moving sluggishly up and down his long torso, feeling him up. Of course…she couldn't help herself around him.

That brought him an unnecessary ego burst. And the amount of testosterone and adrenaline pumped through his veins, making blood accumulate in his painful erection, made it hard for him to keep up with her kissing him.

His lungs were burning, but he would have been dead before removing his mouth from hers. She was a fast learner indeed, her movements not that clumsy any longer, her strokes more precise.

She was getting the idea of how to synchronize with him and how to angle her head not to bump their noses together and that only let her tongue explore deeper, encircling his teeth or rubbing the top of his own, unconsciously breathing into his mouth, only urging his own movements more.

He raised the hand that was resting on her hip up her shoulders, embracing her and forcing her to lean more into his body, while the other hand was palming and tracing her round breast, burning the perfect curvy lines into his mind, twirling the petal soft rosy nipple with his long finger, giving his maid goose bumps all over her body.

Ever since she did that for the first time, Sakura couldn't wait to feel the lean muscles of Sasuke`s torso under her touch. He was amazingly sculpted and the way her fingers danced on his pectorals and down his eight packed abs, made the protruding fibers ripple deliciously, almost tempting her to stop kissing his sweet lips and have a taste of his body.

She was taking her time into exploring every part of him, quite bothered at the lack of light that darkened her vision, but the way his alabaster skin reflected into the moonlight rays was getting her even more turned on and that was already a submerging sensation, because it was really hard to contain her moans of delight under his own touches and her core was soaked with her inner juices, making her clench her tights around his waist more, the feeling of her throbbing inner walls getting the best of her.

The combination of his lips pressing on her, hungrily fighting her for dominance, his skilful touches on her chest and the feel of him growl manly whenever her digits slipped past his navel to relish into the feel of his V cut muscles was getting her insane.

She was not that idiot. Her body was not betraying her. She wanted more from him and she started to get an idea of what exactly.

And that was precisely why, unable to deprive her hormones from the much needing release any longer, the pink haired lady raised her back to put a bit of distance between them and lowered her bottom right on the obvious bulge into Sasuke`s tight leather pants, with her core resting above his aroused member, taking both of them by surprise.

The sudden sensation of having a magnetic discharge through all her body, making every cell in her body quiver in bliss and cutting her air supply at the intensity upon the contact made Sakura break the heated kiss and let her chin rest on the junction between the raven haired man`s neck and shoulder, listening to the sound of his accelerating pulse, not believing how could it have been possible to feel such pure bliss with a single contact.

The Sound agent shut her eyes tiredly, panting heavily and almost missed the fact that her body, out of her own accord, made her arch her back and repeat the motion once again, almost like to make sure what she has felt has been real and her mind was not playing tricks on her.

A low almost whispered strangled moan escaping her parted lips were the best proof of the fact that it was not.

She felt her all muscles convulse, especially the ones from her tights and lower regions, the rush of blood pumped into her clenched inner walls made more sticky liquid flow through her burning passage, leaking from her core and damping her lacy lingerie. The feeling was absolutely amazing.

A strong grip of her buttocks prevented Sakura from moving once again, the sound of Sasuke`s own harsh breathing fanning her neck reminded her where she was and what exactly was she doing. But she couldn't help it, she wanted it and she wanted him.

"Sakura…I know what you want…and I know where this is going but…"

The moment his maid crashed her lower body on his painful throbbing shaft, Sasuke thought he has been hit by lightning, because his body burst into flames at the unexpected contact, making blood to rush down his navel, resting on his groin, taking every self control he had to not switch positions and have her right under the night sky, with Gods as witnesses.

"….stop…tell me to stop Sasuke…" Maybe she was possessed by some perverted demon but there was no way Sakura would have stopped doing what they were doing, when she found out there were so many feelings to discover and she already wasted 23 years of her life to do so.

Karin has been right. Anko as well. She has deprived herself from many things a woman enjoyed and she couldn't have found a better moment to let herself succumb to the darkness. Not when she had Sasuke Uchiha breathless under her body, driving her crazy.

She raised her head to look into his partly open black beryl eyes, her overwhelming desire for more piercing through his long dark eyelashes right to his irises, searching for whatever hesitation there was in his words.

He eyed her for a brief, his lips wide open inhaling the much needed oxygen, his ribcage going up and down, not saying a word. What was there for him to say when damn right he wanted her just as she wanted him.

"Do you want to?" Sakura didn't even falter in her answer, her sparkling emerald eyes speaking from the bottom of her most secluded desires, letting all of them loose, telling the charcoal eyed man what he wanted to know.

"No."

"Then what do you want, Sakura?" Indeed, what did she expect from him at that point? They were not even in a relationship and the fact that they were sucking faces out of civilization was not quite an answer to the unsolved mystery.

But the pink haired agent couldn't help but think if they did need more words to understand each other. Maybe Sasuke was right and she should let actions speak for herself.

He already acknowledge her presence into his life and he was the first to initiate a contact between them, so maybe she should not dwell much on the matter and enjoy the flow of things.

Her cheeks turned into a beautiful shade or reed that went unnoticed by Sasuke because of the darkness outside, upon openly admitting without any inhibition what she really expected from him in that moment, not quite believing what indecent things could have come out of her mouth, before she could have stopped herself.

"…I want to have the taste of you."

_**/I want to have the taste of you/**_

And that did it for Sasuke, because in the moment his mind made the connection with the painfully familiar sentence echoing into his mind, his vision clouded and the electrical discharge down his own spine urged him to pull her back to him and dart his head to her chest and with a swift motion that didn't gave her anytime to react, took her rosy nipple in between his lips, suckling ravenously on it, while gluing their bodies together.

If she did not want to stop, then Sasuke would not do it either, all that his mind could perceive at that moment was the divine sugary taste of her breast, how amazingly cashmere like her milky skin truly was and how good did it felt to have her melt into his touch, because as soon as he gently bit the tender small perked bud, the woman in his arms threw her head back and left a small cry in delight, gripping his shoulder for support and clenched her fingers through his raven locks, arching her back and push her full chest more into his mouth.

"Aaahhhhh…"

In his mind, the scene started to look painfully alike the flashback he had with the two ancient people making love, but the young heir was too busy in eating his maid alive, covering her in his caresses and heated touches and when she started to grind her butt on his bulge he felt like floating through the space, lightheaded.

The fact that they were still in a public place meant less than nothing to Sakura when she felt Sasuke`s moist lips flicking over her nipple, suckling, biting and leaving hot trails of saliva all over the supple skin of her rounded breast, delicately fondling its base all around the bouncing mound, going to the deep cleavage, then coming back, using his available hand to bent her body more onto his mouth and give the other breast the same treatment, making the hair on her arms rise and her toes to curl in pleasure.

And the pink haired maid could not stop herself from ground her body down his pelvis in need for more of the irresistible sensation the friction between her soaked core and his obvious arousal making her vision blur and head to shut down.

It was too much to handle his mouth sending delightful shudders down her spine and arms and the fluttering butterflies in her stomach went on rampage, making her feel tremors in every pore of her skin, the sensation hypnotic.

Never in her life did Sakura felt bliss to such an intensity and the fact that they were outside where anyone could have suddenly appear and see their passionate moment, made adrenaline rise to an impossibly level. It was sinful and dark and she could not get enough of that.

Her own hands were flying over his exposed chiseled torso, grazing the unblemished ivory skin, not having enough of the feel of his velvety skin under her fingertips and the perfectly carved angular rip muscles trembling and constricting every time she left nail scratches down his chest, when his own touches got wilder or she got hit by another wave of sudden pleasure. The Sound agent was greeted with low groans leaving her boss` throat, signalizing her he too found much contentment at their contact.

Sakura swore she even forgot how to breathe, if not for the fact that it was getting harder and harder for her to inhale properly, panting madly.

The emerald eyed woman let her cheek rest on the top of the onyx eyed Uchiha`s head, not believing just how soft those impossibly midnight locks truly were and not only was it tingling her face, but his shampoo smelt amazing as well.

Content with all the bit marks he left all along her chest, Sasuke replaced his mouth with his left hand, cupping the rounded full breast, massaging the supple tissue, applying a bit of pressure with his fingers, fondling her, while he focused his attention back on her collarbone, planting chaste butterfly sweet kisses on her shoulder blades, going up her neck and sucking at her pulse greedily, drunk in her floral scent, mixed with rivers of sweat and her own unique womanly fragrance that sent his hormones to cloud nine.

And he could even feel her hot blood pulsating in her veins through his lips stirring the demon inside him even more. She was as gracious as a swan, every part of her rivaling the delicate bird in the perfection of moves and curves. _"Soft as silk and sugary like nectar..."_

_**/Soft as silk and sugary like nectar/**_

The raven haired Uchiha pulled his head apart of Sakura`s body, slipping his hand up her back to the base of her neck and brought her face down on his level, capturing her plump rosy lips with his own, kissing her, feeling the woman tilt her head to mold their faces together better.

But it was in the moment he felt her palm glide down his tight the alarm in his head started to ring.

They were getting dangerously far and one of them had to stop. As much as he did not want her to stop, Sasuke swiftly caught her wrist, stopping her to advance further, breaking their lip lock in the process as well, breathless.

"Sakura…Not here…not like this."

He has seen confusion washing through the foggy golden irises that clashed with his widened black pearl eyes at his action, but he placed another chaste kiss on her parted lips to assure her it was not the fact that he did not want her to be his, but the inappropriate place and moment to do so. She nodded once, catching his meaning.

"…I…am sorry…"

"This…is something I do not want to hear from you."

"…I crossed the line…I should not have…" Sakura lowered her stare, trying in vain to catch her breath and gain control over her senses.

Her muscles were clenching in her body and she was worn out. Was he rejecting her? Has she done something wrong? She let her body do the speaking and it was him she craved for.

"I want you, but this is not the moment to have you."

Sasuke was well aware of her internal turmoil, probably asking herself if there was something wrong in her behavior, but he traced her bruised lips with his thumb assuring her she should wait, because it was too early…for her.

Because he would have had zero problems in taking both of them to bliss right there and then.

But a woman like Sakura didn't deserve to be treated like they were peasants in the middle of the field, going at it like rabbits.

During his life, the raven haired man had his steamy adventures with different women, doing it in all the imaginable places, like cemeteries (yeah, Goth girls were hot), top roofs, yards, forests, public toilets, elevators or his secretary`s office (he was not that dumb to do it in his office). But he will respect the lady in his arms.

Probably her boss was not aware of the effect his confession had on her throbbing heart, but Sakura felt a surge of happiness at the thought of her handsome boss not rejecting her, on the contrary, stating he wanted her in the most sincere way possible. She knew he was right. That was not the way things should proceed.

"I know…"

Sasuke gave her a small smirk, making her blush. "If you were to resume to what we were doing before, I think you should have said wakatteru yo."

Sakura could not help herself, but giggle at his way of dealing with things. "Ok…then…wakatteru yo, Sasuke."

There was something in the way she has let the words slip past her lips, talking in his mother language, or her bright musical feminine laughter sounding like a bell that made Sasuke`s heart skip a beat, an unknown warm powerful emotion radiating from the pit of his soul.

Something about her…she was doing that to him whenever her innocence clashed with the wicked world surrounding him and it was amazing.

"You said you will find it difficult to remember."

"That was something simple." The pink haired maid pursed her lips, putting her index finger down her chin, in a thinking manner. "I wonder…should I add a suffix to your name as well? Like…Sasuke…kun?"

The said man was far too amused by her childish antics to frown at the hidden message between her question. That vixen was teasing him…

"Do not dare put me on the same level as dobe." Indeed, they were anything but friends, so why bother with such thoughts?

"Really? Then…how about…Sasuke…chan?"

It was in the moment the emerald eyed agent remembered the suffix was meant for women, Suigetsu`s words at how would he imagined her boss clad in a gown posing like a female crossed her mind, making her eyes fell on the charcoal eyed man`s uncovered chest, another laugh escaping her throat. Too damn funny.

Ok, has she just suggested he was looking like a woman or it was just the fact that she had no idea what she was talking about?

Sasuke was mentally planning how to silently kill his blonde friend for probably teaching her nonsense in the first place just to laugh at him. He was going to get beaten soon.

But…if she wanted to play, he was not to back away from the game. Plus talking to her distracted him for lusting to kiss her and touch her more.

He dropped his low baritone voice an octave, sounding dark and alluring. "If you feel like using honorifics with me…you could as well call me Sasuke-sama."

"…hm…it sounds a bit…flashy. What does it mean?"

"It means the person you are addressing to is higher in rank, or you greatly admire. And Japanese use it for deities as well, for example Kami-sama."

Sakura almost felt like punching the arrogant specimen that had the audacity to smirk at her childish pout, making her remove her hands from his torso and fold them in front of her chest. "You know what they say about people that tend to think so high of themselves?"

She was about to insult him with her next remark? Like the Sound agent did give a fuck. Let him be the smart jerk he was, she was going to pay him back. Although she still had troubles in keeping her hormones on a leash and not place another kiss upon his appetizing lips…

"What?" Sasuke almost sensed that his sharp maid was going to have a change in attitude at his obvious meaning, but it was not in his intention to place her under him, on the contrary, the raven haired Uchiha considered a lady like her ten times above him, not quite taking the money problem into account.

The fact that the world they lived in was lead by money and losers that worshipped them was laughable and pathetic. And she was so cute when angry, he could not help but provoke her further.

"That they are trying to compensate for other lacks…" And Sakura even raised her delicate eyebrow, winking suggestively at the stunned looking Uchiha.

Man his face was pure epicness and the way his eyebrows furrowed at the hidden meaning behind her words truly entertained her.

"Really? And you tend to believe what the others say Sakura? How about you see for yourself."

It that was someone else in his maid`s place, that person would have been on his knees, asking for forgiveness upon saying such insults, but what she said only made his mind go through all the methods he knew to demonstrate her just how much he didn't lacked.

And for that reason he pushed his pelvis up to meet her own that was straddling him, letting their lower regions grind to one another once more and let her feel just what exactly meant with his own remark. Sasuke was anything but small. It came with the good Uchiha genes.

Sakura suppressed a moan to escape her mouth, shutting her eyes for a brief at the feel of his hardened member poking in between her legs, almost regretting what she has said, because that movement of his only tempted her to repeat his actions.

"Ah…I…I will only call you Sasuke then." The Sound agent actually liked how his name sounded on her lips, finding it all too fitting for the handsome man. She should look for what it meant in Japanese.

"Hn."

"By the way, Suigetsu dropped by and brought the things we left at the swimming place." Sakura has almost forgotten about that. Almost, because she made sure she installed a tracking program into her boss` smart phone to make her job easier.

The only problem was her moped, but she was going to take that back…that night, when the midnight haired man was going to sleep.

"Good. I almost felt tempted to take the risk of being bitten by the chick that probably entertain him and take them back myself. Did he give you any trouble?"

The idea of his friend being alone with his maid didn't quite sound right to Sasuke. Naruto was ok because the dobe was a moron but a respectful one. The shark faced man on the other hand…

"_No, we just made fun of you and found out about our secret identities, nothing to worry about_…It was ok, he only returned the two bags and left, saying he had things to do…_involving four decapitated men and no trace of the murderers_…"

"…ok."

"Ah, did you have time to go to the Tokyo Police Station and ask for the stolen goods?"

Sakura already knew that police found absolutely nothing at the crime scene, but she played dumb to hear his answer. And it was quite the answer all right. Good thing it was dark outside and he was not able to see her puzzled reaction.

"Yes. I got them back."

"_WHAT?! _Sakura knew immediately what Sasuke told her was a blatant lie. He couldn't have taken his stolen goods back since police have found nothing to begin with. Then why wasn't he telling her the truth then?

To not make her worry? It could have been but her instinct told her there was another reason for his behavior but she had no idea what. In her mind, there was absolutely obvious he was not being honest.

No problem, because the pink haired agent knew exactly where to search and confirm what he said. She would have to pay his office a visit. If he miraculously got the possession of his stuff back, it was his office the place they were surely secluded.

"Well, this is good I suppose. Have you found out more? Who were those people and how did they know how to enter your home?"

Sasuke remained silent, not removing his eyes from her ones. It was quite difficult for both of them to follow their reaction in the darkness but there was a sudden tension hanging between them like they were aware of their dishonesty towards each other, but decided to play along. But he tried to drift her mind from the things she should not find out about.

It was not like the Uchiha heir could have told her it was him who killed those people every news talked about and got his ipad and laptop back from those people…

"The police has no suspect so they could not tell me anything concrete."

"I see…"

"You know, I have something to confirm as well." In his mind, Sasuke wanted to laugh at the irony of his maid feeling so secure in the arms of a man that took more lives that he could count, being tainted by their blood and haunted by their screams.

She was so naïve and innocent and he could not help the feeling of guilt washing trough him at the idea of corrupting her and bring her one step closer to his sinful life.

Maybe he should…no he could not tell her, not in a million years, not if he wanted her to stay beside him. Sure, he has seen her devotion and her feelings for him, but she had no right to suffer the eventual consequences.

"To confirm…what?"

"I heard from my secretary that you chased away a very important guest from my office today. Is it true?" Sakura thought a bit about his question, letting a small smile of triumph grace her features and that didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"Yes, it is true. I insulted Ino Yamanaka, the one and only model, until she couldn't take it anymore and left."

In all honesty, when the young heir found out about what happened, the first thing he did was to enter the security system and check out the video record, not able to contain his laughter upon hearing his maid basically humiliating that woman.

It was pure gold and he could not have been more proud of her. Of course he saw the fact that she has roamed through his files, but that didn't bother him.

"Hn…that does not sound too good Sakura. What if she was there for business and I missed a good opportunity because of you?"

Sakura lowered her eyes, not quite thinking at the possibility when her jadeite eyes cast upon her frame entering Sasuke`s office. What if he has been right?

"I am sorry, I acted on pure instinct." A long finger slipped under her chin, brought the Sound agent`s face closer to the Uchiha`s, their noses slightly touching. Was he making her feel so bad with every remark of his own? Her pureness was contagious.

"Why did you do it?" Although the onyx eyed man knew exactly that the beautiful lady was not the type to bash on people without reason, so that blonde model must have done something to offend her in the very first place, because judging from her reaction, the two of them seemed to not be at the first encounter. So there has been some history behind it and that interested him in the very fist place.

Sakura bit her lower lip, feeling her boss` hot mint breath on her lips making it hard for her to focus on his question, debating if she should let him know.

Why not? "Because we have met not long ago at the mall and she tried to humiliate me in front of the other people. I will let my guts speak for myself and it tells me she is a major whore."

Sasuke let a small smirk make its way on his handsome features. Of course everyone knew what kind of woman that Yamanaka was, because she had scandals involving men every week.

And hearing that she has tried to make fun of Sakura kinda made him nervous, silently asking himself how to royally take her back for that. "Are you sure this is the only reason?"

"Y-Yes…_NO_!" Of course the reason why the emerald eyed agent did what she did was for her to throw Ino out of the Uchiha`s life, feeling like being stabbed in the heart at the idea of them meeting and her try to flirt her way into his pants.

There was no way in hell the Sound assassin would have stand beside and wait in line. Sasuke was no McDonald`s.

"Be honest." The way his maid`s shoulders stirred for a second confirmed Sasuke the fact that she did it out of jealousy and that really amused him to no end.

Did Sakura really think he would have been that much of a dumb imbecile to choose a woman like Ino over her? In the past he should have done it, but not any longer.

"…I…I don't like the idea of her…her being beside you…Sasuke." At least she was honest in that one.

"Hn…such possessiveness. You have kept it well secured down your mind, Sakura."

"...no I don't want to sound…"

"It does not bother me." A quick brush upon her lips silenced whatever Sakura has to say, letting her eyelids fall and kiss the man back, opening her hands and resting her palms on his chest.

He was slow and gentle in his movements, no tongue involved, just feather like sweet chaste kisses and it made Sakura`s heart fasten its peace at the amount of feelings Sasuke let her know through his caressing, placing reassurance back into her mind.

He was not angry with her actions like anyone in his place would have been and that meant they truly had some mysterious connection.

Out of nowhere, a loud roar pierced the deadly silence of the night, coming from the road, echoing through the solitary valleys, urging Sasuke and Sakura to abruptly pull apart and become alert. Someone was coming.

The Sound agent attempted to stand up and see what was going on, suddenly afraid of someone following them and find the situation proper to take action and do something bad, but a strong grip around her waist prevented her to do so.

She took a quick glance at the coal eyed Uchiha, seeing that he was following the direction of the sound, his body tensed like he was ready to strike any moment if some harm was expecting for them, hoping to catch him by surprise.

She complied with his movement and lowered her body back on his own, she too letting her questioning gaze to stay glued to the road, waiting.

But the emerald eyed assassin did not have time to awe at her boss calm and collected attitude, because a moment later, they have been blinded by strong white lights coming from the sinuous path, stopping right in front of them.

"_What the freaking Hell..." _There, in front of them stood five drivers, all of them on off road motorcycles, stopping their vehicles and removing their helmets. Sakura was confused about their identities and what business could they have possibly had with them.

She was barely seeing them to begin with, because the strong light coming from their bikes was preventing the agent to take in their figures and they did not seem too friendly. There was something in their demeanor that posed as a great threat and she trusted her assassin instinct, because she sensed the same aura around them. It did not look good.

"Sasuke…" The said raven hair had no attempt to move his body from that position, content with titling his head on his side to have a better view of them, appearing not bothered by their sudden appearance.

"Well well…guys, it looks like some lovey doveys decided to be funny tonight and steal our special meeting point!"

The guy in the middle, probably their leader, shouted at his other four companions in a mocking manner, pointing at the Uchiha heir and his maid. So that was the reason why they came there in the very first place.

Sakura let out a breath she was not aware she was holding. For a second the Sound agent was really scared at the thought of them belonging to Lorane, but they seemed to be some rich machos that lacked public attention and had a lame attempt to appear interesting that posed no threat for her.

The pink haired maid took a quick mental notice of her surroundings, planning the fastest way to take on them all with the minimum effort.

If those people were not professional assassins of members of some criminal organization the Sound agent could have take on them all with mid difficulty.

Of course, there was a little problem naming her boss witnessing how would she make a fool of five grown up men, but such was life, plus he has already seen her beating his security guards so maybe he was not going to be that surprised.

"Yeah…and look at them fixing us with those stares! I find this kind of rude, don't you think?" Another one addressed to the others who were smirking at the puzzled couple.

"Maybe they think they are better than us! Why don't you two get lost, I think I have heard your mommies calling?" Roars of laughter.

It took the Sound agent every self control she had not to burst in laughter upon hearing such a declaration of manhood, but she knew she had to play the weak scared woman in need for the moment. Maybe they just wanted to chase her and her boss out, without any further complications. _"Just think? Bitch please, it would only take me ten seconds to make you beg for mercy."_

There was a thing that bothered her thought, but the pink haired girl realized the reason behind the strange attitude.

She asked herself why was Sasuke staying glued to the ground and prevented her from standing up as well, but she realized he was doing his best to stay concealed and not be recognized.

The emerald eyed agent wanted to slap herself for her dumbness. Of course another scandal to add to the already many others would not going to do the Mangekyou`s CEO any good. Sakura was not a fool.

Deep inside, she knew that probably her unresponsive dark haired boss would be able to teach those drivers a good lesson if he wanted to.

Naruto already told her he is a martial arts expert who was sought by the CIA and that was no joke because they only picked the best of the best. And that made her slightly curious on what is he going to do next.

She saw three of them getting off their off road motorcycles, heading their way. Ok, so they were searching for a good beating and hell Sakura would be in to serve them. Not that she anything against them, but they interrupted her from kissing the hot male more and that annoyed her to no end.

"Hey you losers! Are you fucking retarded or just really dumb not to answer us?! Or are you possibly deaf?" The three riders stopped at two meters in front of the not that shocked pair, probably annoyed of the fact that their pathetic attempt to be intimidating was not going on accordingly.

The Sound agent raised an eyebrow at them, taking a glance at her boss. Amazingly, he was having the most serene attitude ever, but his penetrating dark gaze cast on his little audience assured her he did not lost his mind, on the contrary he seemed to calculate something and consider the situation around him.

It looked like not even the strong light in his face made him falter and that did not go unnoticed by the machos that proceeded with caution, despite their threats. She played along not saying a thing.

"You motherfuckers are pissing me off really bad! No one is going to ignore me and sure as hell not two weaklings that do not afford to rent a room to fuck!"

"Yeah, did we interrupting something?"

The other two on the bikes started to laugh, pointing in the couple`s direction. The only one that maintained a cold façade was their leader.

He tried to be imposing but failing miserably. Sakura took the chance to study them better. They were all tall and fit, except for one that was really fat, but they did not pose any threat. _"This could be interesting…."_

"Man I don't think they are that poor to begin with." He pointed at their felt side, where Sasuke`s own bike was placed. "That Kawasaki is worth some shit."

That caught all the biker`s attention. Indeed, the thought crossed their minds as well, making them take a double took at the weird pair.

"You are right, bro, I did not even noticed it! So you guys are loaded or something?"

Again no answer from Sasuke and Sakura. And the fact that her boss was ignoring them with talent and nonchalance made a snort escape her mouth, not able to take more of the ridicule of the situation. It was the fact that they were ignoring the five riders like they were not even real to begin with what was bothering them and to her stupor, Sakura realized that was Sasuke`s intention in the first place. Was it really his intention to piss them off?

"I think they are pissing their pants, just look at them! Dude is not even blinking HAHAHA!"

"Hey, I say let`s not scare them…too bad."

"Maybe teach them a little lesson about how to treat your superiors and show proper manners."

"We only try to be polite you know, you mute deaf cretins." The man in the middle fisted his hands pointing at Sasuke and Sakura, while the other two pulled out two pretty large knives. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

Ok, so things were going downhill quick. She knew they won't have any chance to get away without a fight and that was going to be bad news…for the five men. She already imagined some well placed punches down their faces.

Her curious slightly amused jade eyes darted on Sasuke`s onyx ones. Again, no reaction whatsoever. He only eyed the five men, without batting an eyelash, keeping his arm securely around her shoulders, in a protective manner.

The Sound agent has been engulfed in a warm sensation of security even though she was the one supposed to be guarding the Uchiha heir and that was making her heart skip a beat at the thought of them being viewed as a pair.

Their leader, visibly annoyed by the lack of response and the defying attitude of Sasuke who was eying them like they were not even worth of him turning his head to properly face them, took two steps in their direction coming dangerously close and pointed at Sakura, while keeping his eyes on the dark haired heir`s face.

"What about I beat the shit out of your arrogant ass and take this bitch from behind right here in front of you? And I might take your little toy as a prize as well."

It was in that moment Sasuke`s aura changed from completely calm to a one that promised murder and it did not go unnoticed by the pink haired maid, who thought she was going to suffocate of the vile intent radiating through every pore of her boss.

Slowly, he lessened his grip on her, shifted his body and rose up, coming in front of Sakura, successfully blocking their view on her, fisted his hands, his nails pressing the soft skin of his palm, slightly trembling in fury.

The daring biker took one step back probably not expecting such a menacing change in attitude, the others exchanging worried glances between them, they too fixing Sasuke with frightened stares, but they did their best to hide it.

"How about you take back what you said about her and I will allow you to live and tell your nephews how you lost all your teeth in the forest, because you had the bad luck to encounter me."

Sakura felt the hair at the back of her neck and arms rise at the vile intent poured into Sasuke`s words, spitting malevolence in the direction of the five men, like they were insects and he was ready to crush them.

And the nonchalance in his attitude when he threatened to kill them all made the pink haired girl`s blood freeze in her veins. For some unknown reason, it looked like the dark eyed man had it in him to do it if he wanted, and that was something that scared her.

She has seen that side of him before and it rivaled the darkness outside and sure as hell the other participants to the show saw it as well, because the two riders that were closer to them took a large gulp.

"H-How dare you threaten me you moron?! I am going to make you beg me not to do some permanent damage on you two!"

The leader was already stuttering and Sasuke saw it as well. If those people really thought they would be able to lay a finger on him or god forbids his maid, they were in for a good surprise.

The young Uchiha smirked arrogantly at their guts.

"Be careful what you ask for but take a look of where you are…no one would found out what happened with a gang of spoiled rich imbeciles at the top of the rocky hills…during night time…with their dead bodies lying somewhere at the bottom of the cliff…"

Dread started to rise in the five men`s throats upon feeling the palpable killing intent emanating from the young heir who was basically burning their skulls with his piercing gaze and the fact that he spoke low, dark and calm increased the obvious blood intent.

The bikers were armed and five, but the sole man that was eying them like a hawk waiting for the right moment to snap successfully inflicted fright down their spines. Sasuke had no idea who the losers were, but he realized there was something about them that did not sit right and that was the reason why he studied them in the very first place, not making a move. But they would not touch Sakura as long as he was alive.

"…A-Are you threatening us?! Stupid! You are only one and there are five of us you imbecile…"

"I…am giving you five seconds to fuck off. One second for each of you. Either you vanish from my sight…or I will make you." He didn't spoke; he has growled the threat to them.

Sakura could not take more of the malevolence coming from the raven haired Uchiha, practically tasting his evil intent on her tongue, not believing how frightening the handsome man could be when he was angry.

She unconsciously grabbed his shirt like wanting to confirm it was really the gentle passionate man that was making out with her earlier, inhaling sharply.

"Sasuke…"

"Sakura." She knew what he was telling her. To stay back and not interfere, but how could she have done that when it was her freaking mission to make sure nothing happened to him although…looking at his muscled back and more than furious demeanor more than confirmed her he was not going to be the one hurt.

One of the men had a moment of inspiration upon hearing the brief conversation. "Sasuke…as in…Sasuke Uchiha?"

That made all the riders take a double look at the men in front of them, their jaws hitting the ground when realization hit them full force. It was quite difficult to recognize the successful businessman clad in motorcycle gear at night.

"_Took you long enough you stupid imbeciles."_ The Sound agent silently pitied Sasuke. The next day, another scandal would make the headlines of all the newspapers and magazines and it was going to be another scandal like Blue Lagoon.

Maybe she could have done something to stop that…but what? They have already taken notice of who he was…

"Now that is quite the show HAHAHA imagine such a famous man in the middle of nowhere practicing his hobbies intently!"

"Yeah, I guess he truly lives up to his reputation after all!"

"Let`s not drag this anymore! We have other more important stuff to attend!"

"Boss…are you sure…I mean he is an Uchiha after all…" The two riders that were on their bikes started to realize what were they about to do and who they were messing with.

Everyone heard about some dark rumors about him shooting a man in a club and messing with the Uchiha family was not child`s play, especially with the heir. But his boss seemed possessed because he looked ready to inflict some damage.

"Are you a pussy or something?! He is only talk, just like all of them! Hiding behind his name and money, but he doesn't know who is messing with!"

As soon as the leader of the small gang finished his sentence, he pulled out his own combat knife and darted towards the smirking raven haired man, raising his head in the air, intention obvious and he was followed by the other two, coming from his side.

"And neither…do you."

It happened so sudden that Sakura had no time to react or do something whatsoever, because in the blink of an eye, at lightning speed, Sasuke gently but firmly used his hand to push her back from him and charged forward, _dipped__his body_ down, while letting his right foot got out underneath him , lift up and as graceful as a puma, defying gravity while his body spun in the air, performed a flawless butterfly twist, kicking two of the bikers right in their faces in one move, landing back on the ground and performing another roundhouse kick on the third approaching man`s upper body, not giving him any chance to use his knife.

What was even more frightening was the loud crack signalizing the strength of the hit made his chest armor break right in the area of his sternum, cutting his air supply.

All the three bikers that attempted to stab him were laying on the ground, wincing in pain, doing visible efforts to stand up, blood pouring from their mouths.

Sakura, just as the two remaining males had their eyes wide opened not quite believing their minds were not playing tricks on them, because what Sasuke did was something no one have been expecting.

The Sound agent knew exactly that the type of move her boss used was not only a high class one, but something not a skilled agent like her would have dared to use in such a situation, because it could have become risky.

But the young Uchiha had so much confidence in his skill that did not even considered he might have missed the kick and land straight on their knives.

And the flawless motion of his execution was so stunning, it left the remaining then cowering in fear riders with their mouths agape, like they could have not overcome the shock.

As soon as Sasuke landed perfectly with both his feet on the ground, fixed his dark hard stare on his two remaining opponents, his handsome face partly concealed by some longer raven strands that fell on his eyes and venom dripping from his mouth when he addressed them:

"I hope you two…are going to entertain me more than your loser friends."

His malevolent threat made the remaining people in question snap out of their reverie and attempt to get off their motorcycles and come his way, but they had the engines running, so while they were busy trying to kill switch their bikes, the young Uchiha sprinted towards them, lifted his body off the ground and using one of the motorcycles that were closer to him as support, landed on it with one leg to gain speed and strength and pressing hard on the said vehicle, used a flying kick to knock one of the men in his head, throwing his body off his vehicle at the force and speed of the impact, landing on the motorcycle, in his place facing the last one.

The said man clenched his grip on the large combat kunai he was holding and tried to stab Sasuke in his chest, but the raven haired Uchiha stopped his attempt with a forearm twist block, forcing him to drop his knife and pulled him closer to his side, while shifting his position on the seat to deliver a punch in his face, making him fall right on the ground.

The pink haired maid blinked several times and shook his head once in disbelief, shocked at what she has just witnessed. It was not even the fact that her boss basically made a fool of the five tough men in less than a minute the thing that threw her off, but the grace and elegance in his flawless executions, like he was a skilled martial arts master. Maybe he truly was.

For a moment, he went absolutely still, not moving an inch from the motorcycle, then abruptly turned his head over his shoulder and let his onyx eyes rest on Sakura`s emerald ones, his attitude tranquil.

The Sound agent felt being rooted to the ground in a middle of an arctic storm, her skin pierced by millions of icicles, her jadeite eyes widened in shock.

"_Unbelievable…he did not break a sweat…he is not even panting!" _The way he looked like in that moment…Sakura could not help but part her lips to inhale sharp gulps of air, feeling suffocated at the view of Sasuke.

He was having one leg bent, resting his arm on his knee, the other rooted on the ground, posture straight like he was a king on his throne, dominating the area around him. So dark and so alluring at the same time.

Sakura was facing her conscience being thorn between fearing him and wanting him at the same time, his alluring apparently placidcharacter attracting her like a magnet.

The coal eyed Uchiha was projecting darkness around him at the art level, his serenity being pure malicious intent and that was exactly why he did not even turned his head to check if the man he has just forcefully hit like he was nothing has gained his sensed and planned a surprise attack.

He did not need to do so, because it was just obvious he was not even conscious anymore.

A quick look around assured the emerald eyed maid that beside the rider`s leader who was letting sporadic cringes of pain, holding his chest, the others were knocked out.

In all her life as an agent, Sakura has only encountered two people who were able to manipulate the emotions around them in such a natural way and that were his brother Itachi and her mentor Orochimaru, but not even they were that excellent in their moves.

The Sound agent had absolutely no idea what to do. It was more than obvious they were in no physical danger and logically speaking, she would have expected her boss to shout at her to snap out of her stunned state, join him on his own Kawasaki and make a run for it. But there was no sign in his attitude to reveal such intentions, because he was only staying there, unmoving and eying her.

As far as he was concerned, Sasuke couldn't have been more pleasantly occupied at the sight of his maid, looking like she was debating what her next steps would be.

Was she afraid of him? She was, because everything was written there on her widened sparkling with emotion forest-green eyes for him to see and she was not even afraid to express it.

He gave her a small smirk, titling his head to let some longer strands of his midnight bangs fall into his onyx eyes, thinking at the irony of her seeing absolutely nothing of who he really was.

Was Sakura so aghast at the sight of him punching the living daylights out of those guys like he was doing his morning gymnastics routine?

What about if he started to explain to her just who exactly took care of the four dead decapitated people from the harbor, giving the local police on hell of a case to solve?

They went as far as too involve the INTERPOL as well and the fact that they were not able to find a single clue was not the most entertaining thing for the young Uchiha, no far from it.

What really made him laugh inside like a madman was the fact that his shark faced friend Suigetsu was ragging his dumb brain into figuring out who the assassin really was.

Yes, Sasuke knew his friend was part of the Tokyo INTERPOL forces, but decided to play dumb just to trick him into thinking he had the upper hand.

Of course they were friends and the raven haired heir accepted him as a close person in his life, but he was not oblivious to the things going on around him. Not with his background and connections.

Sakura felt her mind going numb at the sight of her boss, smirking in that sexy way that she came to enjoy so much, his eyes burning with a mysterious light, enhancing the striking gorgeous features, bathed in the moonlight.

He looked like the knight of the night and it was absolutely impossible to stay away from him.

Although dread was giving her goose bumps all around her skin, the dragonflies fluttering in her stomach and chest were a solid proof of the fact that longing was stronger than anxiety.

She let her jadeite eyes follow the direction of his hand when he opened his fist and addressed her in a low velvety voice that melt her insides in pleasure:

"Come."

And before she had any chance to react, the Sound agent felt her feet take the necessary steps in his direction, passing through the lying unconscious people and coming right in front of him, feeling her cells tremble, but she was not sure if it was fear or something else.

As soon as she did that, Sasuke wasted no time in sneaking a hand around her slim waist, pull her into his chest and descend his lips onto hers, kissing her with passion, biting hard at her lower lip and let his tongue slide into her hot mouth deepening their kiss.

Sakura could not help herself but give in into his touch, letting one hand rest around his neck and the other pull at his midnight soft hair, leaning more into the kiss.

The feel of him licking her lips and tasting every part of her mouth, combined with the dark vile aura radiating from his warm hard toned body and the dangerous situation they were in was making her insides crawl in pleasure.

The hazard of the moment and the idea of Sasuke being able to break her into pieces with a single touch if he wanted was making adrenaline surge through her veins and that only aroused her more.

She realized how much of a dangerous man her boss really was, but somehow she knew he was not going to hurt her.

It was the Uchiha heir to break the kiss first, allowing his maid to take a much needed gulp of hair, getting off the bike, but not removing his hand from her waist like he was afraid that if she would be free from his grip she was going to fly away from him and that was something he was not going to allow.

He kissed her for that particular reason, to place reassurance into her confused heart. Sasuke had no problem in killing people that meddled into his business, but no one was going to touch her.

"It is late. Let`s get back into the town."

"Ok."

Sakura followed her boss to his motorcycle, placed his helmet on her head, folded her arms around his torso and they basically flew on the silent dark road, back to Tokyo.

During their little journey Sakura could not help but smile like an idiot in love girl at the thought of all the events happened, not believing she was riding with her handsome extremely important boss, in the middle of the night, with the wind blowing through their hairs and no one on the road.

Having Sasuke in her tight embrace, the pink haired girl felt like she could have done anything she wanted in life and the sensation was uplifting.

Suddenly she felt like wanting to experience new things, be crazy, act wilder and feel free.

For the second time in her life, since she has escaped orphanage, the Sound agent felt liberated and it felt amazing. She felt amazing and the dark Uchiha was the one who show her another side of the story.

Of course, things have changed dramatically since she first started her mission and she wanted to laugh at the past her, who absolutely loathed the idea of coming to take care of Sasuke, cursing him to hell and back, and looking at her in that moment, resting her head on his broad back, holding him even tighter made her heart beat faster and her lips to curl up in joy.

There was a surge of happiness she could not describe blooming into her heart like a shy Canterbury Bell flower, radiating through all her pores, flooding her with warmth and stirring the butterflies in her stomach even more, to the point she could not stop her cheeks to take a rosy shade and small giggles to escape her mouth.

And there was no way she could have seen her boss smirking at her obvious state of high spirits, well aware of the reason why she was hugging him for dear life, pulling his body closer to his and deep inside he felt the same feelings as her.

Riding together with her felt like it was just meant to happen, written in the stars and sealed in every kiss they shared so far. In such a short amount of time, Sasuke was well aware of the fact that his maid was responsible for the problems to leave his mind.

He was able to feel things he thought they were buried inside his mind, too deep to resurface, but it was she who knocked at the gates of his troubled conscience, trying to find light.

The Uchiha really thought Sakura was insane, because she was searching light into darkness. In the past, it was him who was absolutely certain he could not give her what she wanted, but it seemed she only asked for what he had, nothing more and nothing less.

They were flying on the streets, losing their tracks into the city lights, the image of the Japanese city being spectacular with all the lights and the couples hanging around and the sporadic traffic made their little escapade even more delightful.

In all honesty, the onyx eyed Uchiha entertained the idea of taking an U turn and head to a destination unknown until they run out of gas.

It has been so much time since he was able to feel so unrestricted and it was because the emerald eyed girl was with him and accepted who he was. She did not question him in what he did earlier, moreover responding to his call and indulge into his kiss.

Sakura felt really sad when she saw the familiar neighborhood into her field of view, not wanting the day to ever end. She was recalling every of his touches and caresses and it was intoxicating.

The Sound agent could not help her thoughts to accept the idea of them getting closer to one another.

Sure, she didn't even need Sasuke to tell her they could not act like they did in broad daylight and she would not risk her mission like that, but it did not stop her lips to rise up into a smile.

In the past hours, they were like a romantic couple in search for intimacy and she discovered so many emotions into the Uchiha`s beautiful onyx eyes that rose the feelings she had for him to heavenly degrees.

As soon as the young heir opened the front gate and entered his yard, stopping the motorcycle, Sakura got off and pulled away her helmet, caressing her fingers through her hair, eying Sasuke, who pressed his controller to open up the garage.

"I am going inside. Want some green tea?"

"Are you seriously enjoying that taste?" Sasuke turned his head over his shoulder to look at his maid. She had a serene expression on her beautiful face. And a funny hairstyle.

Sakura slipped her hands into the leather jacket`s pockets and bit her lower lip. "No. But I heard is a powerful antioxidant and it is also really popular in here."

"Hn…since when have you become interested in being popular?"

"Since I am trying my best to blend in."

"With that hairstyle and clothes of yours, I am not even sure to which group do you want to blend in." Sasuke gave her a small smirk and took his bike on the garage, laughing inside at the cute pout on her face. She was really entertaining. And stunning.

"What do you mean what group?"

"Ask them." The Uchiha raised his hand and pointed backwards, the emerald eyed woman following its lead, her stare resting on the house across the street. She rolled her eyes.

"Really now…" Their good friendly and polite druggies neighbors were having another party, driving the silent neighborhood insane with the loud music blasting through the opened windows. God were those people weird as hell.

"_Stupid selfish arrogant bastard, wait until I pull out all that hair of yours and reshape your smirking face with my fist…dimwit…moron…"_

Sakura got inside with the sole intent of drinking some hot chocolate with cinnamon she found on the market, not wanting to catch the sight of the whores joining the party, because she felt like throwing up…and beat Sasuke…and kiss him.

The emerald eyed agent knew exactly what she had to do, although it has already been midnight, but there was a moped that really needed to be recovered from the swimming place.

All she had to do is to wait for her boss to head hit the pillow and slip outside. She would have to walk a good half an hour, maybe more because she has not realized how tired she really was.

Sakura boiled some water and waited for the hot chocolate to be ready. She sat on the window sit, letting her mind drift to the incredible moments with her boss, not able to stop thinking about how things would go from there on between them and if they would share such kisses or feel each other up from time to time.

She secretly hoped they will because ever since the pink haired agent got the taste of the young Uchiha she became an addict.

"Hot chocolate at this hour? Weren`t you the one nagging me about healthy food?"

The emerald eyed girl angled her head to follow the direction of the manly sensual voice, belonging to her boss. He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, onyx eyes fixed on the stove.

"You can afford to break the rules from time to time..." Sakura prompted her head on the window frame, hands folded with fingers intertwined placed on her lap.

She was curled like a lazy cat, trying to resist the urge to close the distance between them and kiss the gorgeous male again…and again and again until she wouldn't be able to take more of him.

How could Sasuke not catch the hidden message behind her words, since everything about the way she was avoiding his gaze or how her voice came more like a whisper betrayed her inner turmoil. Did she honestly think what they have done was a one time thing?

Sasuke cold not contain a smirk to grace his features. She was in for a big surprise. "And it you are not being caught, you can even do it more often."

The raven haired man was certain his maid understood the meaning, and the angelic smile he came to like so much that made its way to her beautiful face assured him that he spoke her untold words.

"How did you know…I was about to drink hot chocolate …_how much more are you able to see into my heart_…?"

"I got the taste of it."

Sakura let her jadeite dart to his coal ones blushing slightly at the sight of his alluring features and not so concealed innuendo. That man never ceased to amaze her and that was why she was so attracted to him. One would never get bored with such a man beside.

"Be careful not to become an addict."

_**/ Be careful not to become an addict/**_

"Hn…_too late_. I am going to sleep. You should do the same." The Uchiha heir turned around and left the kitchen, her words echoing through his mind like a spell, interlacing with the flashback and that made him go crazy. He went straight to the shower, throwing the clothes on the floor without a care.

"_Sakura…Safiya…is there a connection between them?"_

}{

Sakura cracked Sasuke`s bedroom door open and poked he head inside to make absolutely sure her vampire boss was truly sleeping soundly in his coffin and was not going to observe her little escapade.

"_Count Dracula is doing his beauty sleep, okay!"_ She secretly wished to go there, slip under the silky navy covers and sleep with him, but she slapped her forehead once to cease away all the naughty things that crossed her newly discovered perverted side and closed the door, being as silent as possible when going down the stairs and exited the house.

It truly was cold outside at that hour and there was barely anyone outside, except for some couples or gangs of weirdoes.

The Sound agent got a hoodie and slipped her hands into the large pockets, walking at a normal peace and kept her jadeite eyes down not wanting to attract unwanted attention.

She was slightly dizzy because of the tiredness and lack of food and that was why she drank chocolate to gain some energy. The young assassin knew she was neglecting her meals and sleep but she put that aside. Her mission came first.

In her way to the swimming place, the pink haired maid had to cross to a darker side of the town that had some questionable looking warehouses and fewer blocks and she had not seen police checking around.

Even the illumination was poor to begin with, so it was really difficult to have a clear view of the surroundings.

And that was precisely the point Sakura had difficulties in seeing the gang of twenty men emerging from the shadows when she entered the core of the dangerous neighborhood, that had their eyes set exactly on her.

"Are you sure is it her, boss? It was difficult to see something in the darkness."

"Don't you dare to question my memory."

"She was with that Uchiha bastard. What if this is going to bring us even more problems?"

"On the contrary my friend, if that cocky Bruce Lee wannabe wants his fuck toy back, he is going to pay us a fortune for her pretty ass." An arrogant smirk plastered on the tall man`s face did not went unnoticed by the other men closer to him.

"Is it necessary for all of us to be here? She is just a little girl."

"I don't want any unpleasant surprises."

"What are we going to do to her?"

"After you get her, bring her pink haired ass into the main building and make sure she is trapped. We don't want our little bounty to escape us, do we?"

"How about we use her to test our new product?"

"…That my friend…is a really good idea." He turned around and proceeded inside the tallest building, taking half of his henchmen with him as well.

Nine were enough to catch a little mouse. "That is going to teach that Uchiha to mess with me in the first place. Get her!"

Music was blasting through Sakura`s ears, she completely oblivious of what was happening around. It was in the moment she felt a rough hand forcefully making her halt her movements and pulled backwards almost making her lose balance, did the Sound agent realized she was in deep danger.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Same time, Akatsuki`s private villa, Japan, Tokyo

Silence.

Three pairs of eyes were glued to the sun kissed Akatsuki member, trying to take in the information that came out of his mouth. And it took their chestnut eyed female member exactly two seconds flat to snap and let out a piercing high pitched scream of fury her all body portraying the amount of hate she was feeling.

"WHATTTTTT?! Naruto I dare you to repeat what you have just said, because I think my mind has troubles in grasping the meaning of what came out of you mouth!"

Naruto had absolutely no feelings of guilt washing through his cerulean eyes that were glued to Ten Ten, not blaming her for her angered state and not taking her side in bashing the pink haired agent. After all, everyone was entitled to have their own personal opinions in the matter.

"Like I told you Tennie, I told Suigetsu we are part of the CIA."

The Akatsuki female agent fisted her trembling hands into her untied hair, pulling roughly like she was trying to take Naruto`s words out of her mind by force.

"Oh God don't say that again, because I think I am going to be sick! No, screw that, I am already sick and I feel like beating the shit out of you until your dead body is going to be beyond recognizable by the legist!"

Neji, who was more than pissed off because he was awaken from his peaceful slumber, was watching the spectacle in front of him, leaning on the wall and keeping the distance from his enraged fiancé, not quite interested to join the conversation. In his mind, she was overreacting like usual.

His lavender eyes took a quick glimpse at the large TV screen at their team leader`s passive expression. Itachi was having a bored look on his tired face, not saying anything.

When Ten Ten grabbed the controller and not even checking the late hour, caller the older Uchiha to denounce Naruto about his disclosure of identity, all he had to say was "cool", much to his fiancé`s horror.

"_Guys…have you just called me at this freaking hour to watch you argue like kindergarten children? If I wanted scandals I would have called my foolish little brother to ask him if I could come and visit."_

Itachi had even forgot how to sleep, since the Hokage has assigned him with the supervising a team of agents in the Pacific, keeping an eye on some guns dealers, and he got a call to be informed by the most trivial things. The older Uchiha felt like banging his head on the large screen.

"Ten Ten, stop it this is so ridiculous is not even worth mentioning it." Neji rubbed his forehead, wanting nothing much than to go upstairs and resume his sleep. Of course with a woman like the chocolate eyed agent nothing was simple.

"You dumb ignorant Hyuga bastard, don't tell me you teamed with this traitor over here just to annoy me more I mean HELOOOOOO Sugietsu found us out and it is all his and that slut`s fucking fault!"

She pointed at Naruto who had his face hidden in the silk pillow. He was more than tired. He was exhausted. "Itachi, don't just stay there posing as furniture, say something!"

"…_Suigetsu is an INTERPOL agent, so I guess it went both ways, since he too choose to reveal his identity. I see no problem in finding out about one another, since CIA and the INTERPOL are in permanent contact."_

"You tell her Leader!"

"Shut up you Ramen obsessed idiot! Are you for real Itachi? Am I the only one that hears alarms in here?! How many times do we have to cover for that whore?! What if Sasuke or God forbids someone else finds out about this?

Are we supposed to go there and just say ah you know we kind of working for the CIA so whatever looks suspicious, just don't worry, we are going to take our guns and solve the trouble…get serious people!"

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose, his headache rising like the water pressure in a deep ocean. That woman was giving them hell.

"_Look…I understand your concern, but don't involve Athena in this. It was Naruto the one to reveal his identity out of his own accord, so please be objective."_

"He got you in here…" Neji threw a small smirk at his fuming lover, amused to no end by the way she was pacing into the living room, flailing her hands on the air and threatening Naruto like she was a mother in law on her period.

"You shut up!" The chestnut eyed woman almost broke her neck at the speed of her turn of head in the direction of the Hyuga heir, pointing her index at him, not believing that no one was giving her right in the matter. "And you…I hope for your own good that fish stinking manwhore Suigetsu has not trolled you, because if I am going to be discovered by…"

"_I have already checked his personal information on the database. Hozuki Suigetsu, INTERPOL agent at Tokyo Police Forces, working for the Organized Crime and Maritime piracy so it is ok. He is not lying. But I would admit Naruto, you got lucky in here."_

"He was the one to call me first and ask for my opinion. It was true, no one asked me to reveal my identity, but I think I got tricked here by him to do so. Suigetsu is a clown like me, but he has experience as an agent."

"Experience? He basically made a fool of you you…you fool! I cannot believe any of you! You are basically overlooking the fact that not only Naruto has been found out.."

"…by an INTERPOL agent that has collaborated with us…" Neji was not sure at first, but he was sure he has seen Suigetsu at the Blue Lagoon arresting some whore. It was too dark to see such details and he was busy in fighting those criminals to begin with.

"Do not interrupt me please, thank you! I don't give a fuck if Suigetsu is working for the INTERPOL or he dresses in Mickey Mouse at Disneyland!

Not only that woman made Naruto reveal his identity, but she has humiliated us at the swimming place as well and guess what?! It was your fault for covering for her as well!"

"Tennie…" Naruto could not take more of her colleague`s bashings. After his little chat with Sakura and Suigetsu he has realized just how much of a wonderful person the pink haired agent really was and it was too bad in his opinion that Ten Ten was so blind by hate to see it as well.

"Don't Tennie me you imbecile moron! Why the hell did you go there and fight Sasuke in front of a group of people eying us and recognizing us as well?! I don't understand your obsession for that…slut! This is what she is don't you see?!"

"Honey I think you should calm down and let us…"

"NO! I am sick of all of you act like nothing happened to begin with! Why are all you men so lenient when it comes to Athena of the Sound, are you all in love with that hooker or you just think with your dicks instead of brains?! Are you that blind to overlook she is toying with you all?! I can even bet my money she has successfully seduced Sasuke as well!"

The chestnut eyed agent was beyond pissed. No, she was having so vile intentions for Sakura that she even considered go to the younger Uchiha and reveal everything just to see her suffer. She couldn't hate on her more.

She turned around to face the TV looking deadly into Itachi`s dark eyes, annoyed to no end at his passive attitude. Was there something to faze him to begin with?

"You can say what you want Itachi but don't come to me crying when your brother is going to send you an invitation to his wedding. I am sure you would be more than happy to become family with the world`s second slut."

The older Uchiha decided to play smart. _"…the second? Who is the first then?"_

"Her friend Karin, duh!"

"Actually…that would make her my cousin…"

"Look at my face Naruto, do I look like I give a shit about that?"

"Actually…I only see you have not removed all your foundation from your face. Man that pimple is kind of big."

Naruto and Neji let out a loud laugh at the way their female member`s ears go red in fury and she stomped her foot on the ground, fisting her hands in their direction. Itachi snorted loudly. His team…was not normal.

"….Oh my God, I cannot believe you Naruto, how can you laugh in this situation?!"

"…by stretching my mouth, throwing my head backwards and let the air escape my lungs!"

Neji hid his face into his palms, not quite able to contain more laughing. At that hour…all of them were more than insane. Itachi smirked widely because he was too cool to laugh. Naruto was in hysterics.

"So you want to be smart huh?! Ok. Have it your way then." Ten Ten took her leather jacket from the armchair, her phone and car keys and bolted to the front door. That made the three men fix her with curious stares.

"Where are you going darling?"

"I am going straight to Sasuke`s home and mop the floors with that whore!"

The Uzumaki got alarmed already sprinting after the chestnut eyed woman. That was not good. If Ten Ten wanted to go confront Sakura, nothing good could come out from that one.

"Wait Tennie, you cannot go there like that! What about the Teme?"

"I don't care about him! You can stay here and laugh for all I care! But she is going to hear exactly what I have to say, either way I am going to suffocate in here!"

Before Neji or Naruto had a chance to stop her, the Akatsuki female agent opened the door and it took her 30 seconds to take the black SUV outside the yard and sprint towards the younger Uchiha`s villa.

Silence.

"_This doesn't look too good."_ Itachi shook his head in disbelief already taking mental notices in how to not annoy temperamental women.

"Fuck she is going to do it…" Neji knew what kind of lady his fiancé really was. He did not know what to do because trying to stop her was pointless. Maybe he should call Sakura and let her know…or not.

"W….Why haven't you stopped her you moron?!" Naruto turned around and screamed at a too stoic Hyuga heir. Their female member took the only available means of transport and there was no way to catch her.

"Like how? You know how Ten Ten is when angry."

"_So you say your fiancé…is going to face Athena of the Sound…at my otutou`s home?" _

"To put it simply Leader…yes."

"_God…this has disaster written all over it."_ Itachi could not even begin to imagine his little brother's reaction as such a possible scandal. He was no fool and he was always the one to stop the arguments at all the Balls and Gatherings between the Akatsuki and the Sound.

The older brother shut his dark eyes and massaged his temples, not believing his eyes on how many problems did he have.

"Leave that to us. Tell me Itachi, have you managed to find out more about the incident with the four decapitated men?"

"_Actually…yes. It looks like police has managed to find a trace on the ground that has been poorly covered in the weird powder. It seems to belong to a motorcycle."_

That caught Neji and Naruto`s attention. "A motorcycle? You mean the assassin`s?"

"_Yes."_

Neji rubbed his chin, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Was it only one?"

"_I don't know this. It is barely visible to begin with, but the police managed to take a sample and investigate it. They are working on determining the type of the bike as well although that is going to take some time."_

"So we have four decapitated people by a killer on a motorcycle…"

Naruto already had a dumb look on his face, rubbing his teeth together. "…What is that movie called, with a guy that rides a bike and has a Halloween pumpkin in flames instead of head? Cos this case starts to sound like that kind of movies where something comes from under the bed and grabs you ankle when you least expect it."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at that, taking notice of his colleague`s comical antics. Man was that agent quite the character_. "Let`s not be so dramatic. I think the suspect is quite…human."_

"Yeah…but he managed to decapitate four tall fit men in one strike and leave no trace behind. I say this is not your ordinary killer from an ordinary criminal organization, in search for revenge."

"_Actually…I am not quite sure about that Neji. According to the police`s report and my own research, those four decapitated people have no background to begin with. I cannot even find their criminal records."_

That was what the older Uchiha has tried in vain for two days to find out, with no success.

"You mean…no one knows who are they? Doesn't this make them suspicious as well?"

"_It does and this is why I think is safe to not overlook the fact that they might belong to a criminal organization as well."_

"So basically an assassin killed other assassins, right?" Leave it to their Leader and the Hyuga heir to have such logic and make Naruto understand absolutely nothing of what were they talking about.

"_This is kind of forced but…I think you can put it like this as well, if it makes it easier for you to understand."_

"Wait a second Itachi. If things are like this, then there are only to possibilities I see here: either the person that killed them wanted revenge or silence them for reasons we don't know, or they had something that interested him in the very first place."

Itachi nodded once, he too suspecting the very same thing. _"I thought about this myself Neji, but police said there was nothing suspicious there to begin with."_

"Maybe the killer got what he wanted from them and the police found absolutely nothing when they arrived."

"_That might be true. But there is other thing that does not sit right with me. Why didn't the assassin or assassins disposed of the bodies? There was enough time to do so."_

Both Neji and Naruto exchanged glances, not quite sure about what to answer. What Itachi told them made absolute sense and that did not cross their minds to being with. "Good question."

"A hidden message? A threat?"

"_More like the former."_

"And…was it meant for the police or for someone else?"

"_More likely for someone else that was behind those people."_

"…this is fucked up I tell you."

"_Yeah…"_

"What about the secret CIA agent that we have troubles in understanding how he found out about the case so fast?"

"_There was nothing suspicious regarding him. Half of the information we got is from him."_

"…I see."

"_Guys I have to go, there are some things I would like to…"_

Itachi had no time to finish his sentence, because a loud BEEP coming from their pagers attracted everyone`s attention. Itachi quickly checked the location of the signal, biting his lower lip at the sight of the GPS coordinates.

"_Guys, a Tokyo agent has sent an SOS. It is at 20 minutes far from where you guys are. I cannot fully locate the location, because the signal is weak. I am sending you the area to look for."_

Naruto`s cerulean eyes widen in shock when realization hit him. A CIA agent has called for any available colleagues around to come and provide backup. Neji caught the meaning of his leader`s words as well. They voiced their thoughts at the same time.

"_Sakura-chan"_

"Ten Ten."

}{

"Wait until I get my hands on that bitch…she doesn't have an idea who she is messing with…God I am going to mur…"

Ten Ten was driving like she had no rule, gripping the steering wheel like she tried her best not to go insane. Seriously, the amount of hate she had for the pink haired agent was radiating through every fiber. The Akatsuki agent was capable of anything in that moment.

She let her cognac eyes dart on the beeping cell phone, slightly surprised to see an SOS message delivered to her.

"SOS from a Tokyo agent? Who could…don't tell me…" Realization hit the Akatsuki female agent full force, making her head hit the dead rest and laugh like an insane woman. The irony of it…of course she knew exactly who had troubles if her colleagues were at home, sound and safe.

In her mind, Sakura got what she deserved and Ten Ten almost wanted to throw her phone on the window, blaming it on her fury. If she has not heard the SOS signal, no one was going to accuse her of not doing her duty to provide backup.

She was thorn between duty and hate, not quite sure of what to do. The chestnut eyed lady removed her left foot from the gas and pressed the brake roughly, the SUV coming to a halt…in the middle of a deserted intersection. She folded her hands on the steering wheel and let his head rest at the top of them, inhaling deeply.

Having her blood boil in rage was one thing, but having an agent sending an SOS signal that was only used for the worst scenarios, like Naruto did back then at Shiseido Ginza was no child`s play.

She checked her pager. Itachi has sent a copy of the GPS coordinates, with the message that he could not fully locate Sakura, because the signal was weak._ "She is somewhere inside…"_

"25 minutes from here by car…" She pressed the back of her hand on her forehead, brown eyes tightly shut. _"God…what do I do now?"_

Ten Ten took her pager and threw it on the back sit, threw the SUV into reverse and stepped on the gas, taking a sharp U-turn. _"I don't give a fuck…about what happens to her."_ She did not even answered Neji or Naruto`s desperate calls on her phone.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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The first thing Sakura realized when she woke up was that she was literary freezing. She blinked rapidly few seconds to try and have a clear view of where she was, but her vision was blurry.

Her eyes were stinging like she someone has thrown sand into her cornea and the lack of tears to lubricate the sensitive orbs was making it hard for her to even keep her eyes opened.

But that was mandatory, because there was one thing that the pink haired maid was certain about and that was the fact that she was in deep trouble. When her vision started to clear, Sakura took in her surroundings.

Apparently she was in a cold room and the level of the ice was at least ten centimeters thick, making the temperature in the small space drop under zero degrees fast. It was like walking barefooted on an iceberg, the feeling of all her blood freeze in her veins making her feel numb.

"Argh…" The Sound agent was aware of the fact that she was lying on the frozen surface and the only barrier she had between her body and the ice was a not so warm hoodie and T-Shirt underneath, that were not able to provide enough warm to prevent a hypothermia.

The fact that she was not able to feel any muscle in her body was not coming as a shock for the emerald eyed woman, because she was well aware that it was not going to take much time for her body to go completely numb and her heart to eventually stop beating.

She managed a small smile. Funny how she felt so warm and cosy in her boss` embrace few hours ago and then she was face to face to death.

Sakura has tried her best to remain calm and think about a strategy. She could barely move her head and her hands, which were tied with a rough thick rope, behind her back. She was lying on her side and her feet were also tied but with something stronger that sounded painfully familiar as a pair of handcuffs.

"…**ten**…only **ten**…" That was the number of the men she has managed to incapacitate when one of them grabbed her arm roughly and she regained her balance, elbowing him in the solar plexus and round kicking him in the chest, breaking three of his ribs.

The other mystery persons soon took turns in trying to get their hands on her, but they failed miserably.

Even though they came armed with knives and baseball bats, the Sound assassin has managed to defend herself, using senbons and hand to hand combat. She mentally cursed herself for leaving her Bo Staff home, because with her weapon of choice she would have been long gone.

The pink haired maid even managed to have only superficial scratches, while the other were lying on the ground, holding their injured ribcages, arms or feet.

She was sure she has managed to kill two of them with her senbons as well, but it was self defense so if the police was to find out there was going to be no problem for her.

Only she did overlook to take in the unexpected. And she paid the price of her carelessness when five more emerged from the building they had brought her in, all armed but surprisingly not with fire arms, but more like traditional oriented weapons, giving her hell.

It was in the moment one of them managed to get closer to Sakura while she was busy avoiding a well aimed punch in mid distance and inject a weird substance down her arm, her mind went blank and her body turned to jelly.

There was no way the emerald eyed agent could have defended herself anymore and the people attacking her were skilled to being with. She had bruises and open cuts all over her body; the most painful of all was a deep cut on her right tight that was bleeding badly.

Soon after the weird substance took full effect, she dropped to the ground and an axe kick aimed at her head was the last thing she has seen before she lost consciousness, hence the throbbing headache and the rivulets of blood leaking sporadically from her open cut, most of it being dried on her pale frozen skin.

Her clothes were ripped and her hair was messy, bathed in her blood and sweat, equally frozen as the rest of her body. She had big scratches and cuts down her arms and legs and bruises all over her torso.

The rosette was aware of a front kick aimed at her spine, which she managed to barely avoid, resulting in a burning pain on her neck and lower back, slightly worried not to have had further deeper injuries and risk part of her vertebras to puncture her spinal cord and become paralyzed.

Sakura was certain she would have had horrid pains all over her body if not for the fact that her body went numb because of the low temperature and she was not sure how much the adrenaline could have helped her into lessening her suffering.

She exhaled sharply taking notice of the extremely low temperature that made her see her breath.

Her lungs were burning her and her chest was paining her. Violent shivers made its way to all her body and the pink haired agent felt more and more confused, as an obvious sign of hypothermia.

The irony of it was that she could not even cry anymore, in pain or fear or both. She went through all her options in her mind; nothing concrete seemed to help her. Sakura was certain not even a genius like Shikamaru Nara would have been able to come up with an escape plan from that situation.

No more than 7 meters square…those were the dimension of the room she was currently occupying for God only knew how much time she had to live.

And the high shelf where different packs with colorful substances were placed gave the jadeite dizzy eyed girl an insight to what was happening there, mentally putting two and two together.

"…_they are testing drugs…they are drug dealers…"_ And she knew why she was kidnapped, because she recognized one of the men among them and that was one of the five riders that Sasuke took care of. Apparently they were part of a bigger organization and she fell right into their trap.

The question was why didn't they kill her in the very first place and all that her mind could come up with in her state was either they were trying to contact her boss for a recompense which was laughable, or they were using her as test subject which was most likely.

She vaguely wondered if Sasuke would have paid whatever ridiculously amount of money they would have asked for her. Would he? Was she really that valuable in his eyes?

It was pure assassin reflex to press the SOS button from her phone when she sensed she was going to lose consciousness and hope someone the Akatsuki would hear it.

There was no signal in the area and she knew it as well, not only that but in the moment she dropped her phone, one of the men that made a small cut on her neck stomped on it and broke it into pieces so any chances in calling Orochimaru were gone.

During her career as a CIA agent, Sakura has managed to survive many deadly situations, like being trapped on a sinking submarine or plane crashes, but at least she was not drugged, hurt and tied in any of them and somehow she has always found a way out. Not anymore apparently…

"_Fuck…I don't want to die like this…"_ But what was she supposed to do? Wait for backup? As if…who knew if Akatsuki heard her signal or if they were willing to come. No, that was beside the point, they had to come because it was any agent's responsibility and Naruto would not leave her aside since she has saved his life as well, the others included.

Sakura attempted to move her legs and fingers again, with disappointing results. She could feel her muscles constrict and there was not enough blood flooding through her because of the low temperature to provide her warmth and strength, hence the dizziness.

And that drug…the pink haired maid searched through her information, trying to relate whatever they have injected into her system to any known poison or substance.

The emerald eyed agent took in her symptoms, trying to put aside the once caused by the freezing: dizziness, confusion, loss of muscles control, low blood pressure and she would have tried to articulate some words, but that only came out as a cough. Damn the coldness in the room.

Of course it was difficult to determine the exact substance she was given and they were testing drugs, so there was a chance she has been injected with a mixture between some of them.

But Sakura knew that whatever they have given her was mean to incapacitate her, that was more than obvious so she took her guess nonetheless.

"_Rape drugs…Rohypnol…"_ She knew that in many countries that particular substance was used to immobilize the victims of the rape because of its effect over the human body and if she has been given such a mix, it was twice as bad.

"_Damn it…"_ The young agent let her eyelids rest over her tired jadeite eyes, prompting her forehead on the cold floor. She was in real trouble and she could not even say if she was going to survive until one of the Akatsuki would hear the message and help.

There was only one thing that she had and could have been used and that was a smaller senbon she has managed to slip into her Jeans pocket, God only knew how, in a moment of inspiration. But she did not have enough energy to attempt anything.

Sakura formulated a quick plan into her mind, finding too many things that would have gone truly bad for her to put up such a stunt.

First she had to somehow untie herself, then break the metal door and escape, just to face the whole gang of bikers, who she did not even knew the number of. All in all, it sounded impossible.

She bit her lower lip in anger, a stinging sensation piercing through the bruised soft skin.

A faint electrical discharge washed through her body, making her muscles come to life for a moment and her lifeless eyes show wide open. It was not because of the injuries…her lips…Sasuke…how could she have forgotten about him.

"_No…I will get out of here…no matter how…"_ It was a decision she took right there and then and that was she was going to return to the raven haired Uchiha, even if she had to do the impossible and escape the troublesome situation.

How would she have expected to face Lorane one day if she, as the Sound's top assassin would be reduced to silence by a bunch of mere drug dealers.

With a newfound energy, Sakura shifted her position and flexed her arms, managing to slip her tied hands into the pocket and pull out the senbon.

She took some deep breaths to relax, the effort making her even dizzier than she was. She clenched her jaw to prevent her teeth from chattering and risk to bite her tongue in the process and curled her body, so as her hands came in contact with her equally tied legs.

She felt the cold metal under her fingertips. The Sound agent has been right; they have used handcuffs to immobilize her. She would have laughed at their imbecility if the situation would have been in her favor.

"_Metal…in extreme cold…you imbeciles…"_ If the people that kidnapped her were that dumb not to have the elementary notions of chemistry, such as metal becomes very brittle in low temperature, then there was no way she was going to die in there, by their hands.

As expertly as she could giving her condition, Sakura arched her back, as much as she could, aware of the fact that her spine might have suffer a severe trauma, and slipped the needle in the keyhole, well aware of the fact that she had to bent the end of the senbon to end up with an angle shaped like a squiggle.

She had her head turned on her side as much as she could and she let out a small smile when her jadeite eyes caught the sight of the shape she desired.

She placed the bent part into the keyhole again, so that it was pointed in the direction of the locking arm. It took her about five minutes of patiently twisting the needle until she heard the familiar click of the handcuffs unlocking and spring open. _"Yes!"_

The effort it took the pink haired agent to free her legs, caused blood to surge through her members and she was getting aware of the injured state she was in, because Sakura was hit by sharp pains in her lower back, chest and shoulders.

And the fact that she was lying on her side made her deep cut on the tight rub against the frozen surface, which was agonizing.

But that would have to wait until she got home…or hospital. The young girl was well aware of the fact that she had to treat the injuries as fast as she could and she needed medical help.

Sakura took her time and moved her unrestrained legs for some minutes to let blood circulate through them and warm whatever it could be warmed.

She was freezing in there and it became even more difficult to move any part of he body. When she was content with the result she got, slowly but firmly the pink haired Sound agent had two failed attempts to stand, but she managed to on the third try.

She felt like she has been hit by a speeding train, because as soon as she gained her verticality, the emerald eyed lady shut her eyes and let her back rest on one of the walls, feeling the floor slip out of her feet.

It was impossible to determine the time she has been unconscious and have an idea of how much the effect of the drug was going to last.

The fact that she had the peak was the only certainty the agent had in that moment. She shook her head once and reopened her stingy forest green eyes, lowering her upper body and bringing her hands from the back to her front, studying the rope.

It was professionally tied and pretty thick, also more resistant to extremely low temperatures than the metal from the handcuffs.

"_Hm…let`s see just how sharp ice can be…"_ Inwardly, Sakura felt really lucky that nobody came and check on her until then and that gave her time to devise a plan.

There was no way the Sound agent would have been able to run from there or fight those men, but she could have hid in the building and give the Akatsuki more time to find her. Time, that was what she needed in that moment.

She went in the direction of the high shelves, where various bags and drug containers rested and focused her gaze on a thick really sharp icicle, pointing on the ground.

She raised her arms with much difficulty, cursing the fact that she was not tall enough and rubbed the rope that held her hands captive on the razor like icicle, until she felt the material start to give in.

"_Fuck…it takes too much time…"_ The young assassin paid attention to maintain the speed of the move, applying only the necessary pressure to cut down the rope, without risking the icicle break and hurt her, but that was proved to be a difficult task because her body was weak, frozen and her injuries were stinging and throbbing. The worse part was her thigh.

She darted her emerald eyes on her right leg, taking in the deep cut through her ripped Jeans. She had blood leaked down her whole leg and the freezing temperature was doing no good to the open injury.

She could not even want to imagine all the complications and permanent damage her body was going to sustain if she did not free herself right there and then.

Sakura returned her focus on her task, mentally calculating the time it took her to successfully cut the rope in half, not quite believing her eyes such thing actually worked.

She felt like playing in a movie with stupid people. _"15 minutes…"_ When her hands come loose, she took the notice of her scratched reddened wrists, her mind drifting to the small moon on Sasuke`s left wrist, unconsciously liking the event with the LSD.

The pink haired agent let her eyes roam through the shelves and drugs boxes, checking if they had a name or any information relevant. She found out they had, but she could not recognize the names. Either way, under the note with each drug`s name, there was a small list of ingredients.

She furrowed her eyebrows at this, her suspicion confirmed. Those men were mixing common drugs in hope to increase the power of the psychedelic substances on the nervous system.

Some of them were really familiar and Sakura remembered what Tsunade and Orochimaru thought her about some easy concoctions she could have made from the basic drugs.

Luckily for her, there was such a combination of Cocaine, Rohypnol, Chloroform and Sevoflurane, the former ones commonly used as anesthetics in medicine.

She took the small bag and slipped it into her pocket, because she was almost certain that would come in handy if the Sound assassin wanted to make a run for it later, by drugging some guards.

"_Now let`s see the door…" _Not only she was coughing deeply and her chest was hurting her, but Sakura was trembling madly as well, feeling her bones crack. It was amazing how was she able to even stand.

She was so cold it was painful but at least if she has been able to feel pain, meant the drug was decreasing in effect. Better have her mind clear if she wanted to make a run for it.

A quick study of the metal surface assured Sakura the door was neither really thick nor really solid to begin with and that was good.

Of course she had no strength left to break it or force it open, but she could easily go for the lock with her senbon and that was exactly what she did in the very first place, only the lock was harder to break that the one from the handcuffs.

There was a small voice at the back of her mind that alerted Sakura there was someone approaching her, but she could not be sure.

Either ways, she had to get out of there quickly, because she had no idea of how much time has she resisted in the extremely cold temperature and it was in the moment Tsunade`s teachings came to her mind did the pink haired agent realize it was because of the weird effect on the drugs she has been injected that she able to regain consciousness and not go into hypothermia.

A loud click heard from the other side of the door made her halt in her movements. _"Oh no…"_ Garnet eyes went wide open when the realization of one of the men that took her captive might have decided to check on her made her panic inside and that did not helped her current situation.

If one of the riders was indeed coming to make sure she did not try anything funny, any chance to get out of there was goodbye, because the Sound agent did not have the guns or the strength to fight any of them.

Not with her body numb and the deep cuts on her skin. It was a miracle the mere idea of being able to coordinate her movements and hold the senbon in between her cold trembling fingers.

"_No…I will not die in here, I cannot!"_ Sakura took a step back and raised the senbon in front of her face, the intent clear.

If there was a thing that she was certain about was the element of surprise that was on her side, because whoever was behind the door could not have any idea of what she was doing. The Sound agent checked on her surroundings and she spotted no CCTV, which meant they were not keeping their eyes on her.

What was truly weird was the fact that the mystery person on the other side of the door has not opened it by then and the clicks from the lock were still heard, which only meant there was no key on the door.

She stirred her shoulders, thinking hard. _"Is he forcing the keyhole as well?"_ It could have been an explanation, because their kidnapper should have opened the door by then easily with the proper key slipped on the keyhole.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of unlocked door and her wide jade eyes followed in anxiety the slow turning of the doorknob, indicating that someone was indeed trying to enter the cold room. Sakura took a sharp breath of air, panting heavily. That was it.

The door was being pushed opened in slow motion, cautiously, like the other person wanted to make sure there is not going to be a monster jumping his bones from the freezing room.

Her left foot went back and she dropped her body lower in a fighting stance, while raising her hand slowly, following the opening of the door and trying to determine the perfect angle to strike.

The sole entrance to her frozen confinement opened more revealing an unidentified silhouette barely visible in the poor illuminated hall. With all the strength and speed she could have mustered, Sakura did not waste any moment.

As soon as her emerald eyes confirmed the presence of a person in front of her, she thrust forward, with the sole intention in shoving the sharp senbon on his chest.

But she was stopped of her attempt by the clash of metal on metal, almost losing balance in the process and the force of the impact sending her and the mystery person two steps back, till Sakura pushed the unknown presence on the wall in front of her.

Silence.

Her garnet eyes went wide as saucers colliding to an equally shocked pair of chocolate ones, eying her intently, like wanting to confirm the person in front was indeed real. Realization hit the two women full force.

Two words came out of a heavily panting Sakura, and that in the form of strangled whispers.

"….Ten….Ten…"

It was the first moment the Sound agent felt like putting the Akatsuki female member into a tight embrace, forgetting all the hate she had in stock for that woman. Ten Ten could not have found a better moment to make a glorious appearance. But how was she able to find her? Was it her who got her SOS?

Almost like reading her mind, the beautiful agent took in her appearance, almost not believing her eyes it was the famous Sound assassin standing before her.

"Athena? What the heck…what happened to you?" She relaxed her stance, lowering her hand that was tightly gripping the kunai she used to block Sakura`s unexpected attack.

It was pure agent intuition that the cognac eyed woman defended herself, not quite entertaining the idea of the pink haired assassin physically assaulting he from the other side of the door. She too heard the lock being forced and that was making her proceed with caution.

Nonetheless, chestnut eyes did a quick scan over the panting and trembling woman in front of her, pity making its way to her throat. Sakura`s clothes were ripped, she had open cuts and deep injuries down her arms and neck, a split lip, a deep cut on her temple and she could not ignore the big one from her tight.

Not only that but she was freezing and her whole pale skin got a purple hue like a piece of dead meat. She could not help but think in awe how was it even possible for a human being in that condition to even find the strength to free herself and attempt to escape.

"…I…have been…attacked…by….them." Sakura dropped the senbon she was holding, aware of that fact that it served no functional purpose, since the end was bent to force the lock.

Her knees turned to jelly and gave away, making her body drop on the floor. Her all body was aching her and it was painful. Sakura wanted to cry at the sharp wave of pain washing through her body.

Not only that, but the adrenaline rush made some parts of her skin defrost and the pinching sensation on her skin was so bad it felt like it was burning her.

Ten Ten shook her head in disbelief. Never in her life could she have envisioned Sakura in such a situation and no matter how angry she was at her and how much she loathed the woman in front of her, it was difficult to ignore the state she was in.

Her chocolate eyes softened and she bit her lower lips, thinking hard at the situation. It was more than clear the agent was in no condition to fight or even walk.

The Akatsuki female member took out her phone and pager and checked for the signal. She had none, because the buiding`s inner walls were covered in a special aluminum foil that made the tracking impossible. If she wanted to contact Neji and Naruto they should head outside.

"Fuck…here." Ten Ten took a bottle of warm green tea (she was not a fan of water) and a pill and lowered her body on the ground, kneeing in front of Sakura, who raised her head slightly to look into her eyes, eyebrows rose.

"Is that…"

"Yeah. Our special pill. Take it." Ten Ten handed the items to Sakura, following her movements intently.

All the CIA agents had special designed pills that contained an non harmful for the body dosage of snake venom and ginkgo biloba that gave the body enough sugar rush to escape a troublesome situation and stimulating the cerebral activity, as well as preventing infections to spread and neutralizing the common poisons. It was Sasori`s finest invention.

Without wasting anymore time, the pink haired agent shoved the miraculous pill down her throat and took a sip of the tea, relishing in the warm beverage that did wonders to her frozen insides. She handed the empty thermos flask to an expecting Akatsuki agent nodding once.

"T-Thank you."

Ten Ten watched in pure fascination how Sakura managed to pull her body up, steadying her position and rubbing her messy hair, taking in her surroundings.

"Where are we?"

"Don't you know? We are in the tallest building from here. The one with the white windows. This is the main floor. The others are in the basement and the first floor. I think is abandoned and those bastards found it convenient to make it their HQ."

Sakura exhaled deeply, feeling the pill taking its effect. Of course the next days she was going to face the symptoms of a pregnant woman, in terms of throwing up every ten minutes, but she was going to lose appetite which was really bad for her condition. She turned her head to face Ten Ten, who scanned the poorly lighted long hall.

"I lost consciousness while I was fighting them outside. I have no idea how I ended up in here."

"I see. Are you sure you are able to walk?"

"Barely. How did you get in? Where are all the others?"

"When I got your SOS and arrived in here, there were only three men keeping an eye of the surroundings, but I have managed to incapacitate them with poisoned senbons, successfully slipping past them and entering the building.

On my way here, I have heard two people taking to each other in the small room that is closer to the entrance, about some girl they have managed to kidnap that is held prisoner at the end of the corridor in a really cold room, where more drugs are stocked."

The Sound agent blinked rapidly, trying to force some tears to moist her stinging eyes. "So you already know they are drug dealers. I must confess they are also riders and they have attacked Sasuke and I some hours ago. What is the time?"

Ten Ten eyed her wristwatch, digging in the piece of information Sakura has told her. "3 am."

"Shit…So I have staid in that room for at least three hours. Damn it."

"Naruto and Neji probably got the SOS and last thing they did was talking to Itachi so I am sure they were able to at least locate you on the GPS, although I am sure the lack of signal made it difficult for them to fully see you on the map."

"So this means they are scouting somewhere around." Sakura already felt relief washing through her.

If the Hyuga heir and the blonde Uzumaki were somewhere close to them, four CIA agents were having no problem in taking those people down, even if they used firearms. Akatsuki were specialists in guns.

"I think so. I called Neji on my way here and told him I am closer to you. He said he was going to provide backup. If this people are drug dealers, Tokyo Police must be announced."

That reminded Sakura of Suigetsu and a quick glance at the chestnut eyed agent assured her of what exactly she thought of the fact, but refrained form voicing out her frustration when they were in a deadly situation. "Yeah…"

"Let`s get the fuck out of here before someone comes and find us."

"Good point."

The two women made their way to the exit, extremely cautious to their surroundings, proceeding with silent moves as two ninja warriors, not wanting to attract any sort of attention. Both the agents were more than aware of the fact that it was too easy and soon they would have to fight again, much to Sakura`s horror.

Who knew where the other Akatsuki agents truly were of if they were going to make it on time in the first place and the emerald eyed woman barely moved to begin with so any sort of back up was utopia.

They were getting closer to the exit, hearing muffled sounds of people talking echoing through the stillness of the building, trying to adapt their hearing and follow the direction of the whispers and determine the location of the drug dealers.

"You do realize it is too easy." Sakura was already limping, gripping the hem of her T-Shirt and roughly ripping the soft material, having the intention to improvise a tourniquet for her tight. With her body starting to warm up, her open cut started to bleed again.

"Yup."

"Someone might have seen you entering the building and if they did not, the three people that had to secure the area, now lying unconscious on the ground surely attracted their attention."

Ten Ten slowed her pacing to let the Sound agent to fall into steps with her, aware of her injuries. She thanked all the Heavens she did not have to support her body as well, either ways they were in trouble.

"At least I have not spotted any firearms. I think they refrain from using them in a crowded city like Tokyo afraid to not catch the Police`s attention."

"I agree. Do you have a gun?"

"I do."

"That`s good."

"How about you?"

They were already at the exit, both woman reading each other`s minds. Of course there was going to be a welcome party waiting for them once they were to exit the building and the anticipation made the adrenaline rush through her veins and blood boil. No matter how hurt Sakura was, she knew she had to help her CIA colleague.

"I am afraid I used all the needles on my previous fight and I left my weapon at home."

"Heh…smart move."

"Well, being captured by a gang of drug dealers was not on my agenda today." Sakura would have felt terribly insulted by the obvious mocking tone Ten Ten used, but she was painfully right.

It was her stupidity to roam on the streets without her Bo Staff. Maybe she should take on firearms like her Akatsuki colleagues instead…

"I know you are in no condition to fight." Ten Ten halted her movements when they close to the exit opened door, already hearing all the commotion outside.

"I am aware." Much to the chocolate eyed agent`s stupor, Sakura took one step in front of her, straightening her spine, taking few sharp breaths, in a rhythm she recognized as being a quick yoga exercise to force out inner strength to come to light. It was a similar exercise to Neji`s combat moves.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Ten Ten did not have any joined mission with the emerald courageous eyed woman, but it seemed like the stories of her fighting despite of her injured state like a robot and saving her colleagues were true.

"…But I cannot stay out of this and let you do all the work."

Without further notice, Sakura cut the distance between her and the door and exited the building with Ten Ten following her suit.

And it was just like they have predicted. A gang of smirking and laughing men were waiting for them outside, rubbing their hands together and pointing at their weakened state.

They were not five or ten…not even twenty…

"Thirty motherfuckers…"Ten Ten could not contain a smirk to grace her beautiful face. It was ridiculous. Even she knew they had no chance in taking them thirty men armed with thick sticks and crowbars.

So they truly refrained from using firearms to not attract attention. At least they were lucky on that one. Although luck would have been a little forced in the context.

Sakura`s emerald eyes darted to the crowd, mentally calculating her and Ten Ten`s strength, comparing to their own, as well as their weapons of choice and surrounding area.

"Where is your car?"

"A block away from here."

"We have to get there if we want to escape this alive."

"That…if we can pass through all of them, which I seriously doubt."

The two agents took some steps in the direction of the really amused men. They were all tall and fit and the way the two ladies were proudly facing them like they were super heroes in mangas, without even batting an eyelash or cowering in fear was both fascinating and laughable.

Some of them were cracking their necks and prepared their weapons, they too getting closer to Ten Ten and Sakura. The two CIA agents stopped at ten meters far from the assembly, their stares hard. Inwardly, Ten Ten was cursing herself for dying without screaming at the top of her lungs at Sakura how much she hated her for disclosing Naruto`s identity to Suigetsu.

"Are you always that negativist?"

Ten Ten turned her head to look at Sakura not believing herself the said woman was smirking at the men in front of her like she was crazy.

Did she really think she could have taken thirty men down by herself in her current state, or being delusional was a required skill to join the Sound?

"Are you insane?"

"Maybe. But it takes a certain level of insanity to come this far. And I think it is time for you to take a step forward and break your own rules if you ever dream to surpass me some day, Ten Ten."

Chestnut eyes widened in shock when Sakura`s words echoed through her mind, because deep inside she knew the pink haired woman was right. So all that time, Athena knew exactly how she felt, but did not say anything to argue with her.

"This is impossible. Even for you."

"Have you ever accomplished something you deemed impossible?"

The female Akatsuki member returned her attention to the men in front of her that were eying the two agents like they were inferior and weak and that did not sit right with her.

Ten Ten was a feminist who hated the men`s guts to not take into account the opposite sex`s strength and value. She fisted her hands and clenched her jaw in fury.

"No."

"Then I think it is time to experience new things."

Without wasting anymore time, the Sound assassin slipped her hand into her pocket, pulled out the small bag with the drug she stolen from the cold room and opened it, inhaling the white powder, while keeping her eyes shut, much to her CIA colleague's and the other men's bewilderment.

It was absolutely insane what she did, but it was the only chance they have got. If Sakura was right, that mixture of powerful drugs would give her the necessary intoxicated state to gain her strength back and beat those people to a pulp, saving both her and Ten Ten`s assess…then pay the hospital a visit for chelation therapy.

She was not that worried because she knew the medicine she ingested would prevent the drug to cause degeneration of her brain cells and cleanse her body faster.

It did not take much for her to feel the power rushing through her every fiber, her aura changing completely, like her body was not even aware of the pain.

The emerald eyed girl started to laugh like a demented woman, throwing her head backwards, her sinister throaty voice piercing through the night, slightly scaring her audience. The men stopped their movements, throwing glances at one another, not quite sure of what to do.

"Let the fun begin." And without even waiting for Ten Ten to snap out of her stupor, the Sound assassin darted straight ahead, taking the drug dealers that were closer to her by surprise and performing an aerial kick similar to what Sasuke did on the mountain, knocked out two of them, not even wasting time in turning her attention to the others, throwing kicks and well aimed punches at everyone that got close to her.

Mouth agape in puzzlement, the Akatsuki female member took out her gun, mentally counting the ammunition she had left and shoot in the opposite direction from where Sakura was doing magic to the rider`s figures, with flawless karate movements, and managed to kill at least six approaching armed men.

When she realized she had no more bullets, the chestnut eyed woman blinked twice to make sure that was truly happening and joined the fight.

Soon the silence of the night turned into a roar of grating, crackling or popping bones or joints, coming from the fighting crowd.

Although she felt like floating on a rainbow made of candies and honey, Sakura knew all to well that her euphoric state was not going to last longer, so she tried her best to end her fight as quick as possible.

She put down a man that attacked her suddenly with a well placed fore-knuckle-fist straight punch on his sternum, after paring his snap kick meant at her head with an upper block, the said man stumbling back in pain, blood emerging from his mouth.

A quick glance at her CIA colleague assured her of the fact that Ten Ten was doing good in her fight, because she had some concealed weapons and the sight of her skillfully slipping senbons in the attacker`s pressure points, in between her hand on hand techniques made her smirk. That woman was not bad.

Sakura took a peek over her shoulder to prevent the approaching rider to hit her back with a thick bat, by pivoting on her right foot to gain speed and strength and performing a forearm pressing block, making him drop his gun and stop his movements. A thrust kick to his ankle made the man lose balance and bent his knee, giving Sakura the chance to twist his arm and break the bone with a crack.

It was getting harder for her to maintain balance because of the drugs and injuries and having to block the hard surface of the wood and metal of their bats and crowbars was taking a toll on her.

She had a deep bruise on her left forearm because of a hit she was not able to doge in time and the pain was throbbing, even in her intoxicated state. She was heavily panting feeling chills down her spine.

A loud piercing scream attracted her attention for a moment coming from Ten Ten who managed to take on two attackers coming from her front, with a hook kick, striking with her heel from her right side, right in front of the first one's head, throwing his body over the other behind him, both hitting the ground unconscious, the sound of broken bones and pierced skin echoing through everyone's ears.

Sakura wanted to applaud the brilliant executed move. Truly, she has realized the woman she loathed that much was skilled and it was no deny in that, but she lacked inner confidence…just like the Sound agent.

Maybe that would have explained her rude attitude. She let her jadeite eyes scan her surroundings, taking a mental note of the decreasing number in attackers. There were already ten more left.

Sakura performed a powerful roundhouse kick on the man in front of her, breaking his ribcages and by lowering her body a bit to redirect her energy from her hips to her arms, with a double-fist punch at his face and chest, sent his body straight on the floor, unconscious, sprinting in the direction of her CIA colleague, who was busy avoiding some kicks coming from two riders at once, not aware of a third approaching her from behind.

Ten Ten stopped an attack aimed at her chest with a bent-wrist block then immediately hitting her opponent's trachea with her knuckles, cutting his wind supply and raised her chestnut eyes to the other men that descended his arms and attempted to hit her head with his bat, with an upper block stopping the deadly attack, then kicked him right in his groin, making him let out a sharp scream in agony, dropping on the floor.

Without even turning her head over her shoulders to follow the upcoming attacked meant to break her spin and relying on her hearing and other senses, the Akatsuki agent gracefully lowered her body on the ground level and performed a succession of low, middle and high reverse roundhouse kicks, successfully stopping the attacker that came from her behind, breaking his leg and punching him straight in his face, his body flying backwards, barely avoiding Sakura`s approaching one, landing back on her left leg, in a fighting stance, letting her eyes rest on the pink haired maid's emerald ones.

The Sound assassin came closer to the Akatsuki female agent and pressed her back on the said woman one's she too taking a fighting stance, slightly surprised Ten Ten did not protest at her bold movement. It was not like they were friends or something.

"Six more to go…three for each."

The chestnut eyed woman let out a loud snort, panting and sweating like she has run the marathon. Bruises and cuts were forming down her arms and legs and she had a bruised cheek and a bleeding lip.

A quick peek around assured her that was truly happening. She and the mighty detested by all her branch colleagues pink haired Athena took down 24 armed men by their hands. It was insane.

"That would be fair I guess."

The last remaining men were too having troubles in understanding what was happening in the first place and how come two smaller and weaker women basically humiliated all their small organization.

Nonetheless, without dwelling much on the fact, all six of them attacked the two standing back to back women at the same time.

"Two kicks…this is all I need to take three of them down."

Never removing her eyes from her opponents Ten Ten let out a small laugh, having the time of her life. Seriously, she did not even know what was crazier: the fact that she had fun in beating a gang of drug dealers that were MEN or the idea of fighting side to side to the person she most loathed.

"And who have you seen being able to take on three people at once with only two kicks, pry telling me?" The answer shocked her even more.

"Sasuke."

"…"

Not waiting for any further invitation, Sakura shut her emerald eyes for a brief, inhaled sharply once lowering her shoulders at the same time and raised her arms at 90 degrees, with her palms facing the ground.

When she felt the necessary discharge of energy washing through her body, the pink haired assassin pushed her body off the ground and performed a 540 gyro crescent kick by taking off, kicking, and landing, the other leg pulled back before the swift landing, hitting two of her opponents with the inside of her foot in mid air.

As soon as she landed, the pink haired assassin bringing her knee in front of her chest, then swung her hip while extending her right kicking leg outward, smacking the man`s stomach with the outside edge of the foot, throwing him backwards, hitting his head in the process, dying right on the spot at the violent impact.

Ten Ten, imitating the gestures of the three left men, let her mouth drop to the ground in awe upon seeing the performance, not quite believing her eyes she had witnessed such an execution, coming from a drugged and injured woman, that spent the last three hours unconscious in a freezing room. Sakura was skilled and she was not going to deny the facts.

Sakura turned her head over her shoulders, throwing a knowing glance at Ten Ten, somehow inspiring her to imitate the move and placing confidence in her heart, her jadeite sparkling eyes beaming with self trust and determination, taking the Akatsuki member by surprise.

She was a mess, but she looked like a Goddess on a battlefield, surrounded by decaying bodies of the fallen enemies.

"Heh…not bad. My turn."

Ten Ten charged forward at the stunned unmoving paralyzed in fear remaining opponents that dropped their weapons in fear, not able to believe their eyes what was happening.

And it only took the chestnut tired woman a 360 degrees turn of her fit body to land her heel on two of the men`s heads, with a perfectly executed spinning flying heel kick and a simple roundhouse kick in the last remaining one`s liver to make him have a taste of the ground.

Sakura clapped her hands, shaking her head. "You could have gained more strength from the speed of the rotation, but I am giving you a 9.85 for the execution."

The Akatsuki agent snorted loudly, turning to face Sakura, arms crossed. "You are crazy, you know that?"

"Yeah, so I have been told."

"C'mon let's get the fuck out of here, I don't want more of them to come."

"Right. Lead the way to your SUV. I need to hit the road to the hospital…you as well."

Ten Ten took small steps in the direction of her car, not far from the place they were, checking on her GPS.

"Naruto and Neji have already contacted the police. They were able to locate us when we exited the building. Your phone and SOS signal was broken, that was the reason it took them so much time."

"…they are too late though…"

Sakura, who had her left arm around her lower abdomen, supporting her body and limping, starting to feel the after effects of the drugs and her injuries, stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Ten Ten halt her movements. What was she doing, they had to get out of there.

Not even turning around to face her, the chocolate eyed woman fisted her hands on her sides and shouted at the top of her lungs, visibly annoyed.

"I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH IT PAINS ME MORE THAN ALL THE INJURIES I HAVE!"

"…Why? Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you to nurture such feelings for me?"

"Because everything is your damn fault! Suigetsu found out about us and it is all because of you!" Ten Ten slightly turned around, facing a heavily panting Sakura her stare heated. She had to tell her or she was going to break down.

"That was not my fault. Don't blame me for what you colleague did out of his own accord."

"And this is precisely what annoys me at you the most! Everyone is basically worshipping you and you don't even deserve all the attention! You are just a whore!"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at the accusation, frowning deeply. As if that was the most appropriate moment for them to have that conversation. "How can you say such things about me? You don't even know me!"

"I do! Everyone does!"

"What do they know?"

"Everything! You don't even need to work as hard as us but you deserve all the prizes and the admiration, while the other agents like me struggle everyday to be on the top!"

The pink haired agent smirked at the outraged woman in front of her, shaking her head in disbelief. She had no idea…"You…you don't know what you are talking about…jealousy…just say it you are envy of me instead of bashing me without reason."

Ten Ten cut the distance between her and Sakura, coming right tin front of her, her cognac eyed blazing with unshed emotions, eying her like she hated the mere fact of her existence.

"Do you want me to tell you the truth? Fine. I am going to tell you. I…I am jealous on you all right, but you know why? You…have everything you want in your life. And no matter how much I struggle…I will never be there on the top."

Emerald eyes shot wide in bewilderment. Did the Akatsuki member really confessed her envy towards her and what was she talking about? She started to laugh…carefree. "HAAHAHHAHA…you….HAHAHA….you are crazy!"

"See how you are? You are a hypocrite just like all your colleagues! You think so high of yourself that you view the rest of us like your subordinates and that is something that pisses me off so bad!"

"You know nothing!" The Sound agent was screaming and she was not afraid of whom might have heard her. Ten Ten went silent, not expecting such a reaction. "You say I have everything I want? I am going to tell you…how much I have!"

Sakura came even closer to her CIA colleague, their faces inches apart, her sparkling forest green eyes boring into her cognac widened ones.

"Where do you want me to start? From the moment I run away on the window from the orphanage and lived like a beggar all my childhood and high school, until I met Papa Oro and joined CIA?!

Does not having what to eat for days and being forced to shoplift not to starve to death means everything in your opinion?

How about surviving barefooted during winter, with nothing to cover your trembling body or any source of light, with the only source of warmth being a small candle?"

Small rivers of crystal tears flowed down Sakura`s check, her body trembling at the horrid memories that were still haunting her nightmares, but she did not stop. Ten Ten felt like being stabbed in the heart with a knife.

According to the rumors, Sakura has always lived in luxury as hanging with older men that kept her for sex, in exchange for money, hence the name whore. But to hear such things coming out of her mouth…she felt sick.

And Sakura did not stop. "For years I have suffered from anemia and anorexia, being constantly hospitalized and given IVs not to die, but I did not have enough money to pay the insurance or the bills, so I had to mop the hospital floors or even beg for the money, because no one was willing to give me a job.

All my high school days have been bullied to by the other rich school mates for being a beggar, being beaten up by their much older fuck buddies to the point it was becoming harder for me to keep up with school.

I befriended the janitor to let me stay after school in the library because I could not afford to buy books to do my homework, and I did not have money to pay electricity."

"Stop…" Ten Ten felt her own eyes sting with burning tears, not able to hear more of what Sakura was telling her. All the times…she had no idea.

"I have two lumbar vertebra dislocated because of the constant beatings both from school and streets, because I lived in a deprived neighborhood where only wanted criminals, druggies, alcoholics and whores lived.

I knew how to fight from the orphanage where me and my dead friend suffered the same treatment, but I did not have the necessary energy to put up a decent fight.

I used the scholar ship money from high school to pay for the rent, but food was a luxury. During winters I went as far as to eat a stray cat because I could not fight the tramps for the garbage people threw any longer.

There were many moments I could not take it anymore and tried to end up my life, failing every each time." The emerald eyed woman raised her arms and showed Ten Ten the deep scars she had on her arms.

"I used to cut myself on daily basis, every time ending at the school`s nursery. I befriended the young nurse that took pity on me and found me a job at a local bakery in exchange for coming during breaks and help her sort files, using my sharp brain and good memory.

I met Orochimaru three months later and accepted his offer because I did not have any option left."

"Sakura…"

"I have received many opportunities to go into prostitution, but never in my life have I ever considered the idea of selling my body for money, that would have been disgraceful no matter how you looked at it."

Sakura could not even keep her eyes on her CIA colleague`s once, hear head dropped on the ground, crying loudly. "I am not a whore…I am a virgin…and the first man I ever had intimate contact with…is Sasuke."

The Akatsuki agent was too shocked to even let the slipped out confession confuse take her on surprise. Sakura and her boss? That was huge.

Rivulets of salty liquid poured out of her glimmering eyes, damping her cheeks and lips, mixing with her blood. She did not care about the fact that she was letting her emotions out in front of the woman that hated her so much.

"I…I am an orphan. I have always been alone and suffering. No background or any information of a living relative…I don't even know my family name Ten Ten…Haruno is something made up by me to go well with Sakura.

I faked my personal data to be accepted into high school. The only information I have been able to find out from the orphanage where the parents I have never met dropped me, were my first name and date of birth.

I did not even have inside plumbing to take baths, using the showers from the gym and the liquid soap from the bathroom as shampoo to wash my short hair. Sometimes, when I was too hungry, I begged the canteen lady to let me have the leftovers, but some students realized what I was doing and often put garbage into my locker to laugh at me, calling me beggar."

Ten Ten wanted to cover her ears, not able to hear any more of Sakura`s traumatized childhood. She hated herself for all the bad things she said about the pink haired sobbing lady, unfounded. Neji was right.

Naruto as well. She judged her unfounded. And it was hurting her mind, guilt washing through her system, any negative feelings she had towards her CIA colleague vanishing from her heart.

"Even now…when you say I have everything in my life…I don't have the right words to explain Sasuke why I cannot sleep during the nights, when I am having violent nightmares or why do I almost never eat, because I suffer from bulimia and severe depression.

Tsunade-shishou has threatened me into not engulfing anymore antidepressant pills because it is going to damage my brain cells and slower the neuronal activity…"

Sakura dropped to her knees, covering her face with her palms, crying madly, her all body trembling in shock. She felt like hyperventilating and all her cuts and deep injuries were stinging her.

And she started to howl louder, rivers of tears leaking from her reddened eyes, when she felt a pair of hands engulfing her in a tight embrace, from Ten Ten who kneed in front of her and lost the count of how many times has she whispered the words "Forgive me" to the trembling and panting woman in her arms.

That was the exact scene Naruto and Neji came across, when they and four police cars and one belonging to the INTERPOL came at their location, their eyes wide in awe.

"Neji…I told you aliens were real…"

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

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**Author's Note: **_I truly hope you guys enjoyed Sakura`s and Ten Ten`s little moment, because I tried my best to make it as cheesy as possible and also slip a little action in between. I was dying at the thought of them fighting together. _

_Of course I will make Suigetsu more involved in the little CIA`s gang activities, he is truly a character I like. Well, Sakura is famous, but INTERPOL and CIA are big organizations, so not all the members know each other, plus Sakura it known among the criminals by her nickname and she came to Tokyo undercover…I do hope this makes sense._

_Absolutely Sasuke and Sakura must happen in the manga and I would rather see this happening than Naruto becoming Hokage. Hehe while reading your comment, I actually could imagine a really pissed off Sasuke overhearing their conversation, but it would have been too early for him to do so. _

_Oh Sasuke is really sexy when possessive and I promise the amount of jealousy is going to increase in the future;) Oh yeah, about the eyes color, hm…interesting question. Well I have two reasons for that: one, the eye colors mirror the character`s emotions in that moment to provide a clearer view of their feelings and second, I find it really boring to use the same adjective to describe them like emerald or onyx, it is not original, so I am doing my best to come up with new ones. I hope you don't mind too much. Let me know if I get too annoying. _

_Sasuke on a bike…Oh la la…I agree with you, he would look extremely sexy:X I absolutely had the urge to write a scene with him on a motorcycle. _

_Anyways, thank you for all the reviews and for making time to read my story, following it or favoring it. Love you guys! _


	23. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

"Auch! Be careful it stings!" Sakura could not believe her emerald tired eyes how incompetent that nurse could have been.

The poor blonde woman had four failed attempts to insert the IV in her right hand, but she simply could not find the vein. The pink haired assassin resisted the urge to bang her head on the wall.

"I am sorry Miss, I am afraid your veins are hidden. I just cannot find the right one to insert the IV."

The middle aged nurse aligned her small finger in the direction of the vein, pressing down Sakura`s already bruised skin, inserting the long needle applying gentle pressure.

"Then how about stop fucking shoving that needle down my barely visible veins, and try the other arms instead!"

Sakura was tired, hungry and exasperated. Just her luck to find a nurse that barely graduated to treat her injuries. She let her head fall on the pillow, shutting her jadeite eyes tightly.

"Y-Yes, I was just about to do so…please show me the other hand." The said nurse looked for accessible veins underside the pink haired agent`s forearm, applying the tourniquet.

"Seriously, how the hell did they let people like you graduate anyways? I swear you are going to make me look like a druggie.

And stop ogling that catheter like it is a mini replica of Orlando Bloom`s face and insert that damn needle already, I don't want all the bacteria from here to have a party in my body!'

"I will insert the needle." That time, the almost trembling woman managed to insert the needle into Sakura`s vein, removed the tourniquet and secured the catheter with a sterile bandage.

"Fuck that looks like a medieval torture device." Naruto was watching mouth agape at the long needle, almost feeling the sharp pain down his own arm and that was precisely the reason why he was rubbing his left arm, trembling.

"This is the exact thing you have said when our literature teacher gave us each a Shakespeare book to study for the exam in the eighth grade." Neji was staying in front of the large opened hospital window, arms crossed, eying Naruto with a small frown.

"Why are you an agent or you are just skillfully faking it? You stupid Uzumaki." A pair of chestnut eyes were taking in the large bandage placed on the Akatsuki female agent`s left shoulder, checking for any flaw in the execution. She found none. Apparently Sakura has been the unlucky one.

"But Tennie, don't tell me you would not be afraid of such a needle I mean c`mon, I am sure there are any other methods to feed people vitamins than this. I am going to complain to the Court of Human Rights."

The blonde Uzumaki has folded his arms in front of his broad chest, eyes solemnly closed, making himself comfortable beside Sakura, much to the nurses` that were treating the two injured females displeasure.

"Naruto…I am stunned you even know the meaning of word vitamins." Ten Ten turned her head over her shoulder, looking in her CIA colleague`s general direction, bored. She was in pain as well and those damn painkillers were not having any effect. Maybe they were expired.

"Actually…he doesn't, but because it is written on Haruno`s IV and he was able to read it. At least we are sure he doesn't suffer from dementia or myopia."

"I think we should consider the dementia part once again, because he is not convincing me."

"HEY! Stop bashing on me you fake excuses of friends!" Naruto let out a high pierced cry in frustration like he was a diva on the red carpet that has found out her dress was upside down.

The Hyuga heir let out a small smirk. Ten Ten let her body lie on her side and pointed her finger at the sun kissed man.

"Then stop making us look bad! Who is going to take us seriously with a face like yours attached to our image?"

"Hmpf…talk all that you want. Like I would ever let such shit anything near me again, after I have been poisoned. I still have red points on my veins from all the IVs I have been given.

Besides…you are the ones making me look bad in front of Sakura-chan." Naruto turner his head over his shoulder and let his cerulean eyes rest on the emerald ones that clashed with his own, eyebrow rose in amusement.

"They are not that bad you know…besides there are other ways to feed someone more efficiently like…inserting a 3cm thick plastic tube down the throat till it reaches the stomach…"

Sakura let out a small giggle when Naruto covered his ears with both hands and jumped of the bed in Neji`s direction.

"Don't tell me, I don't even want to know, this is sadistic! I am going to fill in a complain to to…to the UN!"

The chocolate eyed Akatsuki agent took her bedpan and threw it right into the tanned hysteric man`s head, making him halt his movements.

He lost balance for a moment, but the paled eyed Hyuga heir caught his arm, preventing an accident. The two nurses exchanged quick glances and watched the scene in horror.

When the doctor told them they had to treat injured CIA agents, the nurses have been more than enthusiastic to have such honor, but looking at their bickering made them question their mental sanity.

"Shut the heck up already, you are adding to my already throbbing headache and I swear I am not going to allow any painkiller near me in the next millennia.

This shit is good for nothing. Don't you have any higher dosage for Heaven`s sake, my body is going to sue me!" Ten Ten startled the poor nurse that was busy disinfecting a large cut on her ankle.

"I am afraid no Miss, we are not allowed to inject a higher dosage if the doctor has forbidden such thing."

"Pf…c`mon, no one is going to tell him anyways." The Akatsuki agent could have cared less about what the doctor said. She darted her cognac eyes to the pink haired woman thinking about how bad her injuries were stinging her and how she miraculously withstood such a great suffering to back her up.

Her gaze softened and her heart was paining her. How could she have been able to bash on her without any solid proof and add to her misfortune?

"Ha! And you are telling me not to complain anymore! Just look at you Ten, you are making such a fuss over some minor bruises."

Naruto was massaging his throbbing head, not quite believing that woman was so violent. He should have listened to what Neji told him about her. Poor man had hickeys and bit marks all over his body…even in places that made him shudder.

"Minor bruises?! Do I have to remind you me and Ath…Sakura have taken on thirty men alone and barehanded?

So watch your tongue if you don't want to share their fate!" Upon hearing such a confession, the nurse that was busy taking care of Ten Ten`s injured leg stopped her movements, her amber eyes widened in shock. That was science fiction.

"What are you doing, waiting for Santa`s arrival? Just put a damn bandage over it and get lost, I am sick of staying in this position! Jeez…"

If there was something the Akatsuki agent hated was for people to move at snail pace like they had all the time in the world. And her obvious disbelief was making her furious.

"I still cannot believe you girls actually did it." No, Neji was not shocked…he was petrified. When he, Naruto and the police cars came to the place of the kidnapping and took the sight of thirty lying on the ground drug dealers, some of them unconscious and some dead he stood rooted in his place for a good minute not quite believing it.

And when the ambulance came and took in the two female agent`s health condition, the lavender Hyuga heir was almost tempted to believe Naruto`s words and ask the two agents if they were not indeed replaced with alien replicas.

Thank God, his fiancé had only minor injuries and bruises, but Sakura on the other hand…she was drugged, her thigh was bleeding and all the skin was pierced and the paramedics were informed she has spent three hours in a frozen room, with a deep cut on her temple.

And that lady was able to take down 25 fit riders, armed and all taller and in a better health condition than her…that had insanity written all over it.

Secretly, all the Akatsuki were stunned by Sakura and her performance, all knowing exactly who she was, but neither ever having a clear view of her more than impressive abilities.

No wonder CIA has designated her to guard Sasuke in the very first place, well aware of what they were doing. It looked like that snake man Orochimaru knew what he was doing when he found her and chose to be her mentor.

When the police, supported by two INTERPOL agents assured them they would handle the case, the Akatsuki made sure all the people have been incapacitated and basically jumped in the ambulance, escorting the two females to the Tokyo Hospital, where a doctor that was also dealing with the treatment of police officers, secret agents or military troops handled Ten Ten and Sakura, assisted by his two nurses.

The stoic old man worked professionally, knowing exactly what he was doing. While he was performing an X-Ray on the pink haired Sound agent, he disclosed his little audience that he has been working as a surgeon in a field hospital in Syria, during the war so he had enough experience to qualify him for the job.

He was also very friendly and even advised Naruto to drop the sugar level, because he was acting like an ADHD suffering kid.

"Why so surprised though? That was nothing. I had it worse in Tanzania. When you have to cross those deep rivers, butt naked and covered in leaves and mud, with only a bamboo bat in your mouth and some very friendly crocodiles and poisonous snakes, paying attention to the cannibals hidden in the tall trees, waiting to attack you and eat you alive, with the sole mission of stealing scrolls from the enemy, beating thirty losers barehanded is a walk in the park."

Sakura let her exhausted garnet sparkling eyes follow the small drops of the clear liquid dripping into the IV, feeling all her body burning and not in a pleasant way.

She had bandages on her hip and both arms and bruises all over one could have imagined. Her tight and deep head cut required stitches and the rosette knew she was going to have scars. At least the one from the head could be covered with her hair.

Naruto`s jaw dropped to the floor. "WOW Sakura-chan you are amazing! Since I have been bitten by that damn spider that left me with arachnophobia I am avoiding tropical places like plague!"

"Heh…I lost the count of all the spiders and snakes that bite me." The Sound agent placed her index under her chin in a thinking manner. "And if I remember correctly, once I have slept with a pretty large scorpion on my chest. I wonder why he has not stung me…"

"…you guys…are not normal…"

"Heh…You are hardly one to talk Naruto, since you are one of the people that still sleep with the light on." Suigetsu, who was standing in the doorway, eyed the pair of eyes darted in his direction, his lower lip trapped between his canine.

"Dude…the hell are you doing here?" The Hozuki heir took small steps in the direction of the crowd, coming in between Sakura and Ten Ten`s hospital beds, arms shoved in his pockets. He was dressed in the police`s uniform.

"I must confess Suigetsu, you look almost like a normal person dressed like that. One would even tell you are not the walking amoeba we all know you are."

The chestnut Akatsuki female agent did a quick scan on the shark faced man, smirking at his dumbfounded expression, much to her fiancé`s horror. Let the possessive Hyuga get jealous on such remarks. She was already having fun.

"You on the other hand look like Napoleon after he lost the battle of Waterloo. Don't tell me you guys overdid it with your kinky games." Suigetsu turned his head in Neji`s direction, winking suggestively at him. The Hyuga gave him the finger, not feeling like voicing out his opinion about the imbecile remark.

"You fucker, you are lucky I have run out of things to throw, otherwise your dumb head would be full of holes."

When Ten Ten caught the sight of the Hozuki heir, she felt like dying. Not only was he aware of their identities, but the bastard was handed the case with the drug dealer riders as well, eying them like they were inferior to him in any ways.

"Ash a feisty one huh? You know I don't mind getting rough, but I don't want to play any role in your little BDSM perverted games Tennie. Just call me when your less insane clone is going to be released from the mental hospital."

"What the hell are you doing here by the way? There is no whore in the room for you to satisfy your famous sexual appetite, so get lost because you give me a headache."

Suigetsu patted the chestnut eyed woman on her head, like a proud parent, the said woman shoving his hand away of her body, almost hitting the nurse in the process.

"Why I have been sitting in my small office, bored out of my mind, when I was told about an interesting case, where Cat Woman and her friend Diana from the Justice League moped the floor with a gang of drug dealers.

As far as I am concerned, a preschooler with two buns did not stir the man inside me, but a pair of emerald eyes made me take the first available car and visit this magnificent place that does wonders for your balance and senses."

Neji snorted loudly. "What is this place for you? The yoga gym? Wonders my ass."

"Correction. The only thing that needs wonders in here is my very own suffering ass that hurts like a bitch since an incompetent nurse shoved shot right through my body. I should check for a small hole in the bed as well."

Ten Ten was rubbing her stinging butt, cursing the nurse that gave her a shot like a sailor, not bothered by the present audience.

"Duh…I almost slipped on the stairs on my way here, seriously, what the hell do this people rub the floors with? I figure skated all the way to this room. And the fuck is this stink of iodoform, cos I feel like I am visiting my grandma in Florida.

Honey, if that delicious butt of yours hurts, tell your impotent fiancé to refrain from spanking it so often, because it is going to look like Santa`s own butt."

"Fuck you Suigetsu."

"With pleasure. But you have to wait in line. Women want me all over the place."

"That is really…interesting. I do find the conversation…mentally stimulating." Sakura attracted everyone`s attention she too eying the man on her side, quite surprised to find him in her hospital room. She was tired and weak, but those people had an uplifting aura around them that made her feel…warm.

The rosette has spent many days in hospital, especially during her high school days and the feeling of being abandoned in a cold room, surrounded by IVs and the specific smell of disinfectant was haunting her in her sleep. But the situation has changed, because she apparently, befriended the Akatsuki gang…and the smirking INTERPOL agent.

"Don't listen to this perverts talking Sakura-chan, their brains only work for a limited amount of time and now they run out of batteries."

"The things you run out of Naruto…are man hormones and insults. Seriously dude, go fuck some hot chick and when you come back, tell us if you feel illuminated." Suigetsu threw his head backwards, laughing at his friend`s misfortune and dumb looking face.

"Hey! Don't put me on the same level as you because I am a delicate being with moral values. Beside, I don't want to steal your ideal job Suigetsu.

Why don't you resign from the INTERPOL troops and get a job in a night club as a stripper instead? At least you would be able to put to work the only part of your body that does not suffer from Parkinson.

Although you kind of lack in the department as well…" The Uzumaki heir pointed at Suigetsu`s dick, suggestively. His friend gave him the finger.

"Dude…if you are here, why don't you ask some willing doctor to perform a lobotomy on your empty brain? Maybe they will be able to find that neuron that lost his way and cries in some dark corner, stuck down you neck."

"I swear you guys…are giving me a total headache." Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, not quite bothering to hide his annoyed state.

Leave it to Suigetsu to come and stir the blonde idiot even more. It was in that moment the Hyuga felt something close to pity for the raven haired Uchiha.

"Dude…I am totally sorry you and your deprived little agent fiancé are not able to get some right here and live another of your questionable fantasies with the nurse and the doctor, but you are always ruining all our fun. I swear you are worse than Sasuke sometimes and he is a clinical case."

At the sound of her boss` name, Sakura`s forest green eyes shot open wide, cursing loudly. "Fuck that! Sasuke..." She rubbed her face with her palms, almost forgetting about the IV on her vein. "…Oh My God I totally forgot about him…"

"I find this difficult to believe…"

"Is something the matter Sakura-chan? Did the Teme do something nasty again? Cos I am not ashamed to go and beat the crap out of his ass."

"No you…you don't understand, I cannot stay in here, I have to go." Both nurses halted in their movements, eying Sakura suspiciously. The other agents were all having their eyebrows raised in question, urging the pink haired maid undercover to go on with whatever she had to say.

"Go…where? Are you nuts? Look at you, you look like a dead bride, coming out from a pool of blood in a horror movie." Ten Ten could not understand what was Sakura`s problem. She was basically speaking and she looked really bad.

And if not for her confession, the chestnut agent would have overlooked the marks on her arms and her fragile looking body. She had problems and big ones.

"I know, but how am I going to explain to him my absence?! As if I don't have enough of his mistrust already."

The Sound agent fixed the nurse that was checking her IV with a hard stare, signaling the mid aged woman she was not playing games with her. "How much do I have to stay in here?"

"The doctor said if you don't develop any further complications…giving your deep cut on the thigh and the duration of the chelation therapy…Four day at most."

The nurse let her dark eyes rest on Sakura`s much smaller frame, pitying the suffering young agent. After the doctor put the diagnosis on her, the woman could not believe the amount of physical pain such a delicate lady was able to sustain.

Sakura let her head hit the pillow, pouting like a young kid. "No! I cannot stay in here so much time! I honestly ran out of lies to serve him!"

"Why don't I give him a call and tell him you have been involved in a car crash?" Suigetsu eyed the woman from the hospital bad, his purple eyes softening at the sight of her. He knew exactly what she was going through, with Sasuke beside her and a bunch of problems involving drug dealers and crazy riders.

"That would be a good idea that crossed my mind but you have no idea how insightful he can be. Everyday he discovers more and more things about me and I am afraid one day he is going to find out about me working for the Sound.

If he finds out someone hit me with the car, he is going to come here running and assault me with questions about the identity of the driver and my health state.

Not to say Ten Ten is in the same room and sure as hell we are not miraculously sharing a hospital room at the same time. Also, how would I be able to explain the fact that I left his home in the middle of the night?"

Sakura knew that time she screwed it up. If there has been another situation like the one from the swimming place, maybe she could have come up with something to cover her unexplainable presence in there, but that time, being hospitalized was bad thing. Not only that, but she had bruises and cuts all over her body.

"This is nasty, I admit. But I don't know what advice to give you Haruno." Neji was more than grateful for Sakura backing his fiancé up in fighting with all those men in her injured state, he too feeling pity towards the scared agent. He knew how Sasuke was and she was right. It was a tight situation.

"Ok dude, I don't think that helped her that much. Sakura…call me crazy but I think you should pull yourself together and…tell him everything."

Suigetsu was stunned such words came out of his mouth, but that was the only viable solution he found in that moment. Three jaws hit the floor not quite believing what their friend was saying.

"…Are you nuts Suigetsu? I cannot tell Sasuke I work for the CIA, that would be a disaster, he is going to throw me outside in an instant and I can kiss my chances to guard him goodbye!"

"That…is something you don't know in the very first place. Sasuke is a total arrogant jerk, but his actions are unpredictable.

Besides…we all know he has a thing for you so I doubt he is going to give up on you that fast." The Hozuki heir was deadly serious, having a pair of emerald eyes fixed on his own, silently questioning his mental state.

"I swear you men are just good for reproduction, your brains only being as helpful as preventing you from banging your empty heads on the power poles, when walking on the streets. Sakura, screw that shit.

Just tell him I have called you in the middle of the night to help with my severe period cramps, because you have deep medical acknowledge.

If he questions you about how did we met, blame it on Naruto. When this idiot is in the equation, Sasuke just says stupid dobe and not questions further."

Honestly, it was not like Ten Ten really thought of she and Sakura being BFFs all of sudden, but she would not lie to herself and say she still hated her.

When she ahs realized how stupid and naïve she has been, in judging without knowing, the chestnut agent decided to give the pink haired woman a chance. Plus the imbecile ideas thrown in her direction was making her blood boil and pulse rise.

"…You would go as far as to lie for me?" Despite the fact that the Sound assassin was absolutely desperate and she had one or two more hours till the morning, her jadeite eyes shot open, not believing that the woman that hated her so many years was willing to go as far as to get involved and even provide a believable idea to cover for her.

Sakura was mentally strangling herself for disclosing all her past suffering and poor life in a nutshell, having a violent breakdown, but it looked like the Akatsuki female agent was having an internal turmoil and decided not to be a bitch and try to be friendly.

Her chestnut eyes that were eying her knowingly assured Sakura of her honest feelings and that made the pink haired maid exhale deeply, feeling things getting easier for her since she had made peace with the Akatsuki gang.

Only if life did not get in her way all the times…

"If you went as far as to reveal how much you have suffered to me and fight alongside when no other living would have done it, yes, I would personally go the that stupid Uchiha and knock some sense into his ridiculous spiked hairstyle.

Only if my butt wont hurt this much…I am going to need fucking physiotherapy to walk normally again." Seriously, Ten Ten felt her all leg going numb. What the hell did they put in that shot anyways?

"Fuck…how about me and Suigetsu call the Teme outside the city and spend some days…somewhere." The sun kissed Akatsuki flailed his arms in the air like he has discovered particles that went twice the lightning speed, hitting Neji on his shoulder, the said Hyuga stumbling.

"BWHAHAHA….because that would totally help. Are you that much of an imbecile or all the disinfectant smell drugged your sole neuron? Where do you think our dear charming arrogant manwhore friend is going to go since that fucking mountain trip is on three days from now?"

"Oh shit I totally forgot about that!"

Naruto slapped his forehead, his mouth agape. He has been so enthusiastic at the idea of spending some time on the mountain with his friend and make fun of the other imbecile rich hair. The Akatsuki agent secretly entertained the idea of Sakura joining them.

"Mountain trip? What are you guys talking about?" Sakura was surprised to hear such news. She has only been informed of the upcoming charity Ball that was postponed, but no one told her about some trip. Three days…she had to get well in three days.

"Did Sasuke not tell you about it?" Suigetsu was surprised that the Sound agent did not know about such an important changed in the schedule. She was supposed to guard him after all…but the change has been sudden and unexpected, so maybe she did not have time to look into the matter.

"He did not….and I am going to chop off his head when I get the heck out of here." The rosette fisted her hands into her messy hair, letting out a strangled moan of frustration. That only complicated things more.

"There has been a change in the initial program. Apparently those retards from the Organizing Committee thought they were going to be smart and not only delayed the Ball, but slipped a totally unwelcome shit trip in the schedule.

All the participants in the Ball that want to join the trips are free to do so. Itachi got me a copy of the list. There are already 33 willing participants and the number is growing."

"Oh shit…where many heirs are gathered…."

"Lorane is as well." It was the Hyuga to voice out the unspoken words. Silence fell upon the members, each of them making their own mental plans. That until one of the nurses spoke:

"Miss Haruno, I have tended all your wounds. Now as you might be aware, you had a large cut on your thigh so you would come to the hospital for a check up until the doctor says it is not a problem anymore.

Then, you are going to be under IV today and tomorrow, because your body is weakened.

I don't want to voice this out loud but you are suffering from anemia. Have you experienced dizziness and fainting in the last months?"

Sakura let her emerald eyes rest on her lap, not quite comfortable of where the subject was going. Sure she has told Ten Ten everything, but there were all the Akatsuki present in the room and she did not want them to take pity on her. She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes for a moment. "Yes."

"Are you having alimentation problems? Like not feeling hungry, or throwing up after meals? Are you skipping meals as well?"

"You can say it bluntly if you want. I am suffering from bulimia nervosa since high school."

Ten Ten felt her eyes sting with unshed tears, not quite able to hear Sakura`s story again. She was certain those confessions were going to haunt her as well.

And the chestnut eyed woman sensed Sakura`s hesitation in letting such sensitive words out of her heart. The fidgeting of her fingers was giving her away. The other three men in the room exchanged worried glances, not quite believing the famous Sound agent was having so many problems.

"This is what the doctor has told me, Miss. We are providing you the nutrients your body lacks through the IV, but we cannot carry on like this forever."

"I know."

"Have you ever been hospitalized and fed through IV?"

"Yes. And before you ask, more than once…I lost the count so I cannot provide you this information accurately, I am sorry."

The older woman exhaled loudly, she too taking notice of the emerald eyed girl`s discomfort. During her career, she had many cases of young women suffering from bulimia and that was precisely the reason the doctor appointed her to take care of the pink haired woman.

"It is not in my intention to offend you Miss, but you are underweight as well. Of course, it is difficult to say giving your extremely fit condition and muscles, but it is not healthy."

"If you are trying to lecture me fuck off because I don't need it. The reason why I am having eating disorder is because of the poverty state I grew up in, not because I am trying to be a skinny model."

The Sound agent wanted to curl into the hospital bed and sleep for a month. She felt her ego taking a big blow, not able to even glance in the direction of the silent agents. The pink haired woman could not look into those pitiful stares, like she was thrown back into the days people on the streets were shaking her heads in disbelief when they passed her. It was too painful.

"I understand. I am sorry Miss. There is also another problem I have to address, although I am not sure if I should do it with audience around. Do you want me to take you to a psychologist tomorrow when we are going to remove the IV?"

"No. Say it here. They know."

"Well…when we tended your wounds, it was impossible not to see the cut marks on your wrists.

You have a good skin if they are not even reddened, but they are quite visible, although you tried to conceal them and they are old. Are you suffering from any mental illnesses?" The question came almost as a whisper, the nurse feeling her own heart sting at the thought of such a young beautiful lady having so many problems.

"Major depression disorder. I am taking antidepressant pills under medical supervision and I practiced Buddhist Vipassana meditation. And no, I do not cut myself anymore."

"Good. Well then, I am well aware you are more than eager to get out of here but given your injuries I am afraid this is going to be your home for the next three days. I am taking my leave.

Please press the emergency button if you feel pain coming back. We have given you painkillers already so there should be no problem. Excuse us."

The two nurses left the hospital room, leaving a stunned crowd of agents eying Sakura intently, all of them having different sort of emotions towards the suffering girl.

"Stop eying me like some sort of newfound species at zoo, it is troublesome. I do not want to see your empathy. Keep that for someone who cares." Sakura folded her arms under her head, facing the blank wall from the ceiling.

"Pity? The only sort of compassion I feel towards your situation is you sharing the same space with the Uchiha. That is enough to drive a sane man crazy. I was wondering if he still has that small cloud over his alienated brooding figure and use wet wipes after everything he touches.

He is freakish like that." There is no way in Hell the Hyuga heir would eye Sakura different from the extraordinary woman she was.

His fiancé has also been an orphan suffering from loneliness so he could relate the two of them up to a point. And the Sound agent was courageous and unfaltering which was admirable.

"Sakura-chan, you do not have to feel ashamed of us in any way. We, because I sure as hell would include Tennie in the sentence, are not only your colleagues, but your friends us well.

No one is going to judge you for who you are and if someone of this losers is going to bother you, I will personally deprive them of some limbs and precious reproduction parts, believe it!"

With an energetic Uzumaki throwing his fist in the air like a superhero, it was impossible for Sakura not to let a small giggle grace her tired face. What was happening to her…was incredible.

And Uzumaki spelled the word friends to her in the most serene and genuine way possible, his deep cerulean eyes shining with assurance. She was not alone. She was not alone in the world anymore. She wanted to cry.

"You are crazy…all of you are crazy! Crazy as fuck."

"But so are you so I guess it makes us your equals." Ten Ten turned around to face Sakura, raising an eyebrow at her like wanting the pink haired woman to confirm her suspicion. Was the mighty Athena still eying them arrogantly as usual? To her stupor, she was not. In fact, her emerald shimmering eyes were grateful.

"…Sure. We are equals…we have always been."

The Hyuga heir was inwardly dancing in victory. If Ten Ten and Sakura made peace, it only meant he was not going to take more shit about how much his fiancé hated the Sound agent and he was not going to be awaken from his peaceful slumber for silly things. He smirked at his fiancé.

"Still…the problem still remains. What about Sasuke?" Suigetsu did not want to be the one to ruin the fun, but he had stuff to do. He only came there to check on his bothersome friends not to do group therapy.

"I don't know. But there is one thing I am sure of…I am sick of lying to him all the times. It is not fair. All we are…is a big lie…_his kisses, his touches, everything_…"

"Then tell him the truth. Tell him everything and see what happens." No matter how her decision is going to be, Naruto would support Sakura. He swore to her he was going to do so.

Neji could not help but thing that such a major disclosure was going to not be well welcomed by the young heir. "I don't find this as a wise thing, Haruno. Think about the consequences."

"Like something wise ever came out of your stupid mouth. Stop being a conceited arrogant bastard, you stupid Hyuga prick.

Sakura you heard that nurse. In three days you are going to be out of here and when you do so, that Uchiha is going in that boring mountain trip. We only have to look for a solution to cover for you this three days."

"You guys have done more than enough for me, of that I am deeply indebted. From here on, this is my problem to solve. I will try to figure something out."

"Sakura-chan you are not alone anymore, we are here to help. Aren`t we all CIA agents after all? If we do not support each other, then who will?"

"I once agree with Naruto. But don't let this get to your dumb head because you are not going to hear this words from me in this lifetime."

The lavender heir had no problems with his Akatsuki friend`s logic. In fact, that was something Itachi always told them. To let childish things aside and cooperate.

"You must have something in mind, aren't you?" Suigetsu was not that observant as his blonde friend, but he too knew that the woman in front of him was not stupid.

"I do. But I need the phone he gave me. My CIA smart is broken."

"This is going to be no problem for us, right you imbecile?" Suigetsu winked in Naruto`s general direction, their eyes connected in an unknowing way. The managed to read each other`s minds.

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you are going to slip into Sasuke`s house to bring me my phone?"

Ok, so making peace with the Akatsuki gang was one thing. But to actually see them being willing to risk so much for her was another. Just what were all those strong emotions she started to feel? Were people really able to connect in such amount of time.

"This is exactly the thing we are going to do my dear."

"Why are you both sharing one sole neuron or you bumped your heads in the shower this morning? As if you would be able to slip into the Uchiha`s villa without him seeing you guys." Ten Ten knew who Sasuke was. That man was not one to be taking lightly.

"C`mon Tennie, give us some credit at least. I agree Suigetsu here is a moron, but I assure you this is not a contagious disease. We are waiting for him to head to the Mangekyou then enter the house, go to Sakura-chan`s room and bring her the phone. Simple as that."

"Pff yeah good luck in jumping his fence without attracting attention. I bet he has an ultra super expensive security system as well. It does sounds like him."

Neji smartly stood out of the conversation. He knew his friend would not be as stupid as to trespass the onyx eyed man`s property without a good plan.

"Actually…we are going to enter his house with no problem."

"Key…you have the key to his backdoor." Sakura`s garnet eyes went wide when realization hit her. Those people were really willing to risk their cover for her.

"You what?! Don't tell me you stole his key Naruto because I am going to seriously question your relationship with him.

I warn you I am not going to take part on an eventual wedding between the two of you." There was not way Ten Ten was going to ever understand what kind of friends the three of them were.

"I did not steal it. I only made a copy of it in case of emergency." Naruto slipped his hands in the pockets and pulled out the small key, to make his point valid, much to the Akatsuki female agent`s dismay. She shook her head in disbelief. Her friends were nuts and it was fact.

"What kind of emergency pry telling me?"

"You don't want to see my mom angry when she realizes I have spent my day in town, shitfaced. You know just how much she hates alcoholics."

"….so you go to Sasuke`s house just to escape Kushina-san? Are you imbecile? This is something high school boys do when they don't have enough money to pay for a love hotel and fuck their girlfriends."

"Who said I did not fucked any woman in his house as well? Just don't tell him about that small spot on the living room couch, because I will not hear the end of him and his imported from god only knows where silk and camel linen."

Sakura thought she was going to be sick. "I…am not going…to stay on that couch…ever again!"

"What do you plan on doing with your phone? Do you have something that is going to work?" If there was something Neji absolutely loathed was the idea of his friends having questionable relationships with different kinds of women, and then meet and brag about it.

"I do have some sort of plan which I am sure is not going to work but I hope he is going to overlook it as well. I can tell him I felt really bad because of my eating disorder problems and came to the hospital. The bruises can easily be covered."

"By the way…now that you wear that plastic thing that I must tell you, gives everyone a generous view of your body, your cuts are visible.

But I was not able to spot them back to the swimming pool." That caught everyone`s attention. Indeed, the Hozuki heir was right, Sakura had scars and they were not visible like in that moment. It was true, they were not reddened, but the fine lines of fibrous tissue were still present.

"Ah this…is just thanks to the expensive cosmetics. I use a special expensive Givenchy sun bronzer and a lighter shade of foundation, both water resistant. This is the reason why you were not able to tell…_and neither was Sasuke_…"

It was in that moment the Sound agent realized both she and her boss were hiding signs of their wrists. She the cuts and he had the moon. She let out a small smile at something so trivial connecting them, much to the Akatsuki agents` questioning stares.

"Smart."

"I think desperate is the proper word, Suigetsu."

"Why are you covering it though? This is part of you after all. It is not something to be ashamed of." Ah the eternal delusional naïve sun kissed Akatsuki member who was so oblivious to the outer world. The emerald eyed agent was envious on his carefree attitude.

"Yeah…but is part of a past I want to overcome. Is not like society is ready to see my scars…_or him_."

"Well…no one is going to question you on that one anyways. C`mon guys, girls need rest and we have spent enough time in this modern jail, full of unpleasant substances and not so good looking nurses. Man, I cannot believe they don't force them to wear those short length skirts anymore."

"Suigetsu…you should be arrested."

"I could say the same about you dude."

"We are leaving. Sakura leave it to us, we are going to take your phone back. It is in your room? Can you be more specific? Either ways, I will have to roam through your stuff to find it and don't blame me if I find your underwear in the process and take a look at the size of your…"

"It is on my bad and don't you dare Suigetsu. Once was enough to make me snap." If there was something the Sound agent really hated was people to mess with her business and search through her belongings.

She almost punched the security guards in the airports for roaming their hands to her body, in search for that metal thing that kept people waiting in line for 30 minutes.

"I am not sure this is such a good idea…" Neji went to Ten Ten`s bed, placing a short kiss on her lips,barely avoiding a fist to connect with his face. That woman was a beast when she wanted to.

"Oh shut up, you sound just like your uncle. That man even said those words when his daughter was born. The amount of negativism is overwhelming in your family."

"I doubt it has something to do with me dear."

Naruto walked to Sakura and pulled her in a tight bear hug, startling the pink haired agent with such an affectionate display, but she did nothing to stop him, moreover, returning his gesture.

"Don't listen to this bastard Sakura-chan, we are going to take the magic device in no time, after all we are also agents. And I know Teme`s little toys all too well, so there is going to be no problem. You make sure to take all the medicine and eat well."

"Are you encouraging me to eat this hospital food? I thought you wanted me to get better." Sakura pulled away from Naruto, feeling suffocated. Man was that guy strong. But he was friendly and willing to help her. And that made her smile.

"Well no, but I know that shit is better than having a pole shoved down your arm. It gives me the chills."

"What gives me the chills is watch a grown up Akatsuki agent trembling like jelly in the fridge. C`mon, leave the poor girl alone you blonde dumb. We have stuff to do."

All the three men left the hospital room, leaving Ten Ten and Sakura alone. And the Akatsuki member, a mini replica of Anko, did not waste any moment in leaning on her side, arm supporting her head, smirking at Sakura.

"Soo…what is going on between you and Sasuke?"

"What do you mean by that? Nothing of course." Sakura was reminded by the ramblings and her confession about her and her boss and that made her cheeks redden.

Her CIA colleague was also a woman, so hiding such things was impossible. She took the pillow and covered her face, making the chestnut eyed woman laugh. Naruto has been right, this woman was cute and she was not even aware of the fact.

"C`mon Sakura, you can tell me what you have started. What do you mean he is the only man you had any sort of contact with? Did you guys kiss? Don't tell me you did it already!"

"No! We did nothing extreme."

"Nothing extreme? What is that supposed to mean, in terrestrial language?" Sakura let out a muffled cry, not quite liking the fact that the woman that basically hated on her from the beginning of the Universe was getting a bit familiar. Although…she could use some of her vast experience in the field.

"It means…forget it. I don't want to talk about that. At least not when I have a needle shoved down my vein. It is anticlimactic."

"You are one of a kind I swear. Ok, I am not going to nag you."

"Thank you."

"So what is next? Do you truly have a plan out of this? You know, I was serious when I told you I would have no problem in covering up for you. That little Uchiha brat does not scare me."

It was mutual when both agents burst out in laugh, realizing what a blatant lie Ten Ten has let out of her mouth.

"Ok, maybe I do, but that is not the point."

"Hey, who would not be scared…_I am too…sometimes_…" Of course Sakura knew all too well how dangerous her boss could be when he meant it and she got her proof with the men he managed to incapacitate like it was nothing.

She threw a glance at Ten Ten, wondering why the woman suddenly went silent, but she saw her serene asleep face, realizing she has been given a sleeping pill, leaving the pink haired tired agent think about how much her life has changed in such a short amount of time….and she was still seeing stars in front of her, due to the effect of the drugs.

The doctor told her something about her being given more mixtures while she was unconscious, but in small dosages that were not affecting her body…too much.

But the last thing she had in her vision when she fell on a deep slumber, was Sasuke`s beautiful face and his kisses.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Sasuke`s private villa, 7 am

"Dude, I must tell you, I don't feel really good in barging into my friend`s home like that." Suigetsu entered his onyx eyed brooding friend`s house after Naruto so kindly opened the door, using the key he copied, taking quick glances in all directions, like wanting to make sure no one is going to see them.

"We are not barging man, we are entering like civilized people." Naruto wasted no time in heading to the large stairs that connected the living room with the second floor, having a mental map of the space, since he spent so much time inside the luxury house, his shark faced friend following him suit.

"If by civilized people you mean one that uses copied keys to trespass someone else`s property, than you should revise your vocabulary. Seriously man, I am aware you failed your literature exams two times in high school but to such extent…"

"Look…we are here to help Sakura-chan to keep her cover, so stop bothering me and let me think."

The two agents climbed the stairs, looking for the direction of Sakura`s room, following her indications. And the sun kissed agent almost wanted to laugh at the thought of his dark haired friend giving his maid the room next to his.

"Think about what? Why are you grinning like the idiot you are anyways?"

"Don't you see?" Naruto pointed at Sasuke`s room, a hand on his mouth, attempting to stop more snorts escape his mouth.

The mere thought of them confusing their rooms and enter the other one instead was giving him some ideas that would make Jirayia proud. "Their rooms are close to each other. You know what this mean?"

"That Sasuke`s architect lacked one hell of imagination. Now c`mon, I don't want him to come back and find us in here."

Suigetsu and Naruto waited three hours in their car, across the street for Sasuke to wake up and leave the villa. They were almost certain while the coal eyed Uchiha gets to his company, he was going to secure him in his office and work his brain on his business related problems.

The two men entered the pink haired agent`s bedroom, with the key she has personally given them, with Naruto going straight to the closet and roaming through her clothing, like he was her younger sister that looked for a fancy dress to wear at a party.

Suigetsu came behind him and planted his foot in his ass, successfully pushing his friend into the closet and shut the doors.

"You bastard, open this damn door! Suigetsu you fucker!" Naruto was banging his hands on the wooden surface, feeling chills down his spine at the thought of being trapped in such a small space in complete dark. He was afraid of darkness, like the three years old he was.

"I am not going to let you roam through Sakura`s stuff. This is something major perverts and pedophiles do."

Suigetsu resisted the urge to peek at the gorgeous looking emerald eyed lady`s lingerie, the thought of her wearing the provoking lacy bras and thongs turning him on. But he had more decency than that. Well…honestly he did not have, but the mere thought of making Naruto look like a fool was giving him enough self pleasure.

His pale eyes took a quick glance around, eying the small pink cell phone resting on the bed just like she has been telling them, taking a hold of the device and putting him into his pockets, debating if he should let the tanned Akatsuki agent inside.

Maybe he should, but the idiot was going to break the piece of furniture. He opened the doors abruptly just to make his golden haired friend fly from the closet and land on his face, with his butt hanging on the air, having a navy lace bra hanging on his head.

Not wasting anymore time and acting quickly like the true competent INTERPOL agent he was, the Hozuki heir pulled out his smartphone and took three consecutive pictures with Naruto, wearing Sakura`s underwear on his head as an incriminatory proof, giving him the middle finger and frowning comically. That was blackmail at his finest.

"I am going to kill you."

"Do it and I am going to send this to Sakura or Sasuke. Or both. Let`s see if our dear so obviously it is not even funny in love friend is going to like the idea of you slipping into his home and search through his maid`s lingerie."

If Suigetsu really liked something, was to make fun of his totally opposite in terms of personality friends and laugh at their misfortune.

And if they were arguing over a woman it was all the better. Those two tended to get really heated when in competition. And the snow haired heir knew all to well his both friends had a crush on the beautiful Sound agent, one of them even having deeper feelings for her.

"You wouldn't dare…" Naruto quickly grabbed the piece of clothing from his head, eying the bra intently like he was seeing such things for the first time in his life, studying the size, drooling like a loser. Suigetsu slapped his forehead and started to laugh at his dumb expression.

"Dude…just…there are not enough synonyms for moron to make a complete description of your attitude.

Just put that back and let`s go. Sakura is waiting for us." Not waiting for any reaction, Suigetsu put the bra back into its rightful place, grabbed an unresponsive Akatsuki agent by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey! Let me go you motherfucking asshole, I can walk by myself." Naruto hit his friend on the head just hard enough to make him almost trip on the stairs and run straight to the kitchen, feeling his stomach beg for food. Ten Ten was not even cooking for her fiancé and he was sick of restaurant food. Suigetsu was screaming from the living room.

"Man, are you for real?" He let himself into the kitchen, his purpleish eyes cast on his sun kissed friend, who was half inside the large fridge, a plate with salad and chicken sandwiches were resting and a red apple stuck in his mouth.

He closed the door to the fridge and sit on the kitchen counter, stuffing his face. Suigetsu was shaking his head in disbelief. He should consider changing all the locks in his home…or put some rat baits. Big ones.

"What? I want to see how much of a great cook Sakura-chan is and man is the Teme really lucky, because this is really good."

Naruto even entertained the idea of moving with Sasuke and enjoy his little crush`s food each day, the mere thought of the emerald eyed woman preparing Ramen for him, dressed in that bra he saw was giving him wings…like Red Bull.

"Hopeless. Finish that thing already…oh give me that." Suigetsu grabbed the other sandwich from the plate his friend was holding like it was pure gold and took a large bite, much to Naruto`s horror, leaking his fingers. That was good.

"Dude you are right, this is good."

"I wanted to eat that, thank you very much."

"Who cares? If you want me to shut up and not post the picture on the internet, you have to pay."

"You do realize blackmail is illegal right?"

"This is not blackmail, it is trade. I am trading your non-existent reputation for the tasty sandwich."

"You are fucked up. And they call you an INTERPOL agent…God what is wrong with this society."

"HA! Speaks the CIA agent that has the psychological age of a retard. Just finish that already, you are driving me nuts."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his friend`s distress, not quite understanding what his problem really was. Suigetsu was the one that has entertained the idea of coming in there and crash Sasuke`s home. So why was he so adamant in leaving the place?

"Dude…why the hurry? I am sure Sakura-chan and Tennie are sleeping soundly, after being so injured. Do you want to wake them up?"

"Call me crazy but…there is something in this house that makes me…nervous…and I don't like the feeling." Indeed, ever since he entered the house, the Hozuki heir could not stop the weird feeling of shoving his fingers in the outlet, his body starting to tremble.

"Huh?! What are you talking about?" Naruto let his cerulean eyes dart around, scanning the surroundings.

Apart from some old weird looking neighbors that were having breakfast on the yard, there was nothing interesting to watch. In his opinion, the whole house basically screamed like his dark friend with a bit of Sakura touch, which was a welcomed change in the scenery.

"Man I dunno how to explain this because it is insane…are you not feeling it, or was this chicken suffering from a mental illness? I feel like being electrocuted."

The sun kissed Uzumaki threw his head back, almost chocking with a piece of bread, laughing like crazy, finding his friend`s anxiety funny as hell.

"Dude bwhahaha that is your own guilty conscience haunting you for all the sins you have done. I heard it happens to perverts like you bwhahaha and you call me insane."

"I know, this is why I am telling you this is crazy so c`mon, lets get the heck out of here, I start to feel the world spinning."

Suigetsu was already heading to the exit, not wanting to spend anymore time in the house. The level of electrical discharge growing to impossible levels.

Just what was with that weird feeling? Electromagnetism? That could be, considering the amount of electronic devices Sasuke had. He was going to ask his maid about that.

"Hey, Suigetsu, wait for me, I forgot my driver`s license at home!"

"Duh…like that is something new."

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Same time, Mangekyou HQ, CEO office

Sasuke was pacing through his empty large office, nibbling on his pen, thinking hard.

He has just found out his plan to not let his shares drop their value had some flaws and that was all thanks to another shocking news he heard that morning, when an absolutely panicking secretary Juugo called him at 5 am to let him know three major company heirs have been assassinated in Hawaii, throwing the auction market in crises.

All the morning his phone never stopped calling, from his factories and the other worried investors.

He run a hand through his messy raven locks, rubbing his scalp. That was insanity, whoever was behind all of those assassinations was well aware of where exactly to strike, naming after killing the Wal-mart and Watanabe heirs, they stabbed the owner of a large oil company from Dubai, the sole heir of Samsung and a very prominent Medical Equipment &amp; Supplies company, similar to the Hyuga`s, only larger. In a nutshell, in was hell in the business market at that moment.

The young Uchiha`s only luck was that none of them had stocks at his company, so he was not directly affected like Neji, who bought shares from the medical and supplies company, but nonetheless one company is enough to drag all the others to the bottom on the trade market.

But…despite all his problems related to the work he was not pleased in the slightest to do, Sasuke could not help himself but let his mind drift to his absolutely gorgeous maid and their passionate kisses and touches, and it was making him go crazy…for her, for everything she was.

Never in his life would have he thought there would be a time in his life when a woman would occupy half of his conscience, lulling him into her arms, where he felt he was charged with enough energy to the point he felt dematerialized from the present world and drift straight to higher levels of feelings and emotions.

The onyx eyed heir did not like her…no…that would have been an understatement, he became obsessed with her, with her voice, her amazing scent, her soft pearl white skin, her vibrant eyes, the emotions she poured in every tender gesture and her smile…Sasuke could have sworn he would take a photo of her and print a wallpaper with that absolutely angelic view of her being happy.

That morning, he did not want to wake her up and make her prepare him breakfast, because he realized she was too lacking sleep and was neglecting her meals.

Of course he did not find her body less than perfect, but it was more than visible she lost weight in the time she worked for him and that pained the raven haired man to the point he consider himself screwing the charade with the made and just…be with her.

Knock knock

"Enter." Sasuke shook his head once to chase away the thoughts that started to plague him day and night, and let his eyes dart to his expectant secretary. Poor man could have been a weights lifter with all the files he was asked to bring into his CEO`s office.

"Sir, this are all the files you asked me to bring. All the documents and graphics regarding our stores and investors, as well as the most recent ones coming from Mitsubishi, our partner."

The Uchiha took the first file from the pile and scanned it once, knowing exactly what to look for. He nodded once.

"I see Mitsubishi is not going to raise the custom taxes despite the crises which is good for our shares. Have you called another general meeting? I have some not so good news regarding this month`s dividends."

The mere thought of meeting those absolutely imbeciles and explain them his new strategy was giving the coal eyed man a painful headache.

All they had in mind was how to make money faster, as if their bank accounts could have been higher.

But the people`s craving for more was revolting him. He too craved for more, but it came in the form of a pair of emerald eyes and petal soft rosy lips dancing on his own.

The young heir almost shuddered at the idea of feeling her again into his arms. That dream was right. She as well. Oh the sweet coincidence. He was becoming an addict of his fantasies.

"Yes, they are ready to meet you in Seoul tonight."

"Good. How is the insolvency of the Norwegian company going on?"

"I have good news. Us being their main clients meant the first to take our money back from the selling of their goods.

It was enough to cover the debts they had. The others on the other hand…" Juugo eyed his boss knowingly, not quite wanting to remember how he was almost hit by a glass full of Cola right in the face. Those people were violent.

"Excellent. Let the other kill each other, like the greedy sharks they are. Any words from our factories? Especially the ones in Latin America and China?"

"Ah yes, I have almost forgot. They said the car parts and the gold alloys shipped to them are blending in perfectly and the quality seems to be even higher than the previous one.

They said the Japanese company even provided them instructions how to make our microchip more stable and not let the engine get overheated so quickly."

"That is good. They are professional and that was the main reason why I chose them, much to my dear father`s dismay."

Sasuke would never hear the end of the older Uchiha`s bashings from the moment he found out his son has not listened to his advice to trade with an American company, saying he is going to go bankrupt and drown the entire family in misery and despair.

The young Uchiha was almost tempted to do it and hope his father was not going to stand being a commoner and commit suicide. Then using his genius to make Mangekyou shine again. He almost smirked at the idea.

"Yes Mr. Uchiha I agree. But we have to worry up, because I have been called by the pilot half an our ago. The helicopter is waiting for us."

"Ok." Being announced by the gentle secretary there was a large meeting in South Korea, Sasuke wasted no time in packing some stuff and bring his luggage to his company, being short of time.

He wanted so much to wake Sakura up and tell her goodbye because such things could take even a week, but his heart would not allowing him to do so.

"Oh another thing Sir, the mountain trip has a week delay because one of the three people killed in the unfortunate incident was supposed to participate. The Organizing Committee do not want us to be hypocrites and wait until the funerals are ready."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at that. "A week? That would put the trip five days far from the charity Ball. So we have two days to prepare for it once we come back. Fuck."

"I am sorry sir, the fax has just arrived."

"Ok, fine."

Sasuke was slightly surprised Sakura was not in the kitchen preparing him her tasty sandwiches, like she always did, almost like the emerald enchanting lady knew exactly he was going to be awake, but he considered her being able to finally find her rest, so he let her be.

Although…he was dying for another kiss. He would call her later though and tell her about his urgent business. Maybe plan another surprise nocturne escapade…He inwardly smiled. Yeah, he had the perfect thought, how could that not have crossed his mind earlier.

He went straight to his large office, signed the documents he was supposed to, shoved them into his briefcase, took his luggage, noting Juugo had his own beside him and exited the door, entering the elevator to go to the roof top where the helicopter was waiting. _"I hope this shit is not going to take much time…"_

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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1 pm Tokyo hospital

Sakura was taking her time in opening her emerald orbs, blinking rapidly to adjust to the powerful light. Just why the hell were all the lights turned on in the middle of the day anyways?

A quick glance to the window confirmed her thoughts. The sky was covered in gray angry clouds and it was raining like all the Deities up there were crying. _"Fuckin depressing…"_

The pink haired maid rolled her body to rest on her back, rising up to look at Naruto who was sleeping on the bed in front of her and an Akatsuki female agent who was busy murdering her phone, neither of them taking notice of her awakening.

She vaguely observed she was not that weak, despite her injuries that were hurting and stinging her and the IV has been changed.

Sakura was more scared of the drugs she has been given, but she was not envisioning pink cockroaches clad in Prada and dancing bears which was a good sign that Sasori`s special pill and the chelation therapy was working.

"What exactly are you doing?" Ten Ten, who was sitting on her tummy, probably because her butt was paining her from all the shots she got from the totally unskilled nurses, was having her tongue in between her teeth, laughing like a maniac and murmuring things she did not understood, but the word kill and motherfuckers graced her ears.

The chestnut eyed woman snapped out of her virtual world and rested her eyes on the jadeite ones that were eying her intently, giving her a small grin. "Oh you awake? I am killing zombies and aliens that want to take over the Earth."

Sakura snorted loudly shaking her head in disbelief. The motion made her slightly dizzy and she wondered why, but the answer came as being anemic, bulimic, weakened and hurt. Life was a bitch. "Don't tell me you are a fan of games."

"I am not but someone has to save this world from destruction. Besides, I have managed to beat Naruto`s previous record." Ten Ten gave Sakura a thumb up, like she has discovered a miraculous medicine for cancer, making the woman giggle even more.

In her mind the Sound agent realized that when she did not hated Ten Ten, that woman could be really funny and she was looking at her with warmth in her eyes, like she truly meant her words to forget their rivalry and start anew.

The pink haired maid was shocked when the chocolate eyed woman asked her to train together when she had time, because her fiancé and blonde partner sucked major balls, that were her exact words,

"WHAT?! Someone broke my 2 billion points at Zombie attack?!" Naruto shot up and jumped from the bed, startling both the female agents in the process, losing balance and landing straight on his butt. Two pair of eyes were eying him in disbelief.

Ten Ten calmly took the pillow that was smashing her breast and kindly throw the pretty heavy object into the sun kissed agent`s head, right when he attempted to stand up, sending him to the floor the second time in less than a minute. He threw her what he hoped was a heated glance, pouting comically.

"Just calm the hell down you moron, we are not the only people in here. Besides, it is not my fault you suck so much. I must say Naruto, so many years of your miserable life were wasted on this game and you were only able to complete 60 levels. I am disappointed."

Ten Ten was smirking at her partner`s misfortune, his face being a laughable combination of fury and disbelief. Sakura threw her head backwards, laughing carefree at the Akatsuki agent`s antics.

"No! you broke my own record on my own phone! Tennie you are meannie…yeah, this is your new nickname, Tennie-meannie!"

"Don't you dare…"

Naruto stuck out his tongue at her and went to Sakura`s bed, sitting beside her, pulling her in a brief hug.

"Aww Sakura-chan, have you slept well? Is Tennie-meannie giving you hell?" Naruto let his cerulean worried eyes scan the lady in front of him and he felt his stomach clench painfully. She looked weak and he knew all to well because he met her from before.

"Sakura, head down cos I am going to aim at his face."

"See? You are evil, Neji was right."

Ten Ten frowned at that. So her fiancé was badmouthing her behind her back. Hell was waiting for him when she got out of the hospital.

"Yes and no, she is not." Sakura started to get used to the sun kiss agent`s small compassionate gestures, not bothered by the fact that he was invading her private space at all, on the contrary liking where their friendship was going .

And she made peace with his friends as well. There was only a problem left in the form of…

"Have you brought my stuff?"

"Yeah. Here." Naruto gave Sakura the small pink cell phone, winking suggestively in her direction. Sakura hit his shoulder playfully. Not that she had any force left in her punches.

For some unknown reason, the mere sight of the first gift her boss has given her, was making a goofy smile grace her features, not being able to stop her silly happiness at the thought of him. She felt her face redden considerably and that did not went unnoticed by the Akatsuki gang.

"Thank you Naruto-kun."

"I bet all the points I have managed to gain to Naruto`s imbecile game that the pink fluffy looking phone is a gift from Sasuke."

And the chestnut female agent knew exactly she hit the nail on the head when Sakura hid her face behind Naruto.

That made her take a double look not quite believing how childish and pleasant Athena of the Sound really was when she dropped the cold façade. It was definitely a welcomed change in the scenery.

"It is…but it is only because I lied to him and told him I don't have one to begin with." Sakura felt her cheeks flame. Just what in the world was going on? Those people were just like her friends Karin, Anko and Hidan. Sasori was more serious when he was not drunk.

"BHAHAHA I bet the Teme would have still found a way to give you a present."

"Shut up!"

"Too cute."

"I am not cute."

"Yes you are, and he finds you cute as well." Sakura`s head shot up, eying the sun kissed laughing agent expectantly, like a kid encountering Santa.

"How do you know he finds me cute?"

"He told me when we got together. Where do you think is Suigetsu taking his daily blackmail? Man was epic as hell."

Sakura felt spring bloom on her heart, her whole body being washed with an adrenaline rush at the thought of her feelings being reciprocated and hearing it from his best friend was the confirmation she needed.

She let out a wide smile, gripping the phone at her chest eying the small object like it was some precious jewel. Well in her mind, it was. And she was not ever aware that she was making a fool of herself in front of the Akatsuki.

"He thinks I am cute…"

Ten Ten raised an eyebrow at Sakura, amused to the max. "She is a goner."

The emerald eyed agent caught the sight of a missed call on the screen and flipped the phone open. In all honesty she did not come with a secure back up plan and she had no idea of what she should tell to her boss. She had fifteen missed calls from him and a voice mail.

"Holly shit, I don't think Teme ever called someone so many times, not even his business partners!" Naruto`s eyes went wide as saucers when he leaned to Sakura`s shoulder to watch the screen, not believing what he was seeing. That was the moment when the blonde agent truly realized how much Sasuke cared for Sakura. He would go as far as to say he even loved her.

Sakura pressed the button to listen to the voice mail. She should first hear what Sasuke had to say then try to come up with a backup plan. Whatever that would entitle. And she was trembling at the though of hearing his manly sensual voice again. The way he said her name…

"_Sakura, I have an urgent important meeting in Seoul and I am on my way there. I don't know how much would this take. I didn't want to wake you up. Call me when you get the message."_

"What did the bastard say, Sakura-chan?"

"He has an important meeting in South Korea and he is on the plane." Sakura let her head hit the pillow, relief washing through her. "I am saved!" She did not even care she has screamed at the top of her lungs, exhaling a breath she did not knew she was holding. Heavens loved her.

"Now that is some luck you have there I admit." Ten Ten found the situation absolutely fabulous. To be saved from such a situation.

"Yeah truly but…I still have to call him back."

"…and what do you plan on doing?"

"Tell him something close to the truth."

Both Akatsuki agents went silent, not aware of the fact that they both mentally agreed to her. Sakura dialed her boss`s number and put the ringing device on her ear. He answered her from the third call.

"_Sakura." _God he had that sexy way of rolling her name out of his tongue like he was caressing her soul.

"Sasuke, I am sorry I have not answered your calls." She was not aware of the fact that she was gripping the phone tightly, biting her lower lips. Bad idea, because she was reminded by his sensual French kisses. She mentally slapped herself.

"_Not a problem. Have you gotten my voice message?"_

"Yes. How long would you be in Korea?"

"_Why, do you miss me?"_ It was just obvious from his voice that the raven haired Uchiha was mocking her to no end. Sakura`s ears got the shade of his favorite vegetable. She did not missed him. She was yearning for him. Especially when she felt so out of protection.

"Should I?"

"_No. But that would not stop you." _

"And what if I say yes?" So engulfed in the conversation, the pink haired agent was not aware of the fact that Naruto had his ear glued to her cheek, trying to listen to the conversation.

He got a phone in the back thrown by Ten Ten who screwed the pain she had in the butt, got off the bed, grabbed him by the hem of the shirt, pulled him out of the bed and gave him some punches.

"_Then I would say it is probably going to take me four days, but I might be able to make it in three."_

Three days? For the Sound agent, it was brilliant, because she was going to get out of the hospital by then and act like nothing happened.

Of course, she had some deep cuts that needed to be bandaged but she would take care of that while he was at his company. She had to be ready to keep an eye on him when he was going to be at that mountain trip.

"Ok."

She went silent and Sasuke as well. But she cold hear his breath on the other side of the line which assured her he was still on the line.

"_Are you all right? You seem nervous."_ Of course he was able to read through her deception even if he was in another country.

"Yes…no. Sasuke I have to tell you that the reason why I did not answer is because I am not at home."

"_Then where are you?"_

"Hospital…"

The two Akatsuki members stopped their wrestling match on Ten Ten`s hospital bed and listened to the interesting conversation. Was Sakura really telling Sasuke the truth? They were all ears.

"_Why?"_

"Last night, after you went to bed I could not sleep so I went for a short walk. But on my way, I have encountered those riders you have beaten to a pulp on the mountain friends. I have been attacked and barely escaped there when the police came."

Sakura knew the implications of what she was confessing and although her voice came more like a whisper, she knew it felt better telling him the truth. The emerald eyed woman truly liked him and she was sick of building their relationship up on a ground of lies.

Sasuke went silent for what seemed like an eternity and she was afraid he was going to go angry at her for a reason she did not know. And that scared. Everyone told her to be honest with the young heir and wait for his reaction, but she vaguely wondered if that would be such a good idea.

"_You should have called me the first time, Sakura."_

"I did not want to bother you with my problems. You already have yours…"

"_Don't be ridiculous. This is serious."_

"I am fine now. They all have been arrested. And I was lucky to escape with minor injuries…_my ass, this thigh is killing me_…" The tone in his voice was dark, sinister and vile, like he was able to hurt someone through the phone. It was crystal clear the thing that bothered him was the fact that she did not announce him in the very first place.

"_Were they many?"_

And this is where the lie would come. Well…it was not a lie per se, more like she was not telling him half of the story. "Ten."

"…_You managed to escape them all, alone?"_

"I managed to outrun them until police came. They moved fast."

"_Fuck. I should have killed those bastards the very first time."_

At that Sakura`s eyes went wide, catching the attention of the Akatsuki members, who exchanged worried glances. The Sound agent`s aura changed from worry to terror. Just what were they talking about?

"Don't say such things. It was not your fault. You did what was right." Sakura felt blood freeze in her veins at the honesty present in her boss` low voice.

Was he truly able to kill them without any remorse? Just how could he have been so serene and say such things with such a normality in his demeanor?

"_What did the doctor say? What is your condition?"_

"I have few cuts and bruises and I have been given a small dosage of drugs. It looked like our dear chasers were drug dealers. You were right to be suspicious on them." Indeed, the emerald eyed agent realized how fantastic his intuition was.

"_That`s all?"_

"Yeah." She was not going to tell him about her other problems with the lack of sleep and anemia.

"…_Good. Take care of you. If you want I can call my personal doctor to come and check on you. He is the best Japanese surgeon and internist. You have my no-limit credit card to use for everything you need."_

"It is ok Sasuke, thank you."

"_Just take care of you until I come back."_

"You too."

"_I am hanging up."_

"Bye." Sakura was stunned. She was thorn between asking herself just how many things were not all right with her boss and looking for a solution to make the butterflies in her stomach stop fluttering and make her dizzy.

It was the first time she truly felt it: concern. He was worried for her. Even going as far as to give her access to his bank account and send the best doctor to check on her. She felt fantastic like they were a couple.

"Soooo…Sasuke, huh? You guys on first name stage already?" Ten Ten had a large smirk plastered on her face, hands on her waist, looking at Sakura knowingly.

"I bet he was worried shitless about you Sakura-chan."

"You guys…are giving me a headache."

"I still cannot believe you had the guts to almost tell him the truth."

"I don't want to lie to him anymore. Believe it or not, Sasuke told me parts of his life he told no one, so it is just right for me to be honest with him as well."

"Right."

"Sakura-chan, do you want me to bring you something else? After all, you are going to be here more than Tennie-meannie."

The two nurses that were treating the two female CIA agents came that morning to check on the girls. Ten Ten is going to be discharged the next day, but Sakura was going to be there for at least two more days, depending on her condition.

The doctor said it is enough for her deep thigh cut to get better, but he was worried of her mental illnesses and weakened state, so they still kept her on IV for one more day, much to her horror.

"I would need some pajamas, my shampoo and more importantly, my laptop. I have to call Oro and Tsunade-shishou."

"No problem, I am going to bring them to you."

"Thanks a bunch Naruto-kun. Don't use the back door, I am giving you the key from the front door. We don't want that old couple that stays glued to the back yard to get suspicious."

"Are they always having meals on the porch?"

"Yeah. And they have seen my dancing butt naked in the living room…with Sasuke`s blanket."

"Shock."

"I swear you guys are picture perfect."

"In terms of what?"

"Craziness."

"Pfff yeah, like you Tennie are entitled to talk about being insane. Just what the hell are those perverted toys I have found under the bed and what is that sticky white thing covering them?"

Sakura felt like throwing up. Ten Ten was beat red.

"You roamed through my room?! I am going to kill you."

"Don't tell me…yack! You guys are disgusting! Hey wait a sec…hellppppp!"

Ten Ten bolted out of the bad, one slipper in her hand, running after her sun kissed colleague, hitting his head repeatedly. They exited the room creating a fuss on the hall. Sakura slapped her forehead. Those people…

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Same time, Tokyo, Yamanaka private villa

Ino was eying her perfect shaped frame in the large bedroom mirror, a beautiful lavender kimono covering her body, her baby blue eyes blazing with fury. Ever since she encountered Sakura in Sasuke`s office she tried in vain to meet the handsome man.

He was always busy or trapped in a meeting, like he was avoiding her on purpose. How was she supposed to seduce him into falling for her if he did not know she existed?

The blonde model took her cell phone and dialed the number she knew by heart, fisting her hand on her golden tresses, annoyed.

"_Darling?"_

"Dad I need help!"

"Anything for you."

"I was not able to meet Sasuke and I run out of ideas. How much do I have to wait?"

"_Until the proper moment comes. And I assure you that is going to be sooner than you expect."_

"Why cannot I take part in the upcoming Ball? That would be the perfect opportunity for us to meet."

"_I know, but such are orders. Besides…the charity Ball…is going to be the beginning of his end."_

Ino`s eyes went wide at her father`s confession. Deep down, she was feeling bad for ruining such a successful businessman that did nothing wrong. "You mean…so quick?"

"_We cannot afford to waste anymore time. They have already started to move."_

"Those killed rich people from the news…is their doing?"

"_Yes sweetheart. And for the plan to be complete, we have to play our parts as well. Don't forget, in the new world, we are going to be one of the rulers."_

"Are you sure?"

"_I can guarantee."_

"Daddy…I am scared." Although she has never been told the whole plan, the young model found some bits of information and she felt like dying when the list of people that had to be killed fell into her hands.

That was insanity and her family was part of an upcoming massacre. All for some twisted ideas.

"_Don't be. I need you to be strong. We need you."_

"I don't trust them! You should not either."

"_I have no choice. They helped us."_

"What if we don't succeed? What if Sasuke figures us out?"

"_This is not going to happen. He assured me of that."_

"He got nothing to lose daddy…the ones to go down…are going to be us."

"_Then I am taking all of them with me in the grave if this happens."_

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

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Three days later, Tokyo hospital

Sakura was stuffing her face with a large piece of Tiramisu she has managed to hide from the nurse that absolutely forbid her to engulf sweet things and nagged her to eat fruits and vegetables.

Like she was able to live with spinach and potatoes. That woman was observant but she was a Sound agent with good ideas.

At least she was not on IVs anymore and the bruise she had on her left vein was the size of the Tokyo city. Damn that idiot nurse and her lack of skills. Of course she always missed her vein.

The emerald eyed agent looked like a druggie on rehab. At least the cuts she had were fading and the thigh was not burning and stinging her anymore.

She pressed the call button on the laptop, waiting for the CIA secret line to connect her to her blonde busty mentor. Ten Ten has been discharged, so the pink haired maid was alone in the hospital room. Naruto has been coming to her everyday and brought her food.

She got some clothes and toiletries from "Tennie-meannie" who absolutely threatened Naruto with castrating him if he went as far as to roam through her lingerie.

During the time they shared the hospital room, the two female agents become really good friends. They shared parts of their past and talked about the craziest missions together.

Sakura found out her CIA colleague was also an orphan, bullied in high school for being a tomboy, but she had money from her wealthy deceased family.

Also, she laughed out loud when the cognac eyed woman told her about her mission in Africa, where Naruto got bitten by a giant spider and were chased by angry hungry monkeys that hit them with bananas in the head all the way to their Jeep, which of course, run out of gas.

"_Sakura!"_ Tsunade`s face popped out on the screen, purple bags decorating her tired eyes.

"Tsunade-shishou, thanks God, I have tried to reach you for two days! What is going on there?"

"_It is a mess in here Cherry, your Papa is not able to track the one who stole our documents and I am sure you found out about other three important heirs being killed which makes thousands of other companies get loans from banks to cover their loss."_

"So this is why Sasuke is in Seoul at some company related meeting…I see. Is it that bad? The don't let me have a TV in here and Akatsuki don't have many details as well."

Tsunade raised a delicate eyebrow at that, folding her arms. _"Akatsuki?"_

Sakura rolled her emerald eyes at the woman`s disbelief. "I befriended the Tokyo gang."

"_I find this difficult to believe."_

"It is quite the story if you ask me."

"_So I have been told. I found out about you and Ten Ten`s performance. 30 drug dealers down in a day. Not bad."_

"Heh…no one said we were weak. You should have seen Ten Ten, that woman is Anko`s daughter, I swear."

The brown eyed woman snorted loudly, shaking her head. _"I know, they are both insane. By the way, I am not sure if you are aware but Lorane put up a good one on us this time."_

"What do you mean?" The sound agent did not like the tone in her master`s voice. Tsunade got serious.

"_40 CIA agents have been killed in Egypt, all orchestrated by Lorane. It is hell in here. Tobirama and Orochimaru are basically assaulted with phone calls from each side of the world, to ask for backup, because those agents were supposed to be spread in key points and keep an eye of the biggest criminal organizations."_

Sakura`s jaw hit the…hospital bed. She could not believe no one told her such a thing. Oh, she could. She did not have her phone anymore. Damn it.

"What?! 40 CIA agents killed? Oh my God shishou, this is horrible, I don't think something like this ever happened! But how? How did Lorane know where to strike?"

"_This is something no one knows for sure honey and when I asked Orochimaru, he told me his guess is there are spies among the CIA. Your Papa also asked Itachi about that and that Uchiha told him he thinks the same. But they have no suspect whatsoever."_

"A spy? Among us? Fuck…how do you know it was Lorane the one to kill our agents?"

"_They all have the compass sign we all know on their chests and the forensic investigation confirmed the angle of the cut. It is Lorane no doubt."_

"This is more than worse. We are here tied up not having a clue on what to do, while they successfully take down both us and the important heirs.

If this goes on, Papa Oro was right. We are going to face an economic crisis soon. I heard Ten Ten talking to Neji Hyuga on the phone. His company had a $2 million dollars loss. They are in deep trouble and only Mangekyou is willing to help them."

"_I know all too well Cherry. Trust me, no one here slept for three days in a row. Orochimaru is only drinking coffee and he is stuck in the research lab, trying to look for any relevant clue. All our agents are in missions, except for your demented red headed friend and Hidan, who got shot in the shoulder and is resting."_

"Shit, really? I have to give him a call. I already intended to call Karin anyways." Sakura felt her head spinning.

Just what was going on in the world suddenly? Important people were getting killed on daily basis and Lorane started to target them as well. 40 CIA agents murdered was no joke. It was basically a declaration of…war to the humanity. And her friends…

"_By the way Sakura, I called the doctor that took care of you and your newfound questionable friend Ten Ten. He was a colleague of mine so don't worry. But he told me some things I did not like, and I am not talking about your thigh or minor scratches."_

The pink haired maid lowered her jadeite eyes in shame, biting her lower lip, brushing a strand of her curly hair out of her face.

She knew exactly what Tsunade was talking about, because the CIA doctor was the one to take care of her after Orochimaru found her. She knew everything. "I know what you mean but…"

"_No honey, I don't care you realize what you are doing. Why the hell are you neglecting yourself? _

_Do you want to be fed through IVs all your life? Don't tell me your depression got back and this is the reason why you don't eat, because if things are like that I am going to tell your Papa to go die and take the first flight to Tokyo."_

"No, this is not the case here. I am sorry to have made you worried. Is just I don't have time for me since I have to look out for Sasuke."

"_Don't you dare lie to me Miss, because I am not senile like Jirayia yet. You are not sleeping, you are not eating and you are pale and weak, it is written all over your pretty face. I bet you have nightmares as well. _

_Sakura this is ridiculous, don't tell me you started to starve yourself to death again because I am going to snap."_ Sakura felt hot salty tears burn in the corner of her glistening jadeite eyes, not wanting to deal with that, but there was no point in trying to deny the obvious.

"I don't know what to do Tsunade-shishou, it just happens! It is not that I don't want to eat or sleep, I just cannot do it!

Whenever I see food in front of my eyes I feel like throwing up, which I do sometimes and this is the reason why I almost never have meals with Sasuke and I must confess he observed it too, but decided not to question me.

Also, my doctor told me I suffer from anemia and this makes me weak and dizzy so I took your pills again, but they don't help me too much.

Since my idiot boss is so obsessed with tomatoes I start eating that as well and it helps the iron in my blood rise for a moment, but the lack of sleep is taking a toll on me.

I have nightmares just like you have said, but I don't know what to do about it. I just wake up alone and my all body trembles and I get sweaty."

She made a small pause, to whip the angry tears that threatened to damp her pajama, making Tsunade`s stomach jump of her body and clench at the sight of her beloved student in such a state.

No one was going to lie. She looked really bad and weak, although she was beautiful.

And her bare hands were so skinny it was almost painful to look at her. Of course, having a toned trained body made up for the looks, she looking just like a model on the catwalk, but Tsunade wont be fooled like the others.

The Sound agent truly lived in a world obsessed with kilograms and all the women wanted to look skinny and be taller, but Sakura was obviously not one of them.

"You know that when I was in Ravenna, I would often go sleep with Karin and that was good, but there is no way I can do this anymore in here."

The pink haired agent would not lie. She would love to curl in bed with her handsome boss and have a proper sleep.

And she did not know if he would dislike the idea…it was her childhood trauma: Sakura was lonely and fragile deep inside and she still had the reflexes to always be alert of the tramps and druggies or drunkards that could break the front door and kill her or rape her. So of she slept beside someone else, she felt protected.

That was what she secretly craved for and the only person able to make her feel like she was guarded by the five existent elements, was Sasuke. In his arms, she felt secured and calm.

"_Fuck child. You know how much I would like you to come back home. But we don't have any more agents available to send instead. Not now. And there is no one better than you."_

"I know and I am not complaining. Sasuke and I get along really good. I would survive…somehow."

"_No, you are not alone in this. You befriended Akatsuki of what I am glad, because I know those brats are really kind, especially the loudest blonde idiot one. And I know there is much more going on between you and that Uchiha, but I am not going to question you on that one._

_I am not going to overlook the incident Sakura, because I don't want you to take that path again. I am going to talk to my old friend and prescribe you medicine. _

_Also I am going to write a diet program for you in which I am going to include cereals, fruits and some healthy meals to help you and if I find out you are not following it…"_

"Ok ok I promise, I am going to take care of myself Tsunade, just don't kill me!"

"_Good. I have to go. That freaking snake man is driving his wife nuts downstairs and there is a mountain of files waiting for us. Call me if you need anything and I mean it. If you feel like talking to someone at 3 am do it. I am here for you dear, don't forget."_

"I know shishou. Thank you."

"_I love you dear."_

"Me too." Tsunade ended the conversation already grabbing a bottle of sake on her way to her CIA colleague, leaving Sakura biting her nails. Why was everyone so obsessed with taking care of here anyways?

She felt so helpless all of sudden. Naruto basically brought her meals everyday and the nurse that was taking care of her followed her in the cafeteria to make sure she is eating, much to her horror.

She could not engulf anything. The emerald eyed woman knew exactly she had problems and big ones, but what could she have done anyways? She called her friend Karin and when she caught the sight of her and Hidan, both having a bottle of Rum in their hands, drunk as hell she hung up.

But of course her red headed friend won't have any of it so she called her back. She had to answer either ways that woman was going to drive her nuts.

"Karin, you are drunk."

"_Whhhhhyyyyy hellooooo….there."_ Sakura slapped her forehead. Just what the hell was her friend doing?

She was only clad in her bra and she had bit marks down her neck and after her intense make out sessions with her boss she new exactly what they were. And she looked in horror at an almost naked CIA colleague. They did not…

"_Oh if it isn't the most beautiful Cherry Blossom from the entire…what the fuck happened to your face?"_ Hidan shoved Karin out of the screen, revealing his bandaged shoulder, grinning at the stunned Sakura.

"I could have asked you the first time you jerk. This is how a woman in hospital looks like."

"_Hospital?! Move you imbecile! Oh my God Cherry whoever did this to you can call his all relatives to prepare for the funerals because I am going to murder them with my bare hands!"_

Karin was awake in an instant. She might have been drunk but no one messed with her friend in that lifetime and escaped her wrath.

"Relax, I was kidnapped by a bunch of druggies and took hostage. Please don't kill me because Tsunade shishou already gave me hell."

"_Sakura…are you ok? Seriously, this manwhore lacking fucker over here is kinda right, you look pretty…skinny._

_And giving your beautiful shaped and toned body one would have been fooled, but I am your sister so no such luck in here. _

_Don't tell me you are depressive again, because if you are, I am telling that insane Orochimaru to go die and take the first flight to Tokyo."_ Karin would not lie. She was ready to bolt out of the room naked in the direction of the airport.

"You know…shishou told me the exact thing. I am fine. A little bit anemic but fine…"

"_Don't worry Sakura, you are still hot as fuck and I am sure that Uchiha fucker takes much pleasure in keeping you around!"_

Hidan was winking in her direction, eyebrow rose and pointing at her dumbfounded expression. Sakura looked like she wanted to murder him but couldn't.

"Go to hell Hidan. But be careful, they are going to request you a visa."

"_I have already been there darling and it is kind of boring. Only lava, screaming people and no hot chicks." _

"_Back the heck off you demented sadist. Cherry, I am drunk and I am in this specimen`s company, but the reason you have called me is not to hear my opinion on how you starve yourself to death."_

"You are right."

"_Stop biting your nails woman this is something only Sasori does and it is bothersome. AUCH! Can you please stop hitting me? Oh wait…you can hit me all you want babe, but later."_ Hidan got slapped by a violent Karin that was not having any problem in sending the man in hospital again.

"_Shut up Hidan, you are scaring her. Tell me Sakura, is it about Sasuke isn't it?" _

Ah, Karin knew better. Sakura nodded energetically. "Yeah…"

"_So…if you called me, it means you took another important step in whatever relationship you have. Am I right?"_ Karin folded her hands like she was a queen on her throne, not a naked messy looking woman, sitting on the couch.

"Kind of…"

"_Explain. What have you guys done so interesting? Last time I remember, you almost kiss each other."_

"Well…things escaladed quickly from there…"

"_We have time."_

"I…I followed him to a swimming place and things got bad and he saw me there. Akatsuki came and covered for me, but Sasuke was chased by paparazzi so he grabbed me and we run back home, clad in only our bathing suits and when we arrived home, he had a jealousy attack because Naruto-kun told him he called me there."

Karin was having her amber eyes wide opened, processing the information. Hidan was looking at her suspiciously. _"Naruto-kun? Oh don't tell me…you befriended the enemy! You Blossom traitor!"_

"Hidan, stop exaggerating they really helped me. Ten Ten basically saved my ass three days ago. So stop acting like a bitch and let me be."

"_Leave that…what happened next? And don't you dare leave any important detail aside."_

"Well he got me pinned on the wall and after I confessed him me and his best friend are in no relationship, he started to kiss me and we felt each other up and it was absolutely maddening then…"

Karin and Hidan were leaning in the direction of the monitor, their eyes wide as saucers, like they were following the climax of a horror movie. Vaguely, the emerald eyed agent realized he was eating popcorn he took out of nowhere. The heck?!

"…_Then WHAT?!"_

"I fainted in his arms." No joke. Both Karin and Hidan fell on their backs, not believing what Sakura was telling them. Who the hell faints in the middle of an intense make out session with the sexiest man alive?

"_BHAHAHAHA perfect move Cherry, let the fucker with the boner of the century hahahaha."_

"_I cannot believe it Sakura. Couldn't you take in more of his sexiness or what?"_

"It is not that. I was already weak and I had a sunstroke as well. But he took care of me.

And then he took me on a ride with his ultra shiny motorcycle on the mountain and I swore I was going to lose my mind, because we kissed like mad and he even sucked on my nipple, can you believe men do such things?"

Karin shook his head in disbelief. Although she observed her virgin friend was more loosen up when talking about such topics which was a good change in the scenery, she was totally oblivious_. _

"_Wait until you find out where else could the put their skillful mouths on my dear."_

"_I can show you if you want sweety, anytime."_ Hidan, who was chocking on popcorn upon hearing the conversation, was having the time of his life. He was always mocking Sakura, but he loved her as a friend. They were really close.

"And I can totally show you how I took those men down barehanded Hidan, anytime you want."

"_Ah feisty, I like that!" _

"_You crazy fucker, just get the hell out of my house before I snap and throw your slutty ass myself. So you two basically act like a couple now which is more than perfect. But…the question is: what exactly are you two?"_

"I…don't know."

"_Friends with benefits."_ Hidan got a bottle of orange juice in his face, crying in pain. Karin was violent and crazy…and drunk.

"_Shut up you freaking Janshinist. What do you mean you don't know? Are you together or not?"_

"We are not. But I know he never treated me as a maid."

"_Oh my God, he totally views you as his girlfriend!"_

"He does?"

"_Yeah!"_

"_Leave that shit. Did you guys fuck or not?"_

"No, we did not fuck Hidan."

"_Then why the heck are we having this lame conversation?"_

"_Because not everyone is a crazy obsessed bitch like you loser."_

"_Look whose talking…Cherry listen. I am sure of a thing and that would be that absolutely smexy boss of yours feels something much more to you than lust, because he totally acts out of his character._

_I mean, who the heck would take his maid on a ride and make out intently? Your relationship does not need to even have a name to begin with. You are making your own rules and screw the others."_

That got Sakura`s attention. "Our own rules?"

"_Yeah, that's right. You two are special people and so is your relationship. Don't look for a name anymore. What happens to you is beautiful Cherry and I see the way your eyes sparkle whenever we talk about him._

_He might be a manwhore and a sociopath for all I care, but he is good for you. I approve your relationship!"_ Karin gave Sakura a thumb up making the emerald eyed agent snort loudly.

"You are crazy as fuck, you know that? But you are right and that is why I totally love you Rin." To prove her point the pink haired assassin embraced her laptop and gave the screen a little kiss. Karin did the same, much to Hidan`s disgust.

"_I love you too honey. And so does this idiot."_

"By the way, what are you guys doing there? Practicing seduction?"

"_Tsunade made me baby-sit his injured ass so we got bored and start playing poker. But we did not to bet on our money, so we decided to play strip poker instead."_

"What about the hikeys?"

"_Undressing got uninteresting." _

"_You guys are nuts. And you call yourselves agents. I am more disgusted and I have five more minutes until the lunch break. _

_And that scary nurse is keeping an eye on me like I am some mental disabled children."_ Sakura pouted comically absolutely loathing the idea of going to eat.

"_Sakura you have to, remember it is your health here. And I sure as hell don't want you to cut yourself or take antidepressants."_

"I know. I am hanging up. You guys just…don't do anything too disgusting."

"_Only if your red headed bitch friend doesn't kill me instead which I totally don't mind hehe."_

Sakura smashed the laptop shut, not quite able to envision their friend`s absolutely kinky games. And they called her and her boss friends with benefits…a loud beep caught her attention.

She got a message from her boss. And the content made her giggle, already feeling better. She was waiting for her doctor to come and tell her if she could indeed leave the hospital that day.

"_I am bored." _

She quickly wrote him back.

"Me too."

Another message.

"_People around are boring."_

"I agree." Sakura could not believe her eyes her boss was able to be that…cute and cheesy, sending her messages like they were lovers chatting.

"_Feeling better?"_

"Yeah."

"_Missed me?"_

"Have you?"

"_I asked first."_

"I answered with a question."

"_Then answer with yes or no."_

"What if I say no?"

"_What if I say you did?"_

"Are you a telepath now?" Sakura bit her lip, shaking her head in disbelief. It was not the conversation with her maternal figure.

Not even the one with her friends. It was Sasuke the one to bring joy to hear heart again. All the surroundings became fade and all she was thinking about was him. Only him and everything beautiful he meant to her.

"_I can be many things. What do you want me to be?"_

She wanted to say "my lover" but her friend`s words rung into her head. They did not have to play by the rules, because they were something out of the world.

"What you are now."

"_This is not difficult."_

"I feel you can be whatever you want."

"What else do you feel?"

"I am alone in here." Ok, she did not want to send that message and the emerald lady was panicking.

Again, the jerk played mind games with her, forcing the answers out of her brain. She slapped her forehead in disbelief, not quite paying attention what was going on around her. She was too engulfed in the conversation.

"_I know."_

"I did not want to say that. Sorry."

"_Yes you did."_

"Ok I did. But this is not your problem. It is mine."

"_I might be able to help."_

"How?" She was on the verge of tears. There was something about his replies that made her…want to let go and cry until hear heart felt no more sadness.

"_Tell me what you want." _

"Everything! I want everything you have to offer." She knew she was talking to herself, but she was alone in the hospital room, since Ten Ten left. She was honest in her reply though.

"I want to see you."

"_Then look at me."_

Sakura parted her lips and she lifted her head, feeling her heart explode in her chest.

A pair of onyx scintillating eyes were fixing her forest green almost crying ones, with the warmest emotion he could have given her, making the pink haired maid drop the phone in her lap, gripping the white hospital bed sheet tightly, like wanting to hold on her sanity.

"Sasuke…"

The raven haired Uchiha said absolutely nothing, because no words were able to send Sakura straight to Heaven and back like the amazing full of passion kiss he gave her, when he took a sit on her bad, raised his hand to gently cup he cheek and leaned in to capture her trembling lips with his own, she secretly loved so much.

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

**Author`s Note: **I am glad you enjoyed Sasuke and Sakura scene. In all honesty I as slightly afraid you guys will not like that, since I have no experience whatsoever in writing this kind of stuff, so I am trying my best to make my own style. I am better at portraying emotions than physical contact. Oh, you so smartly saw my intention of Sakura feeling protected by Sasuke keke

Well about Sakura`s past and scars, I hope I answered all the questions in this chapter. If not, I am going to do it so please ask me.

About Sasuke finding out of Suigetsu…of course I am going to explain that later, when I am going to disclose more of his past. Don't forget, Sasuke is not an ordinary man either. Maybe he knows much more than you think…

Yeah, of course my intention is to make Sakura slowly realize just what Sasuke is able to, so you are right, the scene with him beating those bikers is not random.

I swear you guys are damn smart, but you know what? I am totally glad such insightful people are reading my story. It makes me proud.

Hope you will enjoy this chapter as well. Again, thank you for the amazing reviews and for reading my story.


	24. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

It was in the moment she felt the soft moist lips of Sasuke, has Sakura realized that even though it was raining outside and the clouds were angry, there was a sunny morning into her heart, gentle caressing her heart with ever candid move the raven haired Uchiha did.

The way he was always surprising her with small gestures, like he knew exactly what she needed was incredible.

The pink haired lady wasted no time in sneaking her arms around her boss` neck, pulling his hard rock body closer to her smaller weakened one, angling her head to deepen the kiss.

She did not even care about the fact that they were in the hospital room where anyone could have barged inside and see them.

Sakura found herself not bothered by the outside world whenever she was in his arms, because the Uchiha was making her feel like touching another reality, far from all the things that made her suffer and surrounding her with all the warmth and tenderness she could have felt.

The emerald eyed agent could not believe how much comfort the warmth radiating from him was bringing her and how much she has missed his unique amazing scent on her skin, engulfing her and making her lose her mind with desire.

Sakura would have never realized how much she wanted him, until she spent three days apart from his handsome face and alluring demeanor.

Basically every fiber in her body screamed for him and he came right at her, not caring if they were a couple or not. Karin knew what she was talking about. They did not need to be what the world wanted them, because they had their own rules.

And the way Sasuke was kissing her like he could not get enough of her rosy lips, playing with her tongue, gently, nibbling her lower lip sensually, then darting inside exploring every part of her hot mouth, felt like wanting to make sure she is really the woman he secretly craved to have in his arms.

The young Uchiha, mindful of her injured state, let his hands slip under her pajama, letting his palms rest on her small back, pulling her even closer to him, like wanting to vanish all the physical distance between them, until they become one.

When he heard his maid was in hospital, something in Sasuke changed to the point he was not sure what stopped him from jumping from the meeting table, straight into his private helicopter and fly back to Tokyo to see her.

Probably his secretary`s hand on his shoulder, who heard his conversation. Three days he could not sleep at the thought of anyone daring to lay a finger on the woman only he was allowed to touch and all the dark thoughts he was able to nurture resurfaced in the form of calling the sole man who would be able to understand him and ask him to take care so that those people were not going to ever see the daylight again.

And he got his confirmation they were going to spend their remaining days in jail, but totally forbade the onyx eyed Uchiha to go and kill them all like he requested.

Seriously, Sasuke was certain nothing would have stopped him from doing so and he would have gladly tainted his already covered in blood hands with their sins and death, just to make sure Sakura was safe.

He silently entered her hospital room, not wanting to startle her and when he caught the sight of her weakened state and the IV pole that thankfully was not attached to her small hand, the coal eyed heir was certain that the emotion he felt into his heart was sadness.

How many years have passed since he last felt like all his insides were crawling in torture and the sight of the only person except his mother he did want to cover in gold and preserve her iconic frame for eternity, in the depths of his mind?

Sakura looked anything but fine and part of the fault was his, because she was neglecting herself to look for him and he knew it.

Her delicate hands were gripping the phone he has given her, looking at the way her sparkling in light emerald eyes he so loved were shining at the sight of the messages he sent her, like she has found her oasis of life in the deserted world.

Was he really making her that happy? Was he worth of all the angelic smiles that graced her stunning features to the point she not even realized she told an imaginary him that she wanted everything he had to offer?

The pink haired lady was not a stupid naïve in search for romance and white roses. No, she was far deeper than that and the way she voiced her secret desires in such an innocent way, saying that she wanted him, all of him, as a person with flaws and qualities, made his head spin and invade with delicate rays, just like the one that were bathing her scintillating eyes and he felt…happy.

He truly was happy to see her, there was no point in denying it, the others be damned. She might have had a secret past and she might have been a commoner, but all that Sasuke cared about in that moment was to kiss her like he kissed no other woman before her.

No one deserved to be touched like her, or kissed like her. A woman like Sakura deserved to be covered in all the flowers her name holds in its meaning and the sweetest of touches like the swan she was. She wanted to see him and the raven haired Uchiha craved for her as well.

There were many things that crossed his mind when he caught the sight of a pair of jadeite brilliant eyes widen at the sight of him, relief washing through her body like she has been waiting for him for centuries, but all he could to was lean in and capture her luscious lips, melting their bodies together in a dance they both learned together.

Sakura pulled apart from the man that was kissing her as if the end of the world was at their door, panting heavily, her plump lips slightly bruised at the pressure he applied to the soft skin, despite her extreme caution not to hurt her, inhaling deeply to engulf the much needed oxygen.

Her emerald eyes were shimmering with limpid salty burning tears, not containing them, relief washing through her and she was not able to let go of all the stress she had felt those three days in hospital alone.

The pink haired maid wanted to cry at the sight of him, her heart filled with infinite joy and she felt she could not contain the amount of happiness the sight of the breathtaking man that was holding her dearly, letting all of it surface at the outside, in the form of tiny rivers of salty liquid framing her high cheeks.

"How come you are always here….when I want to see you?" Sakura was aware she was crying, her hands were trembling but her heart shaped lips were curled in the most beautiful smile she could have mustered, not even bothering to pretend to be strong in front of the onyx eyed heir that was seeing right through her distress.

Sasuke gave her a small smirk, cupping her small reddened check, brushing his thumb over the drops of tears that were leaving her eyes, letting his forehead rest on her own, their noses touching and warm breaths mixing together, in an intimate meaningful contact.

"Because you said I can be anything I want. And you want everything from me." Sakura raised her jadeite eyes to rest on the beautiful jet ones that were burning with emotion, feeling all shy at the thought of him hearing her.

She has not even realized what she was saying. She dropped her hands to his sides, embracing him and let her head rest on his broad shoulder, inhaling deeply to let his smell drunk her senses.

Sasuke found the way she realized her slip of words really cute, knowing exactly why was she avoiding his gaze. How much more innocent could the woman in his arms get, because she was almost like a ghost from another time: untouched by the blemished world, keeping her ingenuity.

"You hear that? Oh God…" Sakura felt the same familiar butterflies rising straight to her throat, when she felt a hand dancing on her skin, well aware of what Sasuke was doing, but she said absolutely nothing and did nothing to stop him, because it was the kind of feather like touch she yearned for so much.

Using his index finger and all the tenderness in the world, the raven haired Uchiha traced every cut and scar he found in his way to his maid`s milky skin, from her hip, stomach, up to her uncovered breast, but refrained to indecently touch her, memorizing everything.

He was also aware of how much she has loss weight since she came to work for him and that burned his mind with rage at the thought of him being responsible in hurting her in any way.

He let his hand graze her small delicate back, taking his time in studying her, then descending his palm to her spine, making Sakura tremble in pleasure. The way he was caressing her was absolutely enchanting and dare she say…lovingly.

Emerald eyes closed and her all senses were on fire, not feeling any pain in that moment. All she could have perceived in that moment, was Sasuke, his amazing forest and rain scent and his burning touches. She did not even care where was he let his hand wander, completely drowned into him.

And the fact that he avoided any sexual caress, just fondling her was making her cry. He cared. So much. It was obvious from the way his breaths on her shoulder were getting sharp whenever his finger brushed a deeper cut or a bigger bruise.

"I heard…because you wanted me to hear it." When he felt a pair of plump warm lips pressed on his pulse, Sasuke was sure he was going to lose it for real.

The feel of her, her amazing feminine body and floral scent, the soft skin under his fingertips and her loving embrace was urging the beast inside him to pin her on the bed and lose himself inside her.

"Are you angry I said it?" That was the last thing that crossed the coal eyed Uchiha in the moment the words passed through his ears. Angry? With her? There was nothing in the world about her that could have made him angry, not in a million years.

"Anything you want me to hear…do not keep it for yourself, Sakura." Sasuke lowered his head and placed a finger under the small chin of his girl, bringing her face closer to his own, descending his lips on her own in a sweet chaste kiss, no tongue involved.

He was even afraid to touch her, that was how tiny she looked like in his arms. The young Uchiha felt the need to hold her forever trapped into his embrace and protect her forever.

Guilt…what a torturous feeling for a man. She exited the house because she could not find sleep. Because of him. He was certain he was driving her nuts.

He could not contain his smirk upon her petal like delicate lips, when he felt the tip of her tongue trace his lower lip, asking for entrance, the raven haired man not wasting any time in parting his mouth to let her enter and taste him, slowly, gently, shyly, in an innocent manner just like she was.

One of his hands was massaging her back softly, avoiding her cuts and the other was twirling strands of her silky locks on his finger, playing in her hair like she did to him in that moment. Even almost skinny and hospitalized, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Like a fairy.

There was no painkiller in the world to cure the pain Sakura had, apart from Sasuke and the feel of his hot body and his lips massaging her own in a lazy manner, because not the physical pain was killing the young agent, but the one from her heart.

And in that moment…she wanted to tell him everything. From the very beginning, without anyone to interfere in their story. No CIA. No Sound. No Lorane. Just the two of them.

Everything real she had in that moment, was her first name and her feelings for him. They pulled apart when they heard a loud cough and a knock on the door.

"Excuse me for interrupting…" The doctor in charge with treating Sakura entered the hospital room Sakura was resting in, refraining from eye the two young people too hard and their intimate moment.

Sakura tried to pull away from Sasuke`s arms, visibly ashamed and alarmed someone has seen them kissing, but a pair of strong muscled arms resting around her waist prevented her from doing so.

She felt her cheeks redden at the thought of that being their first public moment together. What was Sasuke thinking?

"Doctor Nagawa." Sasuke raised his hand to shake the doctor`s in a polite manner, then resuming in embracing the pink haired lady tightly, almost afraid if he let her go she was going to vanish in thin air.

"Mr. Uchiha, how do you do? Miss Haruno, are you feeling better?"

Sakura nodded once, wondering why was Sasuke seem to know to doctor and why was the doctor not speaking Japanese in the very first place, but then she remembered he knew about her cover…"_OH MY GOD!"_

The emerald eyed girl felt like something has stung her in the butt at the thought of somehow the doctor slipping that particular information about her to Sasuke.

She was mentally panicking and praying even to the God Hidan was worshipping that the old man was having enough brain not to disclose her.

"I do, thank you. Slightly weak, but good."

"I am glad to hear that. Now I am aware you do not have any relative in Japan do you?"

The Sound agent shook her head, lowering her eyes. "No."

The doctor threw a glance at Sasuke who in turn fixed him with a knowing look, nodding once. "Mr. Uchiha, I see you are very…close to Miss Sakura, so I want you to hear this as well, if it is ok with you."

"Of course." Sasuke did not even falter when he answered he was interested in whatever diagnose was the doctor going to reveal, involving the woman in his arms.

She was visibly unconformable with whatever was about to come, like she knew exactly what was wrong with her and she did not want him to hear, but he subtly palmed her abdomen under the bed sheet warming her skin with his touch, calming her.

"Miss Haruno, I have done a complete check up on you and your injuries are looking good.

There are going to be no scars left on your temple and thigh because we used a special balm we have successfully tested that has regenerative properties, so you do not have to worry about the cosmetic aspect.

But…what really worries me and I am sure you are well aware as well, are your anemia and your underweight, hence the dizziness and the urge to faint.

It is not in my intention to judge or be rude to you, but I am sure you understand my concern on your wrist cuts as yourself admitted you have been diagnosticated with major depression disorder."

Sasuke felt bile rise in her throat. Wrist cuts? Depression? The hell? He darted his glance on his maid`s hands, indeed seeing soft scars on her creamy skin. He felt like burning in rage. Has she always suffered like this, all without him having no idea? And how come he was not able to see that, despite their intimate close moments together? Was he going insane for real?

Her answer came as a whisper. "It is true."

"Tell me Miss Haruno, what caused the depressive moods?"

"….childhood trauma." Sakura was certain if Sasuke was to let her go, she was going to break down again.

It was his closeness that placed reassurance into her trembling body and the way he tightened his embrace and was patting her abdomen in a soothing manner was having a calming effect.

He was there and she was not alone anymore. If she wanted the past to stop haunting her, she had to face it and move on. Forgetting it was not an answer.

"I understand. I have medication I would like you to take and a complete diet program with healthy food and nutrients, but you have to take care of you.

At least three meals per day, no exception. There is mandatory for you to gain weight. Also, keep away from stress as well, because that takes a toll on your body and adds to the insomnias I know you suffer from."

"I understand." The Sound agent realized Tsunade has called the doctor and told him everything, because he did not asked her if she took medicine and he had a diet program, probably written by her shishou. She was safe. The doctor has been paying attention not to reveal she was an agent.

The doctor nodded once at the poor weak pink haired agent, knowing exactly she had been involved in a deadly situation, pitying her. He has seen enough deaths on war zones.

"Good. Well I am sure you are aware that starting today, you are discharged. I have brought you the files and your prescription.

Sakura took the files, muttering a small thank you. The doctor nodded once and left the hospital room, being announced by some emergency in the surgery room. As soon as she saw the door closed she let her head hit Sasuke`s broad chest, relishing into his warmth.

"…you didn't have to hear that, Sasuke."

The raven haired Uchiha took the emerald eyed agent`s hands and took a glance at her wrists, studying ever scar she had, from her obvious cuts. Sakura did nothing to stop him. She could not. And she did not want to.

"How did you hide this from me?"

"Cosmetics."

And the Sound agent`s jade eyes glimmered with unshed tears when she felt Sasuke brush his lips over every scar she had, placing soft kisses down her arm, like wanting to chase away her demons.

He was amazing and whoever said something else from him was a dumb that knew nothing. He knew exactly what to do and what to say, in the proper moment and that was something Sakura found astonishing.

The raven haired heir was a mystery to her and everything he did had a clear purpose. And she did not even try to stop a small moan to escape her lips at the tingling sensation she felt down her limbs, at the feel of his hot mouth touching her skin.

"Smart, but unnecessary. Stop hiding, you are fascinating just the way you are."

Sakura`s brain jumped from her head and her system had a shut down. What did he say?

He told her she was fascinating…

If it was possible for the pink haired agent to take back her sanity she would have like to know, because as soon as such confession coming out of her boss` mouth, the emerald eyed assassin turned around abruptly, stood up on her knees, grabbed the hem of his collar and crashed her lips on his own, kissing him like she wanted to eat him alive, with tongue and teeth involved, biting his lips and suckling his tongue, tasting his saliva and his very soul, almost making the stunned man to lose balance and fall off the bad, if not for his reflexes.

Even if Sakura felt her lungs scream for help, she could have cared less about that. Air should wait. Her hormones not.

Her heart exploded in a million of diamonds sparkling in the sun rays at the though of him confessing such a thing, after he displayed his affection for her to the doctor that tended her wounds, not bothered with his image as a famous man and the way he moved his lips on her own and rolled his tongue in her mouth was driving her crazy.

The young Uchiha would not bother to hide his awe at the sight of his maid being absolutely unleashed and basically attacking him, kissing him with such passion and letting all her emotions flow through him like she was invading his mind, replacing his own solitude and darkness with her colorful world, making his vision cloud.

She was totally dominating him like a she-wolf defending her pups, wild, abandoned and sensual and it was making him go crazy for her and that was the reason why he let a growl escape his throat, totally turned on by that side of hers.

Not only was she beautiful, but she could be a seductress as well which was just adding to her charms. Astonishing.

That was what she represented to him. Sasuke shifted their position, pressing her gently on the bed, hovering over her much smaller frame, prompting his body on his knee not to crush her and ate her lips with the same ardor and abandonment like hers, making more moans escape her mouth.

The onyx eyed Uchiha pulled apart from her just enough to make himself understood, totally pleased by their close connection, feeling her full chest brush his own, with every rise of her labored breath.

"I…like this side of you…"

Sakura opened her emerald darkened in lust eyes to look at the face of her boss. She just could not get over how gorgeous looking he really was and the fact that he was above her, looking like the ideal of masculinity, with his silky hair messy and falling carefree on his eyes and parted lips sent electric tiny jolts down her spine, straight to her already moist lower lips, making her vision cloud.

Her body wanted him so much. And so did all parts of her. Mind. Heart and soul. Just him.

"….only this…?

"Only you."

Sasuke let his hand glide under her pajama, caressing her soft velvety milky pearl skin, ascending slowly and sensually to her full rounded breast, palming her and fondling her gently, massaging her mound and rubbing her nipple gentle, feeling her arch her back in response and bit her lower lip, her glimmering garnet gems shutting tight, urging him to continue.

"Ahhh…don't…stop…" If her CIA colleagues and mentor would have seen her now, Sakura was certain they would think she went absolutely nuts, but she did not give a damn because she felt liberated. From her pain. From her struggle. From loneliness. From the world.

She reached perfection of emotions and she could not get enough of the onyx eyed man. Adrenaline was burning in her veins and his hand on her breast, massaging and fondling her, was sending her to the moon and back in a millisecond.

She let her hands slide under his suit pants, not even having time to watch in awe at how good he looked clad like that, grabbing the hem of his white shirt and pulled it out of his pants and not even bothering with the buttons, tore the expensive silky material open, revealing his delicious sculpted torso for her hands to roam freely, exploring him and feeling him up, from his collarbone, down his navel.

And the smirk she got in reply through his kisses assured her he was not bothered by what she did. She was basically making out with what was supposed to be her boss, in the hospital room.

"You truly weren't joking when you said you wanted to see me…" When Sasuke realized what Sakura was doing, he felt like playing in an action movie with two agents in love, wanting to have at least one passionate moment together, before jumping on the window and save the world and her obvious discharge of fervor was making his mind explode with hunger for her and for all that she was: an ethereal dryad emerging from the sparkling tiny crystals of morning dew, dripping into his burning skin in a discharge of electrifying fusion of his deepest desires.

He let go of her succulent plump pink lips to let his mouth meet her erect rosy nipple, leisurely nourishing his crave for her tasty skin, moving his own lips in all the way he could think of, alternating his peace between suckling greedily, like his starve was not going to ever be satisfied and flicking his tongue over the sensitive skin, massaging her other perfect contoured mound in between his long lean fingers, squeezing it and descend to her ribs, all the way down to her tiny waist, coming back with the same sensual motion, making the beautiful lady mollify into his arms, like a snowflake under the gentle warm touch of an innocent small child.

No feminine moans would have been enough to perfectly depict the emotions flourishing into the depths of Sakura`s character at the feel of the man she so much liked abandoning himself willingly to the same passion she was giving herself to and it was making her cry at the powerful emotion she felt towards him in that moment.

"I never joke with such things, Sasuke."

And it was the unknown control she felt flaming under her fingertips with every caress she did that made Sakura slant both her hands erotically from the wide planes of his back muscles to his spine, sinking deeper into his suit pants and boxers, just above his ass, feeling the incredible firm toned roundness of his frame, then tracing her nails around his navel, coming back to his well sculpted abs, urging Sasuke`s movements as well, he too visibly affected with ever sharp inhale he did.

She got wounds that still needed to be handled carefully? It was the last thing present on Sakura`s mind when basically all her trembling in pleasure body was rippling in excitement, the burning pool in the pit of her lower abdomen boiling with the need to be quenched, because it was maddening and it was making her hip shot up to meet the raven haired Uchiha`s one, dancing together and having their own rhythm, adding to the already beyond aroused state they were in.

"Sakura…"

A gentle, but firm hold of Sakura`s hand prevented her from smoothing down his navel to his throbbing in need lower region, reluctantly separating his lips from her floral scented brocade skin, panting heavily, whisking a hand through his rebellious midnight locks, trying to get a hold of himself.

Sasuke was well aware of the need for one another, flowing between them like rapid rivers cascading through the clouds touching rocky cliffs, but they had to stop.

Reluctantly, the pink haired girl removed her hand from Sasuke`s one, nodding once in understanding, ashamed at such display of emotion loss and abandonment, in the most inappropriate place and situation.

"I am…" A perfect synchronized subdued kiss placed upon her quivering lips silenced the emerald eyed lady, stealing the words from her mouth.

"Anything below happy is forbidden to leave your lips, Sakura."

If there is something that Sasuke would not mind to rewind in his head until every neuron and cell in his body got implanted the motion in its genes, was the way his gorgeous swan looking lady threw her arms around his neck, resting her warm temple on his shoulder, pressing her frame ardently on his uncovered able-bodied torso, not even aware of the fact that her lightweight sleeveless blouse was rolled up, revealing most of her deliciously rounded chest.

"…I….am happy." It was impossible to hold on a lucent droplet of tear to sparkle down her chest at the way alleviation flew through her body at the mere presence of her dark eyed boss, holding her firmly into his arms, letting her take relief from his manly scent and amazing taste, in a mix of pure beatitude and serenity.

He was everything…everything she could have asked for in that moment. He took away all her pain with a sole touch and he even gave her more. Anything. Sasuke told her he could be anything and he was honored his promise to her.

"I know." The young Uchiha had his check pressed on the woman in his arm`s soft slightly damp pink hair, inhaling the scent of her, trying to calm his racing heart. She was making this to him whenever they were together and he could not love something more than having her by his side.

"…I want to see you."

"Then look at me." Sakura ascended her chin towards the onyx eyed Uchiha`s face, trapping his sparkling gaze into a charming angelic smile, relishing into his tremendously gorgeous features. It was the best painkiller ever.

"We are not sending messages anymore."

"It depends on your meaning of messages." The emerald eyed agent lifted a well shaped eyebrow at the small smirk Sasuke gave her, questioning his answer.

"What if I don't mean technology?"

"I would say you still would have come up with another way of communicating with me."

"Next time, I am going to send a white dove."

Sakura felt Sasuke holding the hem of her sleeveless blouse, carefully covering her exposed body, taking his time in brushing his knuckles down her creamy snow white skin, in a relaxing manner.

The young heir smirked deviously at her innocent way of letting him know about the need to always finding a way to his world, surprising her with his answer.

"Next time, you are going to be by my side."

"Next time?"

Sakura let her jadeite eyes follow the movements of the coal eyed Uchiha, when he rose from her bed and buttoned what was left from his shirt, shaking his head amused at her boldness, taking his jacket to cover the damage, looking at her knowingly. She felt her cheeks burst into flames at the thought of her being the one responsible.

"There is an upcoming mountain trip organized by my business partners, before the grand Charity Ball. And I want you to come with me."

The Sound agent`s garnet surprised eyes shot open at the realization of him inviting her to officially join him in the trip, not only glad at the fact that she was going to keep an eye on him easier, but at the fact that he wanted her by his side and he was not even hiding it.

It was all written in those impossibly beautiful bottomless pearl black orbs and it only hurried her to jump of the bed, nearly tripping on the IV pole in the process.

"Are you for real?"

Sasuke nodded once, confirming her thoughts.

"Yes. If you want to."

How could she have said no at this? The emerald eyed lady was already done in packing her remaining stuff, trying to find enough space to shove her laptop down her bag. No problem if it was not fitting nicely, because God gifted her with two toned legs to help her case.

The young Uchiha snorted loudly at her, slipping his hand in his pocked to call for his secretary Juugo and let him know he would not return to the company that day. The gentle man knew what he had to do.

The meeting was tiring and they had to do many compromises, but so were their rivals and partners, so it went both ways. The situation was going downhill though, because there were already too many heirs killed and that was only the beginning. Everyone knew.

"I do. But I hope you don't mean right now, because that scary looking nurse is expecting me to eat the last meal in here and I must say she even threatened me into taking my laptop if I don't go to the cafeteria."

Sasuke rose a sharp eyebrow at her, letting his eyes dart to the black laptop resting on the small piece of furniture beside her bad. He saw that the first time he entered the room, but he did not mean to be invasive into her belongings.

Sakura caught his small movement and followed his stare. She returned her emerald eyes to him and answered his silent question. "Naruto left this for me not to get crazy with boredom."

"It sounds like him all right." The idea of his best friend visiting his maid at the hospital was something Sasuke did not like, for obvious reasons.

He knew the man Sakura liked was not the blonde eternally hyperactive friend of his, but he could not stop the rage he felt at the thought of the two of them getting familiar towards each other, although he was grateful he kept Sakura company.

"He came here from time to time and brought me some clothes and toiletries, along with Ten Ten he so kindly introduced to me. Me and, I quote, Tennie-Meannie beat his record at some game I was not bothered to memorize the name of."

Sakura let out a carefree bell like feminine laugh, instantly enlivening the depressing hospital room and threatening to outshine the rainy weather outside and Sasuke could have sworn he was touched by angels at the sight of her.

"Hn…I hope you did not become a games addict like the dobe. He still finds it funny to torture my TV with his passion for dead bodies emerging from the screen."

"Hey…in my defense, you are talking to the woman that managed to kill over one million zombies and green aliens in three days. And I did not even use all my lives." Sakura let her palms rest on her hip, tilting her chin, smiling triumphal at her boss, who in turn could do absolutely nothing to let out a low many laugh, totally startling her.

Ever since Sakura started to work for Sasuke, never once has she heard him laughing and it was not only hot, but joyful as well. It was clearly something he did not do on daily basis and it only made her feel more content at the thought of her being the reason for his chest to vibrate with expressed amusement.

But the raven haired Uchiha could not help it, she was too cute and her reply so innocent and priceless it was almost impossible not to almost want to believe her.

In her mind, the pink haired girl felt good for at least telling him something it was not a complete hidden of the truth, because it was indeed Naruto the one to bring her the laptop and she truly spent three days playing the same game as Ten Ten, even beating her record, much to the cerulean eyed agent horror, who swore as soon as he got home, he was not going to come out of his room without becoming the new champion.

Ten Ten called her the day before to let her know the idiot fell asleep, drooling on his laptop, even going as far as to take a picture of his stupid looking face and send it to her. Sakura as in hysterics for the entire day. She felt her and the chestnut eyed woman getting more familiar with each other.

"I am going to kill that dobe for spreading his childish passion on the others. He should be caged somewhere securely. What are you doing?"

"I already told you. You heard the doc. I need to go down and eat the more than horrible questionable looking vegetables and meat they serve here.

Don't ask me what have I eaten in this three days because I have no idea. I was keeping my eyes shut the entire time to stop the mental images from invading my senses."

"Hn…"

Not even sparing her anymore glances, the charcoal eyed Uchiha, took the bag that was resting on the bed, not giving Sakura any chance to lift the heavy (for her, of course) object and headed to the door, praying to all the gods no one saw them making out in a place meant for suffering in pain people, with the pink haired stunned maid following him suit. Has she even realized she was still in her pajamas?

"Sasuke, what are you doing? Seriously, I need to eat."

They were already in the main hall, both following the direction of the elevator, gaining peeks from the people roaming around, looking like a pair that wanted to elope in the middle of the night.

"You are going to eat."

"B-but the cafeteria is in the opposite wing of the building. Sakura got in the elevator, following Sasuke whenever he intended to get her. Like that even mattered."

"I know. But I have said nothing about the cafeteria."

"Huh?!" When the doors opened, Sakura spotted they were talking firm steps towards the underground parking lot, her handsome hurried boss already having the car keys in his hand, both approaching the shiny fancy looking car.

"Get in." Sakura shook her head once, running a hand through her messy hair, obeying him, climbing in the passenger seat and looking into the mirror at her general appearance. And she realized she was in her hospital pajamas.

Sasuke put her bag into the trunk and got into the driver`s seat, not wasting anymore time in turning the ignition on and making the engine come to life. They were on the streets in no time, losing their track in the heavy traffic at that hour.

"Sasuke…I hope it is home where we are going."

"No."

Sakura raised her eyebrow, turning her head over her shoulder to let her jadeite eyes rest on her boss. He was having a relaxed stance, looking straight ahead.

"Then where are we going?"

"Shopping."

"Pf…hahaha." Sakura did nothing to hide her amusement, bursting into a round of giggles, not quite believing what Sasuke has told her. Shopping, as in shop with Sasuke Uchiha? At the mall? In a public place? Maybe she was living inside an illusion. "…you could not have possibly meant that, do you?"

"Does it sound so funny to you?"

"Yes. Because it is you who said it." Sasuke stepped on the brake, stopping the car at the red signal on the traffic light, titling his head to face a totally entertained Sakura. Inwardly, he was smirking like madly at the way she childishly tried to muffle her laughter, pursing her rosy lips in a comical way, and leaning further into the passenger seat.

"So? Do you thing I don't like to go shopping?"

"Honestly? Yes. I totally don't envision you going shopping. It looks a little bit…to common for a man like you."

Sakura was honest. She could never look the same as a Sasuke wandering through the shelves of clothing or perfumes, in search for a bargain. She was well aware he was ordering much of his personal stuff online.

The rest was bought by her. Sakura was having fun in picking his shower gel and shampoo, smelling different fragrances of man scents, imagining them on Sasuke`s skin, but it did not matter what he used, because his unique scent overtook all the others.

"You are right. I don't like to go shopping. But it does not matter I am not breaking my rules from time to time."

"As in…now?"

"Hn."

"_Monosyllabic arrogant kidnapping prick...like they would even allow people like you to enter a mall…"_ Sakura let her eyes rest in front of her, seeing the traffic light turned green, silently enjoying the way the coal eyed Uchiha maneuvered the swift vehicle through the streets, catching everyone`s attention. Beside him…she felt special. Different.

And it was not the mall the got to, rather than a fancy looking smaller shop that looked exclusivist and hell expensive.

Sasuke parked the Maybach right in the front of the shop, not wasting time in getting out of the car, coming at her side and before she had a chance to open the door, the raven haired Uchiha, like a true gentleman, held the door open for her to climb down, making her watch in awe at his straight posture, almost wanting to shy away at his small smirk. And there were people around watching them and whispering at the more than awkward looking couple.

The Sound agent froze midway, biting her lower lip, not removing her surprised gaze from her boss. "You want me to get off your car?"

"I thought this is obvious."

The emerald eyed girl let her eyes scurry the large boulevard, well aware of her state and slightly bothered by the attention they got from the bypasses. Suddenly, she felt vulnerable and she silently questioned Sasuke`s intentions to make her unconformable.

"…you do realize I am wearing pajamas right now, do you?"

"I am not blind."

"And you still want me to reveal myself to the outside world?"

"Yes."

It was insane in all sorts of ways, but Sakura has gotten used to her boss` unexpected behavior already, so allowing herself to act crazy with him, feeling like a carefree wild teen, got out of the car and came right in front of an expectant Sasuke.

And she swore she could have been naked and not feel bothered by the questioning stares she got, in the moment the raven haired Uchiha secured his car, slipped his palm under her hand and entered the luxury shop, without even throwing a glance at all the stunned people that stopped their movements to look in awe at the couple. Sakura was mentally rolling on the floor laughing at their faces, it was pure epicness.

Without even giving the three rude looking shop assistants any chance to even entertain the idea of implying Sakura was not worth of being their client, Sasuke went straight to the older looking one, addressing her in French to find the "beautiful lady" like Sakura understood he referred to her, the most beautiful cocktail dress they had and he even told them an absurd price they were not allowed to go under. And he even told them to find her matching shoes.

There was a blank in her head, because one moment the pink haired girl was left in the middle of the shop clad in pajamas and the other she was invited to go inside a fancy looking dressing room, with one young lady bringing her a short length little versatile cocktail pale pink dress, simply but carefully cut, made entirely of silk, with an elegant shawl collar and a ribbon to emphasize her perfect waist, just long enough to cover any bruise she had and a pair of ballerina shoes in the same hue as the dress, with two sparkling gemstones attached to the small ribbon they had, complementing the attire.

And when she got out of the dressing room, she got the same reaction from all the people present in the shop, no one quite believing that she was the lady entering the place. An old lady, accompanied by her husband, clapped her hands and could only say in awe:

"Dear God, she is beautiful."

And Sasuke swore he wanted to take her right to one of Suigetsu`s private yachts and vanish from the people`s sight for a week in Bali. He even took a double look not believing his eyes.

Clad in an elegant Louis Vuitton pink dress, with a bit of the 80 years retro touch, emphasizing the classical beauty of her perfect angled frame and face, Sakura looked absolutely divine. In fact, the young Uchiha swore she was not even real to begin with.

He wanted to ask the cashier lady, who was not even able to ogle him like she did the entire time they entered the shop, her eyes widened too at the sight of his maid, if one of the posters came to live and escaped.

Sakura shyly blew a soft curl that was tingling her small nose, letting a genuine small grace her celestial features and advancing towards a rooted in place Sasuke, who looked ready to do something dangerous like push her back into the dressing room and not stop until all their cloths left their bodies and there was not part of her heavenly carved body remained uncovered in his kisses.

"Hn…not bad." What he wanted to say and was mentally chanting in his mind, was something along the lines of "_HOLLY MOTHER FREAKING SHIT I WANT YOU SO BAD IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I TAKE YOU HERE IN FONT OF THEM OR IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY CAR"_, but of course he would not say such things…in public.

Sakura came in front of him, not able to hold his intense gaze anymore, shying her sparkling smiling jadeite eyes away from his coal burning eyes, vaguely aware of all the people that were undressing her with their stares.

It was not like being clad in branded clothes was something new to Sakura who was raiding shops with Karin, buying everything that could have entered their trunks, but the special feel of the moment.

This was not her, along with her two best friends, Karin and the credit card, but a simple maid living a fairytale.

She felt like Ariel the mermaid when she revealed her beauty to the expectant Prince Charming, lulling him to fall in love with her. And that character was raven haired as well. She wanted to slap herself. _"What the hell am I thinking about…?!"_

And a fairytale was indeed when she heard the price Sasuke, without even caring when throwing his credit card to the stunned cashier lady, not once removing his rapture gaze from her, paid for the modern Cindarella, casually, like he was out buying chewing gum.

Also, his smirk never faded away from his gorgeous looking face when he intertwined their fingers and left the shop stunned, along with a madly blushing Sakura, a crowd of mouth agape rich people that would not even starting to compare to him and a dress and pair of shoes worth no more than $7,020 dollars.

On their way to…probably Monaco, judging after their high class aura, Sakura realized her sneaky totally unpredictable boss somehow changed his ripped shirt with a navy blue one, probably in the time she got dressed as well, not pulling any muscle in her body to contain her eyes to roam at the way the expensive silk fabric was flowing over his ripped body, feeling something deep coiling in the pits of navel, totally having in mind Karin`s perverted stories of she seducing men, by pushing them into the back seat and jump them and hell if she did not want to do the exact thing.

"Like the view, Sakura?"

The said lady was not even aware she leaned her body, as far as the seat belt allowed her, towards a totally serene looking Sasuke, almost bumping her head on his shoulder. She resumed her previous position, hiding her face in a veil of pink locks, totally ashamed. But wasn't the bastard doing the exact thing?

"Hardly. I just thought you have a fly on your hair, that is all."

"Really now? Because it looked like you wanted to eat it rather than study it."

"Think whatever you want. And what is with all this…stunt?" Ok, so not only Sakura totally made out with her gorgeous boss in the hospital room (that was going to fuel Karin`s gossip) from all the places, but she was parading on the Tokyo streets, in a flashy car, with a famous businessman, looking…like she normally should, screaming at Lorane "please come and kill us." Question: did she gave a damn? Answer: no!

Sasuke maintained a cool façade, much to Sakura`s raising despair. "Stunt? I thought people use to call it shopping."

"This is not shopping, it is pure insanity."

"Then be insane."

"You are insane."

"Then Sakura…let us be insane together." It was that tremendously gorgeous smirk he gave her that made Sakura totally unaware that the car came to a halt, and they arrived at their destination.

He told her to be insane…together….together…and the way he casually said it like it was totally normal was doing funny things to Sakura`s general state of mind, because she felt like being hit by soap bubbles, suddenly viewing more faces of the world she lived in. Like she has lived only once, totally overlooking the other possibilities.

"Together…" And when they both got out of the expensive car, Sakura came face to face to what even a foreigner like her recognized to be the most expensive restaurant in Japan. _"Wow!"_

Insanity…what was insane at the place, was the need of a membership to even enter the place. It was the best of the best. And she was flying trough the door, hand in hand with the most handsome men possible, at a desk for two people somewhere far from the rest.

The emerald eyed girl was in utter shock, not realizing what was happening and what Sasuke`s unexpected action really meant.

They were passing people her boss knew, because they were greeting him and they were eying Sakura intently, wanting to find out who Sasuke`s new girlfriend is, and never once has he separate their hands, walking straight and proud, like he owned the place, to their table.

When they both stood, it was Sakura to speak first: "What are you doing, there are people looking at us?!"

"Why? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" Sasuke was not even studying the menu, knowing exactly what to order, but he was slightly surprised to see Sakura only scan the content once, then closing the menu.

She was a commoner last time he checked, so why was she not ogling at the dishes or prices like anyone in her place would do?

"I think it has to be the other way around."

"_Like you are used to luxury Sakura…"_ What he did in that day, was a spur of a moment, but his genius mind would not stop function even in that situation. Sasuke was not stupid. He never was.

His maid was patiently waiting for an answer, not even once looking around in awe, like he would expected.

No, far from it. She was having the manners and the grace of a ballerina, perfectly polished like she was having lunch in expensive restaurants on daily basis.

And what really threw him off completely was the way she ordered one of the fanciest dish, in a fluent French, to the famous cook from Lyon that personally came to take their order. _"You are not a commoner Sakura, you never were."_

When the dishes have been served, Sakura wanted to drop the fork and the knife she was gracefully holding, just like Tsunade has taught her, and attack the absolutely mouth watering looking expensive food, but refrained from doing so and embarrass Sasuke in front of the other people from his circle.

But she understood something: Sasuke could have not predicted her manners, so it only meant he was willing to be seen with whatever version of her she had to show to the world and she felt small relentless ladybirds flitting under her skin and resting on her heart at the mere thought of Sasuke accepting her the way she was.

Not the poor maid. Not the CIA assassin. Not the girl with a fake surname. Just her. Just the way she was.

"This…is far better than what they served in hospital."

"I am sure it is. And I thought you would not enjoy serving it in your hospital room, so I only added a little spiciness in the equation."

Sakura, who was busy gracefully taking a sip of the green tea, chocked on her beverage, not believing what she was hearing. Her emerald eyes went saucers wide, resting on Sasuke`s bored looking face.

She vaguely realized it was not something he did voluntarily, but when he was surrounded by the people from the high society, he was having a cold aura around him, looking regal and serious.

But that was understandable, although it was fascinating to experience so many sides of him in such a short amount of time, from the wild, untamed, passionate young heir that got lost into her embrace, to the superior rich genius businessman in his element.

It was in the moment she caught the sight of the people, subtly taking quick glances at them, studying them, in the context of her having a fancy mean, clad in expensive clothes, along with Sasuke, has Sakura realized what the efflorescence fervent sparkling emotion embracing her lonely heart meant, whenever she was beside the raven haired men: she was falling for him.

Realization hit her hard. She was **falling in love** with the sole man she shouldn't. With the absolutely ravishing dark haired Uchiha heir she **first loathed, but couldn't help to desire**.

"You…you wanted to order me food from here and bring it to me to the hospital?"

Sasuke was not having enough of the girl in front of him, not quite able to stop his thoughts to flow at the vision of her so naturally blending into his world, like his lost in time bride promised to only him. "Yes."

"…You are crazy…"

"But you don't mind."

Emerald lifted to meet onyx, both Sasuke and Sakura letting their emotions illustrate thought their opened to soul windows, not saying a thing. They both knew it was the truth, in their own way. But craziness….has never been more normal than that.

"Like usual…you saw right through me."

And the emerald eyed agent did not even need to check how much time has she enjoyed the finely detailed absolutely delicious meal she had, in the most delectable company possible, chatting and talking spontaneously to the raven haired Uchiha about anything that crossed both`s mind.

And his way of describing his three days long boring meeting and all the people that annoyed him to no end was fascinating.

Sakura realized Sasuke let his ideas fly out of his head in such a versatile way, to adapt to every person he came in contact with and she did not miss his refined gestures and tact.

"Sasuke, you have told me about the upcoming mountain trip, but you didn't tell me when is going to be." Sakura was finishing the last bit of her food, finding it really not that hard to believe her newfound appetite, even though she had alimentation problems.

The relaxing jazz piano playing in the background, like a tissue for a broken heart, the aromatic candles resting on the table, the select clientele and Sasuke`s refined social behavior and studied gestures were making Sakura`s spirit feel high.

Suddenly, she did not felt trapped in the meadows of the past, but returned back to the present, but with a different outcome, than the stillness of her solitary bedroom, back in Italy.

With all the serenity in the world, the young Uchiha smirked at the stunned looking maid, who looked ready to take the candle in front of her and throw it at his head, not believing his guts to announce her so late. "Tomorrow."

"And you found it funny to tell me…now? When there are barely twelve hours left?"

"I did not think it is going to bother you that much."

"Well what do you think?"

"That it is not bothering you at all, either ways you would have asked me the first time." Sakura shook her head in disbelief, paying attention at the gestures and table manners, constantly reminding herself she was not posing at the poor tramp looking woman and it was in a classy place, so she had to act accordingly.

Of course she questioned Sasuke`s reason for doing what he did and probably wanting to confirm something with her, and she was well aware of the fact that she spoke French in front of him, like a dignified dame, with long satin gloves and a black velvet vintage hat, with its large curled brim, pacing through the narrow flamboyant streets of a chic town in France, her all demeanor strikingly contrasting with her supposed maid attitude, but the Sound agent did not care.

Sasuke told her to be crazy that day with him, and Sakura knew exactly nothing he said or done was at random, so it only meant they could both afford to act more like themselves and overlook everything.

That was their method of being together: overlooking and accepting everything as normal, even if it was not. And they did not need a name of that, just like Karin said.

"Really? And what if I truly refused to come?"

"I know you don't have the power to say no to me, Sakura."

The young heir let his coal eyes dance in amusement at the pink haired lady`s small cute pout and drop of emerald eyes, resuming her food, taking time in savoring the tasty cuisine, making him glad for her choice of specialties.

He knew she was suffering and her body was in not such a great condition, briefly remembering what the doctor told him…in particular. And he swore the lady in front of him is not going to ever suffer from depression, as long as he was around.

_*Start of flashback*_

_Sasuke was confidently walking through the white corridor, his steps echoing all the way to the barely populated place, heading to the door that had the name he was looking for on the door, knocking once and letting himself in. _

_The familiar face of his doctor welcomed the raven haired Uchiha heir with the characteristic genuine smile and firm handshake, inviting him to take a sit in front of him, crossing his arms on his chest. _

"_Sasuke, long time no see. How are you?"_

"_I am fine, thank you."_

"_How is your family? Is your mother doing good? Does she still have heart problems?"_

"_Not after the successful surgery and it is all thanks to you, Dr. Nagawa. She is taking her medication and now she has no pain or feels tired."_

"_Very good."_

"_The reason why I came here is because I am interested in one of your recent patients."_

_The elder doctor raised a sharp eyebrow, slightly surprised at the onyx eyed man`s sudden interest in once of his patients. And he was not legitimate to disclose particular information about them to strangers. "Which one?"_

"_Haruno Sakura."_

_And the tiny spark of confusion that shot through the doctor`s brown small eyes did not go unnoticed by the midnight insightful haired man, already adding one missing part to the large puzzle Sakura was. "She is one of my patients indeed. She came here with injuries three days ago."_

"_I am interested in her condition."_

"_You know the policy very well, Sasuke. I cannot reveal such personal data about patients to people that are not family members or really close people to my patients, I am sorry."_

"_Who said she is not close to me?"_

"_Really? As in?"_

_Without even faltering in his reply, Sasuke let his answer drift out of his tongue in the most convincing way possible, like he truly believed what he said. "She is my fiance."_

_The doctor made a small pause in his speech, eying the Uchiha heir intently, but not questioning his answer. He knew him very well. And Sakural…was a CIA agent. Did Sasuke know that as well? _

_The sharp mind of the older gentle doctor did not want to take any risk, so he skillfully played his way out of the dangerous conversation. "I see. Well then, I am going to brief you about her condition._

_Apart from one deeper cut on her right thigh we tended, and a smaller one on her temple, she was lucky to only escape with bruises and scratches. We performed a complete X-Ray and found nothing wrong with her inside organs."_

_Sasuke nodded once, content with the answer so far. "Anything else?"_

"_But…what really worries me is her mental state. According to what Miss Haruno personally revealed to us, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and I am not sure it is completely cured. _

_Not only that, but a really immediate side effect of it is she having bulimia nervosa as well, which only adds to her weakened condition."_

_Sasuke`s eyes widened at what he was hearing, totally not suspecting anything to begin with and it only added to his already guilty conscience. "Please explain further."_

"_Basically, your fiancé had a possible past trauma that caused her the depression and she even cut herself like a form of relief, hence the small cut marks on her arm. _

_This kind of mental illness is associated with some common symptoms which may include lack of feeling pleasure, extreme melancholy and low mood and insomnia. Also, in her case, bulimia. _

_I am not sure if you observed it in Miss Haruno`s attitude, but she might skip meals on purpose not being able to ingest solid food and even throwing up all she ate, hence the sudden weigh loss. _

_As a result to the lack of nutrients in her system, your fiancé has developed anemia and this might get dangerous in the future, because her dizziness got regular occurrences."_

_Sasuke felt like being stabbed in a chest with a rod, feeling bile raise in his throat at all the times he was too blind to see the obvious change in Sakura`s attitude. She was always waiting for him to come at extremely late hours, not finding sleep. _

_Almost never joining him at dinner or breakfast or even lunch, but he foolishly thought she was eating while he was away of the kitchen._

_Sometimes, when he himself was plagued by nightmares and walked down his office to work at his company files, the raven haired Uchiha could hear his maid pacing aimlessly thought his villa, or walking in the garden, but decided not to get involved._

_The doctor, sensing Sasuke`s distress gave a small smile in reassurance, silently surprised to find out the famous heartthrob Uchiha was so panicked at a woman`s state. Of course, she was no ordinary woman to begin with. _

"_Sasuke, I understand your concern, but this is not something it cannot be cured. She is already under treatment. Her physical wounds are not a problem. What she needs, is someone to keep an eye on her emotional state."_

"_Emotional?"_

"_Yes. She needs someone to be there for her, to soothe her sad heart and the loneliness in her heart. This is one of the main reasons people suffer from depression, women especially._

_They feel vulnerable and lonely and they are in search for someone to support them. Usually, you tend to overlook such things and put them upon the level of stress any normal people nowadays has, but some of them tend to get extreme._

_I will give her a diet plan for her to strictly follow, as well as iron supplements to help with her anemia. But this is as far as the medicine could go. The rest is up to the people around her to help her."_

"_In a nutshell…be there for her."_

"_Exactly."_

_Sasuke stood up abruptly, slipping his hands into his suit pants pockets, turning his back to his doctor. "Hn…I am going to see her."_

"_Of course. I will be there as well, as soon as I finish her hospital discharge form."_

"_Thank you for everything, Dr. Nagawa."_

"_You are welcome."_

"_By the way…would you do me a favor?"_

"_Please state your request."_

"_I don't want her to find out we had this conversation."_

"_Of course."_

_*End of flashback*_

As soon as the waiter came with the bill, without even looking at now much was he supposed to pay for the extravagant meal, Sasuke left a pile of money to the expectant man, who bowed at the couple politely, wishing them a good day and stood out, mimicking Sakura`s movements and taking her by the hand, proceeded to the exit.

"I see you like to throw your money on the window."

"Such things do not interest me." As long as he had money, Sasuke could have cared less on what he spent them and spending a magnificent evening in the company of the most beautiful woman alive was totally worth it.

If he was to be honest, looking into his bank accounts, the cash he spent that day meant nothing. If it was for her, he would have sold everything, along with his soul in an instant.

"Oh? And what does it interest you, pry telling me?"

Sasuke already had a smart retort at her sharp tongue, but a brief cast of eyes on his shoulder gave Sasuke a better insight of how properly answer the question.

As soon as he saw the sign "Restroom", the raven haired Uchiha turned the knob, took Sakura inside the secluded place, locked the door and had her backed up against the wall in an instant, startling the pink haired girl, smirking down at her.

"Tell you? How about show you instead…what really interests me in this moment…Sakura."

As soon as the desired effect of the low melodic lullaby her name on his tongue came out as, in the form of darkened with desire emerald eyes and a shudder caressing her spine, all Sakura could have registered in that moment was the passionate waltz of Sasuke`s silky moist lips on her rosy ones and the whirl of his expert tongue inside her mouth.

And the Sound agent let no second pass against her desire, reciprocating his movement, slanting her head to deepen the contact, letting her finger lose into his silky uneven raven hair, moaning loudly at the feel of his feather like lean fingers grazing the inside of her uninjured thigh, under the expensive soft material of her dress, the other resting soundly on her lower back, bringing her body closer to him, not leaving her prompt on the cold unfriendly surface of the wall.

Deep inside, through all the tingles that punctured her skin as million bees roaming through a field full of flowers in bloom and the emerald eyed girl started to become familiar with the way her inner walls were quivering with every stroke of his tongue or slide of his skillful hand up and down her thigh and back, making the sensitive inner lips of her core flood with her feminine essences, damping her underwear, making the yearn into her all flaming body grow to incredible heights.

And it was not just the sole feeling of kissing him deeply, intimately, lead by wantonness in the form of pure passion, but the adrenaline of the moment at the thought of them being engaged in such activity in a luxury restaurant, where everyone could come and see them.

Everything about Sasuke was mystery and danger, in the most pleasurable way possible, pulling her more and more towards his own side, without a way back. And in that moment, the pink haired assassin was not sure she even wanted to escape darkness any longer. Was it even darkness to begin with, or another form of light she grow to love?

They both pulled apart when their lungs threatened to burst in the same flames that surged through their veins, mirroring each other`s raise of chest, letting their bodies touch tenderly.

"How do you find my choice of interest, Sakura?"

"Like something I approve."

"Hn." Sasuke was well aware of what was going on between them and as much as he was able to have self restraint and act accordingly to the situation, the signals his body and mind pulsated through his system could not be ignored anymore. He liked her and he liked her a lot, without any trace of doubt.

And a quick glance into her sparkling forest green deep orbs was enough to confirm her feelings as well.

She wanted him just as much and the raven haired panting Uchiha found himself confused at how much should he wait until he allowed them both to discover the true meaning of being connected as woman and man.

"I am glad to hear that. Come." Sasuke let himself steal another sweet kiss from Sakura who was more and more reluctant to lose the contact with him, taking back the hand he knew was meant to fit into his palm and got out of the bathroom, smirking at the sight of the looking in awe waiters that probably heard their little moment, but did their best to be polite.

All the way home, the young Uchiha found himself totally relaxed in the presence of Sakura, who did not shy from pressing any button her fingers came across in his expensive car, even messy his radio in search for a good music station.

She only stopped at one that had Latin jazz, humming the sensual lyrics absentmindedly, making him more trapped at the sight of her.

Sasuke felt his breath hitch in his throat at the sight of how incredibly beautiful she looked like in that moment, dressed accordingly to her pure soul, her vintage air and strikingly ladylike aura blended in a deadly combination for his senses.

It was almost painful how much he wanted more of her, everything, just like she openly admitted she expecting from him, and they both knew it was not just physical although the Uchiha heir knew they wanted to get more intimate and let their fingers explore deeper, further, discovering new sensations.

When they approached their neighborhood, in his intoxicated state, Sasuke failed to notice a red convertible that was painfully familiar, not having another view in front of him, except Sakura and all that she represented.

Sakura almost felt sad when her boss parked the car, not quite waiting for the amazing day to ever end, but she got stuff to do, naming prepare for the next day`s two days trip.

Good thing she was able to adapt her Sound attire to look proper to trekking, without attracting attention and prepare her devices. As soon as she got her laptop in the hospital, Sakura contacted Shino to send her immediately a new phone, it being shipped to her the next day.

The Sound agent headed upstairs, changing clothes with a baggy T-Shirt and a pair of lousy black pants, neatly folding her dress, brushing her fingers over the expensive soft fabric, at the same time grazing her index finger over her rosy petal soft lips, smiling widely at the memory of playing in a modern version of any girl`s fairytale, still not believing Sasuke`s behavior from the beginning to the end.

The emerald eyed agent knew Sasuke went straight to his bedroom, to take a shower and unpack his luggage, so she took her time in taking the iron supplements she got from the hospital and, holding Tsunade`s diet program, headed downstairs to prepare something to eat for dinner. _"This thing only contains grass and leafs…what the heck…where is my Tiramisu cake shishou?!"_

Sakura did not have time to even check for the ingredients, when she heard the ring of the bell, scaring her shitless. She was focused on following the information Tsunade wrote, jumping two meters high, palming her racing heart, heading to the door.

"Hello, dear." And her jaw almost hit the floor when she came face to face to the heavenly looking woman, eternally captured in the photograph Sasuke had on his office desk, eying her warmly, an angelic smile brightening her gorgeous features.

The same incredible sparkling sapphire black hue of eyes, long midnight silky tresses cascading over her lean shoulders, unblemished lily soft skin and unmistakable softened regal features…Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke`s mother was resting in his son`s doorway, waiting patiently for Sakura to snap out of her reverie.

"Mrs. Uchiha…?" The Sound agent could only remained frozen behind the wide opened door, a hand on the knob and her jadeite orbs parted in awe at the sight of Sasuke`s mother emerging from nowhere, right at his home. Giving her appearance, she probably came straight form Heaven, floating on a small, fluffy cloud, playing the harp.

"So…can I come in, or am I not welcomed in here anymore?"

The pink haired girl came out of her star struck state and stepped aside to let the beautiful woman walk inside.

She looked for any luggage she might have, but except for a shopping bag which she did not bother to give to the girl, the raven haired lady had none.

She walked straight into the kitchen, removed the elegant classical trench and Sakura followed her pulling out from the bag various ingredients.

"Come here." Sakura`s feet carried her inside the space Sasuke`s mother was occupying, and without even realizing got trapped into her elegance and graceful attitude.

And the woman graced the Sound agent`s emerald eyes with a smile, so pure and beautiful, sparkling with motherly love and tenderness that it almost made her insides cry in emotion. Even his tone was soothing and calm, much like her son`s, but it lacked hidden intent.

"I…I am sorry for my rude behavior, Mrs. Uchiha. I just got surprised."

"Haha, don't worry honey, it is my fault for coming here without announcing my arrival. But even if I cannot be here for much time, I just wanted to make my Sasuke-kun a surprise."

Ok, so that day could not get more eventful that that, in Sakura`s opinion. Is the cherub like person in front of her the one her boss inherited his sparkling intelligence, because from the very first moment she saw her, Mikoto understood she is a foreigner and addressed her in the most melodic and fluent English she ever heard.

And the way she talked to her, not appearing bothered in the bit by what a woman, dressed like she is a refugee, but more like she was talking dearly to a child she has just met and did not want to scare, was blowing her mind.

"…ahm…Mr. Uchiha is upstairs. I will be going to let him know his mother came to visit. Please excuse me."

A gentle hand caught Sakura`s wrist, making her falter in her already shaken steps and wind her head to face the smiling at her woman, that shook her head slightly letting her know she should not bother.

"No dear, it is ok. I don't want to bother him. Besides, I could use your help."

"My help? May I ask for what?"

"The two of us are going to prepare his favorite dish. My son always asks for it whenever he visits."

It was the rosette`s turn to surprise Mikoto with the joyful way the corner of her lips went up, revealing a set of pearl white teeth and a sparkling smile, mirroring the matriarch one`s, nodding energetically.

"Please tell me what to do."

There was something in the way the apparently ugly and poor girl was brightening the surroundings with every ladylike movement she did, that it made Mikoto wonder just who the stranger could be.

Sasuke`s new girlfriend? But she was different from the women he was usually seen with, despite the fact that her son never once brought a woman in front of his parents to present her.

A friend? Probably not, because she did not seem to belong to their circle. His maid? Now that crossed her mind the first time Sakura opened the door but…everything she did and her general demeanor betrayed anything but.

It was mother instinct and pure female intuition that made the Uchiha mother realize it was much more between Sasuke and Sakura, because the way those stunning forest green eyes that caught Mikoto`s attention the first time they rested on he coal ones, were glimmering with intense emotions at the sound of her younger son`s name was betraying her.

"What is your name, honey?" Mikoto found a wok and prepared some flour and rice, while Sakura stood in the middle of the kitchen, eying the woman intently, studying her every gesture and trying to find the resemblances with her son and truly she found many. Not only their features were reminiscent, but even their choice of words was something that related the two of them, unmistakably.

"Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura…as in cherry blossom? I think I might identify your beautiful face with the delicate flower. Here, help me peel the tomatoes."

The CIA agent did as Sasuke`s mother instructed her, without questioning in the matter, nonetheless her curious jadeite eyes were staying glued to the way Mikoto so elegantly let her skilled fingers dance on the dough she was preparing, like she was not cooking, but painting on canvas.

Even such a domestic, but meaningful activity like preparing he son dinner, was screaming royalty, the stunning mother having an aura that imposed respect, not through fear, but maternal devotion, present in every studied gesture she did, like the way her dazzling onyx eyes were shimmering with warmth while she was humming a traditional song, totally not bothered by a stranger`s presence beside her.

And her obvious compliment totally made Sakura go the shade of the vegetable she was peeling, like it was her own skin held between her lean trembling fingers.

That woman had a way with her words that made her lonely thoughts flow to her own mother she never met. Was the woman that carried her in her womb for nine months just as gentle, or beautiful?

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Uchiha. You are right. Thank you. Am I doing this right?"

The Uchiha matriarch let her eyes take a quick look at Sakura`s work, nodding once, smiling at her. "Yes. Please do not be so nervous around me, I feel like my brooding husband, who scares children."

And the Sound assassin could not contain her own soft giggles at the sound of Sasuke`s mother harmonic bell like laughter, that radiated so much pastoral feel around her, almost looking like she was breathing life to the void of emotion space around her, in such a natural way it was impossible to remove the eyesight from her.

Never in her life has Sakura encountered such a magical woman, in the form of Sasuke`s mother, that made her heart raise in her throat at the feel of the peaceful and soothing effect the woman beside her reflected through her persona, making the emerald eyed girl envision her in the idyllic picture of an old elegant carriage, with a long chiffon dress, in the colors of the Earth and rusty leaves, returning to her palace, in the core of the forest, like a countess.

No word she said made Sakura uncomfortable or humiliated, on the contrary she felt like God has blessed her with its divine light, through one of his angels, because Mikoto has sensed her state and suffering though her maternal senses, rewarding her little work with a well placed genuine smile and it only made her teary.

"I am sorry, I am just…taken by surprise, that is all. It was not in my intention to offend you."

"Oh dear, I am aware, do not worry with such things. Yes, you are doing well. I am letting you take care of the mushrooms as well, because your young hands are not trembling like mine hehe."

"Yes, Madam." Mikoto gave Sakura a fresh bowl of mushrooms and the pink haired girl wasted no time in cutting tiny pieces as well, well aware of the fact that Sasuke really hated to chock on large bits of food in his meals and an intelligent and observant Mikoto quickly caught her knowledge, because she refrained from telling the interesting emerald eyed girl how she should but the mushrooms, on purpose.

"So, where are you from? I would go as far as to take a guess you are from a Latin country, but I refrain from taking wild guesses."

"You are right, Mrs. Uchiha, I am from Ravenna." Sakura passed the mushrooms and peeled tomatoes to an expectant mother, that incorporated them in the dough and prepared the oven.

And the emerald eyed girl was actually enjoying preparing dinner with the bright and cheerful Uchiha Mikoto, almost feeling her motherly loving instincts projecting towards her as well.

And she vaguely heard the Uchiha matriarch describing the dish she had in mind, which only made Sakura feel familiar with the beautiful lady and it was the weirdest feeling ever.

"Ah the eternal romantic Italy and its enchanting narrow streets and chic cafes. I remember my staying there and it was one of the best periods."

The Sound agent raised an eyebrow at Mikoto`s sudden confession and it did not go unnoticed by the stunning woman, who found it appropriate to enlighten her with more details.

"I have studied universal literature in Rome and now I am an English teacher at university. Of course, when I am not in one of my little escapades as an UN ambassador for human rights. In fact, I have just returned from Africa. Poor children…"

Mikoto`s eyes softened with a beaming emotion of sympathy towards the unfortunate starving children, her heart breaking in half at the sight of their suffering. The woman was famous for her philanthropic activity, being a fierce defender of the women and children`s rights.

"Amazing, you are able to travel around the world and help people in need…_just like me_!"

The brunette woman, who was busy setting the proper temperature in the oven, turned around to read Sakura`s feelings on her jadeite widened eyes, finding her behavior and innocence contagious.

For some unknown reason, Mikoto felt a deep connection to the point she could almost associate her in her family, beside her younger son.

Even if they have just met and the woman barely knew the Sound agent, her woman instinct has not betrayed her. Sakura was staying beside Sasuke for a complete other reason, far more profound than his previous encounters with women, and that made her happy.

Deep inside, there was no other thought that could have made her a happier woman than she was, but the idea of his sons to find happiness in the embrace of their beloved brides and grace her with many beautiful nephews.

And Sakura truly had the potential to be an imposing future Uchiha, honoring their name and reputation.

No, Mikoto was not superficial and stupid she was not. Even though Sakura had the appearance of a person that just got out of the bad, her aura and her refined posture placed her right in the middle of the high society.

And the sharp minded mother did not miss how beautiful the young pink haired girl really was. Although, there was something off about her that did not sit right with Mikoto and her motherly instincts kicked in immediately.

She got closer to Sakura and to the jadeite eyed girl`s stupor, let her palms slip delicately under her wrists and held her hands warmly into her own, eying her like she was her own daughter, the affectionate way her sparkling coal eyes were caressing her very soul made Sakura melt under her touch, like she has discovered a new feeling that was foreign to an orphan like her.

"Isn`t it a beautiful feeling to help the others? But dear, you are pale and your body is delicate and seem weak. Are you all right?"

Sakura was rooted in her place, her eyes bathed in unshed sparkling tears glistening her garnet orbs, with her heart engulfed in an explosion of caring feelings, not believing how was it possible to feel so close to Sasuke`s mother all of sudden, totally understanding why her boss` eyes always softened and his low baritone voice melted whenever he reminisced about his mother.

The woman was an celestial being and it was utterly humanly impossible not to love her.

She nodded once and her voice came out like a tiny shy whisper, almost afraid to perturb the warm atmosphere. As soon as Mikoto entered the house, the rain outside stopped. "Yes, thank you for your concern. I am a little weakened as you have guessed, but I am going to be fine."

"Then you must taste the food we are going to prepare. It is full of nutrients I promise."

"Yes, Mrs. Uchiha."

The Uchiha matriarch smiled at the sight of the young girl, stealing more seconds to feel her soft hands under her touch, almost like wanting to confirm something. And she did. The girl was really cute. And she had a pure heart echoed in her beautiful forest green eyes that were shyly following her ones.

"Let us boil some water for the tomato sauce now, shall we?"

At the sight of the emerald eyed agent nodding energetically once, Mikoto let go of her hands and prepared the necessary ingredients, coming beside Sakura who was busy mixing some tomato juice, basil and pepper.

"I am going to share a secret with you." Mikoto pulled out a small bamboo pack and revealed some weird looking seeds, presenting them to Sakura.

"A secret?"

"Yes. I am going to tell you the miraculous ingredient I use for my special tomato soufflé we are preparing, that my Sasuke-kun loves so much."

Sakura looked at Mikoto`s palm, holding the miraculous ingredient, her eyes sparkling in amusement and awe. "Saffron."

Mikoto blinked once at her, adding saffron to the mixture, following Sakura and her skillfully way of blending the ingredients. "That is right. And I never let anyone know what I use, even thought they have asked me about the recipe."

"So I am the only one to know? How come?"

It was a silly think, the Sound agent was aware, but somehow the scene had something far more deeper and it was painfully familiar with a normal day, when the young bride and her mother in law were making dinner and shared culinary secrets between them and it only made the orphan inside her scream in joy and relief. At that moment, Sakura felt cared. Totally.

"You have seen how we prepared it. This is why I wanted you to know. When I am not here, make my son this dish more often in my place." Sakura dropped the knife at that not able to restrain herself.

The way Sasuke`s mother implied she should look after the raven haired Uchiha and stay by his side was melting her insides and she felt the need to turn around and bury her head at the beautiful woman`s chest and listen to how a motherly heart beats for her family.

"Please allow me to tell that I feel honored to have been shared such a secret."

Mikoto softly laughed at the girl`s antics, growing fonder of the enthusiastic strange girl. And what the raven haired woman felt enchanting at the young agent was the way she was pouring her emotions and feelings into her stunning unique shaded eyes, like she had nothing to hide from her.

"Hehe, I must admit. You are really cute and I am sure my Sasuke-kun thinks the same. Let us see how is the dough…"

Mikoto opened the stove and pulled out the tasty looking almost ready soufflé and even though it has been two hours since Sakura had her meal with Sasuke, she already felt like starving at the smell of home made food. She had alimentation problems but damn if it would stop her to take a large bit of Mikoto`s food.

"It looks tasty."

"It truly does. Now for the sauce…" Mikoto took the spoon Sakura used to carefully mix the ingredients and added some garlic, mustard and olive oil to make it thinner. She raised the spoon to Sakura, asking her to have a taste of it. "…here. Tell me what you think."

Stunned at the woman`s gesture, carefully not to bump her nose on the spoon, the emerald eyed girl let her rosy lips have a taste of Mikoto`s secret recipe, her eyes widening at the aromatic sauce, letting her jadeite eyes rest on Sasuke`s mother expectant ones, confirming what she already knew.

"This is absolutely divine, I have never tasted something so good! I could eat this without the soufflé! Every ingredient perfectly complements the other and the saffron gives the tomatoes an exotic taste."

Mikoto poured the sauce over the soufflé, while Sakura watched her every move like a hawk, trying to imprint the recipe in her memory.

Well, considering she was going to associate the dish with the stunning mother, that would not be such a difficult thing to do. "Haha, honey I think no one was able to provide a better description of my sauce than you, so thank you."

A choir of musical feminine giggles like a choir of nightingales trills in the spring forest, echoing through the kitchen belonging to the two women having fun and preparing some absolutely divine all too familiar cuisine, acting like two old friends, reminiscing good times, was the scene Sasuke came across when he went downstairs, into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks, coal eyes widened in amazement.

There, in front of him, stood Sakura and his mother, tasting what he recognized to be the tomato soufflé he loved since he was able to hold a fork in his hands, as a small child.

His lips parted in awe, not quite describing what was the unexplainable surge of warmth flooding his heart at the sight of Sakura and his mom, being so familiar with each other. It was so much calm in the air, it was like a scar tissue for the troubled conscience.

"Mother…"

Both the pink haired agent and Mikoto rose their eyes in the direction of the door, totally oblivious to their audience.

Sakura gulped once, her pulse running high at the sight of her boss, clad in a white V necked T-Shirt and his raven locks damp, probably from the shower, stuck to his beautiful face, not bothered to hide his shock.

Mikoto wasted no time in closing the distance between them, stopping right in front of her much taller younger son, barely reaching his shoulders and pull him into a lovingly embrace, kissing his cheek and brushing a strand of his equally midnight hair away from his eyes cupping his jaw gently, smiling widely at the sight of him.

"Sasuke-kun, how are you dear? I missed you so much, I could not wait until the Ball to come and see you. Look at you, you are even more handsome since the last time we saw each other."

The young Uchiha wasted no time in folding his arms around his beloved mother`s tiny waist, reciprocating her affectionate gesture, his regal features brightening at the sight of her, kissing her forehead lovingly, leaning his head into her warm touch.

"Mother, you should have told me you would come. I would have prepared you a room."

"Do not worry my son, I will only be here for an hour at most. I have to go back home and unpack."

Sakura could not help herself to smile carefree and widely at the display of devotion between the mother and the son, their special relationship totally obvious in every small gesture they did.

She covered her cheeks with her palms, not able to remove her emerald eyes from the two relatives, because the amount of love sparkling in intensity between the two was contagious.

And of course a deep blush grazed the milky skin behind her neck and cheeks when Sasuke caught the sight of her, giving her a small smirk, totally amused at her antics.

The Sound agent bit her lower lip and turned her body around, feeling ashamed of her stunned stare, intending to head to the sink and wash her hands, but of course she bumped her hip into the table and dropped a bowl, the sound of broken glass startling Mikoto, who let go of Sasuke and hurried in her direction, not wasting time in helping her remove the tiny pieces. Sakura felt stupid and out of place, wanting nothing more than the ground to open and let her sink.

Of course Sasuke`s mother felt her distress and placed a hand on Sakura`s stirred shoulders, attracting the attention of her jadeite eyes towards her onyx ones, smiling brightly at the nervous girl.

"Don't worry dear, I got this. Please prepare some cups for the green tea. I am going to have a little chat with my son over here."

"…Yes…I am sorry."

Sakura went to the cupboard and took two Chinese cups, preparing some green tea she also grew fond of, while Mikoto and Sasuke headed towards the garden, sitting at the table.

Mikoto brought her chair close to her son and took his much bigger hands into her one ones, letting them rest on her lap, eying him dearly.

"I missed you mom, so much."

"I missed you too dear. How are you? Are you all right? You look tired." The Uchiha matriarch eyed her son intently.

Ever since Sasuke remained alone in Tokyo, they were not able to see each other that much anymore and given their special relationship, Mikoto felt the urge to move back with him, but she knew when to step back and not meddle with his son`s life. Plus it looked like there was someone else more fitted to take care of him in her place.

"I am fine, thank you."

"Company problems?"

Mikoto did not want to voice her thoughts, knowing exactly the younger son was not content with the fact that all the responsibility was left into his arms, but such was life. She wanted him to pursue the dreams he had since he was a little child, but Fugaku would hear none of it. If there was a person to have supported him unconditionally, was Mikoto.

"Nothing that cannot be solved."

Sasuke felt so good in the presence of his mother, not even bothering to ask her what was she doing at his home, relishing in her motherly warmth and unique lavender scent he grow so fond of. She reminded him of all the things he loved most.

"Honey, you have to take it easier. I do not want you to over do it, like I am aware you do. Tell me, are you happy? Is Naruto in Japan? Have you talked to him?"

"Dobe is in Tokyo, along with Hyuga and his fiancé. We met once or twice. You are going to have enough of him at the charity Ball.

Are you going to be there, right?" Sasuke was aware of the fact that it was only one thing in the world able to stop him from cursing his father to hell and back and punch the living daylights out of him in front of al audience of high class people and that was his mother.

Good thing Itachi was not going to participate, either way Sasuke would have totally refused the invitation, not bothered by the gossip that was bound to come.

And he already felt bad for hiding basically half of his life from the person that gave him life and held him with all the love a mother could have nurtured for her son, but there were things he just couldn't tell her.

"I am glad to hear that. I talked to Kushina. She missed him a lot."

Sasuke let out a smirk at that. He knew the fierce red headed Uzumaki mother and how she often kicked her son when the knuckleheaded idiot got in trouble. "Hn. I am sure she did."

Mikoto laughed at her son`s implication, she knowing too the weird relationship the two of them had. Kushina was her close friend since forever. "Now tell me honey…who is she?"

The onyx eyed heir knew exactly what his mother was talking about and the person she was interested in was Sakura.

And he was not in the bit surprised to find out she was totally socializing with her even though they never met because Mikoto had an unique way to feel the goodness in people.

"Someone…special." Never once since they met has Sasuke considered Sakura to be a maid, because she never fit into that position.

Everything about her was so superior it was almost worth to compare with his mother`s aura. And he was not afraid to confess what he truly thought about her to the sole person that trusted and not judged him.

Mikoto raised he hand to gently brush her thumb over the son`s she missed so much high cheeks, mirroring his pearl black eyes with a pair of similar ones, in a knowing look. She figured that much.

"She is special indeed. And I feel she is different from the others. You can see her purity into her beautiful green eyes. And cute too."

The eloquent raven haired lady would not lie. She knew about Sasuke`s escapades with different women and his scandals, so seeing him grew so attached by a girl that did not belong in that category was making her heart beat faster.

She liked Sakura and from the way her son`s deep eyes flickered with an emotion she recognized as affection, assured her he shared the pink haired girl`s feelings. She inwardly smirked at the thought of how good would they look together.

"Aa. She is."

"Haha, you are cute as well, Sasuke-kun, even though you are all grown up now. I know you are all by yourself here dear, but now I can rest assured knowing she is here."

"You like her, mother."

"I taught her my special recipe I know you like so much. She can prepare it to you in my place. I am sure it is going to have a better taste."

"How so?"

Mikoto leaned in to whisper to her son`s ear, almost like sharing a deep secret with him, making him smirk. "She adds a miraculous ingredient to the sauce."

"Hn…saffron."

To his surprise, Mikoto shook her head, smiling at her son`s confused face. When Sasuke did not have his guard up, he was a normal tremendously looking young man and that only added to his charms.

"No my dear. Something more powerful." And it has been so long since the onyx eyed Uchiha felt his heart skip a beat at the way his mother let the word dance on her lips, totally surprising him. "**Love**."

So she saw that too? Sasuke knew his mother was insightful and nothing could have escaped her sharp mind, but to hear the obvious coming from such a reliable source was doing funny things to his system.

He found himself not afraid of the pink haired lady getting so deeply attached by him, on the contrary it felt natural like it was meant to happen. And after that day`s events, he knew his heart pounded into his chest whenever her name was gracing his hearing.

"Then you have found yourself a strong rival in the kitchen, mom."

"Not a rival. Someone to help me. But honey…why do we still speak English?"

Sasuke gave his mother a small smile, not a smirk, amused at her question. He was so used to not speak Japanese with his business partners and Sakura that he has not even realized he was not using his mother tongue. It did not hold any important meaning to him anyways.

His mother, being an English teacher, took her time to teach him the language ever since he was a child, so when the raven haired Uchiha went to study in Virginia, he was fluent like a native.

"Because we like to be fancy."

The loving mother giggled brightly at her son`s use of choice, all too familiar with his loosen up side. In her presence, the young Uchiha felt no threat and that was the reason he put the walls around his heart down to express his undying love for her.

"That is right my dear, that is right."

The two of them chatted till late, Mikoto taking her leave after midnight after she told Sasuke and Sakura goodbye, the young Uchiha invited her to spend the night, but the beautiful lady refused to do so because she had a plane to catch and she was not used to take the helicopter.

Sakura watched in awe at Sasuke who stuffed his face with the dish his mother and her prepared, enjoying every bit of it, going as far as to lick his fingers, muttering a small delicious, making her totally amused at that sight of him.

But she could not blame her boss, because when the pink haired maid had a taste of the tomato soufflé, she swore bulimia and depression were old history. She could have that for years and not get sick by it. Mikoto was a genius in the kitchen.

The emerald eyed lady heard Sasuke saying something like going upstairs to sleep, totally tired after a long flight and they had to be up at 6 am in the morning, to catch the bus to the mountain trip, so without any further delay, Sakura threw the plates in the washing machine and went straight to her bedroom, not even bothering to undress or cover her body with the bed sheets.

}{

2 am…that was what the clock on the wall was showing to a pair of emerald bloodshot tired eyes belonging to Sakura. There was not problem for the emerald eyed woman to fall into slumber, after such an eventful day, but of course the nightmares have resurfaced and after a horrible scene of her younger version, sleeping on the cold floor in her poor room, with rats roaming freely around her, the Sound agent rose from her bed like it was burning her, sweating madly, panting heavily.

She went straight to the shower to clean her trembling body, and rubbed her skin till she was certain it was going to bleed with her chocolate shower gel, like wanting to wash away all the misery she felt.

Sure, she met Sasuke`s stunning mother and she lived a mini fairytale with him at the expensive restaurant, but at the end of the day, it was the solitude of her chamber the one to kiss her goodnight and that made her own monsters come to the light and eat her soul away.

The Sound agent emerged from the bathroom, clad in only a pair of purple lace panties and an oversized T-Shirt that barely covered her thighs, not bothering to dry her short damp hair, a towel keeping it on place, resting her body on the floor, with the back prompted on the wall, holding the pills bottle tightly in her shaking arm, her jadeite eyes moist with salty tears.

Tsunade has totally forbidden her to even entertain the idea of touching the antidepressants or the sleeping pills, but at the moment she felt so bad and melancholic that she felt the urge to empty the bottle and rest forever, away from all the nightmares.

The room was suffocating her and the stillness of the darkness was ripping her heart away of her chest, making her feel claustrophobic, like she wanted to escape from the body that was keeping her caged, grow a pair of wings and fly into the infinite sky, without turning back.

"Damn it…" Sakura had no idea what to do. She was well aware of the depression coming back to her, although she tried her best to hide it from the others, but the doctor`s words echoed through her troubled mind.

If she overdid it with the pills, she was only going to do more damage to her body, but she did not knew another way to alleviate the pain she felt.

Her rosy lips were quivering and she bit them intently to avoid a sharp cry of help that escaladed form her clenched stomach to her throat, where it rested like a lump.

The pink haired agent desperately tried to contact Karin, but the voice mail on her laptop and phone told her the red headed Uzumaki was on a mission. Calling Orochimaru or Tsunade was out of question, because they had so much to work on that made her heart pain at the thought of bothering them with her problems.

Anko was already five months pregnant, so the woman needed rest and peace, so she was out of question as well.

Sakura found herself so lonely like she was back in time when she was suffering from the ignorance of the others and it only made more tiny burning rivers of tears to cascade form her sad emerald eyes, damping her rosy cheeks, pouring on her trembling lips.

Funny how she could taste her suffering on her mouth, and it was like acid on the open wounds.

She rose up, starting to pace aimlessly thought the room, attempting to do some meditation breathing exercises to no avail. She finished her luggage for the trip, even checking it twenty times, but rest did not come to her.

Sakura was afraid to go back to sleep, so her only option was to stay awake until the morning and be a zombie the next day, laughing at her pathetic attempts to be the protective agent, when she was a mess. She needed rest, that was obvious.

And the Sound agent totally panicked when she took a quick peek at the clock and realized…only five minutes that felt like an hour passed.

She stepped backwards until her small back glued to the door, grabbing the knob for balance, her knees trembling like jelly, biting the inside of her cheek, her eyes shot open. "No…"

The panic…the terror…the horror of being alone and not even time wanting to pull her out of her suffering…she had to get out of there until she did something she regretted, because she saw the razor blade in the bathroom.

Throwing the opened bottle with sleeping pills to the ground, spilling the content, Sakura turned the knob, pushed the door open and bolted out of the room in the hall, thanking all the gods for the pale blueish neon light Sasuke had in all his house.

She put a hand on her thumping heart, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. Maybe a walk in the garden would…would do nothing.

But Sakura soon found out a much better, almost desperate alternate solution that looked like her last resort to escape insanity, when she spotted the slightly opened door to Sasuke`s bedroom.

Without even taking into account what was she about to do, Sakura pushed the door open widely, letting her body slip into the large space, not bothering to shut it back. They were alone in the villa anyways.

The pink haired girl bit her lower lip, chanting into her mind at how crazy she was for attempting such a thing, and took one step after another, till she reached the bed, her orbs cast on Sasuke`s silhouette on the darkness.

He was laying on his side, with his head resting on his arm and his broad bare back facing her. Of course…he used to seep clad in only his boxers, she knew that much. Well…it did not bother her that much though…

"_Good God, I am insane, what the hell am I doing?!"_ Sakura came right at the edge of the bed, covering her face with both hands, not believing what she wanted to do. She was desperately trying to find a way to sleep at least for four hours and gain some energy and that was precisely the reason she wanted to sneak under Sasuke`s bed sheets and not wake up alone in the morning at least that time.

"I have enough pieces of furniture around to decorate my room, so why do you feel the need to stay rooted in place and add to the already overdose?" Sasuke`s low rich voices almost made her heart jump of her chest, totally startling her. She really thought he was sleeping. _"Bastard has eyes behind his back…like a crab…"_

"…I…I did not want to wake you up Sasuke. I will leave no…arghhh…" Sasuke gave his maid no time in rambling with whatever excuse she was about to say, because in the blink of an eye he turned his body around to face her and shot a hand towards her, pulling her down on the bed, on her side.

He encircled her hip with his hand, gluing their bodies together over the silky bed sheets, totally lefting her mouth agape.

Shyly, Sakura let her hand rest on his bare shoulder and her forehead went right under his chin, in the crook of his neck, listening intently to his calm pulse and the life that was flooding through it.

"You did not wake me up. And even if you did, I would not have been bothered, Sakura."

The emerald eyed girl snuck closer to Sasuke`s hot toned body, the feel of his scent and the rise of his chest with every inhale he took, already calming her racing nerves. He had that immediate effect on her and that was exactly what she was looking for. "…I cannot sleep."

"I can see." Sasuke heard Sakura from his room and he knew what was happening to her.

The doctor has told him about possible nightmares and insomnia, so it was about time she was going to look for a way to put an end to her pain. And the raven haired Uchiha was certain her suffering heart was going to bring her right into his arms.

The emerald eyed girl was well aware of the fact that the moody attitude and the sadness, collected in the dew drops of tears that flew of her eyes at the moment, were all due to the depression but she could not help herself.

She did not have to appear stronger in front of him any longer, because her boss knew about her condition. "I had a terrible nightmare."

"I can feel it." Sasuke let his long eyelashes rest together, arching his neck to give Sakura more access to cuddle her head into the crook of his neck, feeling her warmth breath fan over the soft skin, making his blood boil. She was just staying there in his arms, but his body was already reaction to the feel of her.

"I am afraid to stay there alone."

The onyx eyed man realized she was crying as well and that only added to the pain he felt at the sight of the weakened state of her barely covered from her body. "I am aware."

"I want to sleep in here…with you."

"…I know."

"…can I…"

"Yes."

Sakura did not get her chance to whisper a honest thank you in relief, because as soon as she got his accept to share his bed with her, Sasuke brushed his lean finger under her small chin to lift her head towards him and placed an innocent kiss upon her trembling lips, then wiping away the tears with his knuckles in a feather like touch, like afraid of her not fading away like the crystal drops of dew under the sun rays.

Soon the chaste kiss got more passionate, when Sakura started to move her lips against his ones, feeling like she was discovering how soft it was with each brush of his mouth on hers, totally not wasting time in parting her lips when she felt his tongue begging for access, entering her expectant mouth and deepening their contact.

If there was something she grew to love in the way Sasuke was kissing her, was how he intentionally angled his head to let the side of their noses rub together every time he rolled his moist tongue over her lips then dart back inside, battling her for dominance.

It was probably because of the familiar fluttering in her stomach or the way her breaths got harsher each passing moment, the reason why the pink haired agent did not even realized Sasuke`s hand descended on her thigh, then slipped under her baggy piece of clothing, pulling it up over her full chest, exposing almost everything to his hungry eyes, except for her most confined parts she got covered with her lace panties.

And she swore she saw galaxies exploding and discharging their energy down her spine in a sensation that made her arch her back suddenly, when the handsome raven haired Uchiha covered her rosy hardened nipple with his hot mouth, suckling on the supple skin greedily, then grazing his tongue over the rounded breast, making her go crazy with every move he made.

Sasuke was well aware of what he was doing and the fact that they were not in a public place like the hospital room, but totally isolated from the curious eyes in his villa did nothing to stop him from bite and taste every part of the enchanting woman`s in his arms velvet delicious skin.

It was pointless to deny what they both wanted, because it was obvious from the way they basically looked for a contact whenever they got the chance. He was crazy he knew that much, but he could not stop himself around her.

And the constricting feeling he had down his boxers was enough to let him know about the aroused state he was in at the feel of her skin melting under his own, with every caress or touch.

Sasuke knew he swore to respect her privacy and give her just how much she wanted to receive from him, but damn if he not got the permission to absolutely cover her in his ravenous kisses when Sakura let her small soft hands touch the inside of his toned thighs, her fingers coming dangerously close to his throbbing member, making his breath hitch in his throat at the anticipation of the much needed contact.

Until it was too late to turn back, Sasuke removed his lips from her swollen nipple, and stopped his hand on her waist, not going down further, trapping her darkened emerald eyes, tiny golden particles around her irises sparkling with burning need at the sight of his coal partly opened orbs.

"Sakura…if you go further, I will not be able to stop this time…"

Sakura`s heart skipped a beat the deeper meaning of the raven haired Uchiha`s words, knowing exactly what he wanted to say.

He cared too much about her to use his expert touches and seduce her into giving herself to him, so he was asking her if she was ready to do it willingly.

And there was no trace of doubt at what she wanted, when instead of answering him like he expected, the emerald eyed woman bit her lower lip to gain the necessary courage and ventured her fingertips further, brushing the front of his boxers, her eyes going slightly wide at the feel of how big he was and how turned on by her mere touches.

But the way his already impossibly jet eyes ignited like coal at the feel of her touching him there, made her own insides burn at the raw manly unleashed look he gave her, totally not wasting any time in crash their lips together, letting his tongue go as deep as possible, almost like wanting to invade her all, making the pink haired girl moan loudly at the way he let his hand roam freely, whenever he pleased, she not stopping him from doing so.

Her straight spine, her shoulder blades, the perfectly shaped contour of her breasts, her begging for attention nipples, her toned abdomen and her curvy ass, there was no place he did not squeeze or caressed, making her skin tremble in pleasure, more moans escaping her parted lips when he replaced his expert fingers with his mouth, leaving trails of saliva down her stomach, all the way to her navel, alternating his pace.

Sakura swore she was going insane with desire, all her body melting like lava under him.

Sasuke did not shifted his position, so they were both resting on their sides, totally aware of the injuries she had, but it did not stop him from let his index finger dip past her navel to her groin, feeling her want more of him and he was more than ready to give her more.

And when the onyx eyed Uchiha felt the emerald eyed girl let her hand descend from his back to his ass, massaging the toned muscles he thought he felt an electrical discharge the way down, getting harder than he thought it was possible.

No women ever had that power over him and Sasuke was certain he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

But he was aware of her pure state, so the raven haired man knew he had to take it easy with her and test the waters first, to let his maid get used to the feel of his touching her more intimately and not make her feel pressured, so he placed a meaningful passionate kiss upon her lips, not slipping his tongue into her mouth like he intended, to not make her feel invaded all of sudden by him, and as gentle as he could, let his palm glide from her abdomen into her lace panties, searching for any sort of insecurity or hesitance coming from her.

No matter how bad he wanted to bury himself deep inside of her, until they both lose themselves into the beatitude sensation, Sasuke would find it in him to stop if she did tell him to do so. He valued her more than his own needs.

"Sakura…"

In her mind, when the Sound agent felt Sasuke`s hand descend slowly, but surely in between her legs, she wanted to scream out loud "Hallelujah" , because it was the exact thing she expected him to do already, not able to withstand the pulsating sensation she had on her lower region or the hot pool in the pit of her abdomen at the lack of proper contact with her body.

The emerald eyed girl wasted no time in telling him to do it already and not prolong her agony any longer. Damn was he a tease. "Please…"

It was the only thing Sasuke needed to nod once and capturing her lips in between his soft ones, let his hand submerge deeper inside her totally sensual choice of lingerie, palming the valley between her thighs, then using his fingers to part her and rub her inner lips gently, to let her get used to the feeling of him on her, not quite believing how aroused she really was, feeling her sticky juices damping her throbbing core.

She was incredibly soft down there as well, just like the rest of her body, so perfectly designed, like she was an expensive nude portrait, expressing the eternal feminine symbol, professionally painted into coal to last eternally.

Sasuke could feel his vision cloud when his fingertips imprinted every detail of her into his mind, the supple silky warm texture of her petals and the warm damp core waiting for him to explore the virgin slick passage and discover more she had to offer.

When Sakura felt Sasuke touching her in the most sacred places she felt the bed miraculously vanish under her and being replaced with melting lava, he whole body bursting into incontrollable vibrations and trepidations, not able to contain a loud moan escape her throat upon her boss` lips.

The pink haired girl had no idea what the raven haired Uchiha was doing with to her with his expert fingers, but the way he was touching her, like no one else did before was pure ecstasy.

All the things she felt when they kissed or touched were blending together and surged through her veins, replacing blood with fire.

And surely she could not escape a cry when Sasuke, expertly rubbed her confined clit, rolling the tip of his finger around the small bud, making her break the kiss and plant her nails into his shoulders, letting her head hit the pillow, emerald eyes shut tight, lips panting heavily.

The onyx eyed man grew twice as hard at the sight of her, moaning inconsolably with every touch he did, totally abandoning herself to the sinful path of lust and desire, tiny rivers of sweat dripping on her neck, to the valley of her breasts, making him lean in and trace his tongue over the wet path, tasting her and getting drunk of her flavor, not stopping the grind of his digits to her rosy petals and bud, making more juices emerge from her, the girl visibly aroused.

Sasuke removed his hand from her, much to the trembling in pleasure pink haired lady`s dismay, to pull the lace material down her legs.

Sakura got the idea and bent her knees to help him remove her underwear, that only stayed in between her and the immense delight he was giving her.

The Uchiha heir used his hand to part her uncovered thighs more, silently asking her to rest on her back and spread her legs open, refraining from using words with her, well aware she was probably worried at the development of their movements.

Reluctantly she did that, but did not spread her legs wide, but he realized it was not in shame but more out of her inexperienced state.

And that nothing to make his interest in her lower, on the contrary, Sasuke was going to let things proceed at snail peace, taking his time into showing her exactly how should she move around him.

He wanted so bad to let his body rest in between her legs and eat her out and give her the pleasure she deserved, but he was afraid he was going to get wild and touch her injuries in the process, and that was the last thing he had in mind, so he would have to remain on his side, but he angled his torso towards her to have a better access and kiss her to let her know he had control and everything she deemed inappropriate, she must not be afraid to tell him.

In her mind, Sakura was well aware that she knew absolutely nothing of what she should do.

Of course, there was Karin echoing in her mind that had some tips for her virgin state, but she realized nothing could have prepared her for the real deal, so the emerald eyed agent let her much more experienced raven haired boss take the lead and have control, not disturbed that she was dominated by him.

The only worry the Sound agent got, was that her just staying there doing absolutely nothing to please him in return, would only bore him until he would not want her anymore, but the way he kissed her assured her that was totally not the case.

As slow as he could, Sasuke let a long lean digit rub her exposed entrance, making sure she was as moist as possible and gently entered her slick passage, feeling his mind explode into billion of solar particles at the feel of how tight she really was, not quite able to stop envisioning another part of his body getting lost into her hotness.

He let his skilled digit advance further, then coming up just as carefully, not to hurt her, setting up a lazy pace, feeling her inner walls pump more of her essences and constrict further.

"Argh…"

Sakura could not help but let go of her boss` shoulders and grip the silky navy bed sheet hard, arching her back more into his touch, throwing her head backwards feeling like her all body has been magnetized and pulled up in the sky, the sensation mind blowing.

She could not believe how he was touching her and when she felt a finger slipping past her rosy inner petals, straight into the core of her purity, leisurely pumping her, venturing further and further inside her slick passage she lost her sanity for real.

All he body felt out of her control, invaded by a totally unfamiliar surge of adrenaline, fire, rain and something she did not have a name for, like all the natural elements were blooming into the pits of her stomach, making all her fibers and muscles convulse.

The pink haired agent pushed her hips forward unconditionally, to meet Sasuke`s digit halfway, increasing his pace and taking him deeper inside her, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

"Sakura, breathe…"

But what the raven haired Uchiha told her was utterly impossible. When Sakura tried to breathe, it was like she inhaled not just air, but him as well and she could not withstand the intensity of the energy washing through her body at the moment.

She felt dynamic electrical discharges all over her spine, her blood was burning her veins, all her muscles were quivering and her toes were curling in pure bliss. Sakura had no word to describe the amazing beatitude she was given.

And it was not only about physical contact, but the reason why Sakura was feeling that good, although she was exposed to him was because of the trust she had in the onyx eyed Uchiha and the reassurance he placed into her.

Whenever she felt shy or inexperienced, his lips were finding her own in an instance, letting her know how much he wanted the moment they shared.

His patience with her was making her heart melt. Sasuke had many women in his bed, but the emerald eyed agent knew he did not treat them like he was calmly waiting for her to adjust to his movements, because she got her proof if she remembered the time she saw him with another woman in a hotel room and it was nothing like they were doing now.

Feelings…he was respecting her because her cared for her and her well being. Not even once had he touched an injury or a bruise, and even in that moment he was restraining himself and depriving himself from finding pleasure, just to show her how amazingly great was to have this sort of feel over someone else.

There was a weird sensation the emerald eyed girl could not explain, pooling in her lower abdomen, like the raising sun over the mountains, and it only intensified with every pump Sasuke did, begging for some sort of relief.

Only she did not know how to ask for it, because Sakura did not know what it really was, the sensation totally alien. It was only one think she knew for certain and that was the slow pace started to not be enough.

"S..Sasuke…I…faster…"

She did not need to ask for it, because Sasuke was well aware of what her body was signalizing him.

The beautiful lady wanted release, but her inexperienced pure state was not able to voice out loud what she needed from him.

How much the Uchiha heir wanted to replace his finger with his own throbbing shaft and let her know exactly how deep could they connect and how much more sparkling energy could happen between them, but he knew it was not the moment to do so.

But he complied with her need and stroked her faster, watching in delight how her lips parted and her emerald eyes went wide open, eying the wall above, her damp locks sticking on her sweaty shoulders, making her look more ethereal than she was.

Even in the position she was, she was receiving pleasure in her own innocent way and it drove Sasuke crazy. She was extraordinary beautiful like no known language was able to describe her.

Vaguely has the young Uchiha realized the flashback he had had so many similarities with the situation, but he was too engulfed at the view of her raising full chest with every sharp inhale she did, totally enraptured by his movements.

The only think Sasuke was upset with, was the fact that it was dark in the room and he could not see how astonishing her virginal feminine features really were, but he refrained from turning on any source of light, aware of the fact that the darkness was providing some kind of shelter to her exposed body and probably made her feel less shy.

It was there Sakura felt it when Sasuke fastened his pace and angled his long digit to hit a deeper spot inside her, and it felt like a tornado raising in her body, waiting the proper moment to hit her and throw her straight on cloud nine.

That burning sensation only made her core more moist and her quintessence to leak over the raven haired Uchiha`s hand, signalizing him she would not last much longer in her state.

"Aaahhh…please…." Sakura was aware that something really powerful is going to happen through her body and….

Bang!

Both Sasuke and Sakura jumped like burned at the sound of the back door opened, the moment completely ruined. Sakura let her drained of energy body hit the bed, trying to regain her breath, while Sasuke wasted absolutely no second in taking his pistol from under the bed and bolt in the direction of the living room.

"_Whoever interrupted me, by trespassing my property is dead!"_ When Sasuke went down the stairs, not bothered by the fact that he was totally naked, let his onyx heated stare dart through the room, catching the sight of an unknown bulky silhouette.

He raised the gun at his level, preparing to shoot if necessary, swiftly letting his available hand slip to the wall and find the switch.

And when he turned on the light, the raven haired man swore he was going to murder some imbeciles right there and dispose of the body in his old neighbors` swimming pool.

"Dobe…you have three seconds to explain what the fuck are you doing in my house, before I turn you into a human target. And I must say, out of 100 head shoots I missed none."

Naruto looked like he was in a cardiac arrest at the sight of his friend, clad in his boxers, sweating and looking…were his ears slightly red?!

like he has been interrupted from something important, pointing a firearm in his direction. He dropped the bag he intended to take on the trip that was about to come in four hours and let covered his racing heart with his hand.

"Teme…what the fuck…you scared me shitless!"

Sasuke rolled his onyx eyes, lowering his gun and folded his arms around his chest eying his friend intently. "You enter my house at midnight and I am the one scaring you? The hell are you doing here?"

"I got thrown away from the house." It was the truth. Naruto was busy trying in vain to beat Sakura`s record in the zombie game, until he overcharged the electrical system and threw their villa into a blackout. Neji had no problem with that, because he was already in bed.

Apparently, Ten Ten was watching the final episode of a soap opera she was following so when she realized what happened, the chestnut eyed agent barged into the blonde`s room, grabbed him by the hem of his T-Shirt and kindly threw him outside, along with his stuff for the next day, advising him to sleep under the clear sky.

So Naruto went with the most logical option, and that being using his key to enter Sasuke`s villa and sleep on the couch. Simple as that.

Sasuke snorted loudly. "Again?"

"Yeah."

"Fuckin idiot."

"Bastard."

The Uzumaki heir scratched the back of his neck, eying his friend apologetically. "Can I take the coach?"

Sasuke considered his options. There were barely four hours left and him, Sakura and his imbecile friend were supposed to go and meet the rest of the participants, so it only made sense they were going together since Naruto managed to anger his mother…for the millionth time.

And no, the onyx eyed Uchiha did not question himself how his friend entered the villa, because he was aware he had a spare key.

It was him who let it on the desk and left the house on purpose for him not to bother his sleep whenever Kushina decided to be a good mother and kick her son outside. That woman was scary as fuck in his opinion.

The coal eyed man turned his back to an expectant cerulean eyed man, returning to his room, to an expectant Sakura, entertaining the idea of decorating his best friend`s body with some well placed bullets. "Fuck you Naruto."

"Thanks bastard!"

Sasuke entered his bedroom, locking the door, not wanting any nocturnal surprise from uninvited guest, taking a seat beside Sakura and pulling her into his embrace, covering both with the bed sheet. The emerald eyed lady let her head rest on his broad chest, placing a soft kiss upon his heart.

"Who was it?"

"The world`s number one dobe."

Sakura let out a soft giggle, knowing exactly how the Akatsuki agent entered the house, imagining it was probably because one of the other colleagues of his threw him outside. And she went as far as to guess it was Tennie-meannie who had enough of his games.

"You are a good friend, you know that?"

Sasuke shut his eyes, trying to fell asleep as fast as possible, feeling more than tired. "I am going to kill him someday."

"Hmmm…no you are not." The Sound agent let her body relax in Sasuke`s secure embrace, feeling sleep slowly but surely taking her senses. And Sasuke`s small unique moon on his wrist was the last thing her emerald eyes saw before she fell into slumber.

}{

Naruto climbed the stairs, in search for the holly bathroom, cursing Sasuke and his too complicated for his tiny brain villa. He totally forgot about the one from the first floor, knowing there was another one upstairs.

But he stopped his feet from advancing further when his tired eyes caught the sight of Sakura`s opened bedroom door, the owner nowhere near.

But what was even more suspicious, was the fact that Sasuke`s bedroom door was shut. His face got an evil twist, grinning widely, ideas that would make Jirayia cry tears of happiness and proud crossing his mind.

The Akatsuki agent rushed downstairs, pulled out his phone and returned upstairs, stopping in between the two doors, having them both into the camera`s field of view, inwardly laughing like a manic. He took twenty pictures to be sure, rubbing his palms together.

"…this…is blackmail at his finest."

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

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**Author`s Note: **So, I am sorry if this chapter lacked much different scenes, but I meant it to be Sasuke and Sakura centered for the sole reason of wanting to show their relationship going further. It is necessary to do so for the upcoming events.

Yes, Ino and her family would pay an important role in the story, but maybe I am going to have mercy on her at the end and redeem her…or not hehe

Of course I was going to finish the hospital scene, but I wanted to end it there because I found it to be a perfect cliffhanger. Hope it came out well.

Well Sasuke is a gentlemen and I stated he is not barging into her privacy so no, he did not searched through her belongings like Suigetsu. Have no fear, he is going to find out about her, but not like this.

Thank you guys for the amazing feedback and I do hope you will enjoy this chapter as well. And thank you for checking out my other story as well. You are the best readers ever!


	25. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

For good twenty minutes since they have gotten in the bus that was supposed to take them to the small resort they were supposed to stay at, Sakura was intently focusing on the one and only Uzumaki Naruto, who had a weird expression on his face.

Not only was the cerulean eyed heir prompting his forehead on the cold glassy surface of the bus` window, but his slightly tanned face was getting a beautiful shade of green, rivaling the complexion of a frog.

And the emerald eyed agent couldn't stop herself from shorting at his misfortune, shaking her head in disbelief. Leave it to the mighty Akatsuki clown to suffer from motion sickness and make a fool of himself, much to his raven haired friend's horror.

The pink haired Sound agent rose on her seat and patted him softly on his shoulder, attracting his attention. The golden haired heir turned his head over his shoulder to look at the owner of the hand, putting a small goofy grin on his sick looking face. Sakura kind of felt pity for his troubled state, only he was too funny to be taking seriously.

"Naruto-kun, are you ok? Do you want some medicine? Because I have some pills that will help you."

Sakura had experience in this situations, because Tsunade and Anko both suffered from such motion sicknesses, whenever they were supposed to travel, by cars, planes or even ships, so the jadeite eyed agent kind of had some basic medicine to alleviate the symptoms.

"Are they some miraculous recipe of that snake man of your boss?"

The clear eyed man's brain cracked at the mere thought of being given remedies made by Orochimaru, finding the Otokage being too eccentric for his well being and mental sanity, but Naruto did not use the man's name, and his question came more as a whisper, not wanting to attract Sasuke`s attention, who was sitting besides Sakura, to topics that were not supposed to grace his ears.

The onyx eyed Uchiha did not need many explanations to find out whatever interested him and he was already suspicious on Sakura`s strange behavior and all the strange things happening around her.

"Although I would be more than pleased to see your reaction if I was to tell you yes, I am sorry to disappoint you, but no. This is something I bought from the pharmacy yesterday, after I got discharged. I knew you men have no common sense when it comes to taking care of you. I am sure Ten Ten would agree with me."

The Uzumaki heir faked a shocked expression, letting his mouth open widely, putting a hand to his heart. "Such a disgrace to my male species. I apologize in the name of all the testosterone present, for our superficial knowledge and lack of care for our well beings."

Sakura slapped her forehead, letting her palm slide on her face, dramatically, not believing the character in front of her.

And Sasuke was just as bad. In the morning, before they took a cab and went to the meeting parking lot, when the Sound assassin asked her boss about his first aid kit, his only reply was a "Hn…that shit is heavy and takes much space in my hiking backpack" which almost made Sakura punch his face.

"You guys are hopeless. Fine, if you don't want medicine, then it is your own problem. But remember what the guide told us: there are 150 km till we reach the cabins we are going to spend the following two days in, so you have to hold your ground until then."

Naruto rubbed his chin with the back of his hand, looking like he was in deep thought at what was he supposed to do, when in reality, the only coherent thoughts his already not so brilliant mind were able to produce, were ramen and more ramen.

Man was he hungry and he, along with the pink haired agent and his brooding friend, woke up late that morning and they basically had to fly to the meeting spot, urging the poor taxi driver to go three times the speed limit to get them there in time.

Sasuke blatantly told his two companions that he couldn't give a damn about what the others thought about them and his lateness, but surprisingly, it was Sakura the one to convince him to move faster and not show up so late to such an important meeting, if he wanted to keep his reputation unblemished.

And Naruto got a slap on his head for smartly asking the midnight haired heir what reputation, because as far as he was concerned, his friend lost it decades ago.

So no breakfast for the blonde haired Akatsuki agent and something told him his much needed food would be seeing the inside of his stomach in few hours, the mere thought get him sicker than he was.

Not only his onyx eyed best buddy threatened him into beating the hell out of him and throw him outside the bus, on the emergency exit, if he did something to embarrass him, but he was currently sitting in front of the pink haired agent and her boss, beside an old man, with a funny hairstyle, looking in his seventies, owning what seemed like a butchery, because much to the cerulean eyed man's horror, all that he talked about was salami, sausages and how the butchers that worked for him personally slaughtered the animals.

And when the really talkative company owner started to describe the process of washing the insides of his animals in the slaughterhouses, the Uzumaki agent felt bile raise his throat.

He rose from his own seat, turning his body to look down at his CIA colleague, supporting himself on his knees, gripping the headrest with both his hands, his light blue eyes widened in stupor.

"Sakura-chan…do they really use those animals` they kill in that torture slumbers they call slaughterhouses, meat in all the burgers we eat?"

Sakura lean further into her seat, kind of scared at the Akatsuki agent's too serious expression, like his widened in shock blue eyes were projecting his fright on the outside. Just what the hell was he talking about?

She took a quick glance at the raven haired Uchiha, raising an eyebrow at him. Sasuke had his onyx eyes glued to Naruto`s face, not bothering to raise his head as well, to properly face him, being busy with studying some company related files he was reading since they got into their seats, much to the blonde Uzumaki`s daze.

In his mind, no sane person on that planet would take his business work to study during a trip, but his friend was already insane, so of course his insanity broke all the rules.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, actually they do that. Want me to explain into detail just how are they doing it?"

Sakura folded her arms in front of her chest, winking at him, laughing at the way all the color disappeared from his face. She was mentally counting how many minutes would he be able to resist without throwing up.

"Fuck no! This dude over here is talking about that since we got on this damn bus and no matter how many times I tell him I am not interested to hear how they so inhumanly torture the pure innocent creatures, all he will tell me is how I interrupted his idea and then he is going to start explaining from the very beginning. He is senile!"

"Haha, you just have bad luck, that is all. Besides, it could have been worse than this. Would you have preferred to sit beside that ridiculous rich Turkish woman, that owns a chain of jewelry stores and only talks nails, people without fashion sense and how she would like to hook someone from here up to accompany her to the charity Ball?

Be careful, because from what I can see, she has her eyes set on you." Indeed, among all the forty five rich people present to the trip, there was one particular tall, brunette woman in her thirties, who was acting like a major slut, basically flirting with whoever crossed her path and had a decent looking face.

And of course, when Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke arrived to the already crowded meeting spot, her eyes bulged out of her head at the sight of the famous Uchiha heir, marching right to him to introduce herself, using a sugary coated voice that made Naruto and the emerald eyed girl sick, and batting her fake eyelashes to a totally uninterested midnight haired man, not catching the message that he was not interested.

Not that she was ugly to begin with, because in all honesty, the rich woman was quite hot and she actually managed to attract a lot of attention with her slender tall figure, but her point of interest was, of course, Sasuke and surprisingly his friend Naruto, much to the said agent's horror.

"You know what I think about Sakura-chan? That we are the only normal people in here and this mere thought scares me shitless, because remember we have Teme to add to the equation."

"Dobe, I am going to tell you this once, so be prepared to catch it from the first time. If you do something to embarrass me, or make me even angrier than I already am, I swear as soon as this weirdly shaped bus reaches his destination, I will act like I don't know you. Clear?"

No, Sasuke couldn't take anymore of that torture. Not only he did not want to participate to such public events that only made blood boil in his veins, but his blonde idiot friend had to be there to join the party of people that almost made the raven haired Uchiha commit even more crimes to add to his record.

Not only that, but ever since he woke up, his energy was overwhelming and he wouldn't stop talking about the most idiotic one could have thought about.

And the raven haired heir could feel the present women's eyes burning holes into his skull, whispering towards each other, giggling and doing their best to catch his attention, using the most idiotic strategies, that would put high school students into shame, such as asking him to open them a bottle of water or simply coming to his side and try to make small conversation, regarding topics he did not even bother to listen to, his mind set on two things: the paperwork in his hands and Sakura.

Actually, the only reason why Sasuke was reading some statistics involving his stocks and how their value varied in the auction market, was to keep his mind busy from thinking about her every minute, finding it more and more difficult to do so, since the emerald eyed girl was standing right beside him.

Ever since what transpired between them the day before, the raven haired Uchiha found himself absolutely unable to stay away from the pink haired girl, his urge to close that distance between them and finish what they have started before a blonde idiot has interrupted them, growing higher and higher.

Naruto looked thorn between hitting Sasuke`s head for the way he was acting like he didn't care.

And what was worse in his view, was the fact that his friend actually did not give a damn if he was to die right on the spot, as long as it didn't create him troubles. "Teme, you are an idiot. And a fake friend. Change places with me, because you are the best when it comes to treat people like they don't exist."

"Hn. If I were to be that good in ignoring people like you say, you would be talking to the windows."

"I feel like I am talking to the windows, you bastard! And stop smirking at me, you inconsiderate friend, because I am dead serious."

The blonde haired Uzumaki was not ever aware of the fact that he was talking so loud, that basically everyone from the bus was able to hear clearly, how he was insulting the Uchiha heir with no problem, leaving some of them mouth agape at his guts.

"Stop screaming you idiot, I am right in front of you. Want everyone to know how much of a dobe you really are? As if this is not painfully obvious. Stop giving me headaches and turn around already, because I tend to become allergic to stupidity and you already have an overdose of it."

Inwardly, Sasuke was praying to all the Gods he knew, from all the world's religions, for the bus to move already and take them into the middle of those mountains, where he would be free from seeing people he loathed, which consisted in 99% of the ones surrounding him, with the exception of his maid.

But Naruto decided to be funny and play with his already running low patience. Sasuke already read the same sentence he began three times, being interrupted by the blonde haired heir that did not take a fuck off for an answer.

God was he annoying as Hell. And he acted like a kid suffering from severe ADHD, after he ingested tones of candies.

"Teme, change places with me."

"Fuck off."

"Bastard, change places with me now, or else I am going to post this online, I am totally sorry for this Sakura-chan."

Naruto took away his phone, searched through the gallery until he found the picture he was looking for, with the opened door of Sakura`s room, shoving the large screen into Sasuke`s face, much to Sakura`s horror.

Just what kind of evidence has the Akatsuki agent have on the two of them? Because she already had some very suggestive ways picked on from Tsunade and Anko, to torture the blonde idiot, until he deleted that picture, whatever it was about.

Sasuke raised a fine eyebrow at the screen, then darted his jet deep eyes to his grinning friend, looking bored and totally unimpressed. "Are you threatening me into posting how the doors inside my house look like, or the motion sickness killed that sole neuron that is wandering through your empty brain, dobe?"

Of course the raven haired Uchiha knew exactly what his friend meant with that picture, but it totally did not bother him at all, on the contrary, Naruto finding out about their secret affair was putting the cerulean eyed agent into his place, reminding him to stay away from what was Sasuke`s, and that being Sakura.

"What are you two talking about? Give me that!"

Sakura took the phone from Naruto`s hand, startling him with her speed, looking in shock at how the Sound agent's eyebrows furrowed when realization about what kind of blackmail he had on them hit her, taking her time to let her forest green darkened eyes rest on his sky blue ones, looking just as menacing as his smirking dark haired friend, him proving to be a really good teacher.

"This…means your death sentence, Naruto-kun. Just wait until we get down from this thing…I really do hope you like mountains, because that is going to be the place where your traitor and indiscreet bones are going to rest until the legist finds you."

The Uzumaki heir knew exactly the pink haired Sound assassin had it in her to do so, silently laughing at the irony of two dangerous people sitting beside one another, having feelings for each other, but one being completely oblivious at the other's resemblance to his dark nature.

He got his phone back from Sakura, pouting comically at the two people that probably entertained the idea to choke him with the incriminating device, right there and then.

"Give that back, Sakura-chan! Hmpf! You guys suck, seriously, such friends you are…leaving me here all alone to suffer."

Sasuke rolled the papers he was studying, leaned in to Naruto`s seat and promptly slapped the back of his head, hard, the sound of two objects hitting each other echoing through the bus, attracting the chatting people's attention to the weird friends, making them whisper at such a sight.

Everyone knew the Uchiha heir was a stoic and a frightening man, but to see him actually loosening up and brick with his energetic friend was a refreshing sight. And of course the present ladies found that side of his even more attractive, all of them planning how to catch his attention, silently cursing the pink haired Sound agent for her luck.

No one knew exactly who was she or what her relationship with the two all known heirs was, because Sasuke never gave an actual answer to their question, when basically each present man or women asked him if she was his girlfriend or a distant relative.

And of course, no one ventured to pester him more with the subject, because the onyx eyed heir threw them a glance so fierce, it made thoughts freeze in their brains, catching the message to not bother him further.

Of course, the gossip was present among the female population, considering the fact that the small group of three people spared no one else a single glance, only chatting between them. Well, more like fighting, but that was a way to communicate as well.

Naruto turned his head over his shoulder, rubbing his throbbing spot, his face contorted in anger. Well, it only made him look even funnier, fury totally contrasting with his solar attitude.

Sakura started to laugh at his troubled state. Sasuke resumed his reading, looking like he couldn't give any more damns about his friend.

Those people were funny. The Sound agent found herself disappointed that the other missing one from the happy three friends couldn't take part in the trip, because that would have been priceless. Too people to annoy the hell out of Sasuke had entertainment written all over it.

But Sakura already knew he couldn't come, because he was busy working at the case with the four murdered people, that robbed Sasuke, as well as the INTERPOL was planning the security scheme for the upcoming Ball. With all the deaths and threats coming from Lorane, they wanted to be extra careful.

"Teme, what the hell? Weren't you the one to nag me about not making a fool of myself? Is this how a heir should act? An Uchiha one nonetheless?"

"Dobe, just shut the fuck up already, because you are distracting me." From what, Sasuke had no idea, because his mind was drifting to something else, much more interesting, in the form of a stunning looking rosette, that was doing her best to touch his arm or his leg with every move she did, totally aware of the effect she had on him. The little vixen. She was innocent all right, but damn if she wasn't one fast learner as well.

"Distract you, from what? What the heck are you reading there anyways?"

Naruto abruptly turned his body once more to face his dark haired friend, taking the sheets of paper from his hands, his cerulean confused eyes crossing in bewilderment. That man…

"What the fuck is this? Who does paperwork in a trip anyways? Just how does your mind work, because I can totally not get you, Teme!"

"Give that back you knucklehead." Sasuke took the papers from his friend, who was looking at the words like they were biting him, ready to hit his head once again, that time using something more solid and able to do some permanent damage, such as his fists.

"Of course you will never be able to understand a thing, since you only have a nervous system to help you stuff your face with disgusting food and a head to stop the rain from falling inside your throat and make your vocal cords rust."

"Ha! Hear the royal bastard of a fake friend talking like he actually had a brain to begin with! I bet you are not even paying attention to that shit, instead you only want to attract attention and look intelligent. Like the old perverts that hid their porn magazines inside philosophy books, to attract the girl's attention."

Naruto had no idea that he hit the nail in the head with that imbecile comment, making Sasuke to snort at his undiscovered genius intuition. The golden haired Uzumaki has brought his stupidity on genius level.

Or course the things he had in mind were dark, sinful and erotic and they all involver a forest green eyed Sakura, who was busy covering her hysteric laughter with her hands, failing miserably.

But the sound of her voice being happy did funny things inside Sasuke`s chest, feeling his all body warm at the sound of her bell like soft feminine voice, that was only reminding the midnight haired heir of the way she was moaning and screaming in delight the night before, when he was pleasuring her.

"Well, you have to give such perverts their credit for trying to be subtle. Although, I would like to praise you for being a moron with such talent, without even trying. Truly I am envious on people like you dobe. You know…the kind of always being happy, because their full of helium heads make them oblivious to everything around, living constantly high. Stupid people are the happiest, finding everything to be joyful. And for fuck`s sake…"

The raven haired Uchiha felt the last bit of patience he had fly on the window, making him lean his body on the armrest and scream at the guide, catching everyone`s attention, basically speaking what was on all of the present one's minds.

"…when are we leaving, because it would have been easier for us to just take our cars of private jets and get there, without waiting in here like some sort of commoners, going to their working places."

Sakura and Naruto have just won the gold medal at slapping foreheads synchronizing, when they heard some women from behind saying things like "Oh my God, he is such a bad boy" or "I like his wild, commanding attitude", totally not bothered to act upon their status.

For Naruto, the thought of his dark haired friend spending two days far from the civilization, with a choir of rabid fangirls following his every step, begging for some sort of attention he was not ready to provide, was pure epicness, already envisioning himself torturing his friend with mockeries and well placed comments in every troublesome and more than stupid situation he was going to find himself in.

For Sakura, the way her supposed boss was the center of attention wherever he went, made her blood boil to such a degree, she felt Hell was one step closer to her, perfectly harmonizing with the dark thoughts she had upon each woman that had the guts to even breath in his general direction.

After what happened between them, the emerald eyed girl would not find it in her to withstand any female getting close to Sasuke, that was not her, actually couldn't care less about the fact that she was there to protect him form Lorane, not to flirt with him, or the fact that they did not even have a name for what they were.

Of course they did not even need to call themselves lovers or something else, the things making them run into each other's embrace being above such petty things, but in the other people's eyes, they were an uncertain couple.

"I am sorry for the delay, Mr. Uchiha, there is a problem with the air conditioner that seems to not function properly, but we are going to fix it within five minutes, you have my word."

The middle aged guide smiled politely at a brooding Sasuke, who shrugged once, like that sounded more like a pathetic excuse than an actual explanation, resuming his reading, not before muttering something along the lines of "whoever feels hot, should get off and run after the bus, to refresh."

"Actually, I agree with Mr. Uchiha here and I must say I feel insulted at the way the Committee is handling the situation so far." Every eye was cast upon a fat old oil company heir, that was seating in front, far from Naruto and his friends, who were somewhere in the back.

He was wearing a suit…when most of them were comfortable clad, in hiking clothes. Of course, there was also that species of people that did not catch the meaning of the words "mountain trip" and were looking ridiculous clad in branded articles that had nothing to do with the place they were heading too, the funniest ones being the women in heels.

"Yeah, totally. I am already hungry and my fitness trainer told me to only eat at the most proper hours for my body, when I will burn the most fats and calories and that being now!" Of course the jewelry owner had to make herself a reputation and join the crowd of other people that were bashing the guide and the driver, accusing them to purposely being late, just to annoy them.

"Whoa Teme, you really know how to stir people. You should have been a dictator. I almost envision you in the middle of a parade, waiving your hand at the bowing people, from your throne, you know, kind of what they do in Rio, but not clad as Little Mermaid or Disney Princess."

"If you want to worship me dobe, feel free to do so, but don't talk to me. This people are already making me go insane. Fucking retards. Say something random and they will follow you suit. And people wonder why this world is going down."

"Bah…you are the one to talk…oh…finally, we are leaving!" Indeed, the driver closed the doors and the guide announced everyone that they were taking their leave.

There were actually two buses full of important heirs, heading to the mountain resort, taking their leave. As soon as the buses hit the highway, people relaxed and chatter freely among them, much to the guide's relief, who exhaled deeply. Those people were a handful.

Sakura was looking on the window, at the way the landscape started to change, the crowded city of Tokyo being left behind, to serve as a silent witness of what was going on inside her heart and it was definitely something so powerful, that made her feel like able to lift to the ground and touch the sky.

The emerald eyed girl had now words to describe what exactly she felt in the moment she woke up, in the strong arms of the handsome Uchiha Sasuke, surrounded by the hotness of his hard rock body and his amazing, soothing forest and ocean scent, enveloping her in a veil of **comfort** and **care**.

Never in her life would Sakura has believed it was possible to have a peaceful slumber, without being haunted by past memories, in the form of violent nightmares, never wanting to ever wake up, afraid it was going to be the sweetest of the dreams, that would fade away along with the first rays of sun.

But he didn't. The raven haired heir has not moved an inch during the night, keeping her secure and warm, for as long as she was willing to remain beside him, and the Sound agent could have sworn she never intended to get away from him, from his bed or his life, for he was amazing and the **calmness** and the feel or **protection** radiating through his every fiber, puncturing her skin and basically tattooing all the beautiful little wonders of the world on the pink haired agent's soft skin, he used to cover in his sweet kisses, in a way so gentle and exquisite, that is should have been turned into a statement.

Instead of waking up with trembling hands and sweating madly, feeling an infinite emptiness, so painful that the emerald eyed lady thought she was the first living without a soul, only a walking carcass with a pretty face, Sakura dreamed of large fields of poppies, colorful butterflies, painted in every shade, to mirror the joy in her heart, fresh mountain flowers bathed in the warm inviting light of the morning sun and crystal clear rivers of magic and hope, and it was all because she was not alone anymore.

Sakura titled her head to have a brief view of the man that managed to turn her loneliness and emptiness, into **ardor** and **reassurance**, in just a month, with so much tact and subtly, like it was something beyond perception of human understanding what was happening with their hearts, whenever they kissed or mere touched, dictated by the fate itself.

And the Sound agent felt for the millionth time, the same magnetic attraction that made her jadeite sparkling with unshed emotions orbs, unable to remove from his face, still not believing how deviously handsome he was, even in such a platonic context, that had nothing arousing or physical, but his manly features were having an alluring effect to every hungry eye.

She smiled softly at his cast on the papers profile, pinching her hand briefly to restrain the urge to lift her hand and touch his sharp jaw, and feel his amazingly soft fresh shaved face under her fingertips. The mere thought was making the sensitive skin of her fingertips burn in a million of particles, all ignited by his own fire.

And the more than incriminating shade of her boss` favorite vegetable that made its way to her ear shells, was all due to the activities they have engaged in, before Naruto entered the house to beg for a shelter, and Sakura found herself totally comfortable with the closeness between her and Sasuke, totally not affected by her inexperienced state.

And they were doing it so intimately and so confined from the others, having no name to describe their relationship, but knowing all the synonyms and forms of passion and desire towards each other, because the jadeite eyed girl felt so natural under the raven haired man's touches and caresses, that it made her crave for more. For more of him and more he had to offer and to teach her.

As long as the young Uchiha heir was the one to pull her strings, she was going to dance in his rhythm whenever they both pleased, and the flicker of fire into his deep bottomless coal and silver irises whenever he connected their gaze assured her it would not be a one time occurrence.

The way Sasuke touched her, like no man before him did, exploring inner parts of her very being, patiently, deliberately, where not even her own fingers dared to venture, preparing her for the true form of bliss he was able to give her when the time would come, made the knot into the pits of her most sacred parts, throb in anticipation and yearning to be once again so skillfully led to ecstasy.

The emerald eyed Sound agent wouldn't lie, and say she is not ready for him, because she was more than that.

She knew what her all fibers were telling her and the pink haired girl was well aware of the signals her mind and body was sending and it only led to that particular conclusion: she **wanted** **him** and she **wanted** **him** **bad**.

"You found yourself some interesting hobbies for this trip, Sakura." Sasuke did not even need to remove his gaze from the company related files he was studying, to be aware of what his beautiful pink haired lady was doing in that moment, restraining his burning urge to pull her into his arms, kiss her and make time fly under their caresses faster and get them both above the majestic infinite cliffs they were going to climb.

The raven haired Uchiha felt her emerald glimmering eyes glued to his face and body, turning his head and smirking at her, in the way he knew was making Sakura`s knees be washed by tiny tremors and raise her pulse to unimaginable heights.

"I…I am sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. It is just…I cannot stop myself." Sakura brushed a lock of her pink hair away from her face, letting it rest behind her ear, lowering her gaze from his jet bottomless amused ones, putting her rosy full lower lip in between her teeth, preventing a large knowing smile to grace her beautiful features, at the sight of his more than ravishing face, he being well aware of all the thoughts that crossed her mind in that moment.

"Do you want me to tell you exactly what bothers me in this moment, Sakura?"

"Yes."

Sasuke used the tip of his tongue and took his time to trace the perfect contour of his lower lip, in a manner so sexy it should be forbidden, and leaned his body in, until his face came impossibly close to a stunned forest green eyed maid, who looked ready to jump him right there and then, whispering upon her lips in a more than teasing manner, in a low, dark and mysterious velvety voice, the words that made Sakura`s mind burn with anticipation.

"The fact that I cannot kiss you until I ran out of oxygen into my body cells, and I would still not stop, because I am going to breathe the very life of you, Sakura."

Sasuke pulled his body away from her, leaning into his seat and searched for a more comfortable position, not removing his entertained gaze from a tomato red face belonging to the cute unresponsive lady, who covered her face with her small palms, in a vain attempt to hide her own desires from the outside world, because there was not problem in showing it to him, knowing it was reciprocated.

"How can you say such things in here?" Sakura did more than mutter the words, coming as muffled sounds, imperceptible to the others, but crystal clear to the midnight haired Uchiha, not believing how he was openly provoking her in a public place, surrounded by such curious eyes that wasted no time in starting another round of gossip about a possible relationship between the two of them, but her boss seemed to not have a care in the world about what the others talked about him or they.

When he took his time to properly greet his business partners or the ones he did not know, Sasuke did not confirm or infirm anything involving the two of them, skillfully playing out the discussion in his favor.

And the emerald eyed agent perfectly understood his position and was not in the bit angry with his choice of words, totally aware of his social status, as well as her mission of staying undercover as much as she could, because she did not feel the need of confirmation of Sasuke`s feelings towards her in public, when he was more than ready to show parts of his heart to her, whenever they were alone.

And to see him actually whispering more than suggestive words to her, in a way so poetic and romantic, that it turned her stomach to jelly, was astonishing, but not unwelcome, because she wanted to kiss him just as much.

Or maybe more, after all it was her the one to discover the wonders of being intimate with the opposite sex and get more and more united as woman and man.

"Do you want me to do it instead? Because I must say, you look more than tempting."

In all honesty, Sasuke didn't give a damn about the other heirs or company owners around him, all of them being worth than nothing in his eyes, but the sole reason why he wasn't expressing what Sakura meant for him openly was the fear for her own safely.

The young Uchiha heir was more than aware of the people out there wanting his head and she being seen as a close to his person, would endanger her and that was the last thing Sasuke intended. It was already pretty bad they have been seen at the restaurant and the trip that followed, so he couldn't risk raising even more suspicion around them.

"You just do that to tease me, but I must tell you Sasuke, I have self control."

To prove her point, the pink haired agent folded her arms around her full chest, pouting and turning her head to the window, trying to resume her contemplative state, finding it almost too ironic that she was able to see a smirking face of the onyx eyed Uchiha in the clean glass.

"_Arrogant jerk, his face is everywhere I go."_

"Self restraint you say…well it totally didn't strike to me last night, but I am going to hold you onto that when we get there."

If there was something Sasuke couldn't erase and didn't want to do so, from his memory, was the feel of her amazingly soft and pure body trembling in pleasure under his expert touches, making him go nuts with want for her and for all she represented, not able to quite understand how could it be possible for a woman to have met all the qualities of innocence and sensuality in such a harmonious sinful way and still be able to cutely blush whenever he reminded her just how much she truly wanted, when he was more than ready to give.

And the raven haired Uchiha`s maleficent mind was already plotting some ways of making his blonde idiot friend pay for his more than rude interruption, because if Naruto wouldn't have let himself in his best buddy's home, Sasuke would have probably done something both he and Sakura craved for since they started to actually open up and let more of heir inner feelings resurface.

"You are so full of yourself."

"I don't deny it. But you still like me, so I can preserve this trait of mine, don't you agree?"

And Sasuke`s pearl black orbs were graced with a beautiful view of his gorgeous supposed to be maid's rosy cheeks taking a darker shade at the sound of the worlds slipping from under his tongue, hitting the nail on the head.

Of course Sasuke was more than aware that Sakura liked him and it was so obviously with every gesture she did, it was not even funny. But the question was: was he feeling the same towards her?

The onyx eyed Uchiha did not need to give too much thought at that, because every time the emerald eyed girl was trapped into his muscled arms, kissing him ravenously and dancing her hands on his body, feeling every part of him up, he felt energized and fascinated by the way their bodies responded to each other, like two opposite magnets that attract each other naturally, clearing all the doubts that could have existed into his mind over the fact that he liked her just as much.

And such an alien conception of being so attached to a woman until they met, felt so normal to Sasuke, that it truly made him consider his flashback more and ask himself if the full of mysteries world has not arranged for them to meet once again and continue a beautiful story started in ancient time, meant to last for eternity and his emotions took the form of a much bigger, lean palm, slipped under Sakura`s warm gentle one, that was resting on the seat, in between them, intertwining their fingers tightly, not removing his eyes from his papers, but couldn't contain a small smirk at her immediate response, she reciprocating his hold, not saying anything.

In Sakura`s mind, the feel of her jet dark eyed boss taking her hand in between his own, like a pair of in love teenagers, desperately looking for any form of contact, stealing as many precious moments together as possible, was not just stirring the fluttering butterflies in her stomach and chest, roaming freely into her system, with the final destination of her heart, making her whole body smile in delight at the feel of satisfaction and gratification provided by his warmth, but was filling the infinite hole dug by some many years of solitude and extreme suffering, with **compassion** and **hope**, to the point she felt drown into him like she was drowning in the salty ocean, drinking from the infinite liquid, but never getting enough.

And the Sound agent couldn't help but let her head rest on the chair and cover her emerald eyes with her long eyelashes, trying to focus her senses on the warmth radiating from Sasuke`s body, flowing through his veins and resting on the palm that was sending her his burning energy, massaging his knuckles with her fingertips, amazed at how good it felt to feel any part of his silky skin under her graze and the fact that he was mirroring her movements, made all her insides curl in pleasure.

He was able to stir the wild side of her with a mere touch and that both scared and enchanted the pink haired assassin.

Sakura was able to see the relief change, the rocky cliffs surrounding the eternal green forest, providing shelter for the wild, untouched nature that made the landscape a oases of miracle for the troubled mind and the sinuous narrow road was taking them deeper in the confinement of the Mother Earth's most grandiose creation, secluded by the tainted world and filled with rare delicate flowers that only grew at that altitude and sparkling rivers and waterfalls, as a sole token of the time passing in the surrounding area and all the feeling of becoming one with the nature, combined with the handsome man that was holding her dearly, was making the Sound agent's tired mind feel refreshed and content all of sudden.

That, until Naruto turned around with a face that screamed for both a good beating and a medicine and disturbed the content atmosphere between Sasuke and Sakura, interrupting the CIA agent's train of thoughts.

Sasuke raised his pearl black heated orbs from the papers, looking more than ready to break the emergency window with his bare fists, which he was probably able to do if he desired, and throw Naruto in the bottomless mountain gaps.

"Guys, I think I am going to throw up."

"And? Do you want a prize for this or what? Turn the fuck around and at least do it on the man beside you, because I don't want your body fluids near me."

If Sasuke was disgusted by Naruto and his childish attitude, he did nothing to hide the fact, furrowing his eyebrows at the sick looking cerulean eyed agent and having a more than suggestive expression on his darkened in anger face. Leave it to the number one dobe to always spoil the mood.

"Teme…I would beat the heck out of your stupid face if I wouldn't feel that my stomach rides a rollercoaster. Sakura-chan, give me your miraculous medicine, because I feel like I am going to die."

The blonde haired agent was gripping his stomach with one hand, the other used to prompt his body on the seat, more than leaking from it, not able to contain his motion sickness.

And the fact that the old businessman beside him wouldn't stop talking about the most disgusting things in the Universe, regarding his company was making him twice as queasy.

Moreover, Sasuke was mocking him like the bastard friend he was. Seriously, Naruto knew that the raven haired Uchiha would not have any problem in leaving him to die there, totally not interested.

"Gosh, Naruto-kun, I told you to take it earlier." Sakura rolled her emerald eyes at the grinning CIA agent, unzipping her hiking bag pack, that was resting in between her legs and pulling out a bottle of electrolyte water and a pill, handing them to an expectant Naruto who nodded once in gratitude.

"Here, take this. It has an immediate effect. You will feel better in ten minutes at most."

"Thanks a bunch, Sakura-chan. You are great. Unlike this stupid asshole of a bastard in here. Stop watching me like that you Teme, or else the pill is going to get stuck to my throat."

"I will be more than willing to make other things get stuck to your throat Naruto, but they would be bigger, harder, larger and painfully alike my foot."

If Sasuke truly hated being interrupted by his idiot friend all the time, for the most imbecile things, then he felt livid when Sakura slipped her hand away from his, to give the Akatsuki agent his pill, not content by the lose of warmth provided by her hand.

And the fact that the blonde knucklehead saw what they were doing and their more than innocent and sweet tender moment of holding hand, was making him want to punch his friend even more. Maybe that would give him another thing to focus on and forget his sickness.

The Uzumaki heir gave Sakura the bottle of water back and resumed in listening to music, like he tried to do in order to stop his mind from envisioning the animals sacrifice, not wasting the chance to mock the hiding from the world pair, with a small smirk.

"I promise I am not going to disturb your cheesy lovey-dovey sickening moment you guuuuyyysss."

And he even pushed his lips forward to add to the effect, making Sakura`s cheeks redden and Sasuke`s eyes to take the same shade, but for different reasons.

It didn't matter how many important people, from company heirs to ambassadors were surrounding him, in the moment Sasuke raised his leg and hit Naruto`s seat with his knee, so hard, that it made the blonde guy's head shot forward at the impact, almost hitting the seat in front of him in the process.

He turned around and acted like the mature and mannered man he was, giving the smirking Uchiha the finger, but the said man had already resumed in reading his files…and holding Sakura`s hand.

}{

When the two buses arrived to their destinations, everyone got off to admire the spectacular mountain landscape or the small cabins they were going to accommodate in.

Of course, one would have thought that gathering together such prominent people, came from all over the world, automatically meant finding the most luxury hotels and ski resorts to check them in, but the organizers had a better idea to make the trip even more enjoyable, smartly choosing the wild nature instead, to underline Japan's natural high, rocky cliffs and untouched virgin forests and maybe wild fauna.

Of course, most of the people admired and applauded the very good idea, welcoming the change in the scenery, the elders especially, but there was a small group of always troublesome rich snobs that couldn't have appreciated the wonders Mother Earth had to offer, complaining about every single thing, starting from the incredible heat and bad smell from the bus, to the too many narrow paths and bad accommodation.

And when the guide announced everyone they were going to venture on a small trip, to the closest peak in the nearby area, at 2023m altitude, some of them, mostly women almost had a heart attack, their mouths freezing in the opened position.

"This is beautiful and the air is so fresh I could basically die happily in here!"

Sakura got off the bus, not able to prevent her jadeite eyes to sparkle with happiness at the sight of the impressive view of the Japanese mountains, imperiously guarding them inside their core, feeling the magic of the brute nature engulfing her and relaxing her nerves…and muscles. Damn were those seats unconformable.

"Yeah, you are right. Too bad those idiots over there perturb the atmosphere."

Naruto came right beside Sakura, not wanting to leaver her alone in a sea of people she did not know, while Sasuke was busy talking to the guide, that was sharing the keys to everyone's rooms, probably making sure he wasn't going to be put near his blonde haired friend, or even worse, in the same room as him.

The pink haired agent knew exactly what her CIA colleague was talking about, she too bothered by the always complaining gang of snobs and rich people that couldn't even more a single leg without their servants or secretary, feeling the blood run to her face at the sight of their disgusted stares at the more than pleasant view of the wooden traditional cabins.

"Fucking idiots, I want to punch the living daylights out of them. I swear if I hear one more of that sluts complain about the place we are, I am going to shove a senbon down their throats the first chance we got!"

"BWHAHA I will totally not stop you Sakura-chan. In fact, I might be tempted to help you out."

The cerulean eyed heir leaned in to whisper at her ear, not wanting to let such a word be heard from his mouth, aware of the situation they were in. "And CIA doesn't need to find out about this. We are going to call them collateral victims."

Sakura playfully elbowed his ribs, giggling at the way he was faking a hurt look. Or maybe he was truly in pain and he was not afraid to show it. She could be really powerful sometimes.

"What are we? Lorane? Besides, don't forget we have Sasuke keeping a close eye on us and he can be insanely smart without even trying. Let's act as normal as we can."

"Normal? That would be a little too stretched for our current status, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but considering the fact that we are surrounded by such imbeciles that wouldn't be able to spot a fly even if it was to rest on their fat noses, I think we are safe to assume the don't suspect a thing."

Sakura knew what the Akatsuki agent was silently trying to tell her and it had to do with their true reason for being there. Before they left Sasuke`s villa, both the CIA agents double checked their equipment and devices already having the perimeter under observation, with Uchiha Itachi monitoring their every step, as well as Ten Ten and Neji, who were accommodated to another complex of cabins, not far from them, but far enough not to be seen by unwanted people.

Both Naruto and Sakura were well aware of the implications of such a mission and keeping an eye to such a large amount of people took all of their energy.

The Sound agent's sole mission was to guard Sasuke, but she too provided Akatsuki back up if necessary, the four of them knowing all too well they wouldn't have time to rest or space around, like children in a candy store, while Lorane was probably keeping a close eye on them as well.

The emerald eyed girl did not bother to buy hiking clothes, choosing the safest option and the most logical one, so she was clad in her pink top, with a long sleeved black blouse underneath, to cover her bruises and scratches and keep her warm and her tight equally black shorts, but instead of combat boots, she had a pair of smaller boots, all part of her assassin gear.

She didn't come out as suspicious, even thought the male population was kind of ogling her gorgeous fit body, especially the old perverted ones, much to her stupor and Sasuke`s rage, who was more and more aware by the fact, brooding and glaring daggers at the ones that tried to approach her and know her better.

She and Naruto stood beside one another, even going as far as to let their hands rest on each other's shoulder, in a friendly and playful manner to chase away their own admirers, because the cerulean eyed heir too had women ogling him.

Well, the emerald eyed girl wouldn't like and tell he was not hot looking, he too having his CIA gear, but in a more pacifist combination, something similar to what she has done. Only the jadeite eyed girl was able to tell he was wearing his bulletproof vest under his shirt.

"True. What the heck is Teme doing anyways? Some of those people are already inside and man, I am so hungry that I would eat a horse and not get sick."

"By the way, are you feeling any better? Did the medicine have any effect?" Sakura raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows at her CIA colleague's grinning face, the said man enfolding his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into an innocent bear hug, making the said agent laugh at his antics.

"Yeah! Totally! Thank you Sakura-chan. You know, I am really glad you are here, instead of that stupid shark faced Suigetsu. I swear he always finds a way out of this kind of things."

Suigetsu told them the real reason why he was not taking part in the trip, but of course, he would attend the Charity Ball that would come in two days after the trip.

The Hozuki heir was pitied by all his branch colleagues, Akatsuki and Sakura included, for his misfortune of dealing with a case that was basically keeping him alive with the help of the holly caffeine, not able to find a single trace of the suspect or suspects, all that the assassins leaving behind was a long scratch of wheels, belonging to a motorcycle, but the process of identification of the model was difficult and laborious, so Suigetsu couldn't find his sleep.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun. I can say this is making my work easier, either way I would have been forced to keep an eye on Sasuke like Neji and Ten Ten are doing now, from the distance. Although, I couldn't believe my eyes when he told me to come with him." It was the truth.

There were many things that crossed Sakura`s mind about a possible reasonable explanation for Sasuke`s unexpected invitation and late behavior, even going as far as to put it upon his curiosity over her secret identity and need to find out more about her, which only lead to bring the forest green eyed girl one step closer to his world, meaning her own element as well.

But she found none would have explained to passionate moment they shared after that, except some possible really deep feelings the young Uchiha had for her and the undying need to stay close to her every time was not sounding so unrealistic all of sudden.

Sakura realized her boss was taking baby steps into introducing her to his lifestyle and looking in wonder at how naturally their hearts, body and minds seem to perfectly harmonize each time, from a mere visit to the hospital, to a fancy dinner in an expensive restaurant.

And that made her extremely happy. The Uchiha heir was willing to give them a chance, with her permission and test the waters, that trip making no exception.

"Well I am not surprised at all. I know this bastard since forever and I must say I have never truly seen him so interested in someone, a woman especially and the way he acts around you make him look like a completely other man, which implies he is going softer for you, Sakura-chan."

Naruto winked at a really reddened in shame Sakura, pointing his pinky at her cheek, like she was a little spoiled child, laughing at the way she menacingly darted her jade eyes to him, promising many senbons placed strategically in his body and a lot of pain.

That only amused him more. In all honesty, he and Suigetsu wouldn't stop thinking about the fairytale way the story between their friends was developing, finding it so cute and out of that world, making it all the most fantastic…and good for blackmail.

"Stop that, will you? People are looking at us and I don't like their stares."

"Who the heck cares about them anyways? Beside, I want to have my dosage of entertainment while I am in this boring thing, and Sasuke Teme is the most boring person alive and doesn't even have a sense of humor. Lame-O!"

A good placed slap on his head, made Naruto`s golden spikes fly in all directions, the said man turning around with the speed of light to search for the culprit, lowering his knees in a fighting stance and pointing his index at his dark haired friend that was having his hands in his pockets, eying him like he was some kind of newfound species of bugs, with pink horns.

"Stop complaining like the brainless squirrel you are, you dobe and come. I had enough of this pathetic excuses of businessmen and rich whores whining about how depressing this place is."

Sakura and Naruto followed Sasuke into one of the small cabins they were sharing with ten more pairs, heading upstairs where their rooms were.

The young Uchiha shared one with his pink haired maid and the Uzumaki agent was sharing another one with…he had no idea who. A man probably.

"Guys, are you going to let me sleep with a stranger? What if he is some kind of perverted masochistic freak that will try to bite my ears while I sleep or snore so loud, that I will not be able to have one minute of sleep?"

If there was something the cerulean eyed man truly hated since he was a baby, was to share his private space with people he did not know. Probably the way he was an outcast in his childhood made him trust only the people that were close to him and his CIA job was making all more the difficult.

Sasuke did not even spare him a glance, wanting nothing more than to head downstairs and eat something, he too really hungry.

Plus, the people around started to irk him to no end, be it businessmen that found it really appropriate to talk about a possible investment or partnership with his company, or nagging whores that did not catch the meaning of the words "Fuck off".

Yeah, he knew he had a reputation to keep and that involved having the proper manners, but when he was angry he took it seriously.

"I doubt someone would go as far as to lay a finger on you Naruto and if you have any problem with the fact that you share a room with someone else, you can take the couch downstairs or put a ten in the hall or outside. Be careful of the wolves and bears though, because they might like Ramen as well."

Sakura threw her head backwards, laughing hysterically at the way Naruto`s face drained of all the color, an unhealthy pallor and a jaw hitting the floor decorating his dumb looking face, cursing his friend loudly, so that all the other occupants of the space to hear him, and how he disrespected the mighty Uchiha heir in front of a small audience, consisting of the women and men that were busy roaming through the place and get familiar with the more than beautifully decorated cabin, with hunter feeling and a big cozy fireplace to add to the thematic furniture and style.

The sound agent followed Sasuke inside, closing the door behind them, already able to hear their friend's complaining through the wooden walls, shouting things like "stupid Teme of a friend and the day I met him" or "I am going to put glue into his chicken ass hair and make him look gayer than he does".

"Haha, gotta love Naruto-kun, he is too funny!"

But Sakura only had time to leave her heavy luggage beside the single wardrobe, because, not even giving her time to blink, Sasuke slipped a strong arm around her tiny waist, crashing their bodies together and captured her inviting soft moist rosy lips with his own, kissing her with all the fervor he accumulated during the time he did not have the taste of her on his own body, nibbling her full plump lower lip to make her unfold her silky petals and give him enough space to glide his tongue and massage her own, in a sensual, ardent French kiss, that almost made the emerald eyed girl lose balance.

She wasted no time in fisting her small hands in his midnight silky hair, forcing him to lower his head more onto her, wanting nothing more than to cease away the basically non existing space between them, angling her head in the perfect position for their faces to gracefully mold together, giving them as much access to freely explore their mouths at the content of their heated hearts, moaning softly at the feel of the onyx eyed Uchiha`s hot slick tongue darting in and out her mouth, taking his time to trace her pearl straight teeth and roll under her own warm tongue, in the way he knew made her toes curl in bliss.

Sasuke let his palm rest on the back of the pink haired girl's delicate neck, fondling her scalp in a relaxing way, changing sides to let himself explore the beautiful woman from another position, brushing the tip of his regal high nose to the side of her smaller elegant one, giving her pleasant tingles, taking his time to lick her upper lip and suckle on it.

Sasuke repeated the irresistible caress on the lower one, tasting the sweetness of her lip gloss, on her more than appetizing silky heart shaped mouth, in a maddening combination, then played with her tongue, mixing their saliva together, slipping his hand under the cotton fabric of her blouse, massaging the small of her back, slightly going down to her firms ass, but not venturing more to her rounded cheeks, afraid he will cause something they would not be able to stop, already aware of his own body reaction to the feel of her on his skin, under his skin and up to his mind. Sakura was driving the raven haired man insane with desire.

They both broke their contact, when the need for oxygen rested in their throbbing lungs in the form of a burning reminded of the lack of the vital element, letting their foreheads rest together, not wanting to ever let go. "Be careful with what you say Sakura, because I might take you seriously."

"…you know what I was talking about…"

Sakura let her hand descend from the raven locks she loved so much, to trace her lean fingers on Sasuke`s sharp perfectly carved jaw line, her fingertips dancing on the angles that formed his Godly features, in a way so sinfully delicious, it should have been carved in bronze to last for eternity, adoring the way he instantly responded to her call, leaning into her touch, only opening up his long dark lashes halfway to burn her core with the fire from his blazing beautiful jet eyes, in the way Sakura grew to adore.

"I do. But I don't want to hear it about any other man…_anyone that is not me should stay away from your mind_…"

Sasuke tilted his head and brushed the tip of Sakura`s delicate fingers with his soft lips, enveloping her small wrist with his hand, descending his kisses all the way to the back of her forearm, making her part her lips to inhale sharply at the feel of him so lovingly act towards her screaming in delight body.

And the onyx eyed Uchiha`s possessive words made the Sound agent feel like she was enveloped in the silky veil of the darkness, a sinfully pleasurable world of passion and sparkling chemistry dancing under her feet, making the emerald eyed girl give in more to the handsome dark man that was driving her insane with his moods and unknown sides.

In her mind, the midnight haired Uchiha was an astonishing actor, making everything all the more entertaining for the CIA agent, because there were times when he was wild and untamed in his touches, like the very fire emerging from the pits of the faraway stars, totally unleashed, and sometimes he was gentle and caring as a summer breeze, making her float above the infinite blue sky.

Sakura realized that Sasuke was able to bring her both to Heaven and Hell at her content, she just had to ask for what she wanted from him and he shall give it to her.

And it was in that moment when the Sound assassin realized the true meaning of his words from the restaurant, when the young Uchiha told her he could have been everything he wanted, meaning her boss was willing to be either a demon or an angel for her.

To add to he stupor, Sakura realized she was more attracted to his dark and mysterious demonic side and that was precisely why she used her thumb to force his chin up to face her and kiss the lips she couldn't have enough of, with passion and tongue, battling him for dominance and letting the man that held her glued to his body, know exactly what she craved for and what she wanted him to give her.

They pulled apart once again, when they heard someone knocking at the door, realizing it was their guide who told them from the other side of the door to come downstairs to have breakfast.

"Let's go. We don't want dobe to eat all the food." Sasuke would have been more than content to satisfy his burning huger from Sakura`s delicious lips, he couldn't have enough of, but he knew about her condition and his conversation with her doctor convinced him to let her go and invite her to go downstairs, but not until he placed another sweet chaste kiss upon her lips, she reciprocating the brush of his lips on her, with as much passion as him.

"…yes. And those really fat men. That is going to be quite the battle if you were to ask me." Placing another kiss upon the raven haired Uchiha`s so enchanting soft lips, Sakura reluctantly pulled her body out of his inviting embrace, both of them heading downstairs, in the kitchen, standing to a pretty large table besides Naruto, who kept them two seats beside him, with Sakura staying in the middle, all of them saluting everyone present there, like they did not have enough of each other during the car ride, but such was etiquette.

Of course the cerulean eyed Uzumaki was not even paying attention over the fact that Sakura was supposed to act like a poor maid with no manners in front of Sasuke, so he totally overlooked the incident, but it did not got unnoticed by his raven haired friend, who confirmed his suspicion about her being more than a poor lady.

Of course the Uchiha heir did not believe her back story about she owning a farm in Italy, from the very beginning, but the consequent question was, what exactly was her real story and why was she having the manners of a lady, when she looked like a commoner.

Well, in that moment, except for the barely combed glued to her face messy hair, there was nothing wrong with her clothes.

If Sasuke was to be a hundred percent honest, the sole problem was that what his maid wore, was too tight and revealing and that turned him on really bad, barely able to keep his eyes in place and not let his gaze roam to her perfectly curvaceous frame, like the other perverts that started to bother him to no end did.

There were intense chats between the present heirs and company owners, as well as other famous people, such as politicians and ambassadors, most of them knowing each other from different gatherings, so the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Sasuke was engaged in what, in the Akatsuki agent's opinion, looked like the most boring conversation ever, about shares and stocks in the Chinese and Taiwanese market, with an older than him man, speaking German, although it was a mutual agreement for all of them to talk in English.

The emerald eyed girl refrained form bragging about her language skills well aware of the pair of onyx eyes that were following her gestures like a hawk, but she couldn't be rude and not to respond to the small questions she has been addressed, in French, German or Spanish, answering fluently in all mentioned languages and of course it did not go unnoticed by Sasuke, who was once again overlooking, but putting more pieces of puzzles together.

And when the pink haired girl was asked about her profession, since her boss never told anyone she was his maid or secretary, he told everyone that she owned a farm in Italy, playing the lie in her favor.

As soon as the old lady that cooked them food served them dill-seasoned dumplings, that looked more than inviting, the said woman telling them it was a local specialty, the uproar erupted between the fancy people.

"How can I eat such a full of fats dish, at this hour in the morning, when my body is going to assimilate all the calories and I will go fat?!"

One woman with an interesting accent, that nobody guessed exactly where she was from started to complain, raising her chin arrogantly, pushing the bowl aside, and asking for a whole grain toast and an egg.

"Is this meat even cooked? For how long have you let the vinegar boil and the vegetables to fry? In my country, we don't use flour, because it gives it a bad aroma."

Another middle aged owner of a pretty famous watches Swiss brand was having his head bent over the bowl of tasty looking food, his nose touching the pieces of meat in the process, looking like he was watching bacteria under the microscope.

Sakura felt all the appetite, she never had to begin with, leave her body. The Sound agent was not that picky with her food and it was visible that the poor woman did her best, because the dish looked both healthy and tasty, and totally not inappropriate for that hour a day, because their guide told them they were going to do some hiking and who knew when they were going to eat next, so everything was more than well planned.

But of course some people decided to be the imbeciles they were, and even brag about it, making bile raise her throat.

She has barely left the hospital and the emerald eyed girl knew she had to take at least three meals per day so she couldn't afford to skip that one, but she found herself unable to even approach a bit of meat, after the woman form Turkey, that was unfortunately staying in the same cabin as them, bluntly said the food looked like someone unburied the dead bodies and made a feast out of what was left from their insides.

She whispered lowly to Naruto, in Italian, knowing exactly that even if there were two Spanish people there, they knew enough slang in that language to make them totally not understood by the others. "I…am going to kill that woman…and then eat her insides. Piece by piece. Watch me do it."

Meanwhile, Naruto was stuffing his face, not giving a damn about what the others said, licking his fingers in the process, even moaning when he took a piece of well cooked meat, praising the poor sad totally affected by the rude remarks cook, giving her a thumb up.

"I am not going to stop you from doing it, Sakura-chan. I would suggest to leave that slut to Tennie, because she had picked some really interesting ideas from Anko, while they were training together. Ask Neji. He couldn't find sleep for a week. And that prick is an ice cube."

"Pf…I would like to help her in the matter. I can't get this people, I swear. This doesn't look bad at all. Is it tasty?"

"Yeah! This woman is a genius and this speaks volumes, because it is the first time in my life sitting in the kitchen and not thinking about Ramen…ah…by the way…do they have Ramen in here?"

Naruto, who was munching some vegetables, tomato and vinegar sauce leaking from his mouth, turned his head on his shoulder to grin at his CIA colleague, taking a large piece of meat and raising his fork in front of an unresponsive Sakura, like he wanted to feed her. "Here. Have a taste."

"Fuck no. Now I don't want to eat this at all." Sakura put her spoon beside her, to rest on the table, not pushing the bowl aside to offend the old woman, who was busy preparing something fast for the snobs that were still complaining, feeling her stomach rumble, asking for food.

She already took the medicine the doctor prescribed, for anemia and depression, so she had to solve the problem with the bulimia as well, but it provided to be quite difficult. Maybe she should consider going upstairs and much some musli energy bars she bought from…

"Here. Eat." The Sound agent's emerald eyes widened in awe at the sight of Sasuke gracefully cutting a piece of his own food, discreetly placing it into her plate, then with all the manners in the world, ate one of the same kind, to cease away all the hesitance she had and it only make her heart beat faster, a surge of happiness washing through her system, warming her insiders at the thought of how much he cared and how his small gestures mean the world to her, the raven haired Uchiha doing all the significant actions in the most appropriate moments.

And it was not even embarrassing or uncomfortable, because Sasuke did it in the most natural way possible, all the times engaged in a conversation with the man beside him and the elder lady in front of him, they too not even sparing a questioning glance at his attitude.

And Sakura understand why. It was obvious from the way he acted around the others, imposing respect and getting consideration for his unfaltering attitude.

The Sound agent has already experienced that indomitable façade her boss was portraying in front of the people from the high society, acting like the luxury man he was, when they ate at the restaurant, but he also had a grace and a mindful manner of talking to the others.

He was making them see what he wanted them to see and act like he wanted them to do and that was making her watch in fascination at his versatile way of communicating with the others and the control he had over his emotions, giving the others as much of his soul as he wanted, aware of who might rip it in half and who might complement him.

"Thank you." And Sakura has found herself trapped into his sharp, totally fascinating allure, not able to refuse his offer, not because it was something different from what was resting into her bowl, but because it came from him and Sasuke gave the same food, a new meaning.

Like he did to her apathetic world. She wanted to cry at the thought of his small moments, containing so many unshed emotions she was able to feel, but she decided to return his gesture and praise him into eating the bit of meat he gave her, feeling the well cooked tasty dish melt into her mouth, raising her appetite.

And Naruto`s ghetto Italian curses he probably picked from the times he worked undercover for the Mafia, were totally distracting her from the complaining people.

And the way he did that in front of mannered people, that were doing their best to keep their appearances, wish all the innocence in the world, was making her choke on her food, tears prickling at the corners of her forest green eyes, not quite able to restrain her laughter. Man, wasn't he lacking imagination in that department.

But just as she was almost finished with her meal, Sakura thought she was going to take the fork that was resting in front of her and shove it down someone's ass, so bad, she was going to need all her money for the upcoming plastic surgery.

The said woman from Turkey, who basically everyone started to hate, except from four or five people that was licking her hands, like the dogs they were, threw her spoon on the table, crossing her arms in front of her too revealing deep cleavage, in the tank orange top she wore (was she playing matchmaker with Naruto?) and screamed:

"That is it! I am starving and this tastes like shit!"

Sakura lost it for real, annoyed to no end by the people she so much loathed with burning passion, from the said upper society, consisting of people just like the woman from the opposite chair, pinning her dark eyes with a glare so intense, that was almost putting Sasuke into shame.

So the Sound agent banged her own fork on the table, with a loud thud, startling everyone, and addressed the said woman, that looked absolutely offended at such rude behavior, in a mocking, totally superior tone.

"You know, if you don't like this food they serve us, you can totally go to the forest and fight the wild bears for the blueberries they grow there. And get you facts straight, because I am talking about the wild fruits, not the famous brand Burberry."

Naruto snorted loudly, letting his head hit the back of the chair, laughing at the said woman's dumbfounded shocked expression. The other people nodded once, smiling at her, some of them even clapping once in agreement.

And Sasuke, who was busy sipping a cup of green tea, smirked widely at his lady, absolutely enchanted by her spunk. She knew when to be classy and she knew when to be trashy, revealing the astonishing combination he found in her, of innocence and fire. _"…One day Sakura…I am going to find out __**everything**__ about what makes you so special…"_

"Bwhaha Sakura-chan, you totally put her into her place. I am going to worship you from now on and I am not afraid of the Teme to do so."

"I am going to hold you onto that one, Naruto-kun." After the said woman froze in that position, with her eyes wide as saucers and mouth large agape, Sakura was able to finish her meal, taking her time to applaud the cook's effort into making such a delicious dish, telling her not to bother with what the other anorexic imbeciles were saying.

}{

After the much needed breakfast, everyone gathered together and, lead by their guide, went hiking to the closest to them peak, enjoying the still sunny weather, and the small clouds adorning the infinite blue ski and Sakura could have sworn she was going to murder someone, that time for real.

The emerald eyed agent was somewhere at the back of the large group of people, walking besides Naruto, silently asking him to not le her do something she might not entirely regret. The blonde haired Uzumaki was in hysterics every time she opened her mouth to curse at someone around her.

Sasuke was somewhere behind them, chatting to random people that he apparently know, being involved in all the conversations possible, with people that couldn't miss the chance to have a word with the famous Uchiha heir, much to his dismay, because the CIA agents could have clearly seen the way he was brooding in their general direction, as if daring them to address him one more word, if they had the guts. But that attracted them even more.

"I want to enjoy the view, Naruto-kun, because this place is awesome…and I like to go hiking or mountain climbing in general…"

Sakura was having her emerald eyes glued in front of her, where some women were complaining about the most painful to listen to things, like a bunch of kindergarten kids, whose parents threatened them to not allow them to go trick or treat.

The jadeite eyed assassin was shoving her nails into Naruto`s broad shoulders, almost like wanting to prevent a catastrophe from happening. Man were those rich whores troublesome.

"Yeah, I can see how much. This is why you are torturing my shoulder Sakura-chan. I must say, you have an interesting way of showing how good you feel. I bet Teme likes it as well, heh?"

The golden haired Uzumaki heir winked suggestively at Sakura, receiving a pretty painful nail shoved down his sensitive skin, but her attempt to be furious was making him laugh even more.

Even thought there was a warm weather for that altitude, the wind was blowing through her messy hair, making her look like a spacecraft ready to land. And that amused Naruto to no end.

"Say that again and I am going to beat the crap out of them, using your body as a weapon. Just hear those bitches…oh God, I am going to do damage! First breakfast, then this?!"

"Mr. Saruyama, how much more do we have to walk in this conditions? This is revolting! I think I broke a nail! Do you have any idea of how much will that cost me?!"

One random woman, who was hiking…in high heels…was complaining about how difficult that was, much to the other's stupor. Just who in their right minds would hike in such an inadequate shoes to begin with? Apparently, the world was full of wonders.

And she hasn't spread her ankle yet. Some of the men behind her were betting on how much she would be able to resist without turning around and ask one of them to carry her bridal style, because some of them would totally not mind it.

Sakura slapped her forehead, letting her palm glide along her cheek, looking like a fish out of water. The guide has tried in vain to convince everyone to take proper clothes and gear, to no avail. He was not paid enough for the job.

"Yes. This altitude makes my perfectly straightened hair frizzy! Do we have a spa in here? I want to invigorate as fast as possible, my skin cannot stand so much humidity!"

Another women followed the same complaining, proving how snob she really was and how empty her fake perfect life truly was, not being aware of the true miracles surrounding them, guarding and shielding the life itself in the pits of the raw, unblemished nature.

"You know. Sakura-chan, you cannot say they don't have guts. I think not even Lorane would be this demented to come here in high heels."

Naruto was looking around him amused to no end, thanking all the Heavens that the Sound agent was accompanying them, because her heated glance was ceasing the potential fangirls away from him and that was what truly made him happy.

And a quick peek at his dark haired friend assured him of the fact that he was using his infamous "back the fuck off my face, or face the pain" stare to send the women that couldn't take their eyes off him, a very clear message.

And the cerulean eyed agent knew exactly what kind of message: he was not available. Not when the emerald eyed girl was around and that made him truly happy.

The Akatsuki agent could observe the change in his friend, and it was for the best, because in the past, he would have gladly look for a chance to spend some time with one of the beautiful, but snob and empty brained women around, especially in such a place, and add another scandal on his agenda, but since Sakura came into the picture, he was keeping himself out of the media and he was more discrete with his private life.

"Compared to them, Lorane are saints. Wanna bet we are not even reaching to the top today? I mean c'mon, look at them, they are like Jane in he Jungle. Good thing there are not lianas in here, or else they would have envisioned every man around here as Tarzan."

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest, turning her head over her shoulder to take a quick look at the raven haired Uchiha, who was busy talking to what she recognized as the owner of a pretty famous Irish company specialized in nanotechnology, taking in his general appearance, feeling her mouth going dry.

Just as the normal people, with at least one neuron in their brains, Sasuke was clad in hiking gear, consisting in a navy wool base layer, that fitted his toned muscles like a second skin, black convertible pants and trekking boots, looking like he has just jumped from a fashion magazine, for climbing and hiking clothes and accessories.

And the fact that women had no problem in openly ogling him was making Sakura`s blood to boil and rush to her face, her pale small cheeks getting a red hue.

From times to times, the onyx eyed Uchiha darted his amused eyes to the pink haired girl, catching her eying him and smirking at her bad timing, making her shot her head in the opposite direction, totally guilty.

And it did not escape Naruto`s vigilance as well, only he was already imagining him and Suigetsu gossiping about the two lovers, laughing at their stupidity.

"If you wouldn't stop ogling Teme, people are going to observe what you do. Do you know how many stories are already spread among the others, regarding a possible romance between the two of you?"

Naruto leaned in and whispered at Sakura`s ear, more like mocking her and taking much pleasure in seeing the face reddened in both guilt and anger, at the implications of the Uzumaki agent's words.

"I don't give a damn about it. Besides, everyone is doing just the same."

"Pf…yeah…the female population, so please take me out of the equation, because I am not watching him with the same hungry gazes those creepy women have….like the one in front of us."

The cerulean eyed Akatsuki agent pointed his finger in front of him, a pair of emerald eyes curiously following his lead, her heated gaze snapping at the sight of the eternal complaining females blatantly batting their eyelashes at Sasuke, not quite catching the fact that the raven haired heir was watching her, not them.

The pink haired CIA agent clenched her hands, nails pressing into the soft skin of her palm, eyebrows furrowed at the obvious attention her boss was getting from everyone and she knew she had no right to act like she had any sort of possession over his persona.

But since neither she nor Sasuke could have denied the attraction they felt in their more than intimate moments for one another, it held some sort of connection those women couldn't see, nor sense, since they lacked neurons…and proper boots.

One of them has just tripped on a branch she couldn't see, because she was too busy trying all her best flirting methods from mid distance, like the said rich female attempted to do a whole research in how to twist men's minds, with a single brush over the hair, or a small arrogant smile in the right direction.

"Bwhahaha…I don't know about you, Sakura-chan, but I am having fun."

To prove his point, the Akatsuki agent unzipped his backpack and took out a pretty large sandwich, that looked like someone has mixed all the dishes in the world, in between two bread slices, starting to much on it, while laughing at the women that were torturing the guide with questions like "when are we going to get there, because my feel are going to sue you" or "why cannot we take the lift up there".

Sakura raised an eyebrow at a stuffing his face Naruto, silently asking herself if he truly passed the CIA tests, or he only had one hell of a luck in the very first place. There was something hanging from his sandwich that looked painfully alike…

"Is that…Ramen? You stuffed Ramen down your sandwich?" Sakura felt all the food she has barely ate coming right back in her throat, when Naruto nodded energetically once, slapping her forehead.

"Well duh…what was I suppose to eat? Bananas? As you can see, they kind of don't grow up in here. Besides…I need energy in case something happens and I have to use my muscles."

From time to time, being as subtle as possible, the two agents were checking on their phones and watch the GPS of the surrounding area, checking for everything that looked out of ordinary.

In all honesty, they both reached the same conclusion: if by any chance, Lorane decided to pull a good one on them there, in the middle of the high mountains, where no one was going to be fast enough to provide backup, it meant absolute hell.

Sure, there were four of the best CIA agents in there, keeping an eye of all the heirs, but the Freemasonry was very resourceful and they proved to be intelligent and cunning, almost all the times anticipating their movements, with a pretty strong comeback of their own.

And that was precisely the reason why Sakura and Naruto were being as vigilant as possible, their presence there serving as a whole other purpose, than being present and parading in all their splendor in front of a group of annoying rich spoiled people and their empty brains.

"….And here I was deluding myself into thinking my Tiramisu addiction was a bad thing…guess you can never proudly state the fact that you hold a record for something, because there is always going to be someone else even crazier than you."

"Point taken. By the way, how is your GPS?" Naruto felt more than grateful for another CIA agent to be there, beside him, because as much as the Akatsuki member liked to brag about how he could more than handle a situation alone, he too was aware of the potential dangers that could occur.

Also, playing the agent undercover was a million times less painful if there were many people around that knew your secret and Naruto knew that deep inside, Sakura felt the same.

The poor girl was already having troubles in keeping Sasuke`s too damn sharp mind and watchful eyes away of her business, totally oblivious that the more he discovered about her true identity, the worse for his well being was.

"The signal is kind of weak at this altitude and lack of aerials, but it still works. I am able to see all of us on the map, Ten Ten and Neji included."

Sakura knew that not only the other Akatsuki agents were somewhere behind them, on another peak, following their movements, but their team leader, Itachi, was also monitoring them on the satellite and that made the jadeite eyed agent feel safer.

Sure, she would have liked to have Orochimaru doing that job, but ever since he has been robbed by his documents, Tsunade and him were basically living underground, doing who knew what insane research to find the culprit and that made Sakura quite insecure.

The Sound assassin was used to have her Papa back her up and keep a close eye on her every step, always there to give a good advice, but then she had to trust the people she once loathed so much and their judgment, them being the Akatsuki. But it was good.

At least Uchiha Itachi actually had a brain and the foolish wars between the two offices were only making him laugh, not quite participating in such rivalry…at least, not openly.

"Man, I don't understand what kind of devices you the Sound use, because I am not able to see anything on this damn thing, except for some fog and wild animals. Fuck those rabbits…"

Naruto was shaking his phone with the available hand, trying to search for any GPS signal he could have, continuing to stuff his face with the large sandwich.

"We use the same devices, only we tell Shino from time to time, through our monthly reports, what upgrades should he make, so he only modifies them accordingly. Plus, this new phone I get has some pretty good things, like X-Ray scan and night vision. The GPS is quite good as well."

Sakura found it really difficult to focus at so many things at once, namely talking to Naruto, paying attention to her own device, taking care where she stepped, because the paths were getting narrower and…the jealousy that burned her mind at the thought of other pair of eyes that were not hers having the privilege to connect to the pair of onyx ones she so much loved, was doing funny things to her stomach and it was nothing bad.

She started to envision some really useful methods of silent killings from that distance, using a small almost undetectable needle, she learned from Sasori and Tsunade, her mind plagued by sinister thoughts.

"Huh?! You guys do that? Awesome!" In all honesty, Naruto had no idea how CIA or his own office really worked, technology and paperwork never piquing his interest as much as it should have, considering he too was part of the Akatsuki.

But he trusted his colleagues and his leader to deal with such bothersome and boring things for his taste, cursing loudly once and shoving the offending not working device back on his pocket, to have both his hands available to better hold the huge sandwich, his cerulean amused eyes dancing from Sakura to her objects of hate, shaking his head slightly, mocking her.

"You know, Sakura-chan…I know some really cool methods Ten Ten told me and Neji, while she was sleeping and dreaming some things I don't want to start thinking about, about how would you perfectly aim at those women and successfully blame it on the bees roaming in here."

"…Do I need to remind you I am an assassin?" In all honesty, Sakura could not understand by what miracle no one was able to hear what they were talking about, because even if the two agents did their best to whisper to one another what they had to say and was not meant for the curious eyes to see, it was not working as they wanted.

And Naruto looked like he couldn't give a damn about who was able to hear him…That or he was too dumb to realize or had one hell of a pair of vocal chords. Probably the former.

But what truly bothered the pink haired assassin, was Sasuke, so she turning her head so often, was to make sure he was engaged in God only knew what business related conversations, with different people and was not paying attention to her and Naruto bicker about their secret lives.

And to the two CIA colleague's luck, it looked like no one had the guts to approach them and try to engage any of them into a small chat, probably not agreeing with their lack of manners, among such classy people.

"You don't have to, because the way you look like you want to impale someone right know, speaks volumes, Sakura-chan."

"I know how that can be…oh no, she is not doing that again in front of me, no freaking way!"

Naruto almost lost balance when Sakura shoved her nails down his shoulder, again, almost like she was using his reddened and bruised skin to hold back and not go and do some damage on the women that were making her see red in front of her eyes, silently begging the golden haired Akatsuki agent to stop her and prevent her to reveal her identity in such a glorious way, to the others around…and Sasuke. But she couldn't stop herself.

"Whoa…Sakura-chan, hold on, or else you are going to make me fall from this…holly shit, look at that cliffs!"

Not only Naruto was not a fan of hiking, but vegetation started to get rare and the solitary, merciless cliffs were looking menacing and unforgiving, reminding its silent viewers of who held the power in such breathtaking, but deadly places, sending jolts of fear down the Akatsuki agent's spine, suffering from altitude sickness as well. Poor man.

"I…want to kill her and so God help me I am going to do it."

"No, you are not, because I am not going to let you."

In all honesty, the trip couldn't have been better for the Uzumaki heir, for he had everything he wanted in that moment: food, a beautiful agent that was entertaining him to no end with her fits of jealousy, a dark haired friend to nag to no end, no assassins around, spectacular landscapes and food.

Picture perfect. And Sakura looked like she was a Doberman in a leash, barking at everyone that crossed her paths. .Funny.

That, until Naruto felt the pink haired girl suddenly stop to grab something from the narrow path and, without any further notice, expertly throw it at the women that where busy complaining and flirting with every available male in the area, hitting their legs, making them jump ten meters high on the sky in shock, their piercing screams echoing through the area, startling everyone.

"ARHHHHH! Wild animals at my feel, WHOAAAA! Let's go back, before they eat us all alive!"

The rich woman from Turkey jumped at the poor guide's back, folding her legs around his waist, making the said man lose balance and fell on his back, bringing the two of them on the ground, landing on their butts, much to the other people's around amusement.

And when the Akatsuki agent realized what exactly has the jadeite eyed assassin did, like the mature educated lady she was, he grabbed his shoulder with his arm, snorted loudly once, than erupted in a roar, anime tears flowing from his shut eyes, feeling spasms wash through his body.

That was the most ridiculously epic thing he ever saw in his life, never once imagining the day when Athena of the Sound, the mighty stoic assassin, would do such things, in that context. And the fact that she has actually managed to go unnoticed with her stunt was even priceless, because it made the others from the group pay even more attention around them, skeptical, like something evil would emerge from the forest and bite them, like the rich lady said.

"HAHAHAHAHA….oh fuck Sakura-chan…HAHAHAHA…I never imagined your jealousy would lead you to such things…HAHAHA…this was better than those TV shows, where people are willing to endanger their asses on the Jungle, to win a large sum of money in the end and they put traps for the other teams to fall in and slower their movements…HAHAHAHA…I have to ask Itachi for a recordrin of this."

Sakura was having her arms folded around her full chest, smirking at the way the guide and the nagging woman, who not only made her insides twist in disgust, but was giving her the headache of the century, were busy dusting off their clothes, remaining somewhere behind the group, arguing for God only knew what.

She knew what she has done, but the emerald eyed girl couldn't stop her hand from taking the lead and put an end to the torture she had to witness in front of her eyes.

Gaining all her courage and considering the fact that she has just had an ego boost, mentally prizing her CIA skills for throwing things at the people she hated, undetected, the pink haired lady turned her head over her shoulder to take a peek at Sasuke, who was eying her in a funny way, with his head tilted on his right side, a sharp eyebrow raised at her and his lower lip slightly pushed forward, like he had troubles comprehending if he went completely nuts, or his supposed maid and secret affair has just acted like a kid in despair.

Then, slowly and almost predatory, with a newfound hobby to make her suffer at the thought of him having that look in some other context, let a smirk grace his gorgeous face, raising his regal pointed chin a bit, letting her know there were people who, not only saw what she did, but silently agreed to her.

Of course, Sasuke was in his element, meaning surrounded by people just as rich and famous as him, so he had his walls up, showing them just as much as he wanted them to perceive about his emotions in that moment, but his subtle message was well caught by Sakura`s sharp mind, taking much pleasure in their ways of communication, like they already had a secret code between them.

The Akatsuki agent turned her head abruptly, palming her rosy cheeks, feeling her body temperature raise almost in anticipation at the sight of the man she so much liked and attracted her like a magnet, stupidly forgetting the effect he had on her system.

And when he so subtly attracted her attention to his inviting lips, Sakura was afraid she was going to lose it and march towards her boss to pull him into a kiss, similar to the one he gave her in the cabin. _"Stop thinking like that, you stupid, he is playing with your mind…"_

Sasuke was having quite a great time, enjoying a not so boring conversation, with the wise man that kept him company for at least forty minutes.

Even though they were talking about their own companies, and how would the best strategies work on the auction market, in order to satisfy their clients better, the young Uchiha heir knew how to properly appreciate the much older than him man's refined jokes, well placed and totally not out of the context.

Of course the onyx eyed heir was well aware of the attention he got from the others, growing used to stay in the middle of an ogling crowd, as the Mangekyou`s CEO, but he started to get bothered by one thing, and that being the pink haired beautiful lady who was tormenting his sight, walking beside his idiot of a friend, throwing glances in his direction, when she thought he was not paying attention to her.

There was a good reason why Sasuke would have preferred Sakura to walk behind him and that was due to the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes away from her more than inviting, curvaceous body, her hips swaying with elegance and grace, sensually and alluring, tantalizing his already raging hormones, making his vision darken at the thought of him feeling his maid's perfectly shaped frame tremble under his touches again, like it did so many times before, wanting nothing much than to kidnap her from the totally useless trip, take her back in their room and show her exactly how to properly use those teasing movements of her gorgeous shaped body.

That, until he saw her halt her peace abruptly and take something from the ground, using the said object to silence a crowd of rabid fangirls, that had the guts to entertain the idea of him looking in their general direction, making them go in hysterics.

And he almost wanted to throw his head backwards and laugh like Naruto and some others around him, when he realized his stunning emerald eyed girl…was throwing pine cones she found on her path in the screaming in horror women's feet. And to add to the fun, it looked like the blonde idiot had joined her little hunt as well, like they totally didn't care about where they were, or what people surrounded them.

For instance, Naruto has just thrown a pine cone in the Tunisian ambassador for human right's shoe, making him trip on a fallen branch he did not have time to avoid, making his thick sun glasses drop from the bridge of his nose, the said man cursing whoever did that to hell and back, in a language only him spoke, so he felt not embarrassed by his choice of words. Sasuke shook his head once in disbelief.

God was he surrounded by totally opposite people. Of course, he had no expectations from Naruto, but Sakura…though he kind of liked that jealous fierce attitude of hers…yeah, he could use that when they engaged in more heated activities.

"Man, you are right Sakura-chan, this is so much fun! Check this out…"

Sakura stopped Naruto`s hand from throwing anymore pin cones at the people that started to get an idea of where were those things coming from, both agents trying to stifle their laughter when one pretty good looking blonde lady, that was walking not far in front of them, turned around and asked them if there were some kind of unknown species of really fast insects or poisonous snakes that were roaming at their feet.

And Sakura like the kind lady she was, told the poor scared shitless woman that those were Tarantulas, that had their nest not far from there and she should look for any bite she might have, because its venom could paralyze and kill the pray in ten minutes.

All the way to their first stop, the poor blonde lady kept on checking on her ankle, to make sure she was going to survive.

Naruto was biting the inside of his check to not make it obvious they were making fun on some of the people's lack of brain and common knowledge. "I think you were too harsh. Tarantulas in here? Really Sakura-chan? Even I know such thing is stupid."

"I don't care. Idiocy should be punished. And since this people are left to roam freely and even reproduce, segregating their retarded genes to the next generations, not actually paying taxes for their dumbness, I can, at least, laugh at them, for time to pass quicker. Just where the hell are we going anyways? How much time has it been since we left the cabin?"

Naruto threw a glance at his wristwatch, he too asking himself the same thing as his CIA colleague. "Three hours and all I can see is a Torii in the distance, but the top of the peak the guide said we are supposed to reach, is at least three more hours far from here."

"Whaaaat? Are you kidding me? You mean…I have to hike for at least three more hours, following this paths? I mean do you see those rocks out there? And how are they supposed to climb in fucking high heels then?"

Hiking and mountain climbing would have not been a problem for Sakura and her more than trained body, but she had injuries and a weakened state to prevent her from walking at her full potential, feeling her thigh start to sting her, with each every sharper move she did. And it didn't go unnoticed by Naruto and secretly by Sasuke.

"Hey…are you ok? I mean you have just been discharged from hospital and your injuries were worse than Tennie`s. By the way, she still complains about her butt and some cuts on her shoulder. Neji swore he was going to sleep in separate rooms."

Naruto put a hand under Sakura`s armpit, helping her climb a pretty large boulder, the said girl gripping his wrist for support.

"Thanks. Yeah…kind of. My injuries have not fully recovered on the inside. On the outside, they look good though. Foundation cover up does its magic."

And Sakura used an overdose of it that morning, not wanting to attract any uninvited attention towards her scars or few blemishes she had, embarrassing Sasuke in front of the people that were supposed to respect him, well aware of how much his image truly mattered for a heir like him.

"Don't push yourself too much. You never know what is going to expect us in the following orders. You can call me crazy Sakura-chan, but I have a feeling something it is not quite right. We need all the strength we can get. If _they _are going to strike…"

Sakura covered Naruto`s mouth with her hand, almost like she wanted to make sure not even the Holly spirits would have heard him and cast a bad karma upon their luck.

"Shh…don't say such things, Naruto-kun. I don't want someone to hear us. And don't be so loud, people are watching us. Besides….what is that red gate over there? Is that a Torii? Are we going to a Shinto shrine?"

Sakura pointed her index in the direction of a small wooden shrine she was able to spot, not quite far from where they were, realizing that was the first stop the group was supposed to make.

The Sound agent has been traveling around the world with Tsunade, seeing such things before, when they have staid in Japan, but not quite able to focus on her steps and the shrine in her field of view.

"Yeah, there is such a thing on the map. And I think that would be our final destination from today."

Naruto motioned with his head behind his shoulder, where a group of complaining people were nagging the guide to not make them climb higher than, more than offended about the quality of the trip, like a bit of training was going to melt their legs. Losers.

"…and people wonder why I hate rich businessmen…what the hell is their problem anyways, this trip is more than beautiful I mean look around you, it is Heaven in here!"

Indeed, Sakura has always liked mountains, being fascinated by the calmness of the landscape, feeling like time had no value in such blessed by Gods places. And the fact that she was in the company of the man she liked and her CIA friend was making it all the better.

"Careful Sakura-chan, because from the way you made it sound, it looks like Teme is among them as well hehe." Naruto playfully elbowed his colleague in her ribs, winking in her direction and being praised with a not so gentle punch in his stomach, by the obvious distressed Sakura, caught in the middle of the act.

"So what? Maybe I do!"

"Do what?" Both Naruto and Sakura almost had a heart attack at Sasuke`s low velvety rich voice, coming from behind them, no one of the two agents quite aware of his presence, until he made himself known to their supposedly sharp hearing.

"The fuck…you bastard, do you want me to get a heart attack?!" The blonde haired Uzumaki more than screamed at his raven haired friend, who was eying him like he was addressing a mentally retarded kid, with ADHD, eyebrow rose in his direction, frown in its place.

"I would have thought that for a grown up man, you grew a backbone too, Naruto. But it looks like you still need someone to check for the monsters under the bed, before you go to sleep. Be careful what you do though…one of them might emerge from the shadows and bite your coward ass, when you last expect it."

Naruto, who was not quite the sharpest man alive, punched his friend on his shoulder, the said man not even flinching from the hit, feeling deeply insulted at his friend, but failed to notice what it did not escape the jadeite eyed agent's vigilance, and that being the all too serious tone in his voice, when, what would have been supposed to come out as a mockery, sounded more like a fortune telling.

And Sakura found herself studying the handsome man that came by her side, placing her in between her CIA colleague and her dark eyed boss, who was probably taking the safest distance between his bored, still sane mind and his crazy, Ramen obsessed friend, having the same posture as always: hands slipped into his pockets and his face devoid of emotions, not betraying any of his thoughts and that scared Sakura a bit.

The onyx eyed Uchiha was already an unpredictable man, just like his ability to catch them out of guard, like in that moment and that was something that has just hit the Sound agent's mind, her emerald eyes flying open when realization that the midnight haired heir would have been more than capable of passing them undetected or hurt them, without making any sound, was a scary thought.

Sakura has already witnessed how strong her boss truly was, his fighting skills more than advanced, but there were moments when she felt like something very important was connected to Sasuke, but it slipped her intuition.

"Bastard, I swear as soon as we arrive to that shrine, I am going to pray for your worthless soul, because after that, I am going to beat the hell out of you and feed the wild bears with your insides."

Without any further notice, Naruto speeded his peace, catching the guide and the people in front of him, appearing offended to stay in the presence of a smirking behind him Sasuke, who was more than relieved to have escaped of his nagging figure.

In all honesty, the raven haired Uchiha wanted nothing more than to spend as much time as he could with Sakura, glad that the said man that kept him company half of the trip was resting somewhere behind them, with a small group that decided to take a break.

"I think you should be afraid, because he looks dead serious." Sakura wanted to go and hug Naruto for at least catching the main idea and giving the secret lovers a moment alone, both of them deliberately staying behind, keeping a large distance from the people in front of them, enjoying each other's company.

And of course, they had their own apparently platonic way of communicating, not wanting to fuel the already gossip going on around them even more.

"Should I now, Sakura?" The pink haired maid didn't fail to notice the playful hint Sasuke`s voice took, the said man purposely lowering his already alluring baritone voice, to sound even sexier than he was, if that was even permitted by law.

The Sound agent felt like dying for a bit of contact with his skin, or him, mentally cursing the other people for being present in that more than perfect moment around them.

"I don't know…what your limits are…_but I am dying to know_…" She was serious. Ever after the Uchiha heir has more than humiliated five people that belong to a gang of criminals that gave her and Ten Ten hell the very same day, not breaking a sweat in the process, putting into shame any professional assassin she knew, the Sound agent began to questions some things about him, finding everything that surrounded Sasuke rest under a thick veil of incertitude and second guesses, finding her boss be more and more of a mystery to her.

And she did not want him to be a stranger; Sakura wanted the onyx eyed man be closer to her. As closer as two people like them could get and she finally understood, that their own secrets were not separating them, on the contrary, it made them grow a deeper connection. _"Our own way of being together…"_

Pulling her lower lip in between her canines, the emerald eyed agent rested her shimmering eyes on Sasuke`s profile, almost like wanting to look into the pits of his mind and find the secrets that were browbeating her own inner, to the point she almost wanted to exchange all her secrets to his own ones and ask him to uncover his every cell and fiber, until nothing was left secluded for her vision.

"_If our relationship, whatever it is, is built of mysteries…then all we have are our own insecurities?"_

"…do you want to find out?" Sasuke was mentally laughing like he was possessed by a drunk demon on ecstasy, well aware of all the reflections flying from Sakura`s tormented by uncertainty mind, probably starting to get an idea of what his dark soul was truly made of. But she was going to only find out as much as he wanted her to do so, nothing more and nothing less.

It was not like the onyx eyed Uchiha was not entertaining the idea of telling her every single thing she wanted to know and then put her into his embrace and kiss her like there was no one in the world to witness such a bond, like the one they shared, but Sasuke knew he couldn't. It was not fair for her to go down along with the decadent world that had the same fabric as his very soul.

"You know exactly…what I want from you." Both the pair stopped for a moment, trying to dig in the confession that came from Sakura`s mouth, almost like something has hit them with a jolt of electrical discharge, making the emerald eyed agent almost feel sorry for the slip of such a thing, mentally asking herself if Sasuke was bothered by her more and more affectionate gestures, but she couldn't stop herself around him.

When her boss was around, Sakura felt like she could confess everything she wanted, like she was confessing her sins to the priest, actually feeling like he was the only one able to understand her and somehow…bear the burden that came along with her, in the form of a more than tragically past.

She let her eyes fall on the ground and her arms to hang on her sides, pressing her nails on her thigh, pursing her lips, not knowing what to do, because Sasuke had no reaction and that scared her.

Sakura would have liked him to scream at her or do something, anything but his silence. Silence was the worst form of rejection, because in her mind, it was transmitting the other person that she or he was not even worth a word, being to pathetic to being addressed to in the very first place. The silent judge that never lied.

"Everything. But I am afraid this is quite a vague term and it sounds like you don't actually know what you expect from me, Sakura."

Sasuke knew he was being a jerk and a coward, cornering his beautiful maid with sentences with double meanings, coming straight from his twisted mind, playing with her fragile emotions, but he could not stop his incredulous nature from manifesting.

He felt bad when Sakura stirred her shoulders, almost like she was ready to break down in every moment, well aware of her depression and mood swings.

"…I know you don't. I am not good with words, because nothing I say is honest…You told me this, remember?"

Her voice came as a whisper, almost like she wanted to blend with the imperious silence of the infinite forest surrounding her and vanish along with the words she did not have the braveness to voice, on the wings of the gentle wind, that blew through her hair and clothes.

Sakura knew her raven haired boss was right. He was more than entitled not to trust anything coming from her mouth, because, except for her feelings for him, anything else was a blatant lie, hidden under the false perception of protecting him, when in reality, she was hurting him with her concealed thoughts. And it pained her. So much.

Sakura could already feel burning tears pricking at the insides of her shimmering garnet eyes, her emotional state already suffering because of her mental illnesses, not able to stand the idea of a cold and harsh Sasuke, who spoke the truth in a manner that send her heart straight at the bottom of the endless ocean, back in the loneliness that always expected her in its painful opened arms.

And that was the reason why, not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of the people she heard approaching, catching them from behind, probably resuming their hiking after the short break, Sakura attempted to fasten her pace, despite her injuries and put the necessary distance between her and Sasuke, mentally cursing the fact that the route they took was crossing through a forest, because she could not see the group of people in front of her, meaning Naruto, anymore. She heard them, but they were already ahead.

Only, a grip on her arm prevented her from leaving, instead pulling her out of the path, straight into the forest, until the said narrow winding road vanished after her sight, with Sasuke backing her up against a fir tree, keeping her in place in between the tall wooden rough surface and his hot body, slightly pressing on her own, not enough to crush her, but enough to keep her rooted to the ground, trapping her arms on each sides of her head, onyx eyes burning her own in what looked like a desperate manner.

Sakura felt the air knock out of her lungs, not having the power to fight her way out of his grip, but silently asking herself if she wanted to do so, in the very first place.

"What are you…"

"I am not…angry with you, Sakura. And I am not angry because you told me how you feel. You didn't even have to say it, because I can **see** it, **feel** it."

When Sasuke realized Sakura wanted to put some distance between the two of them, something snapped inside his chest, in the form of a windmill making his heart constrict painful, the same emptiness never ending its tormenting cycle, at the thought of the beautiful lady not wanting to stand beside him and walk away, and as long as he was alive, Sasuke would not permit her to take one step ahead of him and show him her back.

"..But you said…I don't know…I want to know what happens too…but this is how I feel. And I cannot help it…"

Ok, so Sakura knew she was in a forest, with the one and only Uchiha Sasuke keeping her in such an intimate position, with a large group of one of the world's most famous people roaming through the place, and the fact that she had to chose that particular moment to let out such a confession slip from her throat, almost made her want to turn around and bang her head on the tree, until she knocked some sense into it.

But she could not help herself around him. Ever since they have slept together the night before, Sakura couldn't stop her emotions flutter on her heart at the very sight of the raven haired man and his closeness only reminded her of their moments.

"Do you want it to stop?"

Sasuke could see the distress he was causing with his mistrust and stupid questions, feeling guilt wash through his system at the very idea of adding another brick on the built up monument of stress and misfortune, the lady in front of him felt. Didn't he vow not to hurt her anymore?

But somehow, the young Uchiha truly wanted to know what should he give to her and help her overcome her fears.

"Sakura…answer me. Tell me to stop and I will not continue to hurt you. Or…ask anything you want, and I shall give it to you."

Before she could have stopped herself, Sakura muttered the words that were lingering on her tongue, not able to resist him in any ways.

And she did not even have to say it to begin with, because the intensity of the burning emotions into Sasuke`s beautiful abyss pearl black eyes were assured her that he was kind of relating to her train of thoughts.

"…kiss me…"

And Sasuke did exactly as he promised, granting the wish they both shared in that moment.

He leaned in and traced the tip of his moist tongue on the pink haired girl's full rosy lower lip, making her tremble in anticipation, then slowly, tenderly, let his lips descend on her own, kissing her softly, like it was the first time, letting her dictate the peace, brushing his lips in sync with her own quivering ones, letting his strong arms slip on her waist, pulling her glued to his body, the said emerald eyed girl brushing her fingers in his raven locks, angling her head for a better access.

In her mind, Sakura knew she was long gone on the road of insanity, along with the hot male she was kissing, well aware of what they were doing and where.

Just what CIA agent in his right mind would have engaged in a make out session, with the same person he had to protect, in the middle of the forest, where anyone could have ambushed them, surrounded by important people roaming around?

Not her apparently, because in the moment the Sound agent felt Sasuke pressing his sweet silky lips on her own, massaging the soft skin of her own petals, tenderly, like he was drinking nectar, letting her luscious taste fill the burning need in his body, all the logic flew out of her system in an instant, being replaced by the all too familiar need to drink the very lifeblood out of the raven haired Uchiha`s inviting hot mouth, until he gave his energy to her completely.

And the pink haired agent couldn't help but fasten her pace, getting the hang of how to move in the same tandem as him, rising on her toes, to bring her face even closer to his own, even if Sasuke leaned his head to her level, and angling her chin to the perfect angle to bit his lower lip, maybe using too much force, making her onyx eyed boss let out a deep growl on his throat, just to determine him to part his lips and make space for her excited tongue to dart inside and eat him alive, kissing him ravenously, burying her nails into his scalp.

Sasuke couldn't contain his smirk upon his maid's hungry lips, when he felt her wild side taking the best of her senses, acting like a starving lioness in front of her pray, basically savoring the way the jadeite eyed lady played with his tongue, in a perfect waltz they were both learning from the very beginning, step by step, nibbling his lower lip, suckling on it, with a technique she piqued from him, adapted to her own delicate ladylike way, then venturing inside his mouth, as far as she could go, tracing the contour of his perfect teeth, rolling down to the base of his tongue, massaging and memorizing every pattern, in a more than enchanting way.

The raven haired Uchiha never thought someone would have been so magnificent to be able to turn him on so easily, with such a simple, but insightful action as a kiss.

Apparently, life had more wonders in stock for him as well, because the moment Sakura snuggled closer to him, she involuntarily rotated her hips on his own, sending a wave of electrical discharge down their bodies, the contact more than arousing.

And Sasuke couldn't let his hands stay put on her small back, using his lean long fingers to fondle her sides, feeling every rib of her curvaceous body in his way, going up to her shoulders, massaging the rounded bones, sending a wave of heat down her spine, the tickling sensation making all her pores tremble in delight at the feel of his feather like touch on her body.

Sakura swore the onyx eyed heir knew exactly when to be gentle and when to be wild, because in that moment, he was letting the emerald eyed agent know what exactly was he able to give her and damn if it wasn't exactly what she was looking for.

Deep down, there was a nagging question that washed through Sakura`s mind, not able to find an answer to why Sasuke was feeling like what he had to offer wouldn't have been enough for her. Was it because he too had some secrets from his high school years, that were plaguing his mind and did not want to be shared with the others?

Was he afraid she was not going to accept him as a whole person, with qualities and flaws? Because it was the pink haired woman the one to feel guilty at the thought of she being the one to hide her past from him, lying her boss in such a way that was placing her in line straight to Hell.

If all Sasuke had to offer was darkness, Sakura would have been more than willing to paint her face in coal and sink along with him, in a world of sinfully delicious sensations he stirred inside her, if that meant saving her from loneliness.

The Sound agent was not even aware of the fact that she dropped her hands on Sasuke`s slim waist, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, desperate to remove the offending article that stayed in between her curious fingertips and his toned body, not giving a damn if hungry bears or sneaky foxes were to see them right in that moment.

She felt like a high school teenage hiding with her crush in the forests, during a trip.

And the adrenaline rush was only adding to the fire Sasuke stirred on her body, with his ardent touches, he too kissing her with the same passion, not able to keep a chaste peace, exploring every part of her back, up to her ass, mindful with her injuries.

They both pulled back when the need of oxygen throb at their temples, panting heavily, their eyes connected in a lustful dance.

"…Let's go back."

Sasuke let his hand make its way up to Sakura`s small pointed chin, using his thumb to rub at the tip of her soft skin, placing another wet kiss on her slightly bruised lips, making a small moan emerge from her throat, the said pink haired girl inhaling sharply, tightening her hold on his broad shoulders, bringing him closer to her, relishing in his warmth and strong embrace.

"…Yeah…we should not let the others wait for us."

As if Sakura could care less about the other people on the Galaxy, when Sasuke`s black sapphire eyes were bathed in a pooling melting lava, sending jolts of electricity down her arms, resting in the pits of her navel, making her walls clench at the sight of his tremendously gorgeous face, looking at her ferociously. It just turned her out even more.

"I don't mean the others. Let's go back to the cabin."

Sasuke`s bottomless jet eyes were dead serious, not once faltering in his answer, leaving his pink haired maid mouth agape, the said lady not quite believing he was willing to put up such a stunt, just to spend time alone with her.

"What? We can't do that Sasuke. What would the others say about us? You already know the rumors…."

"I don't give a fuck about what they think about me. But if it bothers you, then I will listen to whatever you want me to do."

That made her happy. Truly happy. Among the very many things Sakura adored at her raven haired boss, was the way he considered her thoughts, like he actually valued her aspirations, his deep beautiful onyx eyes flickering with an unusual emotion for such a man, akin to care.

Sasuke actually cared about what her fears were, or what her acumen was telling her about what was morally normal to do and what crossed the bridge between insanity and passion.

She gave him her brightest smile and one of the most honeyed kisses she was able to nurture, just to let the handsome man know how much she wanted to do just that, elope with him in their own colorful world, far from the blemished world's intervention and lose in the fire that burned her skin under his touches.

"…you are crazy…so crazy…"

Sasuke leaned in and captured Sakura`s lips once again, pecking and sucking the cashmere delectable rosy petals he couldn't get enough of, to gratify his long for her, pulling apart just so he could hold the full plump lower lip of his beautiful maid in between his teeth, preventing her to deepen their contact.

The raven haired Uchiha was well aware of what he was doing, but he couldn't find it in him to care in that moment.

Ever since he was young, Sasuke never felt more alive than in the weeks he spent in Sakura`s company, because for reasons that escaped his reason, she was bringing in memories not belonging to him, but blending in his life like the emerald eyed lady was his second skin, protecting him and keeping him warm, at the same time.

"You bring out this side of mine, Sakura."

"Then I am a very bad influence."

Sasuke gave a small smirk at the way Sakura let out a small pout complement her rosy reddened lips, looking all the cuter, like a lost puppy.

Incredible how was she able to remain so innocent, even if she was the one covering him in ravenous kisses, going as far as to attempt to slip her hands under his shirt and feel him up.

Not that the young heir actually minded, because her touches were more than stirring the beast within him, bringing his darkest desires to the light. The truth was…he couldn't go another day without having her in the real sense of word. He **wanted** her.

So much it hurt him not to take her right there and then and **make** **love** to her under the shield of the solitary pine trees and the rocky silent witnesses, in the form of the most primal, carnal and simple way of connection. But Sakura was right. That was so not the place to do so.

Sasuke slant his high cheek to Sakura`s ear shell, nuzzling the sensitive hair from her nape with his nose, fanning a hot whisper into her ear, worthy of sending electric tingles up and down her arms and toes, letting the questionable meaning of his words raise alarming bells into the jadeite eyed agent's intoxicated mind.

"The bad guy role…quite fits me, don't you think?"

In the moment Sasuke pulled his body away from her trembling at the lost of warmth and contact one, Sakura felt like being struck by a tornado.

Not only she had difficulties in breathing normally again from the multitude of kisses they shared in such a short amount of time, but what her boss said…She saw him entangle his fingers down his jet midnight locks, brushing an offending lower strand out of his coal eyes, eying her with a difficult to decipher look on his handsome face.

"I don't know…You did not strike me as a bad guy, Sasuke…"

Sakura unglued her body from the fir tree that was supporting both her frame and her mental sanity, and resumed her walking beside Sasuke, both of them not quite worried of the fact that they were the last remaining on the forest ones, because the other rich people around them were looking like they were walking backwards. Bunch of snails.

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets, already in the Greek cold statue mode, having the small Shinto Shrine and the expectant, watching in awe people he loathed, with his maid falling into steps with him, into his sight.

The young Uchiha deliberately slowed his pace, letting the injured lady take her time and not push herself too much. She was tired, he could see that much. But he smirked at her naivety.

Ah…she was too sweet…for him. He smirked deviously down at her, making the pink haired agent blush at such a breathtaking sight, lowering her gaze and sporting a beautiful blush on her cheeks.

"…You are naïve…so naïve, Sakura…_too __**naïve**_."

"…I don't **understand** what you mean, Sasuke…" Sakura felt the words unable to leave her vocal chords, feeling as if her lungs couldn't provide enough air for her to articulate what the voice behind her mind wanted to ask the mysterious onyx eyed man she so much liked. _"What the hell is he talking about?! Is the mountain air affecting his sanity or something?"_

"You will. One day. _**Someday**_." He knew he was walking on thin ice, but Sasuke couldn't stop some of his true colors paint in front of Sakura`s blank canvas, feeling his blood rush to his chest, throbbing the life sustaining muscle, at the thought of having to hide _that_ from her and endanger her so badly, by keeping the jade eyed lady in his unsafe company, but Sasuke couldn't help it.

He wanted her to know somehow…even though it was bits all he could give her. The raven haired Uchiha knew that in that moment…he could not give her everything she wanted, because Sakura wanted more than his body.

She wanted his life, in exchange for her very soul. A fair bet. But she was bound to lose. And he couldn't allow that, as long as it was in his own capable hands to prevent it.

And Sasuke`s fists symbolically clenched in anticipation, feeling adrenaline surge at the corner of his eyelids, when his sharp charcoal eyes caught the sight of a sudden, suspect movement on his side, quite far from where they were heading, but not impossible to spot. He smirked at the thought of being followed there as well, but not taken by surprise. _"Fools."_

"OI! Sakura-chan! Bastard! What the hell guys…"

Naruto could see the two people that were looking so much alike his friends, it was even astonishing he didn't break a lung in the process, his more than unwanted pointed attention to the silent pair making Sasuke and Sakura entertain the idea of pushing him from the cliff and let the stillness of the landscape serve as his grave.

"Why don't you scream out louder, you moron? Don't resume in making just us going deaf. Tokyo harbor might be willing to hire you, instead of spending money on lighthouses."

Sasuke eyed his moronic friend with a frown to make his anger known by the dumbfounded grinning at him Akatsuki agent, who was busy taking photos with a small Buddha marble statue.

"You are such a bastard, you know? Besides…why have you guys stopped anyways? Looking for raspberries?"

Although, the blush that crept on Sakura`s face and the way Sasuke`s scowl deepened like he was seeing bugs in his salad, confirmed the cerulean eyed Akatsuki agent's thoughts: his friends couldn't have waited longer to jump on each other's bones, waiting for everyone to pass them.

"If you would have had a brain to begin with dobe, you would have known there are no such fruits growing at this altitude."

Sasuke was not quite interested in sending his prayers to Heavens, well aware that was a place the would forever remain out of his reach, so he took some steps in the direction of the edge of the high cliff, supporting his torso on his folded on the wooden railing, letting his gaze dart faraway, taking in his surroundings, envisioning the moments his mother used to take him to such trips, when he was just a child, visiting small shrines, with the stunning woman telling him short stories about blessed spirits that guarded the holly places, with the grandiose sierras accompanying them through the test on time.

The Uchiha heir let his inky eyelashes rest upon his coal eyes, smirking softly at the though of his lovingly mother trying to show him the wonders of a world that got the best of him, with the passing time, making him sinking one step more into its decay and fake illusions of hope.

Sasuke vaguely heard Naruto and Sakura arguing about which was the best angle to photograph, asking one another to take a lifetime memory with the erect wooden shrine, marveling at the unique asymmetrical gabled light green painted roof, decorated with oak logs and golden wooden fork finials, curved upwards at the eaves and bright red structure, supported on thick pillars, listening to the guide explaining the process of a _kami_ being enshrined in the small construction, to allow the mortals to feel safer in the capable hands of something intangible for their limited condition to understand.

But the Uchiha heir was not in the bit interested, knowing all too well that those were only small things the naïve like his maid people used to believe in and soothe their internal turmoil.

But there was something particularly familiar in the way the guide was darting his light brown eyes in his general direction, when the said man thought Sasuke was not seeing him and it made the onyx eyed heir cross his eyebrows, when the said man's stare lingered on his skull, a bit too much for his comfort.

He let his coal bottomless orbs scan the slightly goofy acting middle aged man, that served as their guide for the trip, trying to understand what exactly made him stir Sasuke`s interest.

It couldn't have been the sight of him approaching the group with Sakura, because his gaze held a hint that was not swinging in that direction, looking like it was not gossip what he was looking for. His face was too serious for that.

Then he resumed his explanations, answering the probably imbecile questions coming from the other men and mostly women, about why was the kami`s clothes were so out of fashion.

And when his too observant eyes caught a flicker of light resting upon the revealing symbol on the shining pure gold band enveloping his finger, Sasuke let a knowing smirk grace his features, taking a double look at the too oblivious people around them, then skillfully as to not let himself being noticed, putted out his phone and send a very suggestive message to the person that was probably keeping his eyes on him all the times.

Of course, like usual. He would be hunting him in his grave as well. Old habits die hard.

"_**They **__are here. Prepare for the show."_

Sasuke got his message in less than a minute, eying the content in disbelief. Such a lack of trust in his abilities… _"tsk…you from all the people should know better."_

"_Don't do anything stupid."_

Sasuke heard the women complain about their absolute refusal to hike higher, almost everyone requesting to turn back to the cabin after a very long break at the shrine they were tainting with their high pitched voices and offensive words, disturbing the calm and collected atmosphere.

But the onyx eyed Uchiha was glad to see Naruto and Sakura resting on a boulder, legs folded, munching sandwiches and musli bars. The blonde idiot could have died of starvation and malnutrition for all he cared, but the garnet eyed lady needed all the nutrients she could get.

Good thing they were busy bashing and laughing at how stupid the crowd surrounding them was, to care about what he was doing. Sasuke was insane, he knew it. But the situation was getting dangerous. And he couldn't afford to make mistakes.

He sent back another message, silently telling his interlocutor that he did not like to be commanded, but urging him to do his job and prepare for what was going to come next.

"_I will do more than anything. I will do __**everything**__ I will find appropriate. They will know better than to mess with me in the future."_

"_I am keeping an eye on you. Remember…it is not only your life you bet on."_

Sasuke smirked at that. Oh how much he knew about him…like a tissue for the scar. Perfect match. _"And this is exactly the reason why I will not allow you to lecture me further."_

The young Uchiha heir put his phone back into his rightful place, on his pocket, resuming his initial position, acting like he saw nothing and he only checked his phone as a simple gesture a busy businessman would do, mimicking the other people around.

A quick glance on his right side assured him the next in line hair of a recycling company was going to go bankrupt in less than a month. The idiot was pacing and screaming at the other person he was talking to, to not take another loan from the bank, because they were not able to cover for their first one. Idiot.

And a smiling at him pink haired Sakura took a photo of him, deluding herself into thinking he did not catch her action.

But he purposely overlooked her childish behavior, letting her have a memory of him as well, if it meant so much to her.

"_It is a distorted image of me you are imprinting on the camera, Sakura…"_

*****[Ooooooooooooo}{oooooooooooooO]******

EvErYtHiNg

In

My

LiFe

}{

Same time, Ravenna Italy, Akatsuki`s building

Itachi felt his mind going numb at the thought of the amount of files and reviews he got from his agents, all of them only including bad news and more bad news, as if all the criminals and secret societies were plotting together to make his life even more miserable.

The older Uchiha brother massaged his throbbing temples with his index fingers, thinking hard about anything that could help him link all the unexplainable events happening in the last weeks.

So many unexplainable assassinations, including the massacre from Egypt, the world economy starting to shake, under the threat of collapsing and sending all the world's powerful countries into what looked like the economic crises of the millennia and the people eying them from the shadows, potting, spying, making them nervous and suspicious on one another, at the possibility of someone from their own organization working as a double agent. But **who**?

Itachi rose from his seat, getting closer to the large panoramic bulletproof window, supporting his head on the thick glass, with his folded arms, eying the passing by cars and rushing to their jobs people.

Why were they running anyways? Were they even aware of the chaos going on around them? In his mind, those commoners had too much free time at their disposal.

"Fuck…I don't understand a thing from here..."

The Akatsuki team leader shut his dark eyes briefly, exhaling deeply once, feeling suffocated in between the four silent walls and the constantly beeping phones and pagers from the agents he had to supervise, his sharp mind trying to put the puzzles together.

Tobirama was not in the town, taking the first flight to Hague to a large CIA emergency meeting, with the Head himself, so he had to shoulder all his work, including paperwork by his own, Kakashi being nowhere in sight.

Last time he checked, The Hokage`s Vice was checking their weapons base from Italy, trying to look for any clue of whoever the culprit that copied their models was and why was he trying to accomplish by taking such risks in the very first place.

There was a tiny voice that acted like his conscience that was chanting to Itachi, that maybe the person he was looking for was more familiar than he thought, but he knew a lot of people, so that was not something he could have used in his favor, the lack of clues giving him a hard time in dropping some names that came into his mind, when he thought of suspects crazy enough to betray such an organization as CIA and join Lorane. It was a frightening thought, that was placed on the highest levels of insanity.

Riiiingggg! Riiinggggg!

His thoughts were interrupting by the offending to his ears constantly ringing phone, the caller proving to be quite perseverant.

Itachi pressed the answer button, letting the other person know he was intently listening, although he was barely keeping his stinging blood shot eyes opened for the world to see them.

And his heart sunk on the pits of his stomach when Kakashi`s more than panicked voice filled the stillness of his office, with the most horrible news he could have given to an already shocked Uchiha older son.

"_Itachi! You have to come here right away, this is a disaster! Someone has broken into our restricted military base, stealing all the experimental weapons we had, as well all our firearms!"_

"…Fuck…no…it can't be true…" Itachi wasted no time in taking his car keys and sprinting out of his office, with Kakashi screaming from the other side of the line something he was not able to hear any longer. It was more than a disaster. It was the beginning of their end. He was already dialing up Tobirama`s number.

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Same time, Ravenna Italy, The Sound HQ

"This is insane Orochimaru, we don't even know what we are looking for!"

Tsunade was sipping a strong dark coffee, letting her fingers fly on the keyboard, her sharp eyes trying to focus on the CCTVs and the last records of the room they were in, until the connection was interrupted by whoever dared to steal their lifetime research, to no avail.

Whoever rob them, knew exactly what was doing, not leaving any trace behind, working flawlessly. And that was nagging the busty woman, since there was not such thing as flawless execution when it came to their field of work.

But she had no clue whatsoever, and neither did her zombie looking colleague. Seriously, the Otokage only managed to steal four or five hours of sleep in the last week and he was visibly annoyed at the idea of not able to do anything that mattered to catch the culprit.

The blonde eyed Sound agent was not stupid, for she knew what kind of man her colleague and leader was, his ego not quite ready to accept a possible failure, but it was like the people they were looking for were not even real to begin with.

Maybe the people they used as human experiments returned from their graves to haunt them and threaten to remember them of their own failed attempts to change their destiny for the better.

"And this is precisely why I am telling you to keep on searching. Stop complaining like a child on hysterics Tsunade and don't add another round of throbbing headaches to the already overdose I have."

Orochimaru was studying the files the robbers have not managed to steal from them, trying to find an explanation for why would Lorane need those research over LSD and extrasensory perception, the mere thought of them wanting to continue the experiments making bile rise the Otokage`s throat.

Those people were more insane that ever known on the Universe, the mere word not enough to comprise their twisted ideals.

How was it even possible for whoever entered his lab, to be aware of what was resting in there and pass his security system nonetheless?

Not only that, but there was more and more activity coming from Lorane, the said group looking like they wanted to emerge from the shadows and make their name spread upon the civilians, because from all the international criminal organizations that were giving CIA a hard time, Lorane was the one to stand out the most.

And all the unexplainable events occurring in Tokyo was a complete other story. Orochimaru felt bad for not being there to back Sakura up and help her avoid such unfortunate situations, his heart constricting in his chest at the thought of her being hurt and having a hard time doing her task.

Tsunade has told his partner about her recent discussion with the emerald eyed agent and the fact that she needed all of them, when their hands were basically tied up, was making him mad.

"Are you even listening to me, you snake faced man?! There is nothing in here! Zero! Whoever did it is a fucking ghost to be able to waltz undetected in our base, like this is a field of tulips, not a freaking CIA…."

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"What the…is that the emergency signal?" Tsunade stopped mid sentence, her hard amber eyes cast on Orochimaru`s emergency pager, eyebrows rose in question.

That was the signal from the satellite that announced the location of one of the suspects they were following, including the position or their agents. In a nutshell, it only brought up bad news.

Not wasting anymore second, Orochimaru flipped his phone open, letting the data from the satellite download inside the memory card, his eyes widening in shock when he saw what exactly the small red and blue dots on the map were showing. He fisted his hands, punching the large, white, hard wooden surface of the desk, startling Tsunade even more.

"No! Not there! Not now!"

"Something wrong?" The blonde Sound agent rose from her seat and followed her friend, who sprinted on the exit door, marching to his office, with Tsunade following him suit, catching with his long steps, taking the phone out of his tight grip, to get an idea of what was bothering him in the very first place.

"But…this is…" Amber eyes flew open in horror at the sparkling red and blue dots, dancing on the phone's screen in a teasing manner, not believing how bad the situation really was. To think they were already making another bold move like that…

Orochimaru not wasted anymore time in pressing the emergency button, alerting all the available CIA agents in the area, about the extreme high level of danger they were in.

He turned the large screen from his office on, eying the satellite map with the location of the assassins and the agents, letting the data to be downloaded in real time and brief him about the situation.

Then he felt his phone vibrate as well once again, eying the screen intently. But it was so difficult to focus at any task, with Tsunade barking in shock at him to not just stay there, like the freaking African statue that was decorating his office and do something.

"Call Uchiha Itachi. Akatsuki is also involved." Orochimaru was already working on the data he got from the GPS, trying his best to help the CIA agents as much as he could, from his position.

Tsunade was already dialing Konoha`s team leader Itachi, to let him know the more than troublesome news. He wouldn't like it in the slightest, everyone was sure of it.

"Roger that."

Orochimaru fixed his hard gaze on the large screen in front of him, palming his tired eyes with both his hands, shaking his head in disbelief.

Those blue small points on the screen…Sakura and the Akatsuki...in the middle of nowhere…surrounded by mountains and forests, far from the civilization…at a pretty large altitude, with more than thirty important businessmen and heirs around…and Lorane right on their tail.

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**Author's Note: **_I am very sorry for this late update, because I know just how much you guys waited for this, but like I have said at the end of my other story, school got the best of me. I have courses till 6 or 8 pm and I just couldn't find time to update faster like I have done until now. _

_I am glad to read you liked the interaction between Mikoto, Sasuke and Sakura, because I must confess I would so love to see that happening in the actual story, because Sasuke`s mother is like the perfect example of a maternal figure in NV, from my point of view. Too bad she died, because I wanted to see her interact with her future daughter in law. _

_I know I have spent half of this chapter blabbering about all this trip and so, but I promise the next chapter is going to have action and romance, just to make it worth the waiting. I will try to not make it long before I will be able to post it. I just needed to introduce you into the atmosphere with this chapter, so I am truly sorry if you have found it boring. I am doing my best to underline some key words to help you get an image of Sasuke and Sakura starting to suspect more of each other, as well as highlight their developing feelings towards each other, you know…for them to connect better. I do hope it came out well. _

_Thank you guys so much for your beautiful reviews, that I often read with the same pleasure. You really give me such an undying happiness as an author, with your kind and encouraging words, that I cannot help but feel I am blessed with such amazing readers. Thank you again to everyone that took his time to read my story and appreciate it. _


	26. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

It was in the moment Sakura felt her CIA smart phone vibrate intently into her pocket, has she realized just how bad their situation truly was and a quick glance thrown in the direction of a very distressed Naruto, assured her he too has gotten the SOS signal.

They were currently taking photographs with the Shinto shrine, not actually paying much attention around them, totally entrapped in the magical relaxing atmosphere the sober mountains and majestic Tori gate, in the color of the sun going down the cliffs, were providing, mentally killing themselves for foolishly considering no one was going to follow them there, from all the places.

The emerald eyed worried Sound agent almost dropped a flyer she was holding, with the shrine's history, that the guide has spread among the visitors, when she realized they were in major danger.

No one pressed the emergency signal if the situation was not of the highest levels of danger.

Naruto`s camera slipped from his fingers the moment his phone started to vibrate and beep constantly, attracting everyone's eyes towards the blonde haired Uzumaki, who had troubles in containing his panic and not let the others realize what was truly happening.

Sakura felt the urge to go and slap his head for being that obvious in trying to conceal his identity.

He was grinning awkwardly at the people around him, flailing his hands on the air, like the person that was bothering him from the other side of the line was getting him irritated.

Sakura left her place under the Tori gate, marching straight in the direction of a totally lacking acting skills in difficult situations Akatsuki agent, who was desperately trying to shut off his phone, looking like he has totally forgotten that he had to introduce his CIA password and decode the message.

The pink haired girl hissed into his ear, not wanting to attract anymore unwanted attention from people that were not supposed to find out about their secret identities. "What the heck are you doing Naruto-kun, just turn that off already, people are watching."

"I am trying, but this thing doesn't work, damn it." Naruto was killing the touch screen with his long index finger, tapping and cursing to hell and back, in front of a holly shrine, the person that has pressed that SOS in the first place.

Just how in the world were they supposed to find an agent in those…mountains? And it was already 3 pm, which only meant the natural light was going to get down with the sun, resting behind the tall mountains.

Not only that, but the weather was slightly windy as well and there were angry clouds gathering around.

Rain was not going to be such a major drama, but certainly a thick fog was going to be anything but pleasant, if the two CIA agents were to take a possible attack into consideration.

"Give me that you moron!" Not quite liking the fact that all the people around them, starting with the totally not so polite lady from Turkey were whispering and pointing their fingers in their direction, probably badmouthing the display of inappropriate behavior, Sakura grabbed the phone from a trembling in fury Uzumaki agent and promptly shoved away his battery, silencing the offending device.

The golden haired CIA agent was having a really odd expression of his face. A quick look around assured him of the fact that the people who witnessed the small incident were not impressed by the pink haired Sound agent's performance.

"Ahm…Sakura-chan…I kind of need that you know? To localize the person that sent the signal. We can all be in danger." Naruto took back his phone from Sakura, who was frowning in his direction, discreetly checking on her own phone, to try and locate the signal.

"This is not my problem. Do you want everyone to realize we are agents?" Inwardly, Sakura was just as panicked, but from different reasons, namely a pair of obsidian predatory eyes that were taking in the situation around, probably adding another missing puzzle in the jadeite eyed agent's missing puzzle.

She was not stupid and a the quick glance at her phone made her heart rate go high in an instant, not believing that the SOS signal came from Orochimaru, from all the people.

The pink haired agent couldn't understand just why in the world was her Papa sending emergency messages from Italy, when…_"Oh fuck…"_

It was in the moment she briefly connected her gaze to Sasuke, has inspiration hit her senses, making her go dizzy in fear. Of course, how could she forget about them?

"Naruto…this is bad…I think Lorane is here." Sakura harshly grabbed the Uzumaki heir`s forearm, making him halt his steps.

The guide announced everyone they were heading back to the cabins, because he was "politely asked" not to carry on with their journey to the highest peak in the area.

Everyone was exhausted by the hiking effort and the strong clean mountain air, that made all sleepy, so there were no protests in that aspect.

Naruto pivoted on his heel, almost hitting Sakura`s face with his backpack in the process, his cerulean eyes wide as saucers.

The first thing that crossed his mind the moment he felt the SOS signal, was that either Ten Ten or Neji have pressed it, probably finding something suspicious. Considering the totally isolated from civilization area they were in, that would have been the most logical thing to do.

But to actually hear the elite Sound assassin muttering such disturbing words to his sensitive hearing, was a shock. If the Lorane was involved, then their condition was even worse than he has first anticipated.

He made sure Sasuke was somewhere in front of them, engaged in an intently conversation with the guide and was not paying attention to them, before checking out his phone once again, trying to get the GPS coordinates, to no avail. The map appeared in the form of blurred lines, showing nothing.

"Sakura-chan, my GPS is not working." Naruto was walking behind the pink haired Sound agent, no more in goofy mode.

That was more than serious. Not only the two CIA members had absolutely no idea of the location of the possible attackers, but they were far from their accommodation places as well, which was twice as bad news.

There was absolutely no way Sakura and Naruto would be able to defend someone in such a context, when they were surrounded by rocky cliffs, that only took one wrong step to swallow them in the bottomless abyss, into the embrace of death

"Damn it, mine either." It happened again and the emerald eyed girl started to get annoyed at the fact that whenever something that involved a dangerous situation occurred, their devices didn't work. And it has become habitual since she first came to Tokyo. Was it a coincidence?

Sakura was mentally taking in all the possibilities, scanning the surrounding area and trying to form a possible escape plan in case something happened, finding it hard to believe Lorane has followed them all the way in there, actually not taking advantage of their vulnerable situation so far.

They could have assassinated them, by exploding the buses, like they did with those CIA agents in Egypt. So why waiting that much? Were they after Sasuke or the others as well?

Speaking of the raven haired Uchiha…there was a nagging thought that racked her mind, namely the possibility of their devices being jammed by the electrical discharge his aura was producing, just like the way he raised the level of electromagnetism in his office, making the emerald eyed Sound agent consider other options as well.

Ever since she came to Tokyo and encountered problems in the form of international wanted criminals trying to kill them, hers and the other CIA members` GPS signals were jammed.

Shino Aburame has told Sakura that there were actually two signals interfering with their electronic devices when they fought with Lorane at Shiseido Ginza and one was surprisingly coming from the Mangekyou.

Using his unbeatable logical deduction, Orochimaru was able to figure out the suspect that escaped them used an unknown own device to make his colleague have spontaneous human combustion, that used a similar principle with the electrical discharges and magnetic interferences, towards a nanoscopic device implanted into the human system.

But the way Sasuke was able to control the electromagnetic wavelengths whenever he went was a completely other story.

Sakura knew what Tsunade told her about the top secret experiments that she and her Papa conducted years ago, regarding the LSD trips on people with extrasensory activity and when she was taking her time to put two and two together, the pink haired agent came to one sole conclusion: her raven haired boss was actually the one to interfere with their global position system, making it all the more difficult for them to communicate with Neji and Ten Ten, or their leaders, namely Itachi. Ironically how life worked: she sought help and cooperation from the brother Sasuke hated with burning passion.

The question was: why was the onyx eyed Uchiha using his abilities right then, from all the times? They needed those devices to work if they wanted to stand a chance against any danger they were going to face.

But he…Sakura glided her fingers expertly on her phone, navigating through the menu, wanting to confirm her suspicion.

That was too much to be a coincidence. She smirked when she found her application, rushing to catch Sasuke, who was talking to the guide, from the behind, but keeping a _safe_ distance.

And when she said safe, the jadeite eyed girl knew exactly what distance: the same distance she kept from Sasuke in his office, when he has been robbed.

Naruto eyed her dumbfounded, shoving the people in front of him out of his way to come beside a very busy looking Sakura, a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing, Sakura-chan? Weren't you the one that nagged me about being caught in the middle of the act?"

"Shhhh…don't make any jerk move and stop torturing my poor ears. I am trying to confirm something."

Sakura started the application that worked as an EMF meter and measured the electromagnetism in the area, paying attention to only focus it on the raven haired Uchiha heir, totally excluding the normal magnetic interferences coming from the rocky mountains surrounding them.

Naruto`s cerulean eyes were flying in between his dark haired friend and his CIA colleague, who looked like a paparazzi, trying to catch the best angle for a totally hot, worth for gossip compromising picture, shrugging once.

He was indeed surrounded by such weirdoes, and that spoke volumes since he was the one to think about it.

"What? That the Teme looks good in shorts?" Naruto folded his arms over his broad chest, shaking his head in disbelief.

Whatever the Sound agent had in mind, had to be something serious and have connection with their mission, either ways she wouldn't have risk to make a fool of herself in front of so many people.

Meanwhile, he was desperately trying to get the signal back and contact either Neji or Ten Ten, or Itachi, his team leader. They needed back up and information and fast.

Sakura, who was busy trying her best not to shake her phone and pay attention to her steps, not wanting to risk to trip over a rock or spread her ankle in the process, using her available hand to support herself while they were climbing down the higher boulders, deadpanned at the Uzumaki agent, eying him with a weird expression on her face.

The blonde idiot has slipped over a boulder, landing on his butt. She felt like slapping her head.

Even the ladies in high heels managed to come uninjured. Such a mighty CIA agent was he…"I…am totally going to forget what you have said, Naruto-kun, either ways the mental images will not let me sleep properly at night."

"Then why not telling me what are you doing with that then? If you don't tell me, I am going to throw in random guesses, until I get it right."

Naruto was more than glad they entered the forest and didn't have to deal with huge rocks that gave him a hard time, rubbing the throbbing area of his buttock, not giving a damn there were important people behind him, or ladies, cursing loudly in whatever language crossed his mind in that moment.

And of course, he kept on paying attention to his surrounding, taking in all the possibilities of how would their enemies, if there were any, would attack them and when.

Naruto was not a fool and delude himself they played in a movie, where the leading actors got everything under control and managed to defend everybody, by using extraterrestrial insane fighting skills or escape life threatening situations, by surviving a 50 m fall from the cliffs.

He and Sakura had to be ready for the worst. The Akatsuki agent had two firearms hidden in his bulletproof vest, knowing exactly that his fellow Sound colleague was traditional martial arts oriented, which was not necessary a disadvantage.

Of course, it only depended on their enemies, because if they were ordinary criminals, then Naruto would have to deal with most of them, because he was the one with a pistol, though he did not want to envision a bullets exchange and endanger so many innocent lives, and if the pursuers were indeed part of the Lorane, then Sakura would have been more than welcomed to beat their asses, as a swords expert.

"Even if I told you, you would probably not believe it, like I wouldn't want to believe it myself, until I have seen the phenomenon with my own eyes. And not only is something secret in our branch, but it is so ridiculously, that you will consider us insane."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at the way the EMF meter was once again, showing impossibly high levels of electromagnetism, whenever it was placed in the direction of Sasuke, confirming Sakura`s unspoken question. Sasuke was responsible for their totally useless devices.

The real question went along the lines of why was he doing it? Coincidence? Sakura learnt it the hard way that in their field of work, there was no such things as coincidences. _"What is going on here, for Heaven` sake…"_

"Try me then." Of course, the blonde idiot did not know when to stop and that made Sakura sigh heavily, already feeling her feet giving away.

She was really hungry from all the effort and fresh air invigorating her lungs, and they still had an hour or so until they arrived to their rooms. She was totally going to throw her body on the bad and sleep.

The pink haired agent and the Akatsuki member could have taken shafts to guard the others. She would not sleep at night, because the emerald eyed lady already knew she was not going to find her sleep anytime soon.

She got depression and the idea of being followed was keeping her heart rate paranoid. She felt dizzy with all the adrenaline rush and newfound information about her boss.

"Ok. Is your phone working? Any signal?"

Naruto eyed his smart for a moment, frowning deeply, rubbing the back of his neck, shaking his head, making his point clear. "Nah. Ever since we got the SOS signal, it is like the system crushed. Weird."

"And what does it tell you?" Sakura kept an eye on Sasuke every time, not actually understanding why was he still talking to the guide, the said man pulling out the map of the area, shoving her boss something he seemed to disagree with.

"…that our phones don't work?"

"No, you moron. Where does our signal coming from?"

The blonde haired Uzumaki dropped his chin on his fist, thinking hard. He has already established the fact that he was an idiot when it came to scientific problems. "Satellite?"

"Exactly. CIA has two satellites, revolving around the Earth. One of them is focused solely on your global position, providing us accurate information about the exact location of everyone on this world.

And the fact that it is jammed only proves two things: either someone knows the passwords and hacked the system, which I find it hard to believe since only few people have access to that, and the other is the possibility of the signal being blocked from the Earth, making the interception of the impulses the satellite transmits to our phones to be impossibly to be decrypted.

This is why we don't have any image on our map. Do you get it?"

Sakura was mentally slapping herself with the phone she was eyeing intently, not quite believing how similar the values were, with the ones she measured around Sasuke when he was in his office, asking herself why was she bothering in explaining such things to the Akatsuki agent, who looked like he was learning how to walk all over again. What an idiot. A funny one, but still dumb as Hell.

"…English please…man I swear you talk just like Itachi. I don't get you and your encrypted way of talking."

"Naruto…I am going to prove my point right now…hey, watch it!" Sakura grabbed Naruto`s shirt sleeve, pulling him towards her, the said blonde idiot almost tripping on a fallen branch he did not see, while they crossed a tiny river.

She should have let him fall on the water and make fun of him. But they had assassins on their assess, so she would like to avoid any unnecessary event happening.

"Really? How?"

"Go back to the last person of this group, until you are not able to hear us talking anymore. Then check for your GPS and phone signal. Come back and tell me how the experiment worked."

Sakura`s emerald eyes were resting on a pair of clear confused ones, the said golden haired man nodding once, not arguing with her, doing just that, heading to the opposite direction everyone was walking, until he came right beside the last pair of elder people, that were taking their time to proceed with caution and prevent an accident from happening.

And when the Uzumaki heir did just how Sakura instructed, checking his signal, he felt his heart jump out of his chest, the sudden adrenaline rush making his muscles flinch at the sight in front of him: _full_. He had full signal on the phone.

"What the…how?!" He rushed back to an expectant pink haired agent, finding her calculate gaze roam around their surroundings, almost like mentally memorizing the landscape.

That until the guide shouted at everyone to stop on walking and gather around. Everyone has been thrown off by his request. It was already 5 pm and they were all tired, the two CIA members included.

Surprisingly, the only people that had enough energy to actually move their muscles swiftly, were the guide, Sasuke, who looked like he did not broke a sweat in hiking, like he was taking a walk in the park and, to everyone's utter shock, the Turkish lady that had enough energy to complain about how much her feel were killing her and how stupid and annoying people around her were.

Sakura was intently fighting the urge to pull away a needle or her Bo and silence her loud mouth once and for all, letting her limp frame blend in the stillness of the solitary cliffs.

"Sakura-chan, why did we stop? And you were totally right, I had full signal but now I don't…"

Naruto and to stop his train of thoughts, because the raven haired Uchiha has found that particular moment to join his two companions, face devoid of emotions, posture totally relaxed.

Sakura and Naruto exchanged a brief knowing glance, that went unnoticed by the ebony haired Uchiha heir, then let their confused stare rest on his frame.

"Listen everyone, we are going to follow another route, by the request of Mr. Uchiha here, who suggested it. Even thought I would not agree with this, he tells me we are going to cut the time in half if we follow it, so I am going to believe in his abilities."

The guide nodded once at Sasuke, the said man taking the hint that no one was going to argue with his logics, at the idea of making it back faster, the said large group of people already moving towards the guide, to another route.

Meanwhile, the two CIA members had a total synchronizing in their thoughts, both asking themselves the most reasonable question: _"The fuck?!"_

"What are you two waiting for, special invitation? Or maybe you want to become some hungry bear`s next meal."

Shockingly, Sasuke was the one to snap the two out of their self induced stupor, eying them like a hawk. Sakura`s forest green eyes had a brief and sudden contact with her boss` bottomless ones, almost like she wanted to confirm what he was doing. Naruto had no idea about his abilities, but she did.

But why going as far as to suggest the guide a faster route he…wait a moment.

It was in that moment when the Sound agent has realized that the young Uchiha heir knew the routes and that was a huge problem. Has he studied the topography of the peak in advance, before they got there?

But why going that far? Was that the thing he was talking to the guide so intently, actually convincing a man that was basically making a living out of his guidance, that he was right? She felt her mind explode with so many unsolved mysteries.

"Teme, what the hell man, why did we change the route?" Naruto started to complain about his friend's idea, he too just as stunned as the rose haired girl beside him.

And she did not get the chance to explain the strange GPS occurrence to him. He had to put some distance between Sasuke and they, to be able to resume their conversation.

But he had no such luck, since the midnight Uchiha heir basically came in between his best friend and his maid, like he was guarding them, and that was the most ironic thing ever.

A stoic raven haired man waited for the whole group to pass them, the guide resuming his leading, speaking low, clear and impassive, with a sharp hint in his baritone voice.

"Because up until now, we were only following the _longest_ paths…that crossed through the forest."

"Wha…what? Are you serious, Teme?"

A pair of cerulean eyes mirrored the bewilderment inside his heart at the bored and nonchalant tone his friend used to slip out such a valuable information, like all the thing was just a waste of time. For him it probably was. For the Akatsuki agent, it meant disaster.

"But isn't this the purpose of the trip? To visit and explore as much as we can?" Sakura tried to hide her own puzzlement and anger at her inattentive state, blaming her lack of intuition to catch the fact so skillfully at her raven haired boss, mentally taking into consideration what it implied.

Sasuke`s bottomless hardened gaze not once faltered from looking straight ahead, not even paying attention to his own steps, walking like the principles of physics held no meaning for him, intently focusing on something that escaped the two CIA member's caution.

"Not if you take into consideration the amount of time we wasted. I am not sure if you are familiar with mountain climbing or hiking in general, but if you want to reach anywhere, you have to take into account that the weather becomes unsteady after 2 pm."

It only took Sakura that much information to understand his meaning, the very words engaging her heart into a round of intent thumping, blood surging through her frame in shock. He was right.

"It is 4:30 pm and we are not even half the way there." It was not a question, and the sharp male caught it sound and clear.

She wanted confirmation. Sasuke nodded once, assuring her he was not commonly insane or paranoid.

In his mind, he had no idea of why was he having that conversation with his defenseless maid from all the people, but he somehow felt he should place reassurance inside of her heart.

She looked distressed. Not only that, but even though the onyx eyed Uchiha was not the kind of man to be impressed by other's acumen in such abrupt situations, the emerald eyed girl had an unique ability to make the necessary connections, not demanding laborious explanations like his dumb friend would probably demand.

"Yes. Even though it is spring and the days are longer, up here the sun is going to fully set soon. And I am sure you don't entertain the idea of spending nights on a mountain in a blackout."

And before he could stop his tongue to voice out the speculations that were jabbing his mind, the onyx eyed heir managed to make the innerved sensitive skin at the back of her hand get sweaty in shock, when realization surged through her like a bolt of lightning. "Like it happened _then_."

Naruto couldn't have picked on a more appropriate moment to barge into the conversation his two friends had, his sole neuron choosing that particular second to make itself be known to the world.

"Huh? What do you mean by then? Have you guys climbed mountains together before or something?"

"Dobe, why don't you take this particular chance when I am showing you my back and fuck off? Like…you should go back to that Shinto shrine and become an Eremite. Might as well pray for all your _sins_."

There was a barely noticeable change into Sasuke`s tone when he articulated that particular word, that it did not go unnoticed by Sakura.

After her boss has so blatantly opened her eyes to her mission, her assassin senses went fully alert, each rustle of the branches under their hard steps and the echoing through the forest green crowns of the imposing trees caressing her hearing.

And there was a tiny blooming suspicious thought inside her heart, that told the emerald eyed Sound agent that something they were looking for was not so beyond their reach, but she couldn't quite put her finger on the feeling she had.

Someone was keeping a close eye on them and she was almost certain about that. But with Sasuke waking behind her and Naruto behind him it was almost too difficult for her to confirm her suspicion with the Akatsuki member.

"Hear the leader of all the Bastards around the Universe talking about sins. If there was someone who should go repenting mode it is you! And by the way, I saw you keeping quite the distance from the shrine back then, which makes me wonder if you are some kind of demon or vampire. Whoa…this gives me ideas! Sakura-chan, do you happen to have a Rosario? Because I want to see this Teme here get burnt."

Not only the Uzumaki agent was beaming in joy at the maleficent ideas crossing his mind, but he totally overlooked how his friend seemed to be the one strategically placed in between them, in a shielding manner, his full of expression bottomless jet eyes scanning the area surrounding them with the precision of a predatory feline.

Swift and graceful, like all his moves. Sakura realized that he was the only one not having any difficulties in hiking, his demeanor molding over the sinuous relief like he was made from the same substance as the rocky terrain.

Might explain his burnt cedar and salty ocean distinctive smell.

Mentally, the emerald eyed agent was basically sending Naruto straight to the pits of hell for his totally not smart comment, brutally interrupting her focus on a tactic she was formulating if they were to be attacked right then.

Sasuke was blatantly obvious: if the reason for them to be delayed was to not make it out alive from the forest, having the chance to get back to the more secluded cabins in time, then they have been played from the very beginning.

And the Akatsuki ever so cheerful member had time for stupid jokes.

"Why don't you try with garlic instead? That would blend into the legend even better. Rosario is overrated anyways…_for him especially_…"

"You do realize I am right here, don't you?"

"Yeah, but no one cares anyways. Make place, I need to talk to Sakura-chan." Without any further notice, Naruto not so gently shoved Sasuke out of his way, making the said raven haired man almost trip on a log and fall on his face, coming right behind Sakura, because the path they were taking was not wide enough for the two of them to walk beside one another.

Sasuke has been right. It started to get pretty dark outside and their phones still didn't seem to work.

The cerulean eyed Uzumaki heir made sure his friend got the message to not interrupt them, keeping on doing what he did, meaning eying imaginary birds roaming on the sky, whispering to Sakura`s ear.

"I still don't understand why don't we have signal in here, but I managed to see us on the map when you told me to walk away. I am confused."

There were absolutely no words she could have chosen to properly explain her CIA colleague, that Sasuke Uchiha, the famous businessman and CEO of the successful Mangekyou. Inc was sporting extrasensory abilities, to such a level, that he was even able to jam such high tech devices without breaking a sweat in the process.

He was totally able to control what was happening, his wary pearl black hardened orbs defying all the normal people's vigilance in realizing such a crucial thing: someone purposely wanted to probably take them all down in such a place, where no one would be able to defend them. Not even two CIA agents. But who? And why?

"Trust me when I say you wouldn't be able to understand, Naruto-kun. Moreover, there are some classified documents belonging to the Sound that I am not allowed to disclose. I am sorry. You have to trust me this time."

She whispered to the more confused Akatsuki member, feeling bad for hiding such an important thing from him, of all the people. But it was for the best.

"You don't need to explain what your snake faced boss hides in his cave, Sakura-chan, because I am sure I don't even want to find out in the very first place. But you do realize Teme figured out someone is purposely delaying us…"

Ah, so even a dumb one still found some logics in between his more than completely hazardous thoughts. At least that was something Sakura did not need to enlighten his baffled brain on that one.

"I know he did. You from all the people should know what kind of person he is, as your best friend. I told you he was able to tell I am not a farmer from the very first day we met. His intellect throws me off all the times."

Naruto threw a cautious glance over his shoulder, just enough to make sure their so eavesdropping friend was not gracing them with his swift presence just enough to hear such incriminating words coming out of their mouths.

Sasuke finding out they worked as secret agents undercover was a too frightening to even be taken into account as a thought. But he was engaged in some small chat with one of the elders that couldn't keep the fast pace with the others in front, occasionally supporting him with a firm arm to ensure his safety when they crossed a river or there were slippery rocks spread on their way.

What a noble person he was…Naruto shook his head. The world was coming to an end. One more sign of Apocalypse has been disclosed.

"Trust me Sakura-chan, I was barely able to shut up my mouth in front of him during my first years of CIA. I know how good is he. But I don't understand why is he acting so suspicious. Do you think he finds our behavior strange?"

"Think? I am _sure_ he does. Just look at him eying us. I can totally feel his watchful eyes on my nape and it makes my skin get goose bumps. But we don't have time for this at the moment. Are you able to connect with Itachi through the emergency line?"

Mentally Sakura started to panic at the stinging pain she had on her thigh, aware of the fact that her injuries were not completely healed. That hike got her more tired than she thought.

The golden haired Akatsuki member focused on his nanoscopic stereo glued to his eardrum, hearing his phone calling, but no answer coming from his team leader, which was weird.

He knew Itachi was eying them, so either the connection was indeed that jammed, or something happened. "It connects, but Teme`s brother is not answering my call."

"This is weird. He is supposed to supervise us. We need someone there to have a clear view of the situation and coordinate us. What about Neji and Ten Ten?"

Her ragged breath was making it difficult for Sakura to keep her voice to a whispering level, aware of how good the echo was in that forest.

And she was worried at the lack of light they were soon going to have. She took a peek at her wristwatch. It was already 5 pm.

They should have been to their cabins, in their rooms, secluded, not wandering around in a forest, with the guide leading them to God only knew where.

Maybe someone has tricked the poor man and gave him a wrong map. What if Lorane was involved in the Organizing Committee? That thought didn't crossed the jadeite eyed girl's mind and she mentally slapped herself for her naivety.

"Yeah, I know and this is what bothers me. I sent a message to Neji and you know what he told me?"

Naruto rested his palm on Sakura`s shoulder, probably out of reflex, not knowing if his CIA colleague was not going to react accordingly to the shocking news he was about to deliver.

"How would I know if you haven't told me?"

"That it was Orochimaru the one to send the SOS message and alert us all."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, mentally applauding her inner flawless reflexes for stepping aside and avoid colliding with the blonde haired Uzumaki, the said heir tripping on his feet, barely avoiding a painful fall. "What?! Papa Oro pressed the emergency button?! But why? And why hasn't he contacted me first?"

"Because you don't have signal. Maybe he _did_ try to reach you, but was not able. Like Itachi is not calling me back. Isn't this weird?"

"The fact that neither of our leaders has contacted us till know?" Sakura knew what she was talking about, because she measured the distance between Sasuke and the two of them, knowing exactly that they should have been out of his range, the said Uchiha heir remaining somewhere safe at the back of the group.

And the tiny prickles tingling the roots of her arm's small hair assured the Sound agent of the fact that her raven haired boss was trying his best to keep his "powers" under control around them, not to hurt his friends or the people around.

And it was that particular trait that made Sakura wonder just why was he even jamming their devices to begin with? Was he doing that unconsciously? Has she mistook his own energy to the one emitted naturally in the Earth's geomagnetic field at that altitude?

Was he…was he trying to protect them from something? Did he know he was being followed? Sakura felt her mind explode whenever something was related to Sasuke, because there were too many unknown things about him and the people following them.

Basically she had to guard a man she knew nothing about, from an organization hardly someone knew of and that was nonsensical.

And she had to keep her identity away from his insightful stare as well. "Exactly. This is too much to be a mere coincidence. Think about it: what if someone has orchestrated all this things to happen at the same time, just to lure us in here?"

"Hm…yeah, you do have a good point. But whoever that person be…has one hell of an access to everything related to the CIA in order to pass undetected thought our organization."

Naruto was feeling his eyes getting muscular soreness at the way he was rolling them in all direction, paranoia creeping into the most secluded parts of his mind.

"Of course. But we have already established there is a spy among us. Maybe more if you were to trust Papa. And they are getting to us easier as the days pass by, which scares me. You do realize in what situation as we know, aren't you?" Her voice came tinier than she intended.

Damn was Sakura really hungry and out of energy. Whatever game their attackers played, they did a good job in getting the sole CIA agents out of the game, draining them. Good thing Naruto was strong and they had his other colleagues keeping an eye of them.

Sakura tried to reach Orochimaru one more time, but kept on getting interferences, and they did not seem to come from any jamming devices or Sasuke.

Those buzzes on the line meant an internal server problem with their internet connection and it was not the first time it happened.

"Yeah, it sucks major balls. Itachi doesn't know the answer. If someone is to attack us now…"

Naruto did not even want to imagine a possible scenario with someone actually watching them from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

He tried hopefully to delude himself into thinking maybe the signal has been given due to an error, but confirming the Otokage being the one to press it, it was hard to believe.

"I know. We are screwed. At least we have Ten Ten and Neji but I am not sure how much help are they able to provide, thought. They are just as blind as us at the moment."

"We have to hurry this people up. Just how much do we have to walk anyways? Cos I don't understand a thing this map says. Wait…I have signal again!" Naruto immediately pressed the call button and called Neji, to confirm his location.

Sakura eyed her GPS, exhaling deeply in relief. They were almost there, to the resort.

Fifteen minutes at most and they were going to have some sort of protection in there. At least if those were assassins, they were not going to face their attackers in a forest…she froze in shock when a sudden thought hit her full force.

A quick glance at Sasuke, who was throwing subtle glances around him, confirmed her suspicion.

The way he basically had her pinned to the fir tree couple of hours ago, mind numbing her with a masterful sensual kiss that sent her to oblivion, had a deeper relevance for the situation.

Why has he done that in the very first place? Because he regretted what he said? No way was he doing that. He was Uchiha Sasuke. He regretted nothing. _Regret_ was an alien word for him.

But _caution_ was not. That was his second nature. Sasuke has detoured them from joining the others earlier on the shrine with a purpose. Whatever that was, it was not coincidental.

He _knew._ Sasuke knew he has been followed and the fact that he was playing with the electromagnetic wavelengths around him was telling her he even found the best defensive mechanism: jamming whatever tracking device their pursuers might have had on them and going as far as to persuade the totally unconcerned naïve guide to change their route with a faster one, in order to lose their tracks. And as common and simple that might have sounded, it worked!

All the way back, Sakura couldn't help but let her mind drift to the idea of having Sasuke finding the perfect way to save their assess in such a short amount of time, not only being able to pull out the best plan and foreshadow a possible attack, but he totally made a fool out of them, who were trained CIA agents.

And that only added to suspicions that started to rise into her conscience. He was more than he let the others believe, that was for certain. But the real question was: how _much_ more he truly was? Was she even prepared to find out?

"Neji, thanks God! What happens in there? Were you able to reach Itachi?" Naruto fastened his peace, walking in front of Sakura, who seemed to be in deep thoughts, his distress totally betrayed by the small gestures he did, like rubbing his messy golden locks intently, as if trying to clear his thoughts, or hit smaller rocks with his foot, that were on his way, like a kid.

"_No. Me and Ten Ten have called him ten times already, but no reply. I have a question though: I have full power signal, but for some unknown reason, I cannot see any of you on the map. Where are you guys?"_

Neji`s smooth voice came from the other side of the line, the sound of expert digits tapping on the laptop echoing through Naruto`s ears, letting him know his friend was doing his best to help.

"We took another faster route. I am sending you the GPS coordinates now. I know you cannot see us. Apparently Sakura-chan knows why, but she told me I am not going to believe it if she told me what happens."

Frustration was obvious in the way the Uzumaki agent was high pitching his sentences to make his point understood.

"_What do you mean you took a faster route? Are you trying to tell me you hiked for a longer time than you should have? Wait…you haven't arrived at the cabins, right?"_

"Nah. We are almost there. I can already see the roofs. Ten more minutes of climbing down this short valley and we are there. Are you able to see something suspicious around? Someone following us from the shadows?"

Just the very idea of being watched was giving Naruto the chills.

"_Good. I got your GPS coordinates. Actually, no. I see nothing suspicious around you, except the fact that you still don't appear on the map. There is a blurred signal where you guys are, but I cannot see anything clear. Are you sure you don't have something to disturb signals? Anti tracking devices or something? Maybe Sakura?"_

"So you say there is no one following us, but the freak man Otokage has sent an SOS and we don't appear on the map? Are we in some kind of Bermuda Triangle or something? Because this makes no sense at all."

If Naruto has been confused before, in that moment he did not know what to think anymore.

It looked like someone was targeting them all right, but at the same time his friend was able to see nothing suspicious. And Sakura kept the reason why their signal was jammed a secret from them. He was not paid enough for such things, he was certain.

"_Honestly, I only have two theories that I find not to be complete stupid, namely: either the Otokage went completely insane, or you guys have a spy among you. Is there someone that particularly attracted your attention since the beginning of the journey? Me and my totally insane fiancé have studied the list of participants and found no one to catch our eyes. Sure, we are not there to see you guys so, maybe you will enlighten us more."_

Naruto couldn't help but think in wonder at how good the Hyugas were when it came to analyze a situation, with calm and taking into the consideration all the possibilities.

From that point of view, they were just as skilled as Shikamaru or the two Uchihas. But the former ones were not in their right minds to begin with.

"I wondered about Orochimaru as well, but c`mon, even though he is not going to win the male prize for Mr. Congeniality, that man is a freaking genius. He wouldn't have sent a random SOS to us if there was not an emergency to begin with. A spy? In here? Are you sure? Fuck!"

Naruto turned his head over his shoulder to look in the direction of Sakura, who caught his stare on her and approached him fast. She was tapping something on her smart watch, probably not wanting to risk Sasuke see her with her phone.

He looked like he was keeping a close eye on them, but for some odd reason, he did not come closer. Sure, Naruto was not smart enough to realize his friend was the reason why he had signal to begin with and talk to his Akatsuki colleague.

"_I am not sure about that. This is only my suspicion, based on the little information we have so far. I am not stating that someone around you might come and stab you in the ass with a pole when you last expect it. I am only asking you to pay attention to every detail and not let anything catch you out of guard. I don't need to baby sit you now, do I? We have Haruno for that."_

Neji`s mocking tone did not went unnoticed by a brooding cerulean eyed Uzumaki. He felt a tap on his shoulder from the emerald eyed Sound agent, who was curiously holding his gaze, eyebrow raised. Naruto muttered his pale eyed friend's name, the said girl nodding once in understanding.

"I understand what you mean. And hey, who do you think needs a babysitter? Tell that to your fiancé, I bet she whips your pretty ass on daily basis haha!"

"…_Just don't say that…By the way, I cannot get to the leader. Las time I talked to him was about four hours ago and he assured me he keeps his eyes on us. Weird."_

There was suspicion in Neji`s usual calm and collected voice, because their team leader was a man of his words.

You don't see Uchiha Itachi neglecting his agents, because there was no one more dedicated to his job than him. Little did his agents know what exactly happened.

"I know, I can't get to the Teme`s brother either. Is there a possibility of a bug in the system…again? I thought Shino got it handled, last time I checked."

Naruto could already see the cabins clearly, relief washing through his system when he spotted the guide waiting for them in front of the two buses, with the people that go there first.

He was probably going to tell them whatever entrainment programs expected them further. Silently, the cerulean eyed Uzumaki agent truly hoped it was not going to consist in horror campfire stories.

"_Probably. Anyways, try to reach him more and as soon as you do that, let him know about what happens in here. He is able to clearly view us from there better and make a quick back up plan."_

"Roger that. By the way, Sakura-chan cannot contact Orochimaru as well."

"_That is even weirder. If the Otokage cannot be reached as well, it means this is no coincidence. Someone is purposely jamming our connections…again. This is no good. Me and Ten Ten are going to hike up to where you guys are and hide in the forest. We are going to keep a safe distance and provide backup if necessary."_

Naruto made a brief pause in his advance, turning his torso behind to wait for his CIA colleague, who seemed to be really tired. His ocean clear eyes softened in pity at the sight of her evident weakened state.

He knew the pink haired lady still had occasional pains from her injuries, not quite able to rest properly like the doctor suggested since she had to be there in the trip, moreover it was her mental state that was worrying him the most.

Not only her tired jadeite eyes were gleaming of paranoia, but she was probably really anxious over their more than blind state. Not only both of the agents couldn't reach their leaders, but their devices were not working either.

Now it was not like they didn't have basic agents instincts, but they were no ninjas. It was impossible to see someone in the darkness that was about to come or protect so many important people from an attack.

Naruto waited for the girl to approach him, raising his hand in her direction to help her jump a tiny flowing river, supporting her. Sasuke was nowhere in sight though. He was acting more than weird, even his best idiot friend realized.

"Be careful guys, no one can see you in here, either way it is going to be a disaster to explain it to the others. If we can fool this high class imbeciles mid difficulty, there is no way in Hell Teme is going to believe us. Maybe you and Tennie should monitor the situation from your own cabin."

"…_I am afraid your moronic state doesn't quite get the hang of the situation. Let me put it this way: considering the fact that we are in the middle of fucking nowhere, at 2000m altitude, in a secluded resort, with a possible attack emerging from the shadows, having to guard 40 people, with only the four of us, having our female partners recovering after their injuries, makes it an A ranked mission, possible even higher._

_If there is going to be an attack all right, I hope you do realize we have to contact the INTERPOL as well. So make sure you have Suigetsu`s number among your favorite contacts."_

Naruto frowned at this, catching Sakura`s attention, both of them getting closer to the expectant group. Good thing everyone was catching their breaths, or dramatizing about how ridiculously tiring the trip was, praising Sasuke from time to time for his idea to make their journey faster.

The truth was, even Naruto and Sakura thanked all the Heavens for his inspiration…or was intuition?

"That bad, huh? C'mon, give us some credit."

"_Naruto just…pay attention, ok? No matter what you do, keep your eyes and mind open and feel everything. See everything. The success of this depends on us. And we only have to withstand it this night. Tomorrow we are going back."_

There was no assurance coming from a very determined to cut the conversation short Hyuga heir and the golden haired Akatsuki was well aware of the fact.

That was serious. A possible attack considering their situation was going to be more than unwelcome, but his problem was…if there were assassins on their tails for real, then why didn't they attack until then?

They had the perfect chance to do so when they were on the shrine or walking through the forest? Were they waiting for them to go to slumber and send them to the after life in a more discreet manner?

Common enemies were not the type to wait for such opportunities. The only ones who were that tactful and organized, were indeed Lorane.

"Ok man. I got it. Me and Sakura-chan are going to handle things here. You try to contact Leader and keep an eye on us. Gotta go, I am supposed to play the rich, oblivious heir for now. Keep in touch."

"_Roger that. I'm hanging up. And remember Uzumaki: don't push it."_

"Aish stupid conceited jerk. He is just like the other Bastard. Always nagging me and giving me orders. I wanna beat them both to a pulp."

Naruto tapped his phone a bit to harsh, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent more indecent curses to escape his lips, he and Sakura stopping in front of the other people, but keeping a safe distance from them to better communicate.

They just didn't want to hear more of the women's whining. It was utterly disturbing. Like someone asked them to participate in the trip to begin with. They were probably single ladies in search of the perfect snob to cover them in gold.

A delicate eyebrow acknowledged his mutterings. Sakura was harshly breathing, both hands on her hips. Damn that thigh and the throbbing pain. And her stomach was betraying her wolf hunger with shameful groans, on his own accord. "Neji?"

"Yeah. They are coming here to play Batman of the Gotham. Be aware of freaks with cloaks hanging from the trees."

A large grin on Naruto`s eternal beaming with energy face made Sakura snort in disbelief. She was…everything that started with hunger and tiredness, yet he looked absolutely invigorated. What was he smoking?

"If they come with the Bat mobile then I am going to rest assured. Damn, I am so hungry and I start to think about those delicious looking blueberries and raspberries we have passed."

"I have seen some of this idiots here eating such things. See that fatty over there, in those huge green Bermuda shorts? Why do you think his pockets look like he has a hard on coming from his hips?"

A swiftly placed hand on his quivering lips prevented the Uzumaki agent to laugh at the content of his heart, when his eyes played the image of the said man making a fool of himself in the forest in his mind, bumping Sakura`s shoulder, who was eying him in confusion. Too bad she missed it.

"Yeah…he is kind of difficult to miss since he is stuffing his face with…are those forest fruits? And why is he smashing his backpack in between the fence and his body?"

"Pff…bwhahaha…because when that hippo bent his body to catch some bigger raspberries, his pants cracked in between his legs. Would you believe he wears a pair of orange men thong?" The mental images were more sinister than any haunting TV show Naruto has watched…ever.

Sakura turned her head abruptly, palming her emerald eyes, trying her best not to picture what her CIA colleague was telling her, and keep her focus on her task instead. What the Hell was wrong with those people anyways? "A…thong? That whale is wearing…oh my God, call Greenpeace. This is animal abuse."

"I know! By the way…where is Teme? Don't tell me he has been eaten by angry bears? Cos I totally don't see any boulder melt under his brooding stare."

Naruto took a look at his wristwatch, seeing that it was already 5 pm and the sun fully set. If the situation would have been less dangerous, Naruto would have marveled at the crimson hue the sky above had, enveloping all the landscape into an imperial fine red Chinese silk, adding to the nature's grandeur. It was beautiful.

"Last time I have seen him, he was helping some elder people cross the river, at the back of the group. He should come in any moment though. They were not that behind us anyways."

"…Teme helping someone? Fuck this is Apocalypse I tell you. Call the Mayans and tell them they were wrong all the times. This is the last sign before the world is going down auch!"

Naruto rubbed a very painful area of his ribs, where a very distressed Sakura vented on, disagreement obvious.

"Stop saying such things, will yea?! If anything, we must _not_ _allow _this to happen! Besides, shouldn't you be proud that your friend is sharing some of his undying generosity with the others as well? After all, everyone consider him selfish."

"No one considers him selfish, Sakura-chan, he is selfish. I bet he has a damn good reason not to push himself. He only stays with the elders because his psychological age cannot be measured with the normal calendars. I bet he uses formaldehyde instead of cologne, like mummies. Freaking bastard."

Naruto threw his heavy backpack right on the floor, making dust raising to their nostrils, much the emerald eyed Sound agent's disbelief, and took another sandwich the size of a Tokyo subway, shoving as much as it could get down his greedy mouth, showing the important people around his back, facing the small valley they have just crossed, pointing his index in the direction of the last to come people.

Sakura`s deep puff of air came in alleviation at the sight of the onyx eyed Uchiha approaching them with the same unfaltering demeanor, talking to what she recognized as the owner of a large Swiss dairy company, mentally approving with his choice.

The gentle elder was very intelligent, running his company alone, with the sole help of his eternally young fighting spirit and hardworking, still managed to be in top at such an age, not being senile in the slightest.

And he was fair with his business partners or subordinates, displaying patience and serenity into his relationships with the others. For that, he was widely appreciated.

"I bet he is going to beat you to a pulp when he finds out you are badmouthing him, Naruto-kun." A small knowing smirk in the direction of a very suddenly pale looking Akatsuki agent. He was chickening out.

"You are not going to tell him, are you? Because I swear if I hear anymore of his smartass retorts, I am going to make Lorane`s work two times easier and make his stupid ass get lost somewhere in here."

"…You know I am not going to let you do that, do you now?"

"Gosh you can be really scary sometimes, you know that?" Naruto was really busy trying his best to avoid ramen to leak from his sandwich, licking his fingers at letting out approving satisfied sounds, much to Sakura`s stupor.

Not only he was not acting to his reputation, but he was killing her insides slowly, not quite able to resist much longer. She had to eat and fast.

"I am a Sound agent, so it kinds of comes with the job. But thanks for stating the obvious."

She almost felt like screaming at the top of her lungs to Sasuke and the others to move faster, because to her it looked like they were deliberately took smaller steps. Universe was plotting against her. She was for once hungry, but couldn't go to eat.

Then it hit her: why couldn't she do that? Sasuke was there, and there was no one around. He was a grown up adult so at least he should have been able to go inside their room alone.

"Fuck this, I want food! I am going to raid the kitchen. You stay here and make sure everyone in here doesn't miss their cabins. God knows I loathe them with burning passion. Tell Sasuke I am going to stuff my face and then go to sleep. You take the first shaft and keep on guard. If anything, call me and I will be there. Then I am going to be the one to guard for the night."

"Are you sure about that? You need more rest than me Sakura-chan. I can take the night shaft if you want."

"No, it is ok. I cannot sleep much at night anyways. Might as well put it to good use."

"Pf…and Neji told _me_ not to push it. Fine, but don't eat all those chicken nuggets I have seen in the fridge. I love those things!"

She abruptly turned on her heel, leaving Naruto`s side, marching towards the cabin, passing everyone in the process. She raised her hand in the air, losing her steps into the cabin, signaling her blonde haired CIA colleague she was not going to eat those unhealthy things.

That had a lot of salt to begin with. And ketchup. She was going for the mushrooms and salad instead…or anything for the matter.

Naruto was having a goofy smile plastered on his face, finishing the remained bits of his meal, mentally planning to go and empty the fridge from all the delicious things he spotted in there later.

He vaguely heard the guide saying something about a large fire camp later that night and lots of marshmallows. He was snickering at the thought of Sasuke`s face when he was going to find out about the joys of socializing with the others, while enjoying sweets.

It was too damn funny. He was probably going to sulk in a corner, avoiding being kidnapped by hungry for his body and money women and rapped in the forest.

A well placed hit on his nape made him choke with a pretty large piece of bread, coming from his raven haired friend, who managed to slip undetected behind him, not even his breath betraying his presence in his vicinity, taking him by surprise.

"The fuck…you Bastard, what the hell man?! Are you nuts?"

"Why are you smiling like the idiot you are? Where is Sakura?"

"Hmpf…because some people tend to do that when they are happy, you know? That alien to you feeling, when your heart beats faster and you feel like hugging everyone you encounter. And you can rest assured, no one stole her from you."

Naruto couldn't help his own smirk at the sight of his friend clenching his jaw at his obvious implication, like he was doing his best to hold back and not punch the living daylights out of his best friend, in front of his business partners. It was pure entertainment for the Uzumaki heir.

"Your idea of the concept is revolting and disgusting. I now lost my appetite. Now stop being the knucklehead you are and tell me where she is. If not…" Sasuke hardened his dark gaze at his friend, only making him snicker more, making a fool of himself with his caveman's manners.

In those rarely moments the midnight haired Uchiha was not busy having nightmares of his company related files or stupid freakish flashback like dreams, he wondered what kind of drug was he on when he allowed the idiot in front of him to publicly make a statement out of their friendship.

"If not what? I am not telling you. Because you are a Bastard and you suck!" To make his point clear, Naruto even stuck his tongue outside, much to Sasuke`s horror. Everyone was throwing disbelieving glances at them.

Of course he didn't give a damn about that, but he needed to see his pink haired maid. The reason unknown to him.

"Naruto…what have we talked about embarrassing me in front of the most important company owners on Earth?"

"…that they are equally annoying as monkeys on heat?"

A sharp eyebrow raised in question. Was his best friend high from eating mushrooms? Was it even possible? Maybe they were poisoned and he was going to die. That was the best scenario in the young Uchiha`s mind. "That is my line, dobe."

"I don't care! You said it, not me." Of there was something Naruto loved more than his Ramen was annoying the Hell out of his friend, and it work each time, perfectly. Sweet revenge on him.

"I don't have the patience to deal with you Naruto. If she is not here, she is either in our room, or in the kitchen."

"…You do realize you have just called it _our_ room, don't you?"

"Aren't you damn observant sometimes, dobe? Maybe Ramen is truly replacing your neurons for the moment. Try not to go low on that one, either ways you are going to end up in the mental hospital, with shots in your head. Idiot."

Not even sparing anyone a single glance, Sasuke went straight into the cabin, up to the room he and the pink haired maid were occupying, wanting nothing more than let his head hit the pillow and escape everyone that annoyed him to no end, starting with his best friend.

And when he entered the said room, Sasuke was greeted by the sight of one rosy haired maid, who looked like she dived into her own luggage, cursing and searching intently for God only knew what.

With the way she was kneeing in front of the backpack, having half of her body hidden inside, she looked funny as Hell.

The raven haired man even entertained the idea to not let his presence known and look at her, totally amused by her antics. Damn was that woman cute when she wanted and it came so natural to her, it was even painful not to follow her demeanor.

Plus, Sasuke`s suddenly hungry eyes had a beautiful view of her toned ass, tempting him from the tight pants she wore, making his hand skillfully slip behind him and lock the door, as if he foreshadowed something…evil. The others could burn in the pits of inferno. He had plans for him and a certain emerald eyed maid.

"Ah…shit, just where the hell have I put that anyways?! I think I am losing my mind…Aishhhhh…." Not even aware of her boss` presence in the room, the Sound agent carried on with her train of colorful curses she picked form Karin and Anko, giving any sailor a run for his money, totally unaware of her surroundings.

That, until the other occupant of the room made his presence known with a fake cough, to catch her attention. The reaction immediate.

"Sakura…" The said woman's head shot from the backpack, where it was stuck, jade eyes flying open at the sight of the midnight haired Uchiha`s passive eyes glued to her face, eyebrows curled up in question.

"Sasuke! God, you scared me! When did you come?" Sasuke was mentally envisioning depressing images to contain a laughter to escape his vocal chords at the sight of a yellow bra hanging on his maid's head, stuck to her messy slightly damp, probably from the shower, pink hair locks. She had no idea.

"Just now. What are you doing?" Sasuke closed the distance between him and a standing up Sakura, the said girl's small cute cheeks rivaling the sunset's hue in embarrassment, when an incriminatory piece of clothing fell on her shoulder, she wasting no time in throwing the bra back where it belonged, shying her gaze away from her dark haired boss.

"I…ah…think I forgot my pajamas at home, in the washing machine. And I don't want to sleep in the hiking clothes, either."

Ever since she finished eating, maybe a bit too fast, Sakura had one thought in mind and that was laying on the inviting bad and maybe even sleep for one of two hours, felling her eyelashes beg for being intertwined, even for a moment. Maybe the purpose of the long trip was to successfully worn them out.

Sasuke folded his arms upon his chest, attracting Sakura`s emerald eyes to his toned muscles, making her mouth go dry at this sight of him.

Even in his tired state, that man was doing funny things to her system. "Hn…you know, that is a problem that can be easily solved."

"Really? How?" Sakura felt her face combust when the raven haired Uchiha leaned in towards her ear, fanning the words upon the soft skin of her ear shell like a gentle summer breeze, adding a bit of sensuality to his dark alluring voice, to add to the tension between their bodies.

"You can sleep naked. I know I wouldn't mind it in the slightest…Sakura."

"Wha…no! I refuse to sleep naked…_in the same bad as you_." To prove her point, Sakura stomped her heel on the wooden floor, pouting comically like a little child at the Zoo, whose mother wouldn't buy him a strawberries cotton candy, then totally ignoring the raven haired Uchiha, resumed her hunt for proper clothes to cover her body, into her backpack.

"Hn. Then you could sleep in your sleeping bag to blend into the camping atmosphere. I am going to the shower."

Sakura vaguely heard Sasuke roaming through his belongings, probably searching for a towel and show gel, then going straight into the bathroom.

But she was not fast enough to curs him at the way he carelessly thrown one of his black T-Shirts straight on her head.

"As much as I truly appreciate a woman's modesty, there is nothing I have not seen before. Use this." And shut the door behind him, stepping into the shower, covering Sakura`s inspiring bashing words with the sound of a steaming jet hitting his skin.

"ARHG! Stupid jerk. I despise his guts to no end!" Nevertheless, the emerald eyed agent found herself discarding her shorts and top on the floor, letting the soft cotton fabric of Sasuke`s shirt relish her body with his warmth, up to her thighs. She couldn't help but grab the collar and smell it.

"_Forest rain and cedar…not bad."_ It smelt just like him. And she already felt her mind plague with indecent concepts of his scent enveloping her…again. She was going nuts, that was for certain.

Not even bothering to neatly fold her clothes back on her luggage, Sakura skillfully threw them back where they belonged, aiming at the backpack's opening, like a professional basketball player, hurling her body straight in the middle of the bed, exhaling contently at the feel of the grey bed sheets molding over her bare long legs, as she sprawled her frame on her tummy, with her palms facing the floor, hanging on the edges of the bad, burying her face into the mattress, listening to the sound of the water drumming over her boss's skin, mentally trying to picture himself under the stream.

Why she was doing that, she had no idea, but just the mere thought of him bathing that delicious body of his, was turning her on. But that was ok, because Sakura was certain that would turn any woman on…even some men.

Yeah, she knew some of the males present there were eying him with sparkling…interest. She laughed to no end at that with Naruto, but it was not like she was going to disclose that particular newfound information to Sasuke.

Lost into her thoughts, the emerald eyed Sound agent failed to notice the lack of the running water's sound, vaguely aware of the bathroom door opening.

It was when she heard the unmistakable noise of the wood screech has Sakura elevated her jade eyes, towards her raven haired boss, feeling an electrical jolt parole down her spine at the sight of his damp ebony locks glued to his pale face and neck and bare torso. The arrogant Uchiha was clad in only a pair of dark pants and was eying her intently.

The both started a staring contest, each of them with their own thoughts. Sakura felt her panties wet at how incredibly handsome her boss looked like in that moment, not able to stop her lips to part at the sight of him getting closer to her, until his knees touched the tips of her fingers, looking down at her vulnerable position, trapping her there, with his gaze. Sasuke on the other hand, was not thinking to begin with.

Oh no. That would do him no good, because if he was to think about something, it would have lead him to the logical conclusion of not engaging any of them in any activity when there were people following him out there, probably waiting for him to lower down his guard.

Instead, he deliberately curled the corner of his upper lip into a totally devious smirk that made Sakura`s heart bounce straight to her throat at the sight of the seductive look his smoldering eyes were enveloping her much smaller lying frame with, feeling caged into his spellbound.

"Now Sakura, it is not that I do not appreciate the view of you clad into my clothes, but I find it hard to believe you are not willing to share some space with me in the bed you are so comfortable monopolizing."

Sakura found it all the more difficult to focus on catching the meaning of the dark haired man's words, when she had a breathtaking view of his hard toned body to delight her darkened forest green eyes.

From the position she was in, the pink haired lady could practically see every protruding muscle's sharp contour, the one in his lower abdomen included in a way so sinfully delicious it sent jolts of lighting right in the middle of her golden sparkling in need irises, the message clear for Sasuke to see.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." The emerald eyed agent pushed her body in a knee standing position, prompting her body in her resting in between her parted knees hands, ignorant at the way the black texture of the cloth she wore patterned her feminine curves, revealing more of her porcelain smooth skin, enticing a pair of immersed in lust jet orbs with the image of a Madonna expecting his expert touches, she too undressing him with a longing prolonged stare. "I thought you were not going to sleep."

"And why should I not do this?" Albeit he was well aware of the totally inappropriate context and situation, Sasuke found himself pressing the bed sheets with his knee, descending his body towards his maid's level, his fingertips finding their way to her delicate jaw, pulling a stunned beautiful face towards his smirking lips, waiting for Sakura to exhale sharply once at the sudden contact.

"…Because you are…ahm…naked?" It was getting hard for Sakura to form coherent logical reasoning when she felt Sasuke`s shoulder press her forearm, supporting his own body weight on his available hand, the other tracing the line of her jaw, in a relaxing manner.

A dark, low and velvety signature chuckle rumbled from the raven haired Uchiha`s chiseled chest made Sakura`s skin vibrate, feeling goose bumps rise on each side of her neck, down her shoulder blades at his totally sexy demeanor.

And his cool mint breath winding upon her parted lips, letting her taste his amazing scent on the tip of her tongue, was making desire rolling in the pits of her navel, shooting straight to her inner walls, need feeling her up with every blink of his long lashes in her direction. "Am I now? It is because someone else is wearing my clothes. How about…you _do me _a favor and return it to his rightful owner, mm?"

If not for the sun to have claimed its imposing imperial topaz domination over the livings, Sakura would have held the record for the blush of the century at the obvious innuendo in the midnight knowingly smirking Uchiha heir's well chosen words.

She too had to play her part, didn't she? Although Sakura was well aware of the really bad idea of stirring the beast within him further with an equally meaningful retort that held nothing innocent in it, the idea clear.

"How about you _take it_ yourself?" A not so innocent wink playing upon her eyelashes. She even traced the tip of her tongue on her lower lip just to make her point clear.

Sasuke`s onyx eyes were flaming dangerously, flashing the all to inviting lady with a sinfully sexy smirk on his face. "Hn…with_ pleasure_."

Two pairs of ravenous lips found themselves clashed together, in a passionate fight for dominance, tongues not waiting for invitation or turns to explore at each one' s content until both the raven haired Uchiha and his emerald eyed maid felt themselves breathe each other's life from the much deprived of oxygen lungs, neither wanting to break the contact.

In their ardent entangle in each other's embraces, Sakura found herself trapped in between Sasuke`s ripped body and the warm mattress, her back colliding with the bed, the said jet eyed man settling comfortable in between her bent knees, mindful of her injuries, supporting his weight on the palms he had settled on each side of the emerald eyed lady's head, not once unlocking his lips from her silky sweet ones.

The pink haired Sound agent was melting at the feel of the sprightly fluttering of the butterflies zooming in and out of her stomach and chest, free from the cage they were secured in, waiting to respond to Sasuke`s intoxicating kiss.

The raven haired heir successfully stole a broken moan from her velvet moist lips, muffled by his expert mouth secured on her own.

The young Uchiha was sure he was going to lose it for real if Sakura would continue to suck on his lower lip like a newborn thirsty nymph in search for the flower's nectar, to sustain her fragile life, biting, liking and sucking his very soul, with the intensity of her moves, drinking him and drowning into his body.

It was Sasuke the one to surprisingly let his lips slip from Sakura`s ravenous ones, allowing her to catch a much needed breath, shifting his body so that he could support himself on his legs, pressing the rounded bone of his knee on his emerald eyed maid's front lace lingerie, smirking at the sight of her color of choice.

Pastel pink, just like the very suggestion of the fitting name she wore on her lips and soft skin.

"Mmm...why have you..." Sakura`s bathed in desire glimmering eyes crept half opened, forest green beaming under the long eyelashes in regret at the lose of contact, instantly sweeping her fingertips over his bare chest, wandering her nails upon his lean pectorals, caressing his shoulders, then going down his stomach, where his sculpted hard rock muscles were undulating under her touch, stirring the desire inside her mind even further.

He clasped her wrists on his chest, holding her hands still against him, his puffs of breath uneven, panting just as hard as her.

"Sakura…we should stop while we still can." Sasuke tried to gather all the reason he barely had and consider his situation more.

Someone was there probably waiting for a chance and what he was doing was exactly what his chasers wanted, but at the same time, he found himself not quite giving a damn about it. Not when a pair of the most intense forest green were threateningly urged him to go on and give into the fantasy of the moment.

"…Sasuke…" There was a dark almost desperate way in her voice that made Sasuke`s eyes get trapped into the way she forced her hands out of his grip, and arched her back to lift herself up against him, encompassing her arms around his waist intertwining her fingers on his spine, gluing his body on her own, bringing both back on the bed, not quite bothered by the fact that, as he was sitting in between her legs, he could have hurt her.

That was the last thing in Sakura`s mind when she felt his hips collapsing on her own, his obviously hardened member teasingly pocking her burning core, filling her with anticipation.

And before her logics had a chance to stop her mind to shut down and give into temptation, the emerald eyed Sound agent let her hips wiggle, testing the friction, the electrical response between their bodies immediate.

She felt her eyes dart at the back of her head at the contact. And the sole coherent sentence she could form before succumbing to her boss` dark thoughts, made the said Uchiha unleash his lips on her own, kissing her ravenously. "…touch me…please…"

Sasuke nodded once, more like trying to induce in his own assurance that he was not taking advantage of her attraction towards him, letting his body respond to her needy calling, parting his lips and inviting her tongue to get comfortable inside his mouth and dictate the pace of their kiss, while his hands took the lead out of their own accord and roam at their content, massaging her breasts, squeezing lightly, then proceeding down to her smooth navel.

The Uchiha heir got more moans in delight upon his lips when his fingers started to fondle her inner thigh, drawing imaginary circles up and down the silky skin, his touch making her skin tremble in pleasure.

Sakura found her hands somewhere lost in his rebellious cold damp hair, twirling and pulling the soft locks whenever the onyx eyed Uchiha, who decided to focus his attention on her shoulders and neck, found a more sensitive point on her naked frame, biting and stimulating her to the point she felt unable to withstand anymore distance between their melting bodies.

And when she felt him touch her so close to her more needing lower regions, she felt like screaming out loud at him to stop teasing her and go for it. What was he waiting for anyways?

She was beyond turned on and his more than tight pants pressing her with every roll of her hips she did, assured her he was, for some unknown reason, holding back. Not only that, but the pink haired agent found it impossible to contain her frustration at the lack of touch on her more than asking for attention hardened nipples.

And she knew Sasuke was well aware of what he was doing to her and although she would have gladly let his tongue take as many licks on her collarbone, shoulders and pulse as he pleased, she needed his warm lips in some other parts of her body.

And a sudden jerk up of her body, forced his chin down to rest right in between her deep cleavage, pointing at her untamed heart, the message clear.

But Sakura couldn't bring herself to watch him in his eyes while she did so, turning her head on the pillow, eyes shut, neck burning in both shame and pleasure, a hue rose shade surging on her earlobes and cheeks.

A low manly chuckle vibrating through Sasuke`s broad chest sent Sakura to unknown levels of insanity, the said man deeply amused by her so innocent messages towards him.

She was that astonishingly irresistible to him combination between pure and sensual, and it turned him even worse than he was. He leaned in to whisper into her ear, taking her hot supple earlobe in between his teeth, rubbing gently. "Impatient, are we? Tell me what you want, Sakura."

He couldn't possible ask her to utter such words, was he? Sakura found herself letting out an involuntary moan in anticipation when a hand grazed her bellybutton, down her navel and coming to rest a palm right on her mons, feeling her burn under the thin lace of her panties.

"Ahhh…just…all..I want it…mmm…all…" She didn't even know what she wanted in the very first place, because the multitude of feeling she had were making her dizzy. Her all muscles were throbbing, blood was pumping through her veins and she was getting wetter as Sasuke deliberately slow, let his hand descend further in between her parted legs, curling two fingers around the lace piece of cloth that covered her inner lips, moving his hand up and down the front of her lace panties, that he was holding, letting the abrasive material rub sensually in between her folds, right on her clit, marveling at the sight of her sudden body response, when her uncovered for his eyes to see aperture dripped with slick essences.

"All, you say? You know Sakura, you should be more…_explicit _ because I find it hard to understand what you really want." Sasuke fastened his peace a bit, making sure each time he pulled her stringed panties tighter up to grind in between her spread inner lips, his knuckles brushed her sensitive bud in the process as well, doubling the pleasure. She started to squirm her legs under him, wanting more.

"…S…stop playing…arhhhhhh…with me…damn it!"

"Not when I have you in this position, Sakura." He made sure he rolled her name sensually out of his tongue, darkly, hotly, just to make her even wetter, at the feel of his fondling and low voice.

"Why you little…" No matter what curse she had in stock for him, Sakura found her mouth assaulted by a hungry bruising kiss, successfully silencing her.

She moaned loudly at the feel of Sasuke`s lips suckling and massaging her own, hungrily, sensually, like he was feeding from her lust and need, his tongue darting inside flicking over her own, playing with her, drinking her, at the same peace with his expert slipped under her panties digits, stroking the smooth, soaked skin of her labia.

Sakura thought she was going to lose her mind at the sensation of his hands touching her most secluded treasures, in a way so sinfully delicious, it should be forbidden. She clenched her fists into Sasuke`s midnight hair, arching her neck and leaning her head further into the pillow, panting and moaning. "Don't you even dare insulting me, Sakura."

Sasuke removed his lips from Sakura`s plump cherry flavored ones, planting soft damp kisses down her chin and long neck, taking advantage of her already arched torso, growling deeply in his throat at the way she was pulling out her hair, not even aware it was only turning him more.

And his body response was doubled at the feel of his fingers gliding over her slick with juices sensitive folds, getting a terrible need to press his mouth at her dripping core, eat her out and see how nectar sweet she would feel on his tongue.

"Arghhh…Sasuke…I want…too much…" When Sakura felt Sasuke fastening his rub in between her legs, using his skilful lean digits to part her lips and curl them at her opening, she jerked her hips up at the sudden electrical bolt discharging down, forcing his index finger inside her, the sensation magnetizing. She couldn't take anymore of his teasing.

Sasuke`s onyx eyes shot down, marveling at the erotic sight of his finger being entirely swallowed by her clamping around her inner walls, feeling his mouth going dry. Man was that pink haired lady absolutely tempting.

He knew what she wanted, but he was not going to grant her wish so fast. Seeing her tremble under him was too much of the sight to let it go. And that was why he reluctantly removed his finger from her, making her whimper at the lose of contact, emerald eyes flying open in confusion.

"…Why…have you stopped…" Sasuke gave her a quick chaste kiss, whispering upon her full lips. "Sasuke…"

"…not yet. I am not done with you."

"What…ohh!" Not wasting anymore time Sasuke covered her perked proud nipple with his mouth, pressing his lips over the wrinkled sensitive tissue of her areola, sucking greedily at her breast, increasing the friction between his clamped around her breast mouth and the cotton piece of cloth enveloping her from the curious eyes to see, rubbing her rosy bud in a deliciously maddening way, making the moan that was making its way to her panting lips broke at the base of her throat.

And the pure bliss only bloomed tenfold when Sasuke' s digits found their way at the hem of his own shirt covering his maid, spreading his palm on each sides of Sakura' s sinuous sides and, trapping the cotton fabric in between his thumbs and curled indexes, dragged the offending article up her chest, all the way making sure the back of his palms massaged their way from the heart shaped hips to her slim waist and rib, pulling the T-shirt up to her head, the said lady wasting no time in arching her back to help him get rid of it.

The emerald eyed woman slipped her arms through the large sleeves tossing the sole thing covering her bare delicate shoulders down on the floor, her rushed of lust hands secured themselves immediately around the onyx eyed Uchiha's neck, relishing in the way his sharp longer ebony strands were grazing the smooth skin inside her arms and wrists, cold drops of water sticking to the tiny hair on her limbs, cooling down her own body temperature, the sudden contact electrifying.

"Sasuke...argh..." Whatever Sakura intended to say got stuck down her vocal chords when the said insatiable Uchiha aimed to her long neck, connecting his soft lips to her pulse, feeling her pulsating need vibrate on his tongue with every sharp lick he took, his teeth finding the slim layer of creamy skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder, puncturing Sakura's then bruised skin with his canines, the said lady palming his shoulders at the surge of both pain and pleasure washing her.

She trapped his chin in between her collar bone and head, resting her madly burning rosy cheek on his messy curled up hair, pressing her full heavily raising chest on his torso, panting almost breathless.

Sakura knew she was beyond aroused, any coherent thought only heading in the direction of Sasuke's spicy flavored shampoo in his amazingly soft wet midnight locks, under her nostrils and his expert fondling.

"Mmmmm…" The young agent felt helpless under his touches. He was doing everything so skillfully amazing that it made her blood pump into her muscles in a maddening tempo.

She had tremors all over her body, pure desire stirring inside her when Sasuke traced the base of her full creamy breasts with his tongue, leaving each part he caressed wet and burning. In the meantime, he swiftly dragged her totally unnecessary pink panties down her knees and ankles, throwing them aimlessly behind him, leaving her gloriously naked for his hungry eyes to see.

His lips found the proper time to attach to her bare erect nipple and pull it gently, suckling hungrily, giving his twin a hard squeeze, massaging and getting her to Heaven. He was good. So good it got her addicted to him.

"Sasuke…there….ahhh…are…people…out there…" And she was not referring to the other heirs solely. There was a high possibility of other assassins watching them from the shadows. Although…she found a stupid feeling of protection under Sasuke`s hands, giving in to him completely. She was crazy, but he was doing that to her.

"Hh. Want me to stop?" Like Hell was Sasuke going to stop tasting her absolutely divine sweet skin, just because there were imbeciles roaming around, or sleeping in the room beside the one they were occupying. From his point of view, they could go and fuck themselves some other place. He was busy.

Stop touching her? That was the last thing in Sakura`s mind, when she felt Sasuke`s tongue leave her full mounds, traced her flat stomach, covering the porcelain skin in butterfly kisses, all the way down her navel, stopping in between her parted thighs, pressing his mouth on the small crevice amidst her upper lips, tracing his mouth lower, until it reached her wet core, coming back with ample licks on each side of her labia, burning her skin with teasing damp kisses and precise ample rubs of his teeth and tongue.

"Aaaa!" That was the last strand for Sakura. When she realized what Sasuke was doing, her mind exploded. She couldn't believe he was actually oral pleasuring her in such a shameful, but voluptuous manner, not giving a damn about anyone that could hear them.

Her hands flight on each sides of the bed, gripping the sheets until her knuckles got a purple pallor, trashing her head and pushing her hips up into his touch. Sakura could not help herself and not scream in ecstasy. It felt too good and it got unbearable.

"As much as I would want you to scream, I am afraid you will have to lower your voice Sakura. You cannot possibly want them to hear you, do you?" Oh how much Sasuke wanted to hear his name echoing through the cabin, up to the peak they descended and let everyone know the woman he was pleasuring was his. But he knew he couldn't.

There were people out there wanting his head and he was not stupid enough to risk their lives. Her life especially, because the raven haired Uchiha couldn't care less about what happened to him. But no one was going lay a finger on her…except him.

"….mmmm…." Sakura had to bit her lower lip hard, in order to prevent more indecent sounds to shot out of her throat. "…more…I want…more of…"

She buried her nose into the pillow, muffling a loud scream when she felt Sasuke tickling her lace like inner lips with the tip of his abrasive tongue on each side of her folds, rolling her clit in between his teeth, pressing his lower lip at her opening.

"More…of what? Of this?" Sasuke cupped Sakura`s knees, preventing her to tighten her legs around him and uncover herself, parting her legs wider, mindful at the deep cut on her thigh, enfolding her soft petals blooming in front of his eyes soaked with milky fluids. He pursed his lips and blown a hot stream of air on her entrance, sending rippling shivers down her spine.

A deep blossom hue sailed on her earlobes, cheeks and down her neck, at the way the raven haired Uchiha was looking at her in that moment.

She felt so opened and vulnerable in front of him, under him and it was both succumbing and weird. She was past shyness the moment he let him touch her like that. "…y…yesss…please just…"

Sakura shut her darkened unfocused eyes when she felt Sasuke losing his tongue in between her folds, molding inside her hot passage, tasting her burning flesh clamping inside his expert insatiable exploration, stroking her to madness until there was a supernova of raw pleasure building in the pits of her stomach and spreading the immersing pleasure onto her delighted body, in the form of chilling tremors pricking at the insides of her thigh, up to her groins and resting painfully addicting to the small bundle of begging for attention swollen bud, enfolding her erect inner petals more, to uncover the way to her innocence, like a secret untouched fountain of wonders, tempting the man playing his skilful muscle inside her as far as he could, succumb to drinking her sweet nectar and satisfy his craving for the forbidden revealed for only him to taste aphrodisiac.

"Sasuke….AHHHHH!"

She tasted like sweet peaches and honey, dipping his own lips of her juices, mixing into his saliva, the sensation intoxicating for both of them.

The tip of Sasuke` s nose nuzzling her clit, the way his lips were clamping on the inner side of her labia and sweet folds, and the hard curling of his tongue exploring key delectable points inside her sent her straight to cloud nine.

Sasuke flicked his tongue over her syrupy rosy bundle of nerves, sucking her clit into his mouth, not letting any part of her feminine treasures void of his attention, taking his time into satiate from the divine virgin unique scent her trembling in satisfaction body was praising him with, marveling at how beautiful every part of her and how remarkable fitting to his touches she was , each pore and delicate vein of her sensitive tissue pumping more blood and nectar like juices, in acceptance to the pleasure he was giving.

"Do you like this, Sakura?"

The emerald eyed woman could only nod once, too lost in pleasure to form a coherent word. She probably couldn't, because it was obvious the way she was biting the inside of her cheek to keep her screams down.

She almost tore the bed sheets in half with the intensity of her grip. Her body was trembling and jerking with every touch he did, not able to withstand the bliss any longer. Sakura needed release and he knew that much.

"...Uhhh….Y…yes…more…please…give me…more" There was a small voice at the back of her head that laughed at the way she was naughtily asking for such a thing, that sounded painfully alike Karin, praising her for finally discovering men and the wonderful things they could give. But in that moment, Sakura would have said and done anything just to feel more of Sasuke basically fucking her with his tongue and fingers.

And he was going to do just as she asked him. Sasuke placed his hands under Sakura`s firm ass, lifting her hips up from the bed, placing the back of her knees on his shoulders, bringing her at the same level with his face, giving him fully access to freely explore her from that position.

That forced Sakura to arch her back and neck more, supporting her body on her elbows, not quite able to remove her jade eyes from Sasuke`s face. She could basically see more of what he was doing to her from that new angle, the scene pure erotic.

His gorgeous face placed right at her entrance, and his high cheek rubbing the inside of her thigh, sensually, hotly, tempting, was making more juices coming from her. He couldn't have been sexier than that. "How much more should I give?"

And he even spoke in that velvety low way that made the butterflies in her stomach squirm in delight, knowing exactly what she felt. "All…you have…" Sakura held his intense burning gaze, until a deviously smirk rose on his lips. "…Sasuke…"

"You asked for it." The onyx eyed heir felt his mouth going dry at the terrible need for her he had. An insanely thirst urged his lips to clamp around her erect and more than craving to be stimulated further clit.

He sucked on it with the same burning aroused passion running high on her curled on his broad back toes, in the form of million shooting stars shutting down her already light headed mind and crashing down in between the valley in between her parted thighs, her hips responding with a jerk up at the sudden clench of her lower muscles, ankles locked securely around the raven haired man's rippling shoulder blades, grazing his earlobes with her knees.

She was desperately trying to alleviate the almost agonizing need to be harder filled by something thicker and stronger, able to reach that exploding spot confined inside her passage and show her the miracle of entrusting herself completely in his manly expert touches.

Sakura`s ragged breaths filling her burning lungs in between the dragged moans, were songs in canon to Sasuke`s ears, getting a higher note each time his tongue found a faster tempo inside her, playing the inner music of her blissful state at each contact his glistened in her essences tongue had with her skin.

He was not using any finger, his hands securely trapping her knees, keeping her steady, eating her out, not getting enough. She was sweet as honey and vanilla, each part of her more beautiful with every revealing untouched spots. Sasuke made sure he stroked her as fast and deep as he could go, feeling her getting close to the much expectant orgasm.

Sakura could feel the heat burning inside her, each time Sasuke rolled his tongue in and out of her, the sensation maddening. It wasn't long before she came hard and unexpected, feeling her mind blow, throwing her to bliss. "Aaaaaa!"

She had to silence her mouth from screaming Sasuke`s name in ecstasy, by jerking her head on her side, her sounds muffled by the pillow. All her muscles exploded in relief, letting her flush, on Sasuke`s hands. She was completely exhausted, sweating and panting. The shivers down her spine and toes were still shocking her cells. She felt tired, but amazingly calm.

Sasuke drunk everything her body had to offer, satiating from her juices, licking her clean, all down to her thighs, grazing his tongue slowly and gently, dwindling the moves of his tongue, aware of her being extremely sensitive after her climax. She tasted beyond divine, like the heavenly nectar from the sweetest cherry blossom and it got him dizzy. She was amazing. Every part of her.

"Hm…I must say Sakura…" Sasuke gently entangled her legs from his shoulders, lowering her body down on the bad, getting on the top of her, supporting himself on all his fours, cupping her chin softly and turning her head towards him. She had a content expression on her face, but she was avoiding her gaze.

She was probably feeling shameful for getting pleasure in such a way. He mentally smirked at that. "…I already knew your taste…" He brushed a damp lock of her forehead, kissing the top of her head, then resting his lips over her parted ones, mixing his breath with ragged one.

It was in the moment Sasuke`s cool breath blew inside her lungs, had Sakura gained courage to open her glistening emerald eyes, not able to look into his onyx eyes. Not when he deliberately licked his succulent lips once, sensually, as to show her how good his feast was.

She blushed madly at that, knowing exactly what he was showing her. "…like Heaven." And kissed her deeply, rolling his tongue inside her mouth, letting her get a taste of herself on his mouth. Two hands lazily weaved around his neck, accompanied by a small satisfied moan.

It was Sakura the one to broke their contact, a trail of mixed saliva lingering between their retracting tongues, the taste of her own juices and Sasuke`s unique exquisite taste, almost making her wet again. "…I…can't believe…how great it felt…"

The young Uchiha heir smirked sexily at her, placing another kiss upon her lips. She was playing with the ebony spikes at the back of his head, just like she did when she wanted to feel him close to her, because she felt unsure.

He found the gesture having a soothing effect on him as well. It was the manner his own mother used when he had bad dreams as a child, relaxing him and making him feel protected. "Aa. I know. And that was why I did it."

"You are crazy to…here…what if someone heard us?" Sasuke let his back rest on the bad, beside his pink haired maid, pulling her tightly to his body, slipping a hand around her waist, hugging her. Sakura got comfortable into his arms, placing her cheek into the crock of his neck, resting her palm above his heart, lulled by the raise and fall of his warm chest.

Sasuke dragged the covers over their bodies, up to Sakura`s shoulders, well aware that she was stark naked. But the feel of her delicate, fragile body entangled with his own, was making the raven haired Uchiha feel like God was resting his hand upon his temples. It felt so right for her to be there, trapped into his arms. "Who? Dobe, or the rhino of his room mate? I am sure they are both dead to the world by now."

A small giggle escaped Sakura`s lips when she heard her onyx eyed supposed boss making fun of the other people. It was not a daily occurrence to have him loosen up around someone so easily. "Be careful, from what I have heard, he is a pretty important IT holding group." Sakura sighed contently at the feel of Sasuke`s finger drawing weary circles on her hip, lulling her to slumber. She was dead tired. And his hard rock body felt so warm.

Before Sasuke had a chance to consider what he said, he found his heart actually doing the talk into his place, stunning Sakura. "No one is more important than _you _right now." Has she heard him right?

The Sound agent felt a sharp breath preventing her to inhale, her heart running a million miles per hour, like a cosmic star. Has he just confessed to her, in his own cryptic and so Sasuke-ish way?

"I like this side of you…Sasuke. You are a good person, even if you try so hard to hide it." Sakura pressed her lips chastely on his throat and sharp jaw, not able to stop herself from smiling.

He lowered chin, stealing a quick innocent kiss from her lips, loving the way her silky petals were massaging his own, always making it feel like the first time they did that. Sasuke absolutely _loved _to kiss her. The more, the better.

But she was naïve to entertain the idea of him being good. There was nothing good left of his tainted soul. Only an angel like her would be able to feel any tiny flick of light inside him, because it was her who was lighten it up. "Are you sure I am?"

Sakura cuddled her head back on his shoulder, nuzzling her nose under his jaw line, inhaling his amazing scent. "…I have no doubt about that…" She wanted time to stop running and lock herself into his embrace for eternity.

Just laying there with him hugging her possessively was giving her satisfaction. Such a short amount of time has passed since they have met, and so many beautiful things rooted between them.

It was amazing…what they had in that moment. "…it is you the one to not have enough trust in yourself…just like I used to …even now…when I find myself in your embrace, but cannot help to feel like I don't deserve it."

"….do you like this?" Sasuke let his eyes roam over each curve of Sakura`s delightful body, taking in the bed sheets covering her were molding over every feminine feature. She was a Goddess and he couldn't help but envision the picturesque form of her delicate frame secluded under the navy silk mattress in his room. "Be into my arms?"

The midnight haired heir was truly curious of what she truly felt about him. He knew they could not go outside and shout it to the world to see they were together. That would not benefit any of them.

"…I do. I want to be here with you. I am glad you brought me here." Funny, because Sasuke knew they were not even officially together, yet there they were, enjoying one another's company, like they were newlyweds in their honey moon. What an extraordinary thing life was and how mysterious its paths were.

"I am glad…you came to me, from all the people…_from all the men._" Sakura felt like crying at his words. She didn't chose him, someone else sent her there. But the question lingered in the air: was her Papa the one to sent her into Sasuke`s arms, or Fate? "You didn't judge me...Sasuke…"

"Hn…" Before he had a chance to find an answer to her deep meaning, Sasuke felt the lady exhaling deeply, signalizing him she was asleep. He let out a ghost of a smile, something he rarely did, kissing the top of her forehead. She deserved a good rest. "…you have no idea."

But there was no way Sasuke would have allowed slumber to envelop his pearl black eyes, when he knew exactly he was in danger. He found himself wondering why no one attacked him yet…or the others. Maybe they were waiting for something to happen…like getting a signal from their leader or targeting another person instead.

It didn't matter. They were fools if they thought he lowered his guard so easily. Not a chance. And he almost smirked at the thought of his sharp Kusanagi blade resting securely under the bed, begging to slash through the flesh and blood of his enemies, as he did not long ago.

The mere thought of delivering the Death God more of their sinful souls was making adrenaline pump through his veins. He was insane. Really insane. And yet…there was an innocent creature thrown from Paradise, right into his arms.

Funny how much she trusted his life into his arms. Sasuke smirked devilishly, facing the wooden wall above. No one was going to hurt her until the last breath would leave his lungs. And the raven haired heir swore he was going to watch her from down there as well.

}{

-2 hours later-

Sasuke placed a soft kiss on the woman in his arm's forehead, feeling her steady breaths fan over his neck. She was sound asleep. Good. The onyx eyed Uchiha was well aware of how tired from all the hiking she was. Of course. Getting jealous must have had its effect on her.

The young Uchiha heir slipped his available hand on his backpack, taking out his phone from one of the secured pockets and, letting his jet cautious eyes dart to Sakura`s limp form, making sure she was sound asleep, tapped the number he had on the speed dial, pressing the device on his ear.

He would have liked to go outside to talk not to wake his maid up, but when he attempted to detach his body from hers, he felt her stir her small shoulders, nuzzling her head further into the crock of his neck. Yeah, she got him trapped.

Quite a panicked voice answered from the other side of the line. Oh, how much Sasuke loved to see distress on that always so collected man's face. He inwardly cursed the fact that he was not there to witness it. _"Yes?"_

"Now that is such a soothing greeting, considering the fact that we have just talked." Sasuke did his best not to wake Sakura up, speaking silently, keeping his rich voice low, almost whispering. But he couldn't help himself to mock his interlocutor.

"_Such a sharp tongue you have, considering the situation you are in, Sasuke. This is totally not like you to lower your guard down."_

A small smirk made its way to the Uchiha`s face. "Who said I did it?"

"_Your too relaxed attitude. Don't tell me you are underestimating __our __enemies again."_ The voice from the other side of the line went whisper level as well.

That made Sasuke wonder why was the person from the other side of the line mimicking his voice. Was he hiding from someone as well? Because he couldn't have possibly been in the same situation as him, could he?

Maybe he was, who was the midnight haired hair to judge people's needs? "When have I ever? You are nervous."

Oh, he hit the nail on the head. The smooth voice grew harsher_. "Our problems have just grown bigger. My threat still stands, Sasuke. Watch you back. This is not the time for your large ego to manifest. Not with other lives on the line."_

There he went again with parental advices. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Like he needed to be told such things. It was like he was talking to his mother. But there was something impatient into that voice that didn't sit right with Sasuke.

"What? Got robbed again? Doesn't it seem like it is getting a bit too habitual? Stop talking to me like I am a three years old. I know what I have to do…unfortunately."

"_Watch your mocking tongue, this is serious. I am afraid they started to rush things up. Expect disaster to come."_ That whisper like eerie voice would have made anyone cower in fear. Sasuke merely flinched.

And that because Sakura was shifting her legs, entangling them with Sasuke`s exhaling contently. Even in her sleep, she was searching for him. Sasuke tilted his head on his shoulder to let her press her cheek further into his body.

"Hn. It was about damn time they did something significant. Now we can make our move as well. I was growing bored with all the delay." Oh the mere thought of doing some damage that day was having a chilling effect on Sasuke`s blood, adrenaline surging down his spine. Killing instinct rose on his tongue.

"_I don't like that tone you have. Be careful not to push it too far and blow us up. Are you the one that blocks my signal?" _Of course, when the Mangekyou`s CEO got something into his mind, he tended to be quite extreme. Cunning and intelligent, but dangerous.

"Yes _father, _I promise to _behave._" Sasuke couldn't have been more sarcastic. Though he was certain he hated Fugaku more anyways, so he was not quite talking gibberish. "It is me. I know that fooled them long enough to allow everyone to return to the camp. I lowered down the electromagnetism because I am not alone."

"_Good. Try not to overdo it though. I know you are able to control yourself, but it can get a toll on your body."_

Sasuke blinked slowly, feeling his vision partly cloud. Although his pride would never let him admit it, that was right. He was feeling his muscles ache and he had a throbbing headache as well. He was more than overdoing it, he was aware. But he had no choice. "I am aware of the side effects. But I will not need to do it for the moment. I found out their cover. Quite the act they have if you were to ask me."

"_I had no doubts you were going to figure it out. Unfortunately, I cannot help you more right now. Not with all the jamming around. They are sending random frequencies to hack my systems. Your invention works quite well if you were to ask me."_

"Like I would ever need your help. Just make sure you stay tuned. I am not going to be the one to contact the _good guys _when shit is going down."

"_Of course. Leave the INTERPOL to me. You just make sure to give nothing to lead them to you. I think I figured something out about your dreams."_

That got Sasuke curious. It was about damn time they would have a trace to follow. Roaming in the darkness blindly was no fun. Uncertainty was not something he agreed with. "So did I. But this is not the moment to talk about that. But I feel generous enough to let you decide what you want me to do to them."

"…_kill them. We don't need other pests in our way. They already have more than enough members. My guess is that they worked with magnates of world's resources. That would explain their raising power. I am sure you can see it too…on the stocks market."_

"I do."

"Then you realize…what their plans are."

"**World domination**. They are not going to succeed with that." Those people were more than crazy in Sasuke`s opinion. And that coming from him was speaking volumes. Their ideals were just pure illusions of fake peace.

Well, it was not like the younger Uchiha was a dumb idiot. He knew that there were other people to pull the strings from the behind. They were the one he had to get rid off.

"_They already do that. Take a look at the global economy. Many countries have borrowed money from the World Bank, ever since important companies have went bankrupt. They depended on their money."_

"Hn…I don't need you to tell me this. I saw it too. But don't worry, they are not going to bring me down as well. I am not a fool."

"_They were not either. Pay extremely attention. I am going to email you the data I have been able to find. I got a hieroglyphist to look at your symbols. He already did a quarter of them."_

"And you will get my formulas with the explanations when I get home…which is going to be tomorrow. After they are going to attack, police will interfere…"

"…_and I am going to make sure they will be there at the proper moment. How much time do you need?"_ Sasuke nodded for himself, approvingly. They could always communicate, reading each other's minds. That was the reason he was still keeping in contact, although he did not want to admit it openly. Both the people were not sentimental to begin with.

"Two hours at most. There is a stupid entertainment program scheduled at 8 pm, where everyone will be.

They are not so stupid to attack me then. I am waiting for a moment to corner one of our friends that I suppose is their leader. Without his signal….the others are just bees without a beehive to return to."

"_Understood. Judging from your time zone, there is almost 7 pm where you are. I am going to announce the Tokyo INTERPOL troops at 8.45. Their fastest helicopter takes 1 hour and fifteen minutes to reach you. There is enough time for you to deal with the problem."_

"Good. As soon as they are not going to jam your tracking device, I want a complete map with their position and moves. I want to understand how they operate."

"_Of course."_

"I`m hanging up."

"_Good luck."_

And hung up. Sasuke took a quick glance at the wall clock. He swiftly entangled his body from Sakura`s warm one, the said girl darting her delicate hand on the place he was occupying, searching for the lost hotness of his body, burying her face into his pillow. The young Uchiha gently covered her bare back with the bed sheets, mentally cursing his raging hormones that were reacting to her full chest so exposed for him to enjoy, his onyx eyes following every rise of the rounded mounds with every deep breath she took.

"Fuck Sakura…" He wanted so much to lean in and graze his teeth over her rosy nipple, having the taste of her stuck to his tongue, but he mentally slapped himself hard to get rid to the naughty feelings.

The emerald woman was sniffing unconsciously, inhaling his scent lingering on the pillow. That made him smirk.

Sasuke took a black blouse from his luggage and a pair of long pants, throwing a quick peek upon his shoulder to make sure Sakura was still asleep, turning the knob and exited the room, as silent as he could. He exited the cabin taking a look around the people roaming aimlessly, taking pictures and enjoying themselves.

He saluted them with a bored expression on his face, brushing his fingers through his messy locks once, his eyes falling on the men that were preparing a huge fire camp. They looked more like attempting to prepare nuclear bombs, at the amount of branches they brought.

"Stupid oblivious imbeciles…" he couldn't help himself from muttering the curses under his breath.

A hard slap over his shoulders almost made the raven haired man kill his imbecile of a best friend in the process, throwing him a glance that melted rocks. "Teme! Got your beauty sleep?" The blonde Uzumaki was grinning at him, totally unaffected, folding his hands around his head, coming right beside him.

Sasuke eyed him in disbelief. Stupid people had no care in the world. That got him envious enough to punch his shoulder hard once, making him hiss. "Hn…speaking about idiots. Why are you such a dobe?"

"Hey! I am not an idiot you bastard. And you let me do all the work. See those sadists out there?" Naruto pointed in the direction of a group of women that were preparing marshmallows and fried chips, looking at them in horror. "They made me slice potatoes!"

Sasuke slipped his fists into his pockets snorting loudly at his best friend's misfortune. He knew he would be asked to do such things if the others believed he was not resting.

That was precisely the reason why he went straight into his room. And Sakura played an important role as well, if he were to be completely sincere. "Serves you right. At least you are good at something."

"I almost cut my finger, look!" Naruto pointed his patched thumb on Sasuke`s forehead, the said man shoving his hand away off his face, annoyed. Man was that boy dumb as Hell. And he was screaming into his ears as well, making his headache growing into his temples. "And it stings!"

"You moron. I wonder how they are letting specimens like you reproduce. And they even gave you a driving license…" Sasuke took some steps in the direction of the forest, taking in his surroundings, observing everything. "…at this rate…this world is going to _collapse soon._"

And he did not miss the strange attitude in Naruto`s usually energetically demeanor. The Uzumaki was trying his best to act like himself, but his shoulders were too tensed and his voice sounded weird. _"Such a knucklehead…"_

The ebony haired Uchiha took a double look at the people he was looking for, making sure they did nothing suspicious, then disappeared into the confinements of the thick forest, enveloped by the darkness around. His attitude almost put the nature itself into shame.

}{

"Mmmm…" Sakura woke up feeling two things: one, she was cold and second, she felt unusually good…and a little light headed. She opened her emerald eyes slowly, blinking rapidly to adjust to the darkness around her.

"…why is it so dark in here…" Her eyes flew open wide, her instincts kicked in, bolting out of the bed. Of course she lost balance and stumbled on the bed sheets, tripping on it and landing on her butt. It was then when she realized she was naked.

"…Sasuke?"

Clumsily, Sakura covered herself with the grey plush sheet, roaming her palm on the wall, looking for the switch on. She found it beside the bathroom door, making the bulb hanging above the bed come to life, illuminating the room. She realized she was alone in there.

"The hell did he go…" The Sound agent quickly took a pair of shorts and a thick blouse, covering her bare frame, diving into her backpack, pulling out her phone. She checked for the signal, cursing the mountains and the high altitude for the lack of signal. "…_damn it Papa, what are you trying to tell me?_"

The emerald eyed girl put on her shoes, going straight to the door, opening it and flying on the wooden stairs, going outside. She found Naruto hiding behind the porch, looking like he has seen his giant spiders aiming for his neck. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gently, not to scare him more. "Naruto-kun…"

The blonde haired heir looked like he broke his neck at the speed he turned his head behind his back, cerulean widened eyes colliding with confused forest green ones. "Sakura-chan!" He exhaled once in relief, welcoming her with the familiar goofy grin she came to like so much. "You scared me."

The pink haired maid took a sit beside her CIA colleague, following the preparations for the fire camp, her jade eyes resting on the women preparing something she couldn't quite see, because the illumination was not that great.

She heard them mutter something about a seasoning for some beef meat. The word marshmallows made her mouth water. She loved sweets. "Sorry. I didn't intend to. Though I must say, you are quite inattentive for an Akatsuki."

Sakura smirked down at his distress. They both laughed once, amused at the idea. "Hehe yeah…I got distressed." They went silent for a moment, like trying to find the proper words to say. There were people trying to make small talk to them, so they had to refrain from acting suspicious.

"Miss Sakura, would you like to help us fry the fish?" One middle aged Portuguese lady asked her in what hoped was a polite manner. She was doing her best not to strangle the pink haired girl.

"No. I am afraid I am a disaster in the kitchen. And we already have a fire planned out, so another one would do no good."

"Hmpf…as you wish." The said woman entered the kitchen, bashing the amused CIA assassin, joining the other women in the kitchen. Sakura knew why she hated her. That was one hardcore Sasuke fangirl. She tried in vain to catch his eyes from the moment she saw him. "…she is so full of herself…"

"You are keeping yourself solely for the Teme, huh?" The cerulean eyed Akatsuki agent elbowed his colleague playfully, getting a hard stare from the said girl in return, at his obvious implication. She folded her arms around her chest, eyebrow rose.

"I hate those fangirls of his. They just want him for his looks and money. Bunch of sluts."

"I agree."

"By the way, have you seen him?" The mere idea of her boss being wandering around in that darkness, through the forest, looking for unicorns and mushrooms, getting face to face to whoever was there watching them was making the hairs on Sakura`s arms rise.

Naruto nodded once, his index pointing in the opposite direction they were facing. "Yeah. The bastard has gone for the forest, where his friends werewolves howl at the full moon, at this time."

"What? And you let him go?" Sakura`s eyes widened in shock. She had to find him before something happened. Naruto was casually eating roasted pumpkin seeds, acting like a beggar in the middle of the road, not giving a damn about the high class people around him. Gosh she totally agreed with him. They were so out of place it was funny to watch.

"Well yeah…I mean you know Teme. It is not like I can stop his ass from wandering. And you can relax. Neji and Ten Ten are scouting this area as well. There is no one suspicious Sakura-chan. I think Orochimaru went nuts."

It was the truth. Ever since all the people got back, the Uzumaki agent searched for any suspect and kept an eye glued to the surrounding area, finding nothing suspicious.

"I don't believe this. My Papa would have never sent us an SOS without a reason."

"I know, and I don't doubt his reasons. But maybe he got something wrong this time. Though I am not excluding the possibility of someone indeed planning to attack all this people, especially after all this events." Naruto was casually spitting the shells on the ground, like he was watching a soccer match, laughing his ass out loud at the way those men were trying their best to light up the fire. "We should help before someone comes up with the brilliant idea to pour gas."

"I wish you were right. But I am still going to check on Sasuke and be sure nothing happens to him." Sakura rose to her feet, dusting her pants and heading in the direction Naruto showed, waiving her hand behind her back at the blonde haired Uzumaki heir.

He shouted at her, making all the heads turn to the weird colleagues. "When you find that bastard turn into a bat, tell him I want a coffin just like his."

Sakura thanked all the Heavens it was dark outside and no one saw her slap her cheek once in disbelief. Leave it to Naruto to embarrass them more. She was certain that would make the headlines in Tokyo.

There was some unknown magnetic feeling that pulled her straight towards a sinuous narrow path and although Sakura couldn't see anything before her eyes, she knew what was there, because she crossed that clearing once.

Careful not to trip on a branch she was not able to see, Sakura found herself coming right at a waterfall pond, marveling at the breathtaking landscape welcoming her.

Her jaw hit the ground, her steps taking her into the direction of the crystal clear water, that was bathing the full moon, forest green mirroring from the still surface.

"Wow…" Not only the view was majestic, with the surrounding proud fir trees and the high sharp peaks securing the area, but she found herself surrounded by million small golden lights, coming from the fire flies, raining down on her, blending into her sparkling eyes, like the nature itself was welcoming the shy fairy into its confinements, uncovering all the wonders. "…this is amazing!"

"Isn't it?" A familiar rich voice rose from the beaming pool catching Sakura`s eyes, looking for the owner. She wanted to hang herself for not observing the neatly folded clothes resting on the grass. And she called herself an agent.

And if the landscape was painted in oil, magically making filling her with an uplifting energy, like she was blessed by the Heavens, a resurfacing from under the water Uchiha, shaking his head once, making his midnight spikes fly around his neck, spreading the drops of water decorating the soft locks around him, in slow motion, smirking at her, swimming towards her, swiftly, like he was slipping past the molecules, stroking the water with precise, swift moves of his toned arms, knocked the air out of her lungs.

Sakura felt her breath hitch at the base of her throat when her emerald eyes fell on the fine creature emerging from the clear sparkling diamond water, like an imposing Deity, holding the nature's energy in the palm of his hand. Under the embrace of the velvet moonlight, his alabaster skin was sparkling like a rare pearl secluded in the depths of the ocean.

His lean fibers were deliciously undulating under his sensual steps, closing the distance between them. Sakura's lips hung open, her eyes roaming through the amazing sight enlightening her.

He was stark naked and the fire on his eyes was making her choke on air, her mouth watering at the view of him so exposed. Just what was he doing there? He was pinning her unmoving with his predatory intense stare.

Sasuke couldn't help a devious smirk creep in the corner of his full lips at the way Sakura's more than widened eyes were ogling him like no tomorrow. In fact...there was a certain point of interest she was openly staring at and that almost made him laugh. He could read her lack of interaction with the opposite gender from this aspect like she has never seen a naked man before.

Sakura looked like she wanted to turn around to allow him to cover his modesty, ashamed she was violating his privacy, but found herself unable to. She was trapped into his beauty; it was impossibly to remove her gaze from him.

She found her lips going dry and there was a pleasurable warmth blooming in the valley between her groins, when her hormones started to react to his body. It was a sight that no sane woman could have resisted.

The way his midnight locks were concealing his high cheek bones, falling on his equally jet orbs, dripping drops of water dance freely on his chiseled bare chest, following the sharp lines of his hard muscles.

He stopped a breath away far from her, letting a star struck Sakura feel the hotness of his muscled frame, lowering his sharp jaw to follow her roaming eyes. He knew what she was thinking about and that made him proud of himself. She couldn't resist him no matter how strong her self control was. Sakura felt like hyperventilating, a beautiful blush decorating her burning neck.

He was beautiful. Every part of him. Nature has gifted him with the body of a God. His well endowed manhood complementing the devastatingly handsome manly appearance was making Sakura's lungs run out of air at the sight of such a fine specimen blessing her stare with a carved replica of a glorious Greek statue.

He was sculpted in marble and alabaster, rivulets of crystal clear water glistening down his toned large long fibers under the moonlight

Sakura couldn't help her hands bent towards his chest, feeling every muscle stir under her warm timid touch. He felt amazingly soft and his hard rock body was hot, despite the dampness of his wet skin. "Can I?"

Her palms glided further south, slipping past his eight pack, down his v shaped muscles, stopping just under his hip. "...Sasuke...I want to touch you."

He nodded once, approving her to touch him. "Yes."

She wanted to feel him so bad, but Sakura found herself lost in what should she do. How was she even suppose to..."I don't want to hurt you." She stopped her shaken hands right above his manhood, not knowing what to do next.

"You will not." Anticipation was to killing Sasuke inside, but he saw her distress and concern, so he decided not to rush things more. She looked so out of her element and the deep blush crept down her neck only assured Sasuke that his she was fighting her shyness and try to be bolder. "Don't be afraid..."

Sakura's heart leaped out of her ribcage when she felt Sasuke gently place his hand above her much smaller one, guiding her at the base of his lean member, she folding her fingers around the thick muscle, gripping him hesitantly, not knowing how tight her hold should be.

She bit her lower lip, moving her hands up and down on his length, slowly, marveling at the way his sensitive foreskin dragged along her touch, pumping him. And she almost slapped herself at what she said next. "This...is...hot like...wow!"

If Sasuke wouldn't have been busy feeling his lungs hyperventilate at how warm and gentle her hand felt around him, he would have died laughing at her cute and so totally inexperienced words in awe. "Go...faster."

He pressed his nails down the pale skin of her forearms, pushing his hips forward, to make her stroke him faster, closing his eyes when she speeded up a bit, getting the hang of it.

"Does this feel good?" Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of him getting harder with every pump of her hand, pointing proudly up, urging her moves. She really wanted to be able to pleasure him as well.

"...Yes..." Sasuke bowed his head upon her shoulder, planting soft kisses down her neck and collarbone, feeling his eyes roll at the back of his head. God only knew that woman was so good. She was giving him the best hand job ever, and not only because of his raging hormones, but because it was _her _the one to do it. "Don't stop."

"Fuck Sakura..." Sakura felt more and more comfortable in her moves, getting used to the feel of him under her touch, not believing she was making him feel good. She grew some sort of power over him and it made her feel good.

Plus his sharp gulp of air whenever she used her thumb to rub his dipping with cum rosy tip and the low growls at the back of his throat were dead sexy. Boy was he really hot.

Her emerald eyes were darkening in lust at the sight of him under her clumsily fondling. "You are...beautiful. This is beautiful."

"That is totally not what normal people would call dirty talk, Sakura." That girl...how could she still be that innocent while jerking him off was beating Sasuke`s understanding but that was why he liked her that much.

Sakura pulled her lower lip under her teeth, not gritting enough of his soft foreskin rolling up and down his length, whenever she pumped him. "But this is what I think. I...have never done something like this before." normally, such a scene would have disturbed Sakura, but doing that to him felt natural. She was not ashamed to please him back.

A small smirk. He leaned in to suckle her earlobe, nibbling the sensitive skin, making her moan softly. "I can see that much."

Sakura tilted her head to let his tongue take slow long licks down her neck. She picked up her pace a bit feeling him exhale deeply at the feeling. "Should I curse at you instead? If this is what others do..."

"No. Because we are not common people." Sasuke just wanted her to feel comfortable around him, that being acting like herself.

"Whoa...it just grew...bigger!" whatever Karin has been telling her during their girls talk, has not applied to the real deal. She had to discover the wonders of a man on her own. And it felt really _good. _

He chuckled deeply at her antics, his voice sending tremors down her arms. "That is a major turn off, you know?"

"Really? I am sorry. I guess I cannot do anything good to please you, yet you always...mmmmfp."

Sasuke gripped her chin, forcing her neck to arch towards him, stealing her rambles with a bruising passionate kiss, leaving her breathless. His little blossom was not even aware he was just teasing her. Like any proud man would not feel his ego burst when a woman praised him for his good genes. "I didn't say it turned _me _off."

"You are such a tease." Sakura could feel his shaft throb in her hands, gripping her fingers around him tighter and pumping him faster, testing the friction, his response immediate. "Damn it...faster!" Sasuke more than hissed his plea on her ear, urging her to respond to his body language.

Sakura let he thumb rub the inside of his member, getting wetter herself at the feel of his hot skin and pulsating veins under her touch. He was not only well gifted, but fine sculpted as well, proudly revealing his manliness, in all his glory to her curious clumsy roaming hand. That was one handsome man, every part of his imposing body expressing power and a maddening virility.

Sakura felt her mouth water at the erotic sight of his hips pushing himself more into her hand, not able to voice out her own desire. "I want you...Sasuke."

His onyx eyes widened at her unexpected request. Sakura could see disbelief into those impossibly bottomless eyes searching for any trace of doubt, finding none."...Sakura..."

"Please...I cannot wait anymore...I want this...I want you to be...to feel you...I want you inside me."

She stopped her hand at the top of his tip, feeling drops of his milky juices slick her fingers, looking straight into his onyx eyes. She was dead serious. "Sasuke?"

Never in his life would have Sasuke imagined Sakura would have asked him to take her there from all the places, in that circumstances. They were not that far from the cabins and he was certain everyone was outside roaming around. Plus..."Are you...sure about this?"

"Yes!" He voice came as a silent scream. She was not hesitating.

"It doesn't have to be here, from all the places. We could wait until..."

Sasuke`s eyes flew open when she more than bluntly took a step back, grabbed the hem of her blouse and lifted the piece of material up her head, undressing her upper body. She was not wearing any bra underneath.

Her full chest graced his hungry view, her cleavage deepening when she bent her body and removed her shorts. She stepped right on it, coming in front of a watching in awe Uchiha. "I want you now! This...is getting me crazy...don't you want me as well?"

He let his eyes roam over her almost equally naked body once, rising his arm and enveloping her slim waist crashing her on his chest. "I do."

He captured her lips in a sweet quick kiss, alleviating her doubts, answering her question the best he could. "You know I want you." He whispered smoothly upon her parted lips. Sakura pressed another chaste kiss on his lips, then she gave him another butterfly peck on his cheek as well. "I always wanted you."

"Then why do you hesitate?" She attempted to discharge the last lace article of clothing covering her luscious skin, when a strong hold on her wrist stopped her from doing so.

"Because I am not...the right man to steal away your virginity." Sasuke was certain that it was the first time to refuse sleeping with a stunning looking woman. But he respected her too much to be tainted by him. The hand she was holding, when her fingers detached from his grip, intertwining with his own saw blood. "You deserve better than me."

"What are you talking about, Sasuke?" Has she crossed a forbidden border? Was she secretly misunderstanding Sasuke`s signals? There were doubts plaguing Sakura's mind in that moment. She was not even felling the cool breeze fanning her soft locks at her nape. Her eyes were searching his own expectantly.

"I am not able to stop myself this time. Fuck I want you so bad, Sakura. If I take you now, you are going to be tainted by me."

Her not so innocent words broke any hesitance Sasuke had. "Then pour up all your sins and _fill me_ in, Sasuke." He slipped his index finger in the elastic band of the black lace string she wore, mentally applauding her for the article of choice, slipping them down on her hip.

"Are you sure? You have a chance to say no." She nodded once, arching her back to help him undress her. The last piece of clothing fell on the ground, without making any noise. There lied her new Victoria's Secret lingerie, along with any trace of shame she had left.

"I am no expert at this but this is the best I can come up with." She gave him a hard jerk off, almost making him come at the feel of her raw move. "...Sasuke..." Sakura shoved her tongue inside Sasuke's hot mouth, kissing him hungrily, and palming his balls in the meantime, rubbing and giving them a little squeeze, making Sasuke`s hand clench around her wrist stopping her, panting and sweating, his eyes unfocused. And her next words almost made him come right in her hands. "...fuck me!"

"...no. I am not going to fuck you, Sakura, because this is not what you need. "

"What...why...but..."

"I am going to make love to you."

Sakura's words got abruptly hitched inside her mouth the deep meaning of his words. So he truly was not viewing her as a plaything. The very uplifting thought of her being valuable into his eyes war making her cry. "Sasuke..."

The said man hooked her arm up, around his neck, his hand pressing her lower back, bringing her closer to him, crashing their hips together, his eyes gleaming with an unusual fire. It only made the sharp steel silvery irises fuel more desire inside her body. Sakura has never seen Sasuke looking into her eyes like he did then. It was eerie and hypnotizing and...dangerous. And she felt delicious tremors down her body. "I am going to take you _all ..."_

_"..._Sasu..." Sakura' other hand flew on Sasuke`s broad shoulder, looking for support. He was sensually rotating his hips on her own, letting her feel his erect manhood rubbing the inside of her thigh and groin, in an electrifying way. She was already soaked wet and he was not even inside her. "...ke...please...now..."

"Every part..."Sasuke took small steps backwards, pulling both of them towards the crystal clear water he has just emerged from, kissing Sakura' s jaw line and neck, holding her glued to him.

With slow deliberate moves, he stepped inside the still water, feeling Sakura's warm body flinch at the sudden contact with the cold liquid, the difference of temperature taking her by surprise. Sasuke felt her instinctively want to pull back, but he wouldn't let her."...of your body...and mind..."

Sasuke continued to back up, letting the water envelop them securely, until it got to his chest. He would have liked to go deeper, but he wanted to leave his hands free from the pressure, to explore her at the content of his heart. "...Sakura...look at me..."

Sakura was clenching her teeth and had her forest green eyes tight shut, feeling all her blood freeze inside her veins. That mountain water was really cold. She had troubles in getting used to it and Sasuke`s iron grip on her waist prevented her to go back to the ground.

Not only that, but she was not able to touch the muddy bottom of the pound. And Sasuke's dark velvety commanding voice added to the goose bumps adoring her arms and spine. "It is...so cold...let's go back..."

But Sasuke wouldn't hear any of it. His hands dived under the water, enveloping her thighs, easily lifting her body up, above the freezing surface.

Immediately, Sakura locked her ankles around his lean waist, straddling him, gluing her front on his body, trying to steal his warmth. Incredibly how hot he was, even immersed into the cold water. She pressed her full chest on his collar bones, resting her chin atop his head. "Sasuke..."

"Look at me."

"We are going to get pneumonia..."

"Sakura, look at me." He wrapped his fingers around her pointed chin, bringing her lips upon his own, pressing her rosy cherry flavored petals in a chaste kiss. "Open up your eyes and look at me." She did. She crept her viridian eyes open, innocent golden brocade searching for smoldering black.

"You...are so beautiful." Sakura felt her spine embraced in a sudden warmth, feeling quivering ladybirds flutter joyfully in search for the light Sasuke's words lighted inside her heart. "...and I will never hurt you."

She trusted him in that aspect and Sakura found herself unable to think of anyone doing that to her beside him. "Sasuke..."

Sasuke inserted two fingers inside her, scissoring and curling his long appendages into her tight passage, spreading her and testing how elastic her barrier was, mentally cursing her all too pure state, well aware of how much she was going to hurt when he will tear her apart.

He fastened his pumping, using his thumb to rub her swollen erect clit, making her impossibly wet, taking advantage of the moisture around and the slick juices dripping from her throbbing inner walls, to lubricate her enough for his thick impossibly hard manhood to enter her easily and give her as less pain as possible.

He removed his digits from her moist womanhood, feeling her slick enough and descended on her firm round ass, palming her curvy cheeks, massaging and squeezing with ample rotating moves of his hands, spreading her crevice wider, slipping the head of his erect member past her folds, slowly, giving her time to get use to the sudden intrusion. He stopped when he felt her nails pressed down his chest. "Sasuke stop..."

"I know this is going to be painful. But I promise to be gentle." He knew he was the first man to claim her innocence and the sole idea of giving her pain was stinging Sasuke`s heart. If there was a way to trade places with her and alleviate her distress he would have gladly done it.

"...ok..." Sakura felt a sharp pain parting her in the form of shocking waves, stirring burning salty tears at the corner of her eyes. It was worse than she would have imagined. "Ah!"

Sasuke pushed himself inside as gently as he could, fighting the urge to thrust into her like he wanted. She felt so good it was sending bolts of pleasure down his spine and groins. "I am sorry."

"...uhhhh...damn it!" Her voice broke when Sakura felt his thick shaft passing threw her lower lips, his tip testing the friction with her hymen and that made her insides burn. There was no pleasure in that, only immense pain.

Sasuke`s palm resurfaced from the water, searching for her reddened cheek, brushing his thumb over her tears, caressing her silky skin. "It is going to get better soon." He stopped from slipping past her barrier for a moment, feeling her constrict around him. That made him grow even harder inside her, making it even stingier for her.

"...it...hurts so bad!" She looked into his onyx eyes, searching for that soothing gaze that promised protection and trust, that was able to take away her pain.

"Breathe. Don't focus on the pain. Feel _me_ instead." She slipped her palms under his armpits, clenching her nails down his chiseled back, tightening the grip of her legs around him. Sasuke felt the woman crying openly into his arms shifting her head down, biting down his shoulder to prevent herself from screaming. That turned him on badly.

There were some agonizing moments when the pain got unbearable and when Sakura realized that Sasuke was barely halfway inside her she panicked.

"Sasuke...it sings...You are...tearing me...ahhh!" she contracted her abdomen trying to get rid of the pain, namely removing him from her, though she wanted nothing more than to give herself completely. But she couldn't even inhale properly. She was almost crying out loud in pain.

"Relax. Don't try to push me out." Sasuke brought his hand down where they were connected, rubbing her hardened exposed clit, stroking it and pressing his thumb over its hood to ease her pain.

He thanked his intuition to take her underwater and get advantage of the rinse around, either way it would have been even worse for her. Sasuke could not remember dealing with virgins, and that was an interesting experience for him as well. He had to be gentle and show her feelings as well, not only skill.

That was the reason why she was entrusting her first time with him. Because she was expecting him to be just as skilful and considerate with her, like everything he did. And he couldn't possibly let her down.

"...I...it got..." When Sasuke started to caress her, Sakura suddenly felt a powerful surge of pleasure building up in the pits of her confinements, taking the place of her pain. She lifted her head just in time for Sasuke to kiss the tip if her nose, then claim her lips once, tenderly kissing the traces of hurt away off her system.

"Start to feel better?" Sasuke let her kiss him contently, slipping her tongue past his moist lips, tracing his teeth and palate, than rolling down his own muscle, as if imprinting her unspoken thoughts into his tongue.

"Yes...it does...oh!" Sakura felt herself getting used to him inside her, a new emotion knocking at the doors of her heart.

When the pains become faint, she was able to consider what was happening and it felt unbelievable. She was living her first experience in a fairytale like scenery, with the most incredible man alive.

When Sasuke made sure that Sakura was lubricated enough, he decided not to prolong the moment anymore. After he wrote his name inside her being, she was going to be his. God only knew how much he wanted her and he finally had her.

"Hold me tighter and don't let go."

"...move..."

"Ready?"

"I...think...please move...I need you!"

"I want you, Sakura." Sasuke pulled him almost all the way out of her, then, with a swift thrust of his hips forward, entered her in one fluid motion, breaking her barrier, penetrating her to the hilt, burying himself deep inside her clenching passage, feeling jolts of pleasure down his lower abdomen exploding in bliss. She felt amazing.

"Aaahh Sasuke!"

"...Fuck Sakura...you are so..." Sasuke felt like being bit by lightning when he found her taking him all in, her body stretching to mold around him. It made his own breath came as ragged puffs.

He was using his hands to support her thighs around him, holding her hips glued to his own. They were complementing each other so divinely delicious that it made him believe she was destined to be in his arms. He was thrusting inside her slowly, but steady, filling her in with every pump of his hips.

"...Aaahhhh...God..."Sakura threw her head backwards, moaning helplessly, her damp pink short locks hitting her shoulders, sticking to her glistening body. He full breasts were bouncing up and down sensually, with every sharp deep thrust Sasuke did, splashing cold drops of water on his face every time she came down on his length, taking him deeper inside.

The sight of her so exposed into his arms was pure erotic. Sakura's erect rosy nipples were brushing Sasuke`s moist lips with each fall of her chest, pointing proudly up, tempting him to give them attention.

He wasted no time in taking in of her sweet buds inside his mouth, rolling his tongue around the sensitive skin, suckling her. His middle finger found the bundle of nerves of her clit hood, rubbing intently, adding to the fast building orgasm blooming inside her.

His hot lips pressed on her nipple, his skilful long finger rubbing her clit intently, and his well endowed filling member going up and down inside her, hitting a certain spot inside her walls, she didn't even know it existed, was too much for Sakura to handle. She felt paralyzed in pleasure, not able to move a muscle.

The thrill was so great, it was almost painful to withstand. Her vision clouded, and her mind went blank. Sakura felt the insides of her thigh and knees turn to jelly and she almost unlocked her legs from Sasuke's waist when a sharp strong electric bolt shot her heels, lunging down from her womb.

She didn't know what was happening to her in that moment because waves of bliss were erupting from every cell of her delighted body. Her all being was responding to Sasuke`s virility, accolade him with broken cries in rapture, his name sealed on her lips and on each blade of the grass and leaves, chanting to the nature that Uchiha Sasuke was raising her to the sky.

Even though Sakura had no control over her body, being putty under Sasuke`s touches, letting him abandon himself inside her, fucking her brains out to the point she thought she will never be able to stand again, trapping her into his arms, she never felt so free and gravity defying like in that moment.

The fluttering into her stomach and chest erupted in ecstasy, unlocking the deepest desires in the form of delicate ladybirds, feeling so joyful and complete, like never before.

Cry...she wanted to cry at the feeling of completion filling the void in her heart. Sasuke was not only burying himself inside her body, but he was writing his name on her heart and mind as well, the feeling so deep.

She felt more connected to him than ever and it was emotional. She couldn't contain the rivers of tears riving the crystal clear water witnessing their lovemaking, when her palm clumsily fumbled upon his racing heart, feeling his life pumping under her touch.

He was just as abandoned in the moment as her, living the intensity of the seconds passing them by with the same ardor. For everything she had to offer, he was giving back more.

"Sakura, is something wrong? Am I too harsh?" Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of a tiny drop of crystal liquid spilling down her cheek. Was he going too fast?

Sakura shook her head, panting. He misunderstood. "No...I...ahhh...thissss...it makes me happy...I am...ohhh fuck...it feels so good!" But she was going to clear things up, so she forced her hand under his palm and brought their entangled fingers up her chest, placing their hands in her racing pumping heart, letting her emotions fly out of her system.

Sasuke`s jet sapphire eyes widened at the way her heart was singing an ancient lied, pouring so much candor that made his stomach squirm with an dainty fluttering, like white doves claiming the infinite horizon. For the first time in the last years...he felt content. "You have no idea what you do to me..."

"...faster...I want you...go faster...please!" She held his hand tighter, arching her neck when she felt his mouth graze her shoulder, covering her trembling skin in butterfly sweet kisses, all the way to her chin. His lips were showing her he was not just fucking her, just like he promised, while his manhood was working magic inside her. It was too much. Too great.

"Like this?" His rich dark tone filled her ear shell making the soft skin behind her earlobes shiver. She nodded once, a small cry erupting from her mouth when Sasuke speeded up, going all the way inside her.

His head was constantly hitting a certain sweet burning key point at the back of her slick passage that sent her to Nirvana each time he impaled himself deeper and it was paralyzing. She felt paralyzed with pleasure, not able to move an inch. She didn't even feel her legs any longer.

"Ahhhh! YES! Don't...stop!"

"Sakura...I am not going to...last any longer..."

"...ohhh...don't you dare...stop now...ah...Sasuke...there is...s- something inside me...I feel like I am going to explo...Aaaaaa..." Sasuke cupped her jaw down towards him, clashing their lips together, silencing her scream, when a totally unexpected orgasm hit her full force, finding herself oblivious and unprepared.

She bit his tongue hard, making him growl harsh on his throat. She came in violent spasms of her whole body, milking him for all he was worth, her arms going limp, splashing down his back, her head falling on his shoulder, completely exhausted.

Sasuke only managed to prolong her bliss with two more hard thrusts before her impossibly throbbing clenching around his manhood inner walls made him explode inside her, riding his own orgasmic state. That was the best experience he ever had. No one ever made Sasuke so light headed as the panting on his neck emerald eyed woman.

He took a stumbling step forward, almost losing balance at the intensity of his orgasm, tightening his grip around Sakura's flushed body, preventing her to fall on the water. She was so exhausted that she couldn't even untangle her ankles that fell on his hips.

But Sasuke felt her whimper when he slowly pulled out of her, at the loss of warmth and contact. He would have liked to remain rooted inside her hotness for eternity, but he knew he has already hurt her enough.

"...that...was...fan...tastic...hell it was amazing..."

"Aa..."

"…arigatou...Sasuke..."

"You don't have to thank me for such things." Sakura lifted her chin up, tilting her head to look into Sasuke`s beautiful onyx eyes, marveling at the way the black sapphire orbs were gleaming like precious gemstones. It was a look she never saw on him when he interacted with the others.

Not even with his mother. And it was solely for her. He wasted no time to lean in and kiss her softly. "I told you before..." a pair of soft lips attached to her jaw line, enchanting her with butterfly kisses. "...everything you want from me..." His mouth glued to the shell of her ear, pressing her cheek further onto his collarbone. "...ask for it and I shall give it to you..."

Everything she wanted...that made her heart pound into her chest. Sakura intertwinened her fingers around Sasuke`s neck, playing into his damp midnight hair. Even dripping water it was still silky soft. She let her feet descend from his back, feeling an immediate sore sting in between her legs, making her flinch. Sasuke pushed her slowly back to the surface, taking them both out of the water.

They took enough coldness into their bones. But all the way Sakura was glued to his hard rock body, stealing his warmth as much as she could, the dropped wet temperature outside hitting her naked frame, growing shivers down her spine. She felt her jaw clench, freezing.

But yet...after the mind blowing orgasm she had and the adrenaline pumping down her spine at the thought of someone being there waiting to hurt them was deliciously stirring dark desires inside her.

There was something Sakura always fantasized of doing if she were to lose her virginity and that was to cuddle on the top of the man to steal it from her. And damn Lorane or whatever was keeping an eye on them...if there was someone to begin with she was going to get it.

"I think now it is a good moment to make our glorious presence to that dumb camp fire."

"They are going to survive one more moment without us."

A deviously handsome smirk grew in Sasuke`s lips, liking the way she was growing balls around him. "What...are you planning to go for a second round?" One pure Sakura was urging his heart to open up to new horizons. But a vixen one was trapping him in lust. "Careful what you wish for Sakura, because it might happen."

Sakura totally surprised her boss with a firm push down his shoulders making his heels stumble, losing balance, taking both of them down, she landing atop of him, on the muddy cool soil giggling childishly at her accomplishment.

"You are not a shooting star Sasuke, although I have my doubts you don't come from outer space...or universe."

Sasuke did a double look at the woman pinning him down, straddling his hips, resting her knees on each side of his thighs, palms caressing the rippling muscles of his stomach, gradually heading lower, teasing him.

And what she so wisely told him almost hit the nail on the head. "...who knows...what mysteries lie beneath the Sun." he steadied his arms around her waist, keeping her close to his body. Although, she was shifting herself into his lap to search for a more comfortable position.

Sakura bit her lip, stopping her fingers to trace his toned body, attempting to lean sown and kiss his lips. But his pointing words prevented her to do so. "You mean...me?" She knew he was going to start over with his doubts.

And she could not judge him for wanting to make sure she was not going to pull out a knife and stab him after she let him have his way with her. "...you have a very poetic way of stating the...obvious..." She watched him straight into his eyes and realized he was not angry. His face was calm, but serious.

"Although I respect your private life, don't you think I am entitled to at least have an idea of your intentions?" Sasuke pushed a fine eyebrow up, letting his hand descend in between her parted legs, palming her thigh, his touch burning her cold skin. He stroked her lazily, relaxing her mind...to give in easier.

He had to know. He died to know who that amazing woman was for real and why did it feel so natural to have her and poses her. "How should I know you don't just try to play me off? Although I must say your methods are out of the charts. And you even got close to my friends."

Sakura tried her best to keep her thoughts focused on Sasuke`s obvious accusations. He was harsh, but right.

And his fingers were expertly stroking her labia, making her dizzy. She felt tremors down her spine at the contact. His gentle fondlings were contrasting with his sharp tongue. "Why...are you telling me this...now? Mmmm..."

"Because I want to see if you dare to lie into my face while I touch you..._there._" Sakura let her hand glide up to his chest, supporting herself on her elbows, raising her back and leaning down his hand, her jade eyes half closed.

She just gave him more access to rub her still extremely sensitive lower lips. She had to cease a moan to escape her mouth. Why was he using _that method _to get his answers? He was torturing her with his palm on her womanhood.

"T-this...is not...ahh...fair...you are...not playing fair..." Sakura felt Sasuke part her folds, inserting a finger inside her, while rubbing her swollen clit, dragging his digit lazily in and out of her, following her expression closely. "Hn...I never played fair Sakura..."

He watched her take in sharp gulps of air, viridian orbs getting a shimmering dark hue, nails scratching the alabaster skin of his pectorals. "...why..." Sakura let her head loll backwards on her shoulders, pressing her hips down onto the lean finger that was pumping her, trying to get it deeper inside and make him move faster, but Sasuke was squeezing her hip to keep her in place.

"Do you like this?" No, Sasuke was not that much of a sadist. He was not trying to corner her while playing with her body. He genuinely liked to give her pleasure, marveling at the erotic display of womanhood reactions he got in response. But he had to make sure...

"...Mmmhhhh...you are...taking advantage of...ohhh...me..." Sakura felt the familiar pooling moist build inside her, getting more aroused. From what she has known, it took quite a skilful man to getting her turned on again, after her first time.

And indeed, she felt a quite uncomfortable soreness around her entrance and in the vicinity of where her once proof of her purity was, but the dripping juices leaking from her on the inside of Sasuke`s wrist were the beyond doubt evidence of building pleasure overwhelming the pain.

"Do I really? I could stop if you want me to." To prove his point, he slowed his pace, not completely, but enough to let her know he was in control...even though she was the one on the top.

"No!" Sakura hated the way her voice came out as a broken whisper, but she found herself not ashamed to beg him to finger her more. If the others would have seen her in that moment..."...I told you...ahmmmm...there are certain things.. I...cannot disclose..."

"I am not asking you to give me something you cannot. I just want to know how pure your intentions are." She had a frown on her face, probably fighting to prevent her mind to shut down.

He spoke low and velvety, but there was a stoic commanding hint in the way he articulated words. If he wanted something, Sasuke knew how to get it. "Then...what do you want to...know?"

Sasuke inserted a second finger inside her, feeling more essences rinse her slick passage, entertaining the idea to replace them with something more...appropriate and take her again.

But not until he got some answers. He brought her in the trip to know her better after all. His fingers were moving at a normal pace and his available hand was massaging her firm buttocks. That made the eyes roll on her head.

"Be honest Sakura, is it money you want from me?" that was a stupid thing to ask since she refused his offer to take the check and leave his side. And his voice came out harder than he was expecting. Sasuke knew he was not the kind to talk sweetly to a woman. Apparently Sakura was his first time to certain things as well.

He pumped her a little faster to make up for his lack of tact. She rolled her hips around his fingers once to test the waters.

"No. I am in no in need for anything material from you." Sakura wanted to slap him right on the head. Was he implying she was a slut? Oh the nerve of him. Although what he was doing to her felt really good . She was barely listening to what he was telling her.

"I see. Are you even poor? Because a farmer you are not. Your education betrays you."

What education was he seeing in the way she was moaning and squirming under h was beating Sakura's understanding. She was getting impossibly wet, making it easier for Sasuke`s fingers to slip inside her.

"Ahhhhh...I...am not a poor woman. Not anymore at least. Money...I don't need that..."

"Then why are you here?" Sasuke could feel himself getting harder at the sight of her trembling into his hands body.

She bowed her head, gluing her forehead on his plexus, making him shiver at the contact with her wet cold skin on his burning one. She was putty under his touches and even though she looked so helpless, she has never been that beautiful.

"..." It was there, trapped in between her clenched teeth...the answer he wanted, but Sakura held onto them tightly. It was paining her to lie to him, but she had no choice. It was for the both of them.

Sasuke turned her name into a magic spell, so rich and bossy, his deep voice making her insides turn to jelly. He was good and he knew how to play his cards right. "Sakura."

She was not looking up to face him. Instead she leaned more into his touch, pressing her full breasts on his hard rock abs, letting her arms fall on each side of his torso, planting her palms on the grass, her breath uneven.

"This...I cannot answer this." Of course she could. No one was forcing her into nothing. Except her mission, but that was not the reason why se was keeping it as a secret. It was her own fear of being _rejected _by him the thing that stopped her from singing like a canary.

"I cannot bring myself to fully trust you with only this." Although there were other people more suspicious to deserve his mistrust. Why was he taking it upon Sakura then? After all, he too was hiding himself from her, wasn't he?

But it was her the one to approach him and come into his life. And Sasuke found himself wondering what would she feel if he tried a third finger inside her? She was so slick that the poor woman was not probably even feeling his appendages curling inside her.

"Then believe me, not my words. You taught me how to show you how, remember? Even now...ah!" Sakura could almost guess what Sasuke`s reply would be.

But before she had a chance to formulate a retort, he stretched her with a third finger, massaging the inside of her inner walls, finding a very hot spot inside her, smirking at the reaction he got. She bit down his rib, taking him back to the origins of their first encounter as man and woman. Wasn't Eve turned into a human being from Adam's rib?

"Having sex with me doesn't equal having my trust as well. You should have learnt this about me so far, Sakura. If you only use this to get close to me, than you are no better than the other women." not even Sasuke believed his words.

He mentally slapped himself for what he told her, for he felt the young girl plant a kiss on his chest, even though he was accusing her of such things. But he got the answer he was expecting: she was trying to be better than him and not let her dignity fall along with his bashing words. And only a high class woman did such things, because it was in her nature.

"...funny because even now...I know nothing about you as well. And you are contradicting yourself Sasuke. I am not...mmmmmm...ohhhhhh..." her all body started to go limp with each passing moment, at the way Sasuke worked his fingers into her. She felt another orgasm riding its way up to her lower regions.

She couldn't contain her moans anymore. "...insulted at what you said although I know I should. And you know why? Because you proved to be just another smooth liar...like all the others."

"Not telling you all about me doesn't mean I lied to you."

"I am not talking about your life. I am talking about your view of me...of us...here you said I am using sex to seduce you into gaining advantages from you, yet you were the one to tell me we made _love_, not fuck...before you made me _scream_ your name." Was he truly using her as a simple fuck toy?

Because Sakura could feel her shut eyes dampen. Why was he telling her that and why was he still finger fucking her so casually, like he owned her? Oh yea...she was allowing him to do it. She wanted what he was doing and he could read it on her arching into him.

"And I meant every part of what I have said."

"Then it only proves you are just lusting after my body, if you don' trust me but allow me close enough to sleep with you. I am truly no different from the other women in your eyes. The only difference is that you save time knowing there is someone always waiting you home for you for take advance of."

"This has nothing to do with your lack of credibility. Don't compare yourself to the other easy women. You were never one of them in my eyes. Not even now." If there was something Sasuke was certain about was her devotion. He knew she was not the type to fool with other men.

Thee was a sharp deep pain shooting through her and Sakura knew it was not because Sasuke`s fingers moving in and out of her core. It was her heart the one stinging at his harsh words. She had more dignity than that.

"Then you are not getting your facts straight, Sasuke, because making love is all about trust...and...ahhhhhh..."

" And what?" He was finally getting where he wanted. Sasuke slowed his pace to tease her but to his utter shock, Sakura lifted her hips, removing his fingers from her, whimpering at the sudden jerk of her body.

"Forget it. I am going back. It is cold in here...outside..._in your heart_..." She truly attempted to leave, but Sasuke would have none of it. He gripped her wrists tightly, pulling her back on his body, their faces coming impossibly close, the tips of their noses brushing each other.

"No. You _will_ finish that sentence, Sakura."

Sakura could feel her body scream for him and her disappointed jade eyes fell in his lips. She wanted him to kiss her. "Does it have an relevance?"

"It does because it s precisely the reason you are staying in my arms." Sasuke knew what she wanted to feel from him: reassurance. Her parted brocade heart shaped parted lips were fanning her warm breath over his chin and nose, almost begging him to close the distance. He knew he went too far in implying she was a slut, but he had to hear the words from her. To add to his own assurance.

Sakura tried to pry her hands away from his hold, to no avail. His stare was hard and hypnotizing. "I thought we have already established what we want from each other."

"You said you wanted _everything _from me. What is everything for you Sakura?"

"What does it mean for you? Why do you want me for? My body? You already have it. The feelings that come with me giving myself to you? Are you able to accept _all _of me as well, Sasuke? Ate you willing to accept the other requirement that comes with making love to someone?"

"..." He went silent, not finding it into him to tell her what crossed his mind. It has been so long since he felt **confusion **taking its place on his mind. That was the reason why he closed his heart away from the others. Sakura came and shook his ground with her quivering broken voice.

"...So you don't. Well I cannot blame you on that one. I too wouldn't' bring myself to like someone who I cannot trust in your place. But I am not in your place."

"You have feelings for me."

She did. And he knew as well. They both knew. "..." Sakura let her satin golden irises fell on Sasuke' s shoulder., not able to look into those bottomless eyes.

"Sakura? Look at me."

"...no..."

"Say it. What kind of feelings?"

"...why telling you this?" She would not bring herself to confess such a thing. She liked him so much that it hurt.

"I want to know. Tell me. What do you feel? Do you feel anything for me?"

That made her snap. He was a bit too full of himself foe her liking. She used his hands as support to lift her body, lying in all her fours above him, he knees resting on each side oh his hips, on the ground. How she was able to endure the coldness outside was beyond Sakura's understanding. "I don't obey to your needs. You say you want to know, but do you even care?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"Care is a strong word. You shouldn't' say it so carelessly." Sakura's tone came harsh and reproaching.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, a frown creeping on his handsome face. Was she accusing him of being a fool? "You know I do nothing at random."

"I do. Albeit I shouldn't have. But I can't help it. Not even I tending to do so." Sakura lowered herself down Sasuke's hard rock body, resting her ass straight under his navel. She felt his godlike well endowed member pressed in between her parted legs, its head pocking her opening. She felt her vision double at the magnetically chemistry sparkling between their glued bodies.

"Can't help to feel...what?" One would have thought that any sane living that was aware of people wanting to kill him roaming freely around, would have had other things into his mind, then, getting laid in the middle of the forest with his maid.

Only...Sasuke was no ordinary man. First, he was not exactly sane to begin with. Second, he knew that those people following him were biting their nails in frustration because they couldn't lay a dinger on him in that moment. He could easily slice their throat any moment.

If his chasers wanted to stand a chance against him, they would have to corner him inside where there were more people to interfere and distract him. They were no threat to him alone. And Sakura was not a target for them either. "Sasuke..."

Smirking at the thought, Sasuke cupped her firm butt and pushed her hard down onto him, rocking her back and forth, right oh his hardened length, making her forest green eyes widen at the contact. His muscles were constricting and he knew she felt the same.

Oh he was going to so make her scream his name. The other assassins on his tail could go shoot themselves and spare him the trouble of doing so. Oh yeah...they did not use guns, he forgot. "_Cretins." _

"You are going nowhere until I hear it from you." Sasuke could feel himself getting more turned on when Sakura started to roll her hips slowly, in ample circular moves of her own curvy hips, giving him a delicious view of her soaked folds rubbing the base of his shaft.

His own breaths were coming faster and she was paling his chest, rubbing his nipples sensually, both knowing he was extremely sensitive there. That forced a deep growl at the back of his throat.

Sakura felt goose bumps at the predatory gaze Sasuke had on his gorgeous face. And his rich voice was stirring her own demonic needs inside her. "Sasuke let me..."

"Do you want me?" Sasuke`s baritone voice came calm, but deviously. He was allowing her to see that part of him in another context. The young Uchiha was willing to show the pink haired lady the reason why women were hunting him down, lusting and drooling after him.

"...Sasuke..." Sakura's breath got stuck into her chest when Sasuke brought his hand from her ass to her knee, forcing her to spread her leg wider, opening her more.

"Do you need me?" He palmed her straight under her navel, in the middle of her legs, rubbing her and parting her lips, going inside with three fingers, making sure she was still wet. He licked his lips once, taking much pleasure from the effect he had on her. She was more than ready for him.

If it was his possessive words or his shoved inside her fingers, stroking her, Sakura was not sure, but there was a sudden burst of her juices dripping from her finding Sasuke`s fingers suddenly not enough. "...Sasu..."

Lorane on their tail or not, Sakura didn't have enough fucks to give. If they did not take the opportunity to attack them the first time they went at it in the water, them either they were dumb, or they were not there to begin with another signal was meant for something else. But she wanted to have her way with Sasuke again...right in that moment.

"Want to stay with me? Be with me? What is that you want?" What was he talking about because Sasuke was not sure he recognized his voice anymore? Like someone else was putting words on his tongue forcing him to let them slip past his lips.

"..." Sakura did not know what to say. Was he inviting her to...what? Be with him as...together? Like a couple?

Or was hi giving examples? It was difficult to put an order into her messed up thoughts when Sasuke remover his hand from her, making her shudder at the lack of contact. She wanted to feel his touch on her forever.

"Sakura..." She looked down to see his face. She was left in awe at how the moonlight glowed on his ebony silvery eyes, highlighting the sharp precise lines of his jaw and cheeks. He was amazingly gorgeous looking.

"Are you in lo..."

"I _like_ you! And I _want_ you! And I want to _stay_ here with you, be here with you...do...all this things with you..." her genuine confession came a little too loud for her liking before Sakura could stop herself.

"...only here?" Oh he was so teasing her right then. That was one stunning looking lady that was not going to escape him.

"No..." Sakura bit her lip hard when she felt Sasuke getting a hold of his fully erect member, positioning himself right at her entrance, slowly slipping his tip past her folds. He stopped when he was halfway inside, pressing his nails down her hip bones, preventing her to go down and take him all in.

"I want to hear it again." She almost cried in frustration. What was he doing to her anyways? She more than wanted him, but Sasuke had other plans apparently.

"...hear what?"

What she said...and the way she said it...there was no other woman that told him she fell for him with such a tenderness. "Tell me you like me. Say it once again." He pressed her firmly down on his length, feeling his pulse explode at the feel of her tightness enveloping him. But that time he entered her easier and harder.

"Stop it, I can't _say _that again...oh my God..." Sakura followed the lead of his hands that were fondling her waist and hips moving up and down, riding him.

She wanted to scream at the rapid pleasure burning down her insides. That time she felt no pain when he went all the way inside, like the first time. Only the feeling of her adjusting to the intrusion, but her body was more than welcoming him. She clamped her fingers around his wrists, while he was meeting her half way.

"Sakura...if you don't say it. I am going to make you _scream _it..." If there has been a more erotic sight than the way her inner lips were unfolding around his tip each time he pulled almost all back, then filling her in, in fluid thrusts, Sasuke would have liked to know. He could clearly see him entering her all over again and he wanted her too see that too.

"..." Sakura felt her limbs going numb again, the same immense pleasure taking over her senses again. Her eyes were unfocused and partly opened, looking up to the dark sky, following some stars she recognized. Her went deeper and picked up his pace.

"...again..."

"Sasuke..."

"...and again..." His words were mirroring his pounding. His sharps trust were not in the bit gentle. Sakura was having her bruised of his kisses full lips parted to make place for more air to fill her lungs, her soft hair was spread over her neck and shoulders and small rivulets of water were flowing down the valley of her bouncing chest, like tiny rivers parting midway in half on her rising ribcage, tracing her glistening milky skin down her belly button.

And when Sakura let go of Sasuke`s wrists and started to massage her neck and shoulders, arching her neck, panting and moaning loudly, Sasuke felt his own vision cloud. "...I...ahhh"

"...until you..."

"...you...I like...hmmm...

"...are going to even chant it in your sleep."

"I lik...arghhhhhh..." She felt him squeeze the base of her round breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple and it sent electric jolts down her legs. Her body was screaming in ecstasy.

"Say it...spell it...scream it."

"...I like...you...Damn it Sasuke, I like you! I like you a lot aaaaaaa!" Sasuke pinched the rosy bud that was molding between his fingers, lifting his body from the ground, making her almost fall on her back, not expecting him to rise.

But Sasuke let his palms glide to her butt cheeks holding her in place, while hitting her from a new angle. He darted his tongue outside to play with her breast, sucking greedily.

"Hn. This is better."

Sakura lost it for real. He was everywhere and she felt him tearing her insides apart so deep and electrifying, that made the stars above mirror into her dilated pupils."...f...faster...move faster..." She gripped his shoulders for support rocking at the same time with him, loving the feel of his lips pecking her chest just above her lonely heart.

She knew he was doing it on purpose after her confession signalizing her he acknowledged her feelings. She has been honest with him.

"Are we on commanding basis now? You know I am the boss in here, Sakura." He moved deliberately slower inside her, although it absolutely killed him not to rock her world like he wanted. But seeing her beg and squirm her hips on the top of him was worth all the sweet torture.

"...Fuck just...fuck me harder!"

"Hm...you are really hot when you curse at me Sakura, I admit. But I am going to make you beg for it." It took every self control he had, for Sasuke to stop pumping her and freeze inside her, using a firm grip on her hips to cease her attempt to go up and down his hardened shaft and take him in and out of her like he wanted.

"...I...Gosh I am going to murder you...just...move!" Oh no, he was not going to stop when she felt another orgasm threaten to wash her system again.

She wanted that blissful state again and he was going to get her there. A carnal urge bloomed in the pits of her stomach, transcending her feelings. She wanted to feel him even deeper, and she wanted to taste every inch of his delicious body.

"Tsk...not the right words. You know what means to threaten a public figure like me Sakura." Sasuke freed her hips for a brief, giving her a false hope that he was going to bring her to insanity once again, but immediately slipped his on each side of her straddling knees, going up to grip her thighs and push her body up, slowly, just to give him enough space to pull out of her, but not entirely.

Sakura was using her nails to leave long nail scratches down his muscled arms, losing the support she had on her body, feeling her mind going numb when she felt him retract his long thick member from her needing core.

It was in the moment Sasuke only left his sweet tip impaled inside her drowned in their juices slick folds, stretching her stiff entrance, has he stopped pulling back, onyx amused eyes never leaving her face.

"...please...just go...harder...faster..." She was almost crying at the lack of touch. His experience was truly overwhelming her, because he was able to perfectly control himself and toy with her sanity. Plus her walls were throbbing and painfully constricting wanting release.

"If you asked me so nicely, I shall grant your wish, but..." In one swift precise move of his hips, Sasuke filled her completely up to the hilt, until the inner walls of her moistened sleek passage parted the way to the secret burning spot inside her, that sent explosion of stars and fireflies under her eyelashes, making her almost come again right on the spot.

"Aaahhh! Y...yes...like...this!" he pulled out again, the darting inside in one swift thrust, easily gliding inside her wet way, not stopped by any obstacle. He had full access to hit her hard, at the he speed he wanted.

And her moans encouraged his moves. Sasuke let go of the nipple he was pulling and fondling, licking his lips content with the taste of her on his mouth, aiming for her neck, sucking her pulse over her damp hair, covering her porcelain skin.

Every cell of her was sweet and flavored like cherries and honey. '_Guess I became an __**addict **__ after all.'_

"You forgot to add _deeper_." He was thrusting inside her with abandon, relentlessly, pumping faster every time he pulled back and go all the way up to her womb, making sure his he hit the same G spot inside her burning inner, over and over again.

Even though he had many women in that position, never in his life had Sasuke encountered such a tight one, basically feeling every muscle clench around his covered in her essences manhood, each time he entered her, deeper and harder than before, riding her way to ecstasy. And judging from the way she was milking him, trembling and panting over him, when the high started to get her light headed, Sasuke knew Sakura was really close.

He too was aware that he was not going to resist more than few trusts. Not with the way she was swinging her hips to meet him thrusts and increase the friction, bouncing up and down with the same fervor, then back and forth, trying to find the best angle to take him in as deep as she could.

"Fuck...how can you...still be this tight...Sakura?"

"...mmmmmm...Sasuke...I...can't take it...long...arghhhh!" It was a particularly sharp thrust Sasuke did, hitting the sweet key spot inside her inner walls, that made the flaming pool under her belly button burst unexpectedly intense, making her see stars dancing in front of her shot open emerald unfocused irises, viridian meeting glimmering gold to mirror the sweet nectar surging out of her.

She came violently, her orgasm even longer and more intense than the previous one. Sasuke managed two more pumps inside until her clenching core made him come as well, mixing their essences together.

Sakura fell completely exhausted on his chest, face buried in the crock of his neck, her parted in search for air bruised plump lips pressed chastely on his skin. Two strong arms enveloped her small back completely, trapping her on his body, their ragged breaths finding a comfortable sync.

A tired content ghost of a smile found its way to Sakura' face, her emerald eyes shut, ear pressed on Sasuke' chest, listening to the uneven fast paced tick of his heartbeat like an old pendulum swing, sealing the passing passionate moment into the hands of time.

The only true longing Sasuke had in that moment was to remained locked deep inside a panting absolutely mystical looking Sakura, indulging in her every deep rise of her full chest pressing on him, connected to her.

He didn't even pulled back out of her, even though he was aware she was probably sore and in some sort of uncomfortable pain, after he took her two times on her first time, stealing her innocence.

But Sakura made no attempt to push him out as well. Two trembling palms glided delicately under his shoulder blades, caging his lean shoulders in a tight embrace. She even planted a chaste kiss on his throat, getting a sharp breathe from him at the sudden warm contact.

"...you did mean it...when you said you will go deeper...Sasuke." Her voice was hoarse and everything in her lower regions was sore. But she was more content than ever.

Sasuke let out a small smirk at the way she was possessively claiming him for her., hugging him tightly. Normally he did not cuddle with the women he slept, but she was not a one night stand. "Now you know I will not joke about this, Sakura." he was stroking her hair, removing the fallen bangs that were offending her emerald eyes.

"Will? Does that s mean it was not a one time thing?"

"Only if you want it to be."

A deep blush crept down her nape, chills of thrill running down the lazy circles Sasuke did with hand on her damp cold skin. She snuggled even closer to the warmth his body provided. The gentle spring mountain breeze made her skin shudder, goose bumps raising down her arms and bare legs. She has never realized how cold she was until then.

"I want...more...of you...if this..."

Sasuke brushed his lips on the top of Sakura' s damp hair, gently kissing the top of her head, tightening his embrace around her trembling frame, sending a bolt of warmth down her neck at the affectionate gesture. "Then ask for it and I will be yours, whenever you want me."

"Does this mean you still want me around..." Sakura raised her chin to look into Sasuke`s deep onyx eyes, taking in the flickering silver hues around his irises, searching for any sign of doubt inside. She found none.

His face was serene, but serious. "...even if I can't..." she couldn't' hold his intense stare that saw right inside her heart, bowing her forest green eyes in shame."...be completely honest with you?"

Sasuke cupped her chin gently, bringing her lips to melt on his own, kissing her slowly, but meaningful, turning every trace of doubt dancing on her mind to ashes, under his flaming touch.

"I thought we were past this, Sakura." He brushed his soft lips once on her small chin, then her cheek, like a timid teenager confessing his feelings to the girl he liked, offering her dark orange chocolate and white roses. "Stop thinking I am only using you for my pleasure. This is the farthest thing in my mind."

She looked him straight into those impossibly alluring onyx orbs, finding the confirmation she needed to unite their lips for a last chaste kiss, before they wrote another page in their history together, marking their possession on each other, with the wild, untamed nature as their witness. He was not lying.

"I believe you…Sasuke."

}{

Somewhere close to them, two people clad in black leather, riding ATVs were eying the two oblivious couple, mouths agape. Well, one of them was looking like ready to go and puke, the other smirking and laughing like crazy.

"I can't believe they have done it here, from all the places."

"I can't believe you _watched_ them doing that, from all the places."

A pair of chestnut eyes rolled at the totally shocked expression playing on her fiancé's face. Like he was even better.

She remembered the first time they made love and it was in the cemetery. That was one hell of a mission. "Stop acting like a fucking monk you stupid Hyuga. That was totally hot. The only regret I have is that I couldn't see any…details with this freaking infra red."

Neji shook his head, darting his pale eyes from his crazy fiancé, to the GPS. He cold see them, the heirs around the camp fire and…something approaching them at top speed from the North. That was probably their assassins, chasing them on either motorcycles or ATVs.

"That fucking Uchiha…I should have known he had it in him to actually get laid in the middle of the forest, surrounded by all his business partners. But Haruno…I would have thought she is more responsible."

That won him a slap on his head, from a fuming Ten Ten, who too saw the killers on her own device.

"Shut up, will yea? You sound like a bitch in heat. And what the heck? Should I remember you all the places we have fucked? Should I start with that ancient church that we have discovered in New Zeeland…"

"Ten Ten…"

"I know I know, we have company."

"Let's go and prepare the red carpet for them. I want to have the element of surprise." Neji already put his helmet, his fiancé doing the same, starting the ATV.

"How many?"

"Four."

"Three for me, one for you. I don't want you to broke a nail Neji."

"How cute…of you."

}{

The first thing that welcomed Sakura and Sasuke when they got back to the cabins, was the warm atmosphere outside, where all the people were chattering intently, surrounding the large fire camp and enjoying the sweet taste of marshmallows, corn or backed potatoes.

There was also a small group singing and playing acoustic guitars, their voices echoing through the distance. There were two Finish blonde young women and they were actually pretty good, singing a ballad from their country, much to the other's delight. Looked like some sort of contest out there.

They found Naruto talking to some random man and woman about…something unimportant probably, since he was not in the least interested in business related topics. He waved intently at the two lovers, shouting in their direction, attracting everyone's attention to the two escaped in the forest people, much to their horror. Damn was he loud.

"Sakura-chan, Teme! Glad you decided to join."

Sakura felt like turning around on her heel and bolt back into the forest at the sight of all the eyes widened at the sight of her, in the company of Sasuke Uchiha, both quite messy looking and their hairs wet.

Now there were really imbecile people among them that looked straight up in the sky, probably wondering if there was some unexpected rain falling there…but not all of the were idiots.

They understood what happened, but resumed in only staring. It was not like they didn't know about Sasuke`s scandals with women, but that pink dyed girl didn't quite came close to the fashionable girls he dated.

Sasuke shoved his friend away to make space for him and Sakura, throwing his body on the ground, resting his back on some tree, hitting Naruto on the back, hard, making him choke with marshmallows. He was eating five at once. "You are such a loud idiot."

Sakura was so lost at what to do, that she found herself the only one standing, awkwardly, biting her lip, trying not to have any eye contact with any of the others, afraid she was going to find the same misjudgment she grew to hate, dancing in their reproaching irises, like back then when she was poor.

It was all written there, in their irises: damnation, disgust and to top it all, jealousy. Because she was the one coming side by side with a famous man, everyone wanted as either a business partner, or as boyfriend.

And it was the same dark haired man who, with all the serenity in the Universe, gripped her wrist and pulled her down, on his lap, she landing with her head straight on his chest, in between his legs, mortifying her.

"What are you waiting for, standing there and impersonating a tree? I think there are enough around here, Sakura."

The said girl whispered into the onyx eyed Uchiha`s ear, feeling a madly blush rise on her cheeks.

"What are you doing? People are watching." Indeed, that attracted all the eyes on them, because indirectly, Sasuke confirmed what was in their minds: there _was _something going on between them, all right.

Sasuke enveloped his girl in a tight embrace, stealing a marshmallow from a pouting Naruto, placing it into the fire, shrugging once at the Sound agent's remark. It was not like it bothered him.

"Who the fuck cares?" And to even entertain the idea of leaving her side when he knew there was someone around them…or really close to them, eying them, expecting the best moment to strike, made the others fade in the background.

Not only that, but he couldn't help himself around her any longer. Not after he took her virginity away, not even half an hour ago and definitely not after he had her once again. Sasuke felt his skin burn without her touch.

He needed to feel her close, secure, trapped into his strong arms where she belonged. That woman was his, from the beginning of time, he knew. He felt it.

And he felt her rest the top of her head under his chin, munching the roasted marshmallow, moaning in delight at the sweet taste tingling her senses.

And that made him remember her squirming under him and his mind went running through all the things he would have done to her if all the freaks surrounding him were not present. Man, was he entertaining the idea to go up, take his sword or pistol and kill them all.

"Now you are going to make the headlines tomorrow. This is delicious."

"I always make the headlines, Sakura." The raven haired Uchiha placed a sweet kiss on her shoulder, when he felt no eye was glued on them.

Well, there were some fangirls that were glaring daggers at the emerald eyed girl locked into his embrace, but they got a glance that made his heart pound proudly into his chest, from her that made them bow their heads and turn away, gossiping.

The Sound assassin felt her skin tremble in pleasure at the contact with Sasuke`s soft lips. Even if she felt really sore down there, the after effects of their wild lovemaking growing more intense, she couldn't help but lust for him. "Is this going to…cause you problems?"

"You are never a problem."

"Sooooo….where have you guys been? Looking for fairies?" Naruto leaned in the direction of the totally not giving a damn about the others couple, embracing and looking like they were in the honey moon, amused to no end.

"No. We were looking for your brain dobe. Guess it explains why we came back empty handed."

Sasuke frown in the direction of his grinning at him blonde haired friend. He had _that _look on his face…the one that promise headaches and blackmail…and punches. A lot of well aimed punches.

"I say…you two have gotten lai…Auch! Sakura-chan, what the hell?"

Sakura was tomato red, punching her CIA colleague down his head, hard. That won her a smirk from Sasuke, who gripped his arms around her, approvingly.

That was his girl. "Shut up! How do you dare accusing us of…"Oh she couldn't even defend herself properly, the events keeping repeating in her mind over and over again.

Those kisses, his touch on her skin, his sharp trusts, his body pressed on her…sweet sweet lovemaking….she got one Hell of a problem and Naruto saw right away what was bothering her. The sparkling jade eyes were a giveaway.

"Stupid dobe. Why don't you go and jump form that peak we have just descended?"

"You guys are mean. And I know what you did there. You can't fool me, I have blackmail and the other guys are going to find out about that."

"Don't you dare…" Sakura thought she was going to explode. If Sasuke wouldn't kill Naruto first, then she was going to do that.

There were some other problems bothering them and she tried to be as discreet as possible when she fixed her emerald eyes on the Akatsuki member's cerulean ones, giving him a knowing look.

Naruto caught the meaning right away, raising four fingers at her, the said girl doing her best to hide her shock.

Four assassins…and they were there. She mentally counted down their chances, the statistics looking good. Four CIA agents and four assassins. That was not all that bad. She silently conveyed the message who a standing up Naruto. Go and help Ten Ten and Neji, while she was going to keep an eye on the others.

"Well, I see you guys want to be left all…_alone_." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his retracting friend, who was going to the forest she and Sakura left, minutes ago. What the hell was he doing? There were people out there who were probably targeting either him or the others and the idiot…

"Where are you going?"

Naruto tried to sound as casual as possible, slipping his hands down his pockets. Damn his too observant friend. "Taking a walk."

"No shit. Get back in here, there might be wild animals out there. And I don't want your mother to nag me that I didn't take care of you." Kushina gave Sasuke creeps. That woman was just as insane as her child.

"Heh…don't worry for me Bastard. You know I won't go down so…_easily_." And he was gone, leaving the group of people behind, to have fun, totally oblivious at what was going down around them.

Sasuke rose an eyebrow at his friend's more than weird behavior. There was a hint in Naruto`s tone that got him really suspicious, like that dobe actually had an idea of what could have been going on around, but did his best to hide it.

And he totally didn't miss Sakura`s tightening grip around his neck, holding him desperately almost…protectively?

"What the heck is wrong with that moron?"

Sakura was mentally going through all the scenarios for a possible encounter, formulating a plan.

If Naruto went to help his Akatsuki colleagues, then it meant they were in no danger…for now. So she and the others were safe as long as no one from the four suspects got close to the camping.

"Who knows? Maybe he feels the need to be…alone?" The emerald eyed agent was barely containing the urge to pull out her phone and check the exact location of those people, but she couldn't.

Not with Sasuke holding her…why was he tightening his grip on her in a way so…caring? Protective? Like he was the agent and her the heir in danger…weird.

"Pf…not the dobe I know…"

"Mr. Uchiha, how about you play a song as well?" Both Sakura and Sasuke`s eyes flew on the said owner of the voice, feeling like someone has hit their heads with a baseball bat.

The guide was holding a black Gibson Acoustic guitar in the direction of a dumbfounded looking Uchiha heir, urging him to take it and give a little performance, like all the others. In his mind…Sasuke felt like…oh God the urge to kill the man in front of him was clouding his vision and he felt his lungs constrict. Even his pupils got the hue of the blood liquid filling his veins. That couldn't happen.

"No."

Sakura`s jade eyes were roaming from the raven haired Uchiha to the humble guide, who was smiling awkwardly at the brooding at him heir.

Every single eye was on the said man, actually not believing that middle age man had the guts to ask Sasuke such a thing. But almost all the men and women present did some little performance, be it a song, a very inspiring poem or a joke, so he couldn't have possibly escaped the torture.

Maybe Naruto was not that dumb to ditch the group after all…that gave Sakura ideas…would they ask her to do something as well? Oh Dear Heavens…

"Oh, c'mon Sasuke, don't ruin all the fun." One younger brown haired man, with blue eyes was smirking down at his business rival, mentally applauding the guide for letting him make fun of the famous Uchiha, _live_.

Because of the Mangekyou developing in Thailand, his company almost went bankrupt. And hearing him sing…that had disgrace written all over it.

An old man decided to be funny and almost make Sasuke break his neck in the process, when he turned his head on his shoulder to make that smartass burn to ashes at the intensity of his piercing dark stare. "Sing something for your…_lady_."

Oh, he didn't say that. He absolutely didn't provoke him. In his mind, Sasuke was already envisioning his sharp Kusanagi blade slice their heads and bathe in their filthy blood.

And the way he referred to Sakura, like she was a beggar between them…that made his mind have a shut down. That night…he was going to murder his chasers and cut them to pieces…cut their legs, heads, hands, necks, hearts…apart…and burn the corpses, INTERPOL and _him _be damned.

Sakura sensed the murderous intent radiating through all Sasuke`s pores, almost like he was breathing darkness and was projecting venom on the outside.

She discreetly placed a hand on his heart, marveling at how was he still be able to keep his consciousness at the way it was thumping the very life out of his frame, going 200 mph. "Sasuke…"

"So as you know…" A pair of sapphire black orbs were slowly, but menacingly enveloping the present audience in a veil of evil and murder intent, making the hair at the nape of their neck erect in dread.

His voice was mirroring his maleficent semblance asserting every word in a way so cold, that made everyone wonder if he was truly human. "…I will never do such things…"

Sasuke let his eyes linger on the petrified in front of him guide, slowly taking the instrument out of his hands, casually, but pinning him with his burning gaze. "…for _parasites_…"

And finally his gaze found the older than him man`s that dared to insult his Sakura, in front of all those people, like he was something better. "…like you."

And then, without even acknowledge their presence, held the guitar in front of Sakura, trapping her in between his hot body and the expensive instrument, starting to sing like a professional guitar jazz player, lowering his onyx eyes on her, and let his long fingers swiftly fly on the strings in a way it put all the nightingales into shame.

The reaction was immediate. Sakura, along with all the others, felt their jaw bluntly fall on the ground, with a loud thud, stunned. He was not a good singer. He was _amazing_.

The emerald eyed agent felt the world around vanish in thin air and her knees go feather like. Never in her life would she had imagine Sasuke`s low baritone voice in such a context, but it sounded amazing. The way he was articulating every note, emphasizing every syllable, hitting the highest notes perfectly, was out of that world. It was…

Something…else

Sensual.

Deep.

Rich.

He was singing for her. It hit Sakura at the speed of lightning, like a falling meteor. His emotions were poured in every lyric he was singing, and his eyes…were on her ones…trapping her…hypnotizing her and making her succumb into his spell. And she did.

Her heart…exploded. And Sakura wanted so much to kiss him. To do something…anything…to matter. Like he was doing. Sasuke was doing something he probably loathed, although he was letting everyone watch him in awe, just as trapped as she was, just for her. To see him.

Feel him.

Sasuke was…

She fisted her hand into his blouse, emotions soaring like streaming Eden honey waters, drowning her one step further into his magic. She …

Liked him.

**Everything **about him made her want him.

God she liked him so much it hurt.

He was looking at her…heart.

And smirked down at how cute the deep blush decorating her face, in the flickering light the dancing fire was causing, making her look angelic.

Sasuke truly wanted that to be a normal trip, with just the two of them…and he would have done **everything **she would have asked of him. Everything. He would give her everything she wanted. Even that. Even singing for her, if she liked it. And she did.

And not even the cheers and the feverous clapping he got from the other people made him remove his onyx eyes from the smiling at him Sakura. She was letting her heart enfold in front of him, purely, passionately…lovingly. And it made him feel so good.

"Stop looking at me like that Sakura, because if you don't…" Sasuke returned the guitar to a random man that tried to imitate him, failing miserably, not once ungluing his playful eyes from his widened in astonishment emerald ones of his beautiful maid's ones. "…then I am going to kidnap you and see if you can go…another round."

That made Sakura`s cheeks burn. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, making him chuckle darkly at he antics, not able to eye anyone in that moment. And he said it so casually, like that was something normal. "How…can you say that?"

"Want me to show it?"

"…"

"Sakura?"

"I like you…Sasuke."

A small smirk. He knew, of course. But his onyx eyes were fixed on the retracting figures of the two people he was looking for. They went back into the cabin…probably plotting something. His smirked turned into a sinister grin.

The Uchiha heir stood up, taking Sakura by surprise, heading straight back into the cabin, intention clear.

"Be right back. Don't move." Most of all, he wanted to make sure his maid was out of danger. The others could go die, for all he cared…well he _had _to care, but it was not like he truly intended that.

"What…where are you going?" Sakura`s eyebrows shot up, feeling panicked at the taught of Sasuke not staying into her arms, when he was in real danger.

Orochimaru has been right, they were under attack. But she knew that all of the people present among them were businessmen and heirs, so no one suspicious…or so she foolishly thought.

But he made a small gesture with his hand, assuring her he was going to be all right. Sakura shrugged once, prompting her frame on the tree, slipping her phone and watching the map.

She could clearly see the Akatsuki and their chasers heading to each other, both groups expecting to fall into an ambush. She checked around the house as well, finding no one suspicious.

But the world crumbled when a gun shot was heard in the distance, all the atmosphere ruined. Everyone looked in the direction of the forest, eyes filled with panic.

In an instant, piercing screams filled the stillness of the night, followed by running legs and terrified men and women, going to their respective rooms, trying to stay safe, as their innate instincts were urging them.

Sakura was up in an instant, taking a double look around to make sure there was no danger around, checked her GPS once again for the heck of it and darted into the forest, following Naruto`s steps, to land them a hand. Four assassins…each for all of them…and she was completely unconcerned about what truly happened back in her room.

}{

Sasuke was heading up the stairs to his room, taking his time to mentally laugh like a mental hospital escaped patient in joy, at the thought of those people actually entertaining the idea of going incognito and manage to trick him.

They did it once, because he was not home. But that…was definitely not his home…which meant free killing.

He licked his lip when the feel of blood actually hit his nostrils, his aura changing slowly from dark to livid.

He pushed the knob slowly, a hand on the wall, beside the switch, concentrating. And in an instant, an electrical bolt successfully cut the electricity, throwing the space into a blackout, probably taking the assassins by surprise as well.

"Let…"

He entered his room, silent as a puma, all his senses alert. He heard everything and saw everything.

"…the fun…"

Sasuke`s eyes took a hint of dark red wine and as fast as he could, slipped a hand under the bed, pulling the sharpened blade out of its confinement, swiftly swinging it up in the air, preventing an attack aimed at his head.

The clash of two metals colliding with one another shattered the silence of the darkened room, like a crystal glass dropped on a marble floor, the silvery hint of the razor like edges of the traditional weapons reflecting the full moon piercing through the opened window.

The onyx eyed Uchiha eyed his two opponents, seeing them _perfectly_, making them flinch under the insane gaze he had on them, a gentle wind blowing through his midnight looks, coming from the opened window. He blended in the crepuscule like it was part of it. Made of it. The very essence of his soul…

Darkness.

"…begin…" And lunged forward, aiming for their necks.

}{

**Author's Note: **_I cannot even describe how sorry I am for updating this so late, but as I have already stated, I barely have time to have a…life. A social one at least. School is horror. Being in the last year of University takes the best of my time. And I only have time to write my stories at midnight. _

_I am glad you guys have found the last chapter funny. I truly wanted to make Naruto and Sakura act like that and emphasize they could still be part of the rich world, without acting all snobbish, but childish. Two assassins acting like kids. I love the idea. _

_My God, no, I am not offended being told to update fast, on the contrary. If I would have been able to do as I please, I would spend the whole day writing on this story, like I did the last summer holiday (I truly did that, really, this is why I was able to update twice a week, ah those were so good moments)._

_I must say I am planning to end up this story at chapter 30. So if things would start to seem rushed from now on, which I will make sure they don't, then you know the reason. So everything is going to go…downhill from now on, for everyone. Hey…you cannot have world domination with clapping hands and joy, right? _

_By the way, if the lemons were not good, then I am totally sorry. I must confess I wrote them at school…so yeah…I am not sure of the outcome. I am sorry I had to modify this chapter suddenly because I realized that you are not allowed to post lyrics on the stories, and this blew up my mind, because I had a scene in mind based on a song. Damn it.  
_

_Thank you guys for all the reviews and for still liking and reading this story. I wouldn't be able to continue without your undying support. Send you cupcakes. _


	27. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

* * *

The only thing that could have been heard in the darkened room was the metal sound of the swords clashing of the skilful fighters, looking like a mysterious moon dance behind the shadows and Sasuke could have sworn he was having the second best time of his life.

"You are a bunch of fools, actually thinking I am going to fall for the same trick twice." His moves were flawless and the way he was maneuvering his katana, through his opponent's weakened defense, made him look ethereal and dangerous.

Blood was surging from the assassin's in front of him right shoulder, after the Uchiha delivered a sharp cut, swinging his body and striking like an unleashed puma in front of the trembling defenseless gazelle.

Actually, the raven haired heir was quite surprised the two other participants to the show haven't once aimed for his figure at the same time, like any other normal professional killer would do, trying to take advantage of the superior number and increase their chances to succeed.

But then he realized that the blindness they were forced to fight in was only passed unnoticed by him, they having quite a difficult time in seeing into the darkness.

So the two far inferior to his superior skills people were not taking any chance to hit one another instead of their target, and kept a safe distance, probably marveling at the way Sasuke had no problem in, not only getting on par with their skills, not bothered that he was outnumbered, but eventually surpassing them both, with the refinement of his precise movements and bursts of energy.

"You are going to pay for that, Uchiha! I am going to make sure of that!" The masked man-he was clad in black leather, concealing his face-who was currently kneeing in front of Sasuke, gripping the sword in his right hand as his last resort, having a firm pressing on his bleeding shoulder with the left unoccupied one, trying to make out his opponent's tall frame shouted at him, but the onyx eyed Uchiha knew exactly what distance should he keep, to make absolutely sure they couldn't properly see his upcoming sudden attacks, just to give his unseen light speed enough space to aim at their vital organs.

Sasuke smirked down at the person in front of him, cockily titling his head on the side, making his midnight locks conceal his high cheeks and jet eyes, totally amused by the reputed feared organization that was not living up to its reputation.

In his mind, they were too weak to even be considered pretty good, and compared to his fighting skills and brilliant strategy and foreshadowing abilities, they were Kindergarten children playing hide and seek in the woods.

"I would like you to do that, because in all honesty, you two bore the hell out of me. And here I thought we are going to have a lot of fun." Yeah, he sounded wicked and sadistic, Sasuke was well aware, but he didn't give a damn about it.

Why hiding the fact that old habits die hard anyways, since his assassin nature was so naturally blending in the picture, determining his other self to manifest in all his glory, urging his precise moves, appearing like a phantom. For the raven haired heir, the two in front of him were moving in slow motion.

As far as they were concerned, his ghostly and deadly appearance made blood freeze down their veins, assassins or not. It was just the way the Uchiha moved, with such an easiness that it looked like he was doing ice ballet instead of fighting, betraying a grace and a mastery of the most advanced techniques, that placed him into another time.

He looked like an ancient warrior from a faraway time, only missing his pure blood black colt and the golden ruby encrusted ring of royalty around his finger to give him enough credit for how insanely good he was.

The mysterious masked man tightened his grip on the sword he had rooted into the floor, pressing the sharp edge down, having difficulties in lifting up his body, sweating and having troubles in regulating his racing pulse and harsh breathes, looking in awe and confusion at the totally serene Uchiha heir.

How could he have just casually held his fearsome long katana, like it weighted nothing, revealing no trace of tiredness, not even in his calm inhales, like he has not even pulled a single muscle or rose any finger to face them, despite the violent collisions they had so far?

"Just stay still and don't prologue your suffering any longer!" He thrust forward, thick sharp sword resting safely in both his hands, lifted above his head, attempting to cut Sasuke in half, but the speed and the totally foreseeable kick made the midnight haired man snort audibly, not able to restrain himself.

With all the calmness in the world, he spun his own sword once, with his elbow parallel to the floor, paring the attack aimed at his head, then shifting his weight to the front leg to let his opponent slip past him, unintentional, taking advantage of the inertia and, swift as a bolt of lightning, impaled his left hand, delivering a well placed hit under his arm pit, making him flinch and drop the sword.

"Hn…and you actually have the guts to call yourself assassin. The concept got quite lenient, I see." Without wasting anymore precious time, Sasuke furrowed his sharp eyebrows, his orbs flaming in concentration, intently focusing on that lethal sensitive spot on his cervical, delivering a roundhouse kick, breaking his spine.

The loud implacable sound of bones cracking filled the thick air around with a horror feel and the pungent smell of fresh hot blood bursting out of the deceased man's mouth gave Sasuke the familiar sense of winning and overpowering his opponents that he loved.

"Pathetic." The perished body that laid limp at his feet was just another memento of many other that found their fate in the same position as him and it was in the moment he felt another careless attack meant to revenge to fallen comrade, has the onyx eyes of the vile looking Uchiha heir shot up to face the sole opponent he has, taking in the pattern of the attacks.

That one was a bit more skilled than the previous one, but not enough to make the killer make it out alive from the room, that soon would serve as a grave. "I am going to send you straight to Hell for what you did!"

"I have already been there. And I must say though…" Sasuke jumped straight in the middle of the bed, balancing on both spread apart legs, with his knees slightly bent to be on the same eye level as his target, avoiding a hit that targeted his liver, with a short swing, keeping his elbows close to his body, careful not to create an opening and turn into a victim.

Underestimating the other opponent was a fatal mistake Sasuke wouldn't make. He couldn't afford to lose or even worse let those two escape his wrath, because that would dramatically change the situation. They were already taking their twisted ideology too far for his liking and someone had to step in and put an end to it. "…it was not such a bad place."

"What are you…." The unspoken question remained stuck down the throat, when Sasuke slashed of the only remaining rival's of his stomach, cutting the soft skin open, tearing down the material that covered the fallen defended on the bad carcass.

The sole thing that Sasuke has not realized at the moment was the fact that the deep wound he made on his opponent's stomach, was painfully reminiscent to the one placed on the other four assassins` he murdered before, necks. The question was: would the INTERPOL agents be that skilled to observe the similitude?

"I am holding them into that."

Sasuke stepped right on the deceased body, not in the bit respectful or solemn with the ones that passed into the other existence, fighting the urge to not spit on their dead frames. Hate?

He was passed that mere emotion that was not comprising enough to describe how he felt about _that_ people.

They were giving him more problems that he would have liked and the raven haired man wouldn't delude himself into thinking he would not turn immediately into a living human target, after they were going to find out about his most recent act of defiance.

And that made him widely smirk. He went straight to the switch, focusing on the small button, so as some remains of the energy he could use were focusing into the electricity, concentrating until his temples started to throb painfully, feeling the familiar rush of jolts creeping up his spine, materializing throught his fingertips.

The lights went on in an instant, illuminating the once bathed in darkness cabin, giving him an idea of how bad the fighting scene truly looked like. Sasuke was so engulfed in how he was going to explain that to a certain pink haired lady and his idiot blonde friend, that he overlooked the detail of his katana still resting soundly into his capable hand.

"This…doesn't look too good." Bottomless ink eyes roamed around the relatively small room, seeing the large pools of leaking blood tainting the grey mattress of the bed and splashed down the wool carpet.

Two cadavers were decorating the already sinister looking room and the pungent smell and touch of death and decomposing flesh was hanging richly above their corpses.

It totally screamed _'If you don't see what I am capable of and what is my real self, then you have to do a brain check up'_ , but the only matter Sasuke found disturbing remained the way his woman was going to react when she would come across such a scene.

No, he would not lie to himself and shove away the things her presence stirred down his cold soul, because ever since he got a full taste of her skin, the raven haired Uchiha swore he found the other half that was missing from his heart. Sasuke was able to fill in a bottomless abyss inside him that made his heart beat like an enthusiastic drum into his chest.

* * *

"Fuck…" Quickly, Sasuke worked on his phone, tapping the ID he had on speed dial, clenching his jaw when the idea of having no pertinent explanation to give the pink haired maid, shot his brain.

She was going to get enough of his lies at some point and a possible scenario of her leaving his side was creeping down his spine, in a form of prickling goose bumps on his skin.

_Fright._

Sasuke actually felt scared over something and it was such an outlandish concept , that it left him skeptic over how longer was he able to hide his past from her and not let Sakura know exactly what she got herself into, when she so boldly undressed in front of him and more than begged him to take her.

Ah, that one got him reeling into lust, again. The familiar beep of the phone connecting him to the man he wanted to assure he got his job done echoed through his ears. Sakura was going to see his bed much often than she would have expected, Sasuke was to make sure of it.

He had to have her again, that was for certain. Each night, each day, each moment, trapped into her arms, moving inside her. That was ecstasy at his finest, the LSD or other drugs were paling in comparison.

"_Already done?"_ Quite a disturbed voice, that customarily would come out as steadily and confident, held a shaky hint that made Sasuke wonder just what other unfortunate news were expecting him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, taking a quick sole glance at the wall clock, confirming the time he had until the police would be there. 40 minutes if he was not mistaken. "Why are you so surprised? Like you don't know me."

"_I am not surprised, just curious. You don't sound like you are in a foul mood. What is the matter? Has the taste of blood got you worked up again?" _

"I guess you could put it like that, if it helps you sleep better at night."

"_Then I am taking it as a positive answer. Are you sure you have killed them?"_

Sasuke rolled his onyx eyes lazily, coming to rest his shoulder on the window's frame, watching aimlessly at the full moon illuminating the grand peaks, mentally asking himself if that was a coincidence or a funny way destiny had to remind himself of his sins.

Moon has always been rounded when he was out to kill, that night making no exception. "If people are able to live with their intestines cut down and massive loss of blood, then no."

"_Heh, sarcastic as ever, aren't we? Good. Well done."_

"More importantly, have you called the INTERPOL? How much time do they need to bring their assess up here and play the heroes that have everything under control?"

"_I did, just as I told you I will. They are going to reach your position in 50 minutes. 60 at most, if the wind doesn't intensify. At least, this is why their head told me. I just pray you haven't overdone it this time, because self defense is something hard for you to fake, Sasuke."_

Of course, he knew all too well about how enthusiastic Sasuke could have been and how many traces to cover his unfaltering steps he left behind. It was not playing in their favor, if the police and Interpol troops started to get suspicious of his actions.

"Useless annoying pests. What does Government pay them for anyways, since they are not able to spot an assassin that roams freely under their damn noses? Self defense? That is a bit too stretched out don't you think? Anyways, it is your dream job to make sure I will never see the bars from the inside, even though we both know I deserve it."

"_You know the answer all too well. It is not like we can come out and announce everyone who is the real master behind world's security. Not with them on our assess, anyways. Should I send a plane for you? No worry, you know I will not let my best man be sent to jail. You are too valuable Sasuke."_

"This makes me teary…no. I already talked to my secretary and asked him to send me the helicopter. It is easier to reach these freaking mountains that way. Just make sure you send someone to clear my traces from their bodies, I don't want to be nagged with declarations. I already have enough problems."

It was the truth. Sasuke was not afraid of the law or INTERPOL, God forbids. He was only bothered by the fact that with all the upcoming events that would follow, he had to gain as much time as he could, and that meant being free to wander.

Not that he would have attempted to be a hypocrite and say the man didn't help him whenever he was a suspect, constantly keeping an eye on him and take care of his criminal record. Either ways, Sasuke would have rotten into a cell, by that time.

"_If you say so. Just try to not attract any more suspicion towards you. I already have enough to deal with in here."_ He even sounded tired. Now that made Sasuke wary. Was there something he wasn't letting him know for any particular reason?

Well aware of the implications of his more than revealing behavior and the undeniable proofs resting at his feet, Sasuke prompted the phone in between his ear and shoulder, wiping the blood left on his katana, putting it securely inside his bag-he smartly took one of the same size as the sword-and took the sword that the closest to him dead killer discarded on the floor, studying it intently.

Nodding once as if to confirm his thoughts, the raven haired Uchiha casually brought his left hand towards the thick curved sharp blade and without even flinching, cut his arm so as to make it look he has been hurt as well, trying to make it as believable as possible to a self defense.

A thin crimson line materialized on his pale skin, in a form of a tiny river of blood, leisurely leaking down his hand, on the floor. "You sound strange. Anything the matter? Still no trace of our stolen documents? Just why the Hell are you so unprolific with finding the burglars?"

"_Actually…I kind of confirmed the fact that there is a traitor among us that pulls the strings from the shadows. Actually…I think you start to get an idea of who might that be, don't you? He managed to infiltrate into my office and it is able to actually go unnoticed, hacking our passwords and stealing our weapons."_

That made Sasuke`s onyx eyes snap wide open in amazement. "The Hell? This is something that we have predicted, so why are you caught so out of guard then?"

"_They are better than we have thought. Who knows what they might do with those information and I dare to say they are keeping you under observation. They know exactly where to find you, haven't you noticed?"_

Of course he did and that helped Sasuke restrain the number of suspects he had in mind. "You said it is someone close to me, right?"

"_In a way, yes. Though you do realize I have no idea who might that person be. This is something you have to find it yourself."_

Someone _close_ to him, Sasuke wondered…he had an objective, impartial list of suspects down his mind and if he was to be correct, all of them came really near to a possible traitor. Though he wouldn't want to consider some of them being ones.

Because if he found that person, be it a he or a she, death is what it would encounter. No exception.

.

.

*Suigetsu

Ten Ten

Neji

Naruto

His mother

Fugaku

Sakura

His business partners

Juugo

The organizing Committee

* * *

.

.

Each one was able to approach him without arising suspicion and back stab him, Sasuke was well aware. In fact, there were only two people he could have fully trusted and that were his interlocutor and his own person.

And much to his rising anger, Sakura was not one of them. He liked her, maybe even feeling more than he was willing to admit, but he didn't trust her. At all. There were too many things that had no logic when it came to her and he was far too experienced to fall into such a trap.

"I know. Are you certain this were the only ones? I find it hard to believe they have only sent two of their assassins. And they were quite weak as well."

"_I cannot clearly see, because our satellite connection was shut down completely. Someone is toying with our system. But I am sure there were at least two more. How many you have actually killed?"_

His blood started to boil and the raven haired Uchiha clenched his fingers around the blade he was holding, aware of the danger still present around. There were other assassins as well? Where were they then? After the others? Sasuke was certain he heard a gun shoot coming from the forest, so why…that was…

"Two."

"_What?! I thought you take all of them down."_

Sasuke felt bile rise up to his chest, totally not able to grasp how was it possible for the two of them to have missed such an important detail. "I only took two of them, their leaders, as you have said. You never told there were others in here as well."

"_I did tell you I have no connection and I cannot see you clearly. Sasuke, if there are more assassins out there, then all of you are in mortal danger, do you realize?"_

"This is your own damn fault. You should have properly warned me beforehand." Sasuke was already formulating a backup plan to go and murder them once and for all, his skin getting cold shivers at the idea of Sakura and Naruto, as well as the others-though he couldn't have cared less about them-were facing a serious threat.

He has been naïve, just like he has been warned not to. _"Stop throwing a temper and go after them. I try to take a clear image from the satellite, but everything there is jammed because of the magnetic interferences at that high altitude, as well as their own devices."_

That kind of tone made the raven haired Uchiha snap and bad, his temper not facing the best of the moods.

He was pissed as hell and he still hadn't had enough blood. Those people were in for a good beating, Sasuke was to make sure. "Don't give me orders and do your own fucking job properly next time. Now I have to hurry up before the INTERPOL makes it here and those losers are the least I need now."

"_Do that and don't fail."_

"I could say the same about you. Call me when this shit is over."

The onyx eyed heir messed his fingers through his midnight unruly spikes, flipping his phone shut, clenching his jaw in enmity at all the livings that were making his existence ten times more complicated and the fact that he has almost been reckless and scolded for it, was stirring the throbbing fire down his veins.

Tightening the hold he had on his sword, Sasuke attempted to spin on his heel and bolt out of the cabin to catch the remaining killers, until the police was to come, not exactly a fan of the idea of they catching him in his little nocturne escapade.

Police be damned. His social status could go to hell, as well as his business partners. Naruto was a moron. But Sakura was to never see that face of his.

Never.

Though life decided to put him to a little test, laughing down at his bad luck, when Sasuke more than heard the familiar creak of the door creeping open and small soft steps cautiously slipping inside the room he has tainted with blood.

The Uchiha felt the tiny hair at the back of his head erect and his heart beat run at the speed of light when the familiar soft bell like voice poured out all the apprehension one would have been entitled to mutter, when taking in the horrid scene unfolding in front of her.

Whisper like words flew like a quivering echo through the excruciating silence, ringing sound and clear into Sasuke`s eardrums. His spine straightened its posture and the only meaningful gesture he did was a quick turn of the head over his stiffened broad shoulder-the left one-to face the owner.

"Oh my God, Sasuke!"

* * *

*****[Ooooooooooooo}** EvErYtHiNg**{oooooooooooooO]******

* * *

How was it possible for her to find herself in such ridiculous situations ever since she has arrived to Tokyo, came as some sort of twisted way Destiny had to laugh at Sakura`s misfortune, and those were the exact things she had in mind, when the pink haired agent let her running frame lose inside the bottomless forest, wandering in complete darkness.

The fool moon was not helping her case that much, because of the density of fir trees and not only she was not able to see any branch she was supposed to avoid, already tripping over the much smaller confined by the tiny vegetation ones, but Sakura could hear the seldom gun shots crystal clear and that scared her.

The emerald eyed Sound assassin mentally cursed her lack of inspiration to bring her own firearm with her and actually keep it close, only having her famous traditional weapons, meaning poisoned senbon long needles, that were meant for kill, not therapeutic purposes and her Bo Staff.

"Damn, I hope this fuckers are swords fighters, or else I am doomed!" Sakura felt the hair on her forearms rise and her sweaty forehead and neck get cold, making her shudder.

The temperature was low and the air was humid. Not only that, but her little encounter with Sasuke from earlier-along with their other 'activities'-left her hair slightly damp, along with most of her thin clothes.

To put it simply, she was freezing and she was tired and quite dizzy, bearing in mind the after effects of her barely recovered from her injuries state. The thigh started to sting her and Sakura realized she was supposed to have the bandages replaced.

And she more than entered a cold pool, totally not taking into consideration the doctor's advice. It was only adrenaline pumping through her system the one that helped Sakura to keep on going and not look behind to the inviting bed.

No matter how exhausted she felt, the pink haired agent didn't need someone to remind her of the importance her presence there held, well aware she had to support the Akatsuki gang, with all her might.

She checked on her phone, seeing that she was almost there, in the middle of the fright, though the coordinates were not that accurate and didn't help her that much, since all she was seeing in front of her eyes were the silhouettes of the high trees and a veil of darkness enveloping her from all the places.

"C'mon guys, where are you?" Shouting out their names was a stupid thing to do because they were not playing in a movie with stupid foolish teens trying to be anti climatic or the poor unfortunate victims, so the sole intelligent thing that was left for her to try, was to follow the noise or catch the resonance of their steps, in the stillness of the night.

And if she would have been a normal inexperienced woman or a CIA newbie agent, Sakura would have been dead by then, so it was her own long battle experience and skill the things that saved her from a well aimed sword's kick, meant to slice down her head and put an end to her notorious career.

Because the moment Sakura`s ear caught the sound of the well concealed steps press the damp soil behind her back, her sharp reflexes kicked in, acting on pure instinct.

"The hell…" The emerald eyed Sound agent lowered her stance to avoid the circular hit, and as fast and precise as she could, Sakura spun around on her heel, catching the black leather clad masked assassin out of guard, by delivering a painful sharp hit on his solar plexus with the back of her hand, making him wince and take two steps backwards at the sudden impact, almost tripping on a bush he didn't have time to notice, cursing loudly.

When in battle, the pink haired maid never felt lenient towards her opponents so she fully intended to make it short and swift, because if one of them was there, the others might have been really close, probably fighting her _friends_-that would have sounded like an alien and unusual concept for Sakura, if she would have had time to consider the thought-so she had to provide back up, meaning, she had no time to waste.

So with that thought in mind, Sakura pulled away her Staff and lunged forward, with the sole purpose of breaking the killer's skull and sent him straight to Hell, where his rightful place was, only his decision seemed to not swing in that direction, because as soon as he sensed danger approaching, a sword brought up to his face level parried Sakura`s strong and professional attack.

The piercing sound of two heavy objects forcefully colliding, rung through their ear drums, pants mixing in an anxious creepy dance, adrenaline taking over. Sakura intended to make each second prolific, playing the speed she had, giving her much smaller and lighter condition, in her advantage, so she quickly changed the body weight to her dominant leg, attempting a thrust kick to low level, meant for his groin, but he saw it coming and responded with a pressing block stepping in, making Sakura inhale sharply.

He left a large bruise on her long leg bone and she thanked the Heavens she didn't use the injured leg, either ways she would have been dead meat. There was a short moment when both put a small distance between them, weapons brought in front of their faces, each in their unique fighting scene, trying to look dominant and unfaltering, eyes connected through the darkness, assessing each other's skills.

"You are not bad." Sakura found herself smirking down at the killer in front of her, stating the obvious. "Lorane did you good." And she more than spit the words in his face, dripping tar from her mouth, visibly revolted at the idea. He had to be one of them, because the advanced sword's fighting skills were a major giveaway.

And he actually answered her with a visible amused mocking tone. Was he mocking her? Because the Sound assassin truly hoped she was not being underestimated.

That was a grave mistake her opponents always did, especially the ones that were oblivious to her reputation among the criminal organizations. "Quite sharp…for a small girl. Got lost from your parents?"

He totally didn't say that, Sakura concluded. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, because the moment she heard that throaty voice pointing out at her orphan state, the pink haired lady could have sworn something vile took over her senses, because one moment she had a Lorane assassin bringing the sword closer to his body, thrusting forward to finish the job, then everything went blurry.

With a newfound energy she didn't know she had into her worn out body, Sakura maneuvered the Staff above her head, gripping it tightly, relaxing her shoulders and spreading her feet at the same distance to have a perfect line balance, spine straight, knees bent and more than enraged, let a deep exhale while she blocked the hit that was supposed to kill her, taking the mysterious man by surprise, because she actually didn't step aside and try to avoid a direct contact.

Instead, the brave Sound agent let the Bo rest on her right shoulder, so as to bring it parallel to the ground, set down her right foot in front in a long front stance, while she rotated her front hand, torquing her wrist, and sliding the other left hand down her side, to gain speed, front kicking his Adam apple, blood immediately surging through his mouth, the familiar sound of bone cracking assuring Sakura she has managed to permanently incapacitate him.

The thick but quite short sword slipped from his hands, while his palms gripped the base of his deep cut, muttering incoherent things, while his body hit the wet cushion grass, with a loud thud. His only mistake was his arrogance: even though he had a sharp blade, her Bo was longer and speed allowed her to place a hit on his body before he had a chance to strike first.

"What a fool…"

"Sakura!" A feminine loud voice came from her left side, making Sakura`s eyes dart in the direction of the approaching figure, immediately recognizing her newfound Akatsuki friend with the stylish chocolate buns.

So she has not been able to find Akatsuki, but they managed to locate her first. Nice. "Ten Ten, thanks God." Sakura visibly relaxed her stance, prompting her Staff on the ground, eying the Akatsuki member, who ran towards her, panting heavily.

"I was following one of this fuckers…oh!" Almond shaped eyes cast down on the unmoving carcass, quickly apprehending the result of the fight. "You took one down, this saves us a lot of trouble."

"Yeah…somehow…he was good."

"Tell me about it. I had to chase him all the way here, but I lost his tracks at some point, when he managed to fool me with a dud. I had to jump behind a tree to avoid an imminent explosion, but it proved to be one of those smoke effects they use on stages, during concerts. Are they in a band now or something?" So that would explain why the girl had her hair disheveled, her jacket torn apart under her ribcage and her breaths were unruly and ragged.

Not wasting anymore time, Ten Ten urged Sakura to follow her deeper into the forest, taking one of the narrow paths, careful to her surroundings, watching each other's backs, not wanting to be taken by surprise again.

"Come on, let's find the others."

"Are you all right? You look hurt."

"It is no big deal. He caught me out of guard, but I managed to avoid a fatal hit. Man, was his sword sharp. Was he a Lorane member?"

Was it any room left for question? In Sakura`s mind, the answer was completely obvious. She nodded once out of reflex, well aware the running in front of her Ten Ten was not able to see her.

"I am glad to hear. Tell me if you need medical help. Well yeah, I am quite sure he was. When the police comes, the investigation is going to reveal if he wore the tattoo. We should have checked on his fingers and wrists, you know?"

Another gun shot interrupted the girl's conversation, both cursing the lack of light and the weak GPS signal, because as blind as they were, the chances of getting trapped in a crossfire were pretty high and no one wanted to be a casualty of the battle. "Where is this coming from anyways? Are they using firearms as well?"

"I don't know. When two of them attacked Neji and me, we quickly had to split up and fight them separately. If they had a plan to take us down, it would have been more difficult for them to act if we saw through their moves." That made sense. Sakura silently agreed with the tactic.

The two agents picked up two really close thick fir trees to hide behind, assuring their backs, eyes flying in all the directions to look for a possible familiar face. They were at what both considered to be a safe distance from the previously heard shot, but close enough to not miss a possible Akatsuki man that would emerge from the shadows.

"I don't get it Ten Ten. Lorane is famous for the use of traditional weapons. But ever since this attacks have been going on, we keep on encountering mixed swords and modern firearms assassins, and this throws me off."

The pink haired agent tried to be as quiet as possible, feeling the tension in the atmosphere, making all her muscles clench. In the painful way.

A quick look at her Akatsuki colleague assured her she was too having problems in regulating her breaths and keeping up to appear in top shape, even if she too was still recovering. That was no good.

"What I am about to say is supposed to be a secret, for the moment, but I feel you are entitled to know. Someone steals our technology and uses it in battle."

The pink haired agent's heart had a moment of pause in its throbbing. Was it a chance for Ten Ten to have been high and talk gibberish. "What? You mean…Lord, no. No! This…how….? Is it Lorane? Do you mean Lorane is stealing weapons from you?"

"Nasty, isn't it? They_ so_ do this and Itachi and Tobirama are not able to catch the culprit. They are struggling with that one. My guts tell me this is only the beginning of the show."

"So…what they use in this moment is your own weapons? The one that Akatsuki is using? Is this what you want to say?"

"You have got it. And I don't want to imagine it is the big ones, with the laser based technology that was leaked. Shino is still running tests on that one. We are doomed if they lay their hands on those as well."

"Shit. This is bad! So, I suppose the three remaining ones are fighting Naruto and Neji, right?" Sakura was having troubles in keeping her thoughts coherent, the million of unsolved questions surging through her brain. Suddenly, a nagging headache was storming down her head. How come the Sound never told her about that? Or they didn't know either?

The Sound agent checked on her phone, shaking her head in disbelief, deciding to actually discard the useless device on the first trash can. Damn phone was good for nothing, because not only they had no signal, satellite connection to communicate with their respective leaders, but her battery was running low as well.

"I think so too, though I have not encountered Naruto so far. I hope my imbecile fiancé is not facing them alone. God only knows how good they can be in using those guns."

Another shot interrupted the two agent's little chat, both Sakura and Ten Ten pressing their backs on the trunks, holding their weapons of choice, quickly assessing what they had in stock. Sakura observed her CIA colleague was a fan of nunchaku.

"Nice choice. Though I find both of us to be kind of…inappropriate for this situation." Sakura was referring to the firearms. Swords, Bamboo Bo Staffs and nunchaku were intriguing, but paled in comparison to modern technology.

But a swift motion of her coffee eyed friend's eyes towards her right hip assured the pink haired maid that she was more than prepared. Ten Ten also had a fire arms she was not so adamant to use, unless the situation asked for it.

Sakura nodded once in understanding. "Don't worry, I am not solely relying on this kind of weapons. But so as you know, I am not a fan of them, nor I am proficient."

"Then let's just hope that out of the three Lorane dogs, at least one is using a sword."

"Exactly."

A sudden change into the air pressure made Sakura`s senses shot alert, totally aware of an approaching threat. "Ten Ten, there is something…DOWN!" The girls were lucky to have barely avoided a large long sword thrown in their direction, aiming at their heads-it was that large-with the sole intention of taking both their heads down, in one shot.

The sharp metal blade got stuck in the thick trunk, scaring the CIA agents shitless. Just who in their right mind would carelessly throw their weapon towards the target, like it was a boomerang? Lorane were probably testing weed or something, the two women decided. "What the fuck?!"

"Gotcha!" A throaty manly voice echoed behind Ten Ten`s back, the killer's hot breath fanning harshly on her nape, giving her cold shivers. She quickly attempted a low leveled round kick, but of course he saw it coming, paring and delivering a punch straight in her face, through her block, sending her stumbling backwards, barely keeping balance.

She quickly got a massive nosebleed, covering the throbbing split skin with her palm, attempting to pull out her gun and shot the bastard, but Sakura was already two steps ahead. "Ten Ten, stay behind!"

The emerald eyed girl gracefully, but deadly, planted the Bo firmly down the soil to help her close the distance between the other two people in front of her and serve as a leverage and hastily used her left front leg as a footwork, bending her right knee and snapping the foot to the side, impacting the opponent with her heel, in a perfectly executed variation of a hook kick, cutting his outburst and preventing him for hitting Ten Ten once again.

With a whimper in pain, his head hit the trunk, but he managed to somehow regain his senses, probably because the Sound agent didn't have much strength left to begin with, giving her injured state, but before be managed to come up with a counter strategy, another shot that made the two ladies go deaf for a moment successfully put an end to their struggles.

* * *

"Whoa…" Sakura`s head snapped over her shoulder to follow the direction of the unexpected bullet, her jade eyes cast on the owner of the gun.

Ten Ten stood up, pressing a napkin firmly on her nostrils, she too taking in the mysterious approaching them figure, with a fire arm. "Sakura, was it…"

"Sakura-chan! Tennie! Are you guys all right?" That was one blonde haired Uzumaki that had a perfect timing, running in their direction, being not far away from the scene. He followed the assassin he was supposed to keep an eye on, but lost because he was not having night vision-like cats or owls-inwardly thanking the odds for making it out in the very last moment.

He was panting and sweating madly, gun tightly gripped on his right hand, when he came to rest beside the other CIA gang. The two ladies exhaled deeply in relief. Sakura took a fast peek at the cursing in pain chocolate haired Akatsuki female agent, slightly worried about her nose's condition.

The bone looked broken and she was gulping the rivulets of blood surging from her nostrils. "Naruto-kun, how did you find us? Do you want me to look at that, Ten Ten?"

"Yeah…fuck it hurts like a bitch! Nice timing Uzumaki. Where is stupid Hyuga? Auditioning for Heidi of the mountains?" Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, trying as best as she could to determine the condition of her friend, seeing that she needed medical treatment she could not provide in those circumstances.

Well, she could, but she had to take her medical kit…which was in the cabin…back where the heirs were…were Sasuke was…trouble.

"I think your nose is broken. I need my med kit, but I left it back on the camp."

"Neji is fine. He already shot one of those motherfuckers and he was dealing with one of them that looked a little more skilled that the other one. This one that Sakura-chan so artistically incapacitated, was giving me a lot of Hell. I suck at sword fighting."

Naruto shrugged once, ripping the cut black leather material of his jacket, where the Lorane`s assassin managed to land a successful hit, looking at the fine crimson line and the dripping blood. "Ah, man, this is going to leave a mark! Give me a break!"

"Nice to hear. So you got the short end of the stick, huh? Good to know he at least took one down. So it was my _oh_ so capable fiancé whose gun we heard earlier, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"We need to go back and let me look at you both." Sakura stated simply, the others be damned. Her friends needed disinfectant and bandages and fast. She would explain it to the others…somehow. She could do that, couldn't she?

"Well…no, we can't. We are going to totally blow up our covers." If the situation wasn't life threatening, where not only their lives, but the other almost 40 people ones as well were endangered, Sakura and Naruto would have died laughing at the way Ten Ten`s voice came out, muffled by the napkins she had stuck down her nostrils to prevent the from bleeding, keeping her head bent to not chocke on blood. She looked damn funny.

"Then what do we do? And aren't we supposed to go help Neji as well?" Sakura tried to reason. Call it intuition or sixth sense or fortune telling, but Sakura had those strange feelings that started to root into her mind, ever since she came to Tokyo, that something big was going to happen soon. And she was not sure it was for the better.

Lorane was up to something…huge, she could feel it on her shivering skin, Sakura realized. "And I don't want to be the one to break it for you, but we have to call the Tokyo Police Force. You know exactly _what_ office." Emerald eyes narrowed pointedly at the two auditors. They nodded once, well aware of the fact.

"INTERPOL. Damn, I didn't want them to get involved. This is going to look bad. What are we going to tell the others?" Naruto spoke silenty, almost whispering the words, rubbing the back of his golden spikes, confused of what to do.

What would a bunch of loaded people think about their involvement with the INTERPOL troops, the Uzumaki heir wondered. Sure, they probably heard the gun shoots, but the most recent murders kind of ruined the element of surprise. What was nagging him was their cover and a quick asset to the pink haired agent assured him she was fighting her worries as well.

And, ironically enough, they had a common person crossing their minds, intelligent enough to quickly put two and two together and totally understand how bad he has been lied by the people he was supposed to trust the most:

_Sasuke._

"Sakura is right, Naruto. We have to call them here immediately. God only knows how many other of Lorane`s rats are there, waiting to hunt us down."

The sound of an approaching ATV`s engine silenced the three agents, momentary blinded by the powerful lights. Three hands covered the stinging eyes, cursing down at the pale eyed Hyuga that stole their vision.

Ten Ten wanted to beat him senseless, but she had to remain in that position, pressing her nose with one hand, giving him the finger with the other. "NEJI! Turn that shit off, immediately!"

Sakura did her best to not shut her emerald eyes, but she had black dots dancing on her retina, so she eventually had to turn her head over her shoulder, and pray it was not another assassin. ATVs?

Akatsuki were really fans of technologies, apparently. Shino`s toy, the Sound agent has recognized it immediately, because it actually had a custom made red cloud painted on the side. Sweet.

Neji stopped the engine, not bothering to even put on his helmet, rushing down to his friends, having an anxious expression on his usually collected face…and a lot of blood splashed on his chest, as a token of a well done job. "So you guys did some murder, all right?"

At that Ten Ten came beside him, with her head still bent, like a mole's and punched him hard in the shoulder. "Fucking arrogant prick, do you think this is funny? That shit head almost cut our damn necks!"

Neji lowered his gaze worriedly, taking in his fiancé's condition. She still had the mental energy to curse him to Hell and back, so she was probably not in mortal danger, but she was hurt, he could see that much. "Are you ok?"

"Do I look ok to you?"

"Neji, have you managed to kill them all?" That was a moment of Naruto being completely serious, his usually goofy grin pressed down in a straight line, eyebrows furrowed, arms crossed around his chest. Sakura was improvising a tourniquet for his cut, tearing down the hem of her blouse. Poor lady was probably freezing to death, the other Akatsuki agents realized.

"I did. And I see you did your part as well."

"Somehow…" Sakura was intently working on Naruto`s arm, neatly knotting the improvised bandages, biting her lower lip. With the adrenaline rush, her whole muscles felt limp and lifeless, pretty much alike of a hangover. She felt like Tsunade. In a bad mood, because bad mood meant a lot of sake.

Ten Ten smirked down-literally, because she was facing the ground-at the idea of why was she that…she had another aura, because even though it was dark, cold and she was barely dressed and tired, Sakura was glowing. And it was the kind of radiance people had after a mind blowing orgasm.

A small chuckle left her lips, much to the other's horror. Ten Ten was already nuts and the lose of blood was probably killing her sole sane remaining neurons. Neji came behind her to let the chocolate eyed fiancé press her back on his broad chest, because she was kind of dizzy in that position.

"What is so funny all of sudden, dear? Wasn't you the one to shout at me for not laugh at you?"

"Some of us more than _did _it and I am not talking about the murder part. I just find it amusing, in a sadistic way and…I think I have lost too much blood."

Sakura more than caught the meaning, feeling a lump rest on her throat, faking a cough, her guilty conscience knocking at the door of her decency and morality. She has just won a ticket straight to the mental hospital, in the VIP section for fucking the Uchiha heir in the forest, surrounded by…oh God, it was in that moment when she truly realized the implication of Ten Ten`s words.

Emerald eyes snapped open like plates in the direction of a chestnut eyed friend, who was bowing at all of them, barely containing her giggles.

Two women understood each other, even though Naruto was completely oblivious, doing God only knew what, tapping intently on his phone. Sakura truly hoped he was not playing that games with aliens again or else…

"Ten Ten…you…"

"Totally…_busted,_ honey."

That left Sakura`s mouth hang open, like a fish out of water, the color drained from her already pale face made her look like Casper. She had problems processing what she has just learnt.

Ten Ten….has seen she and Sasuke doing…the Sound agent was roaming intently through the prays stuck in her mind, to find a proper one for her glorious end, totally intending to dig in a hole and bury herself alive in shame.

She wouldn't start imagining Neji being there as well…he totally was, Sakura couldn't tell from the way he was avoiding her gaze, trying to be discrete and not barge into her privacy.

She more than screamed at them. "YOU PERVERTED…."

"Guys, I have good news, GPS is working! We have signal again!" Naruto was completely oblivious at the shameful disclosure, flailing his smart phone in the air, like he was a cheerleader.

That caught the other agents` attention towards the clown acting blonde Uzumaki. He was back to his own self. Apparently, seriousness only worked when Lorane members were breathing in his general direction.

"And what are you waiting for? Santa? Call Itachi, for fuck`s sake!" Ten Ten had troubles in standing straight, feeling her vision double when she raised her head slowly, massaging the muscles at the back of her neck.

"I was just about to do it when you so _politely _asked me to…"

Three helicopters appeared out of nowhere, making the Akatsuki members and Sakura wonder just how were the able to miss the powerful engine's roar, covering it with their shouts? And they called themselves mighty CIA agents…

And to their stupor, one was looking for a clear place as close to them as possible to land and one was heading to the cabins. There was another one that passed them first, but that one was at a higher altitude, like it was looking for something…else. They didn't dwell on that much though, because when Neji was able to make out the Tokyo Police's INTERPOL department on the approaching them helicopter, everything went…blurry.

He screamed at his friends, aware they were not going to hear him clearly with all the noise. "Who called the INTERPOL, care to explain it to me?!"

"No one, duh! We didn't have signal until now, remember?" Naruto was just as stunned. He was hundred percent sure his friends didn't move a finger to involve the police. At least, not until they killed the assassins and regrouped to formulate a plan to maintain their covers.

"It was not me." Ten Ten assured them. Three pairs of eyes rested on Sakura`s form. The pink haired lady shook her head, clearing the confusion.

"Not me, either. Just as you guys, I am not able to contact Papa, nor even have a proper working GPS. Must be someone else."

The question was…who would have possibly had signal to begin with, know the exact situation and even have such a good timing to announce the troops to come and provide help? It was a complete mystery for all the agents present.

"But…This makes no sense at all! If none of us did it, then who? The wild fauna around?!" Neji`s pale eyes were glued to the helicopter that found a place to land, not far from where they were expecting and as soon as the properrels stopped, two agents came down and run towards the CIA gang, introducing themselves in Japanese.

Sakura rolled her emerald eyes at that one, feeling so alien all of sudden. Like seriously, she should totally get a translator or learn that language. Good thing she hasn't been sent to some tropical island where people communicated through weird sounds and gestures. "Can someone please tell me what is this dude saying, in English or Italian please?"

"Sorry Sakura-chan. I have forgotten." Naruto smiled awkwardly, feeling bad for neglecting the pink haired agent, who too deserved some explanations, briefing her about the situation. "Come, let's go back and see if Teme has been a good boy and didn't provoke some damage. Let Neji and Ten Ten deal with this."

"But…is it ok? I mean…" Naruto put a hand around Sakura`s waist, dragging her with him back to the other heirs, while the other remaining agents were intently explaining the situation to the other Tokyo INTERPOL agents.

"Yeah, they are grown ups. They will handle it."

* * *

Sakura reluctantly followed Naruto, having troubles in keeping up with his fast strides. She has never realized how cold and tired her feet were, and the emerald eyed agent kind of wanted to ask the blonde Uzumakin to give her a piggyback ride, because all her cells were screaming for water, food and SLEEP!

"Gosh…this is crazy!"

"Tell me about it." Naruto was constantly dealing Itachi`s number, slightly surprised that he only got his voice mail, instead of a proper answer, like he would have expected. Any sane person would have thought that the older Uchiha brother was keeping his eyes glued to the screen and would not have wasted the opportunity to establish the connection with them the first chance he got.

Maybe something unexpected happened to him as well? "Leader is not answering my call and this is screwed up."

Sakura threw a hand lazily around Naruto`s shoulders, supporting her body weight on his own, feeling him tighten his hold on her, not after he quickly removed the jacket he wore and lent it to the trembling in cold lady, she relishing in its warmth.

If she would not get pneumonia after that, the pink haired lady would have considered to be immune to all the bacteria around. "What do you mean he is not answering you? I thought he was supervising us. At least, this is what you have told me."

"Well yeah, but for some unknown reason, he has his phone shut down."

That made Sakura curious. She took away her own phone, flipping it open and tapped Orochimaru`s number. Even though she knew he was busy with figuring out who stole his research, she didn't have a choice.

Something was going on, she could feel it down her spine. She got the same result. No answer. "Damn. Papa Oro went MIA as well. What the heck is going on here?"

"Guess we are on our own."

"Don't say that, this is not a joke, Naruto-kun. What is the INTERPOL doing here so fast and who called them? You do realize that someone actually did it beforehand, do you?" Sakura felt the blood freeze down her veins when things started to get an actual meaning. There was no way someone could have found out about the murder attempt before them. They were the CIA, for Heaven`s sake, so who could have been _even faster _than that? Aliens? Another rival organization?

His voice went slightly higher, both of them starting to feel the burden weight down their shoulders.

There were too many things that had no logic and the worst part was yet to come. Sakura was able to already see the familiar camp, realizing that the events took place quite close to their accommodation.

That was no good. It only confirmed their worst fears: everyone probably heard the fire arms shooting and more than once. "And so? What does it mean? That someone else knew that we were going to face Lorane and decided to invite the police to the party?"

"To put it simply, yes. Oh, c'mon Papa, just answer already!"

"It is no use Sakura-chan, I have left Teme`s brother a message to call us as soon as possible. Let's just hope shit didn't go down there as well."

"Do you think these attacks were synchronized somehow? Gosh…I think I am going senile. We should have checked their wrists and confirm they were Lorane." Though, Sakura didn't quite needed anymore solid proofs of their identities, because it was crystal clear they were Freemasons, from their great unique fighting skills.

The part with the weapons on the other hand and Ten Ten`s confession, were things that didn't match the jade eyed girl's idea of what was going on in there.

"I have no idea. I hope not. Sakura-chan, this is bad. What do we say to the others? Should we just…not go back?" They were already close to the two buses they came with, stopping dead in their tracks. There was the other INTERPOL helicopter landing in front of the cabins that were the farthest from their own, with many scared people watching in awe at the approaching flying machine. Ok…it looked even worse.

"What are you talking about, we can't make a run for it, that will only stir the suspicion further. Let's act oblivious."

"Oblivious? Then give me the jacket back to cover this damn bleeding cut, although I know you are cold. I am sorry, Sakura-chan."

The pink haired lady quickly returned the leather jacket, quickly assessing the situation-if the police was there, then there was theoretically no imminent danger-so she removed her hold of Naruto and sprinted inside the cabin, up to her room.

There were four or five men and women pacing relentlessly on the small living room, their eyes immediately flying on her panting frame, but Sakura didn't spare them a glance.

They looked fine and there was someone else she would have died to check on at that moment. The rosette truly hoped nothing bad happened to Sasuke because if Lorane, by some miracle, would have managed to put a good one on her and make her completely fail the mission, it would have meant disaster.

Climbing the stairs up in a rush, stepping on two stairs at once, Sakura arrived to the narrow hall that connected all the rooms, until she got in the front of the door she was looking for, gripping the know and turning it, barging inside the room she and her boss were sharing.

And the moment Sakura came across the scene that has been going on there, life has drained from her lungs, and the arms she had on the door knob fell limp on her side, jaw dropped to the floor.

She once had a nightmare like that. And it has been anything but pleasant. The only thing coherent she was able to form, came out as a strangled stutter whisper like sentence.

"Oh my God, Sasuke!"

Sakura had to blink rapidly as to make sure her vision was not deceiving her or her tired mind was not playing a _fata morgana _effect, even though she was not in the dessert or highway.

There, in front of her looking in horror emerald widened eyes, proudly stood no other than her supposed to be boss, Sasuke, with his straight spine on her, turning his head over his shoulder, the moment she made her presence known in the same space as him, looking like…like he was those unusual beautiful sinister porcelain dolls, in the horror stories for little children.

"Sakura." Even her name on his thin lips brought creeps down her arms, and that time, it was anything but arousing. It was so cold and deadly, that gave the frozen in shock pink haired maid the need to turn back and make a run for it.

"W-What are you…" There was nothing left for her to say, because every single detail spoke volumes. Two dead bodies were lying limp on the floor, with their lifeless orbs crept open, almost like wanting to scream for help, but she recognized to be their last breath living their lungs.

Fresh blood was pooling at their feet, decorating the macabre looking floor, in a sinuous pattern.

The window was wide open and the sound of the blowing wind hitting the wooden frame was only adding to the menacing atmosphere, almost like the audience would have expected a noble old vampire craving for fresh meat and young red salty vital liquid to emerge from the shadows and materialize into the room.

But the most unexpected vile thing, was definitely Sasuke`s presence. Sakura couldn't make up her mind where to start scream in dread from.

He was having a sharp, long and thin steel sword, in a form she has never seen before, but looked able to cut through everything, secured in his left hand-she already knew left was his dominant hand and ironically enough, it was the one with the weird moon birthmark-lowered at his foot, with the end stuck on the floor, like waiting to use it again.

Then he decided to act even funnier, when leisurely he lifted his right hand and licked the blood streaming from his injured skin, like a graceful cat, tracing the remaining rivulets on his lips, with the tip of his tongue, never removing his stare from her.

That was creepiness at his finest, Sakura decided. And to her utter shock, it affected her mental sanity as well, because that twisted attitude held a dark erotic hint that made the hair of her neck perk.

His usually impassive hard onyx eyes that gave nothing away, were gleaming with an unusual fire, that looked like a mixture of both blood thirst and reluctance of fully turning around and face her and that threw Sakura off for real.

"….doing here?" The way he elevated his regal nose a bit, was telling Sakura she put a stupid unnecessary question, because even a retard would have been able to assess the situation.

But the thought was too foreign to Sakura, to imprint it into her mind, or even worse, process it and let it fully sink. Sasuke has murdered two Lorane assassins and he was not even panting, only slightly sweating, but that was already hard to observe. It was surreal.

There was a moment in which Sasuke found himself unable to say a word, and not because he usually was not communicating with people too much, but because he was at lost of proper words to say. What was there left to mutter anyways?

A lie? The truth? Which of the two of them should he let her know?

Something in between? Of course, what else. He was Sasuke Uchiha after all and he knew all too well how to play the physiological battle into his favor. But not her. Sakura…he didn't want to play her as well.

She was not a deck of cards or a bet. That was a woman he _wanted around._ And the shock into her viridian sparkling eyes sent a frozen icicle down his heart. She wanted to run away, it was written in all her body language.

Unacceptable.

"Self defense." Well, it was not the actual truth, but not entirely a lie either.

"What?" The answers kept on going into Sakura`s confused mind: why was he having a sword, like Lorane-that was a big thing she totally overlooked and it almost made her faint-why were two additional killers they have not been announced of, or didn't appear on the GPS, how was he able to take them down and not be caught out of guard, did he actually know about the attack, so on and so forth.

And the INTERPOL troops were right there, probably securing the place and searching for any other party. How was Sasuke going to explain it was self defense? Because it looked like anything but.

"Are you all right?" Was he referring to her? Because Sakura was not sure she knew the difference between reality and dream any longer. It felt, not like a dream, but more like a nightmare and she was the lead actress.

His voice was velvety low and soothing, just like he used to whenever he felt her distress, turning around to fully face her. It was pure instinct that made Sakura step backwards , afraid of…something.

It was something dark she could not identify into Sasuke`s behavior and the thing that dreaded her was not his sinister aura per se, but how utterly natural it felt to see him in such a scene. Like he was killing people on daily basis and that time was only part of a long practiced routine. "…I…" Words did not come out at all.

"Sakura…where have you…" _Been?_ _I have to go, there are still other killers around that I have to deal with_, were Sasuke`s unspoken words. But how could he have voiced them out without making her faint and probably never recover? He couldn't. Not without revealing his past.

And he didn't want to do that. Not in that moment. Not like that. Sakura deserved a better proper explanation, instead of a horrid scene consisting in two skilled top fighters lying dead at his feet, before her scared eyes.

"Why…how…you did…are they dead?" Why was Sakura stuttering that much as if she hasn't just killed some Lorane lackeys not while ago? Just what was going on in there, because she felt the world crumble before her eyes and the floor slip under her feet?

That was no crazy bikers with a bigger ego than brain, at the top of a mountain, picking on them for no reason. Sasuke has just killed two professional assassins belonging to the most fearsome old criminal organization, and he was not even looking tired. At most, he was bored. "Yes." His answer was simple.

"Damn…" The Sound agent shook her head once, blinking rapidly, letting go of the door knob she was holding for support, fully entering the room she has attempted to leave, snapping out of her stupor. She was a CIA agent, for Heaven's sake, not a little girl and she should act accordingly. "…you are hurt."

Sasuke dropped his onyx eyes that were intently resting on Sakura`s approaching figure, to the cut he did himself, not actually feeling that much of a pain. He even forgot about that. At most, it slightly burned. "This is nothing."

"What do you mean by nothing? Let me see!" Without waiting for a permission, Sakura took Sasuke`s injured arm and did a quick scan, confirming that it was indeed a blade's cut-probably with the one he was holding, judging by the shape-assessing how deep it was.

"This is going to leave a scar all right." She stated as a matter of fact, already slipping past the dead bodies, to her bag, where the first aid kit was. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. She didn't even blink or freak out when she almost stepped on one of the assassin's hand, in search for whatever she needed in that moment.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for the med kit, what else? Though I think we should call the morgue." Sakura couldn't wait to get the Legist's report.

She was going to spend a lot of time studying those files. The pink haired lady knew that some Hozuki agent was going to be really busy in the next few weeks.

While she was busy looking for the medical kit, something caught her attention and made her consider actually taking a peek at the killed people in the room. She could see their faces, because their masks were dragged from their faces. And she lost it for real. "Oh shit!" Both hands covered her mouth in shock.

She knew that people. "…I cannot believe it! This two…they are…"

"…the dear capable guide of ours and the polite and pleasant woman from Turkey. Quite the combination if you were to ask me."

Realization hit the emerald eyed agent hard. It suddenly made sense. At least the part when Sasuke told the guide to change routes. He_ knew_.

It was in that moment when Sakura understood that her boss knew about people following him from the very beginning and that changed the game completely.

She, Naruto and the other Akatsuki, were foolishly heading straight to Lorane`s flawless trap and she had no doubt that, without Sasuke`s incredibly knowledge about the situation and quick thinking, all would have been dead. He saved their lives.

"You knew! Sasuke? You knew about them, didn't you? This is why you suggested him to follow another way! How?" Suddenly, Sakura felt like she was talking to a dangerous stranger, instead of the man she has just…oh God, she has slept with him not long ago and knew she was the witness of him killing someone.

That started to sound like a perfect scenario of an action movie. A good one. There was no point of denying the obvious, Sasuke decided. But it stung his heart to see the fright those glowing forest green eyes were displaying, while searching intently for his own. "I did. From the very beginning."

He didn't even hide the fact. Sakura heard ruckus outside, from the open window, probably coming from the INTERPOL. She realized one of the helicopters was probably scanning the surrounding area in search for anymore assassins. "But how? And why didn't you say anything?"

"I already told you there are people that want me dead, Sakura. This is why I said standing by my side is not safe." It was the truth. But what Sasuke didn't know, was the fact that it was the other way around.

Sakura`s dread has suddenly been replaced by hurt. Was he implying she should leave him? It did sound like that. "…I…am not…leaving…if this is what you want to say."

She couldn't possibly be true. Sasuke`s jet eyes went slightly wide in disbelief. What kind of woman was Sakura to not have any problems in staying with a man she has only met a month ago, that was entangled with such people?

Not a normal one, that was for sure. And it was _suspicious. _Sasuke couldn't overlook it. "There are…others outside as well."

Her mind went blank. What?! He knew about the other four killers as well? But Akatsuki and she had no idea about the two lying dead ones. Just who was Sasuke to have access to such information, anyways? How was a civilian able to find out something like that? Was he…emerald eyes bore into the coal ones she grew to adore, searching for the answer.

She found it. Sasuke Uchiha…was _more_ than a filthy rich heir. The problem was…how much more and whose side was he? Because, by the look of it, he seemed like part of one of Lorane`s rival gangs, or even worse, ex member. It was the only explanation Sakura could come up with, to cover for all the missing parts of the puzzle.

He was able to have access to data and gather information CIA didn't have. That was a big thing. "Maybe this is why the police is here. They came earlier. Maybe we should…wait for them and…" She tried to act like any normal people would have.

"Leave it and let's go." Sasuke grabbed her forearm, making Sakura stumble on her feet, throwing the sword carelessly on the covered in blood bed sheets, heading to the door, dragging her along.

Sakura didn't try to pry his hand away, but patted his shoulder to catch his attention. What did he mean by leaving the place? The INTERPOL was there right at their door, there was no way they could have just run like nothing happened. Well, Sakura could have done so, but not Sasuke.

That stunt, self defense or not, was going to cost him a lot of visits to the police station for interrogation. "Go…where?"

"Home."

"What?! No! The police is here, Sasuke." The Uchiha heir didn't even flinch, continuing to walk, till they exited the room, descending the stairs. Of course he knew about the INTERPOL troops, since he and his associate were the ones to call them. As usually, they were two steps backwards,

"So what?" Was he serious?

"What do you mean by what? Sasuke, you have killed people, for fuck`s sake!" They headed downstairs, crossing the living room, attracting everyone's attention to them.

Sakura dropped her voice to a whisper tone, not wanting to let out such a piece of gossip to spread among the hungry for another hot topic to discuss panicked people. Their faces were indeed priceless. "You cannot leave just like that! We have to stay back and wait for further instructions."

"We don't have time for that. Who knows when they are coming back." True. Sakura knew that the raven haired Uchiha was being reasonable, but too bad that was not how law worked like. He had to prove his innocence in the Court. What a good start for the Mangekyou heir, having such a problem.

"B-But…what about the fact that you are not supposed to leave the…" She waited until they were outside. Sakura already spotted some INTERPOL and police force troops securing the area, instructing people to remain indoors. "…crime scene?"

"Leave that to…my _lawyers_." Sasuke stated simply, not dwelling much on the fact. He knew those things were not even going to be registered into his criminal record. Well…his criminal record has been cleared as well, but Sakura didn't need to hear it.

As far as the emerald eyed Sound agent was concerned, they were heading back into the forest, when they came face to face to Naruto and his distressed goofy looking face. He looked like he has been running to the peak and back, sweating. He has probably provided backup help to the police force officers. "Sakura-chan! Teme?!"

Sasuke took in his friend's appearance. He called Sakura first and his breaths were ragged and he was not surprised by the roaming around people clad in black with guns-yes, Sasuke already spotted the INTERPOL troops-which made him twice more suspicious in his eyes. He knew as well, that was for certain. "Dobe. Where have you been?"

"Forest, duh! Why, are you suffering from Alzheimer or something? I went for a walk." Naruto shrugged once, trying to act like a non CIA agent, not to blow their cover. His raven haired friend was brooding at him.

"A walk? And? Have you found something…inspiring or possibly…_entertaining_?" His tone more than mocking, like the onyx eyed Uchiha caught him in the middle of the act.

It slipped Naruto`s vigilance, but not Sakura`s. Sasuke was suspecting them both and that was not a good sign. "Nah. I got bored and come back, when I have seen those gorillas there with guns and helicopters. What the hell is going on in here, anyways? And where are you two going, by the way? Police has told us to immediately go inside."

Sakura`s eyes were flying around her, while she was deeply praying for Ten Ten and Neji not to emerge from the woods and put an end to their charade. If her and Naruto`s guilty looking figures were not being a major giveaway, than the Akatsuki couple clad in full agent gear and ATVs were surely going to do the trick.

It took Sasuke a moment of deeply brainstorming to come up with his answer. Something was fishy with Naruto and Sakura, but he couldn't quite put the finger on it.

The way they acted was a bit…too _relaxed_ for his liking. "It looks like all the sudden deaths are not random. They target someone from here as well. And I am afraid it can be any of us. We have to get out of here."

Naruto`s face went pale like Sakura`s when she first set an eye on the dead bodies. "Huh?! Wha…are you crazy, Bastard or have you possibly been shot down the head?! Didn't you hear what I have said? We have to go back inside or else the police is going to…"

"We are leaving. If you want to come stop complaining and follow. If not, stay here and wait for the police to watch your back…because they proved themselves _competent_ so far." Without wasting anymore time, Sasuke pulled a rooted in place Sakura after him, heading back to the forest, leaving a stunned looking Naruto behind, mouth agape.

Sakura only managed to point her finger towards the room she and Sasuke were occupying, he nodded once in understanding. There was no way they could have stopped Sasuke once he had his mind set on something, so he let it pass.

"Where are you taking me?" Sakura realized they were somehow heading back straight where the first INTERPOL plane has landed, meaning where the Akatsuki were. Why was that?

"My private helicopter. It should be somewhere in front of us." Sasuke tightened his grip on Sakura`s cold hand, mentally cursing the narrow full of branches path, slowing his pace. He felt the pink haired maid's tiredness pulsating through her veins.

He turned around abruptly, making the surprised girl to collide with his broad chest. She didn't bother to stay high alert. Police was there, Lorane was gone for the moment and…Sasuke was holding her hand. He was no treat to begin with, or that was what she has been chanting down her mind ever since they left the cabin. "You are tired."

Sakura let out a small 'yelp', resting her palms on his pectorals, out of reflex.

His hotness made her inwardly search for more, lowering her head, not able to face him while her mind was screaming at her to embrace him and get warm. She was freezing and he was just as barely clad as her. "I am cold."

Two strong arms pulled her into a tight embrace, rubbing her back energetically, making her almost moan in delight. Sakura could actually feel the prickles upon her skin and the blood surge her cells.

And she shut her emerald eyes when the raven haired Uchiha brought his mouth in the junction of her neck and shoulder and blown a hot stream of air, making her melt. "I know. We are almost there. Bear with it for the moment, ok?"

She nodded once, already feeling her stiffened shoulders relax. No matter how much of a killer he could have been, the pink haired girl felt safe into his arms. There was just something about him that screamed both danger and security, in an amazing combination. He was one of a kind. "Yeah…I am sorry."

"You have nothing to feel sorry for. Let's move, either ways we are going to freeze."

"Ok."

* * *

They made it towards a clear place into the forest, where the terrain was rocky, having Sasuke`s helicopter in their vision. He helped her climb and as soon as the onyx eyed heir closed the door, the pilot wasted no time in taking in, rising above the high fir trees, leaving the place like they have never been there. For Sakura it felt like another reality.

As soon as they stood down on the white leather chair-not surprisingly, that helicopter was a fully equipped luxury one-she buried her face into the crook of his neck, resting on hir lap, inhaling his strong scent. She was dead tired and she had too much stuff to do when they got back. And she realized…she left all her things back on the cabin. The only thing she had was her phone. "Sasuke…"

The said Uchiha prompted his head on the headrest, hugging his maid protectively towards his chest, looking on the window to the dark sky and faraway city lights. That was…a disaster. He had a lot of shit to do and it was not going to be pleasant. "Hm?"

"How did you know they were going to attack you beforehand and call for your helicopter?" Did Sakura really want to know the truth? She was kind of afraid of whatever answer Sasuke decided to give, but her curious side got the best of her.

In all honesty, her mission was to protect him no matter what. She was not the one to question CIA`s orders and Orochimaru would have not sent her straight in the embrace of the enemy, so she was fine. The reason only mattered for her own acknowledge. She had to know though…

"This…I have my ways." He didn't want to lie to her, so he kept it as impersonal as possible. Sasuke was not hiding the truth, nor did he provide any proper answers. He hoped Sakura would understand he didn't want to talk about that.

And she did, because she nodded once and placed a small kiss on his throat. He was massaging her shoulder with his palm, soothing her. She felt so small into his arms and her delicate bones were molding perfectly on his touch. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

'I will make sure of it' Were the words she would have liked to say, but couldn't.

"It will not. Rest. I am going to wake you up when we land." And she did just as so, letting sleep take over her. She was beyond exhausted. Meanwhile, Sasuke was tapping his message, not wanting to risk and wake her up.

'_I am heading back to Tokyo. I leave the rest to the INTERPOL. They came just in time.'_

He got a reply soon enough. _'Good. No need to thank me. I hope no one saw you.'_

'_My maid did. But she is…not going to question. I leave the police and their procedures to you. Just make sure this doesn't leak up to the press.'_ Sasuke sensed the sarcasm, but he was not going to be found dead thanking that person. Not openly, at least.

'_Be careful with her. I will deal with everything else. INTERPOL is not going to bother you. You just do your job and send me those formulas as fast as you can. The expert is almost there with the hieroglyphs. We need to put the two things together and read the message behind.' _

'_Of course. Don't forget about the Ball. They are probably going to be there as well.'_

'_I am already working on that.'_

'_I will hold you onto that.'_

He finished the conversation, looking down at Sakura`s peaceful face. She nuzzled her nose on his collar bone, sound asleep. He smirked at her, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I am sorry…Sakura. For everything."

.

.

* * *

*****[Ooooooooooooo}** EvErYtHiNg**{oooooooooooooO]******

Same time, Ravenna Italy, Akatsuki`s weapons base

* * *

A shiny black bulletproof limo was parked outside the base, with a very rushed man jumping out of the vehicle and a blonde woman following him suit inside. Orochimaru was everything but content in that moment.

He barely had any signal to contact Sakura and the other agents and he has just found out about another terrible case of stolen goods inside the CIA, that time, having Akatsuki as the victim.

"Hurry the hell up Tsunade, we don't have time to waste."

"Slow down a bit will yea? We have been running constantly and I didn't have time to drink my coffee."

Tsunade`s harsh voice came echoing behind the Otokage, who slipped past the bowing at him security guards, not sparing them a glance, heading straight to the room where all the weapons were supposed to be, finding a large spartan room with empty walls and a distressed exhausted looking Uchiha Itachi, along with Kakashi.

"Hello gentleman, I would say good evening, but looking around, this is not an appropriate thing to say."

Itachi furrowed his eyebrows, shaking the Otokage`s hand firmly, Kakashi doing the same. It was not that he was having anything personal with Orochimaru, but there has always been something about him that made it hard for people to trust him.

Maybe it was his mysterious aura that looked like he was hiding a big secret that made Sasuke`s older brother paranoid.

Nevertheless, his presence was more than welcomed, giving the situation. The snake faced man was a person many hated, but his skills were undeniable and his intelligence unbeatable. "Indeed. As you can see for yourself, they took everything."

"Even the experimental weapons." It was a statement. Itachi nodded once.

"I think those were the first to target. They left some bullets and smaller revolvers around, but they took our main supplies." Kakashi already counted and made a list with everything that was missing, sending it straight to the HQ. The CIA head was not coping with it any better.

"I see. This is not good. As you can probably suspect yourselves, we have a spy among us. Someone that works for the Freemasonry and stabs us in the back, constantly." Orochimaru`s statement didn't come as a shock. Inwardly, everyone suspected it and if the notorious Otokage had his suspicions as well, it only meant serious business.

"I agree." Itachi already made a list of people he had in mind as possible 'candidates' for the traitors part, including the names of all the rookie agents and other people that would come as suspects.

And he hasn't decided if Orochimaru was one of them…yet. Yes, Itachi was just one of _those _people. The ones that found even their shadow to be suspect. He was not Konoha`s team leader for nothing.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Kakashi smartly asked.

"At this point, no. Their work is flawless. And this bothers me."

"Every work has its flaws. I agree."

"Although this was supposed to be the Sound`s problem, I cannot ignore the recent events. We have been robbed as well. And I can assure you both that it is one of the most valuable thing we possess." There was no point in letting the male ego lead their moves.

The problem has long transcended one office's borders. If that would go on, soon CIA would be only a name in history. And that meant _disaster_. Tsunade was pacing around the room, studying it intently, looking for any clues left or anything similar to what they had encountered.

Kakashi and Itachi`s jaws almost hit the floor at that. If the Sound has been robbed as well, then they had another thing coming.

Things got suddenly worse. And Itachi could hear the constant beeps on his phone, but it was not like he was somewhere near a computer to help his team. They had to deal with it themselves…for the moment. "You can't be serious."

"I don't joke with such things, Itachi. Someone that I suspect to be the same person, stole me and my colleague's, Tsunade over there, research. And left no trace."

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling dizzy. Just what was going on in there, because things were escalading from worse to disaster and fast.

"What…kind of research?"

"To be more specific, I am talking about a top secret experiment CIA has done some years ago."

Tsunade came beside Orochimaru, placing her hands on her hips, not trying to hide her contribution. She knew that eventually, the truth would come out and she was not going to hide and let her friend take all the blame. It was their problem to solve. "Me and Orochimaru have been the lead researchers."

"So…your research about…whatever that might have been…needs an arsenal to be…accomplished? I hope you haven't designed a nuclear destructive weapon or something." Kakashi has been dealing with such cases during his CIA missions. It was anything but pleasant, because imagination had no limits.

The answer took them both by surprise. "It is even worse than that."

"Even worse? What do you mean by that?"

"The main topic of our research…" Orochimaru looked for Tsunade`s approving stare, not holding back that time into make it known to his colleagues-the term nagged him-that something bad was going to happen because of some mistakes they did in the past.

And Itachi and the Hokage`s Vice both gaped in synchrony, not bothering to play it cool. That was one Hell of an answer, worth of the Otokage`s reputation:

"…is **immortality**."

"…." Whatever Kakashi wanted to ask, got stuck in his throat. What was there to ask to begin with? Were they working for NASA all of sudden and no one found it appropriate to announce it?

Itachi pulled his phone out of his pocket, seeing that Orochimaru did the same, checking on his GPS. He had some missed calls from the agents, but no SOS from them, which meant they were ok. "I think, Otokage-sama, that we all need to have a little…chat."

"Indeed. But first, I want to have a look at the broken security system."

"Of course. This way."

"Tsunade, have you brought my equipment?" They all stopped at the entrance, with Orochimaru studying the lock. It was weird because that one was not forced as well. He rubbed his chin intently, stare hard, thinking.

The blonde Senju handed him a small device, no bigger than a phone, with a large screen and a mini antenna, he taking it with a small thank you. Itachi and Kakashi were eying his moves intently, trying to determine what was he doing.

"This is not forced. Our suspect has all the passwords here apparently. The only door that has been forced was the one from my lab, because that is the only door that only two people know the combination of and it is me and Tsunade."

"True. This is what makes us think we have a traitor among the CIA members. No one is skilled enough to hack all of our passwords, with Aburame and his team constantly updating our passwords and security systems." Itachi stated simply.

Orochimaru nodded once, measuring something on the door's high tech lock. He furrowed his brows, not liking what he was seeing. Itachi was right, there was not even a bug in the system. It was not hacked or virused at all.

"I agree. But we don't have to check on everyone that works for the CIA to discover the culprit. Our list should be reduced to the ones that have access to all the rooms in here. This one included."

"You mean the higher ups?" Kakashi asked as a matter of fact.

"Not only them, but I would start with them. The CIA head included." Orochimaru knew that those accusations were no child`s play, but he had no reason to lie the two agent. He trusted them, as twisted as that might sounded.

"True. Have you found out something that caught your eye, Otokage-sama?"

"I confirmed there is no skilful method of hacking the security system, letting us the false impression of it being flawless. Indeed, this is not forced. At all."

"I would like to take a look at the door from your secret room that has been forced, with your permission of course. And I will ask Aburame and his team to come and do a complete investigation." Itachi reasoned.

"Sure. Drop by tomorrow morning, when he is going to arrive. I am going to give you all full access."

"I will." Itachi threw a glance at his phone, immediately recognizing the ID of the caller. Tobirama Senju.

"I have to take this call." He excused himself, while he instructed Kakashi to explain whatever Orochimaru wanted to know, not until the Otokage informed him about Lorane attacking his team and Sakura.

"Take your time." Meanwhile, Orochimaru returned his attention to the lock he was eying for good ten minutes, with Tsunade staying glued to his side.

"What? Is there something interesting to this stuff we the mortals are not able to see?" She said mockingly.

Orochimaru rolled his eyes, not facing her. "And here I thought you were smarter Tsunade. Guess I know where you got it from." He got a punch in his shoulder for insulting Tobirama ever so tactfully.

"Kakashi, who sets the passwords in here?"

"Usually it is Jirayia the one to take charge of our weapons, along with Ten Ten and occasionally me. Though I don't remember who set it last, because we change it often to prevent such things to happen. Guess that was not a good plan, either."

"So it is only people you trust."

"Exactly."

"What about the CCTVs?"

Kakashi shook his head once, looking at the empty spot in the corner of the wall, where once the cameras were. "Nothing. They deleted everything. It takes one hell of a technology to do that."

Orochimaru turned his head over his shoulder, eyebrow rose. "Do what?"

"Creating such a powerful magnetic field, in such a short period of time, able to erase any trace and jam the technology, computers and satellite network included. It is a technology that Shino has experimented with, but never got it stable."

"Interesting. The data matches the way they dealt with Shiseido Ginza incident. So it only means Lorane is involved in these incidents as well."

Kakashi`s sole right visible eye went wide. That was something they didn't take into account before. "So you mean it is not just a coincidence?"

"There is no such thing as coincidence in the world, Kakashi. Not in our area of expertise. Lorane wants to destroy us from inside out and so far, they have the upper hand. With my research and your weapons, they are likely to become quite dangerous."

"Damn."

"Let me copy the data from the last record of the security cameras."

"Follow me please."

"Come Tsunade. Stop daydreaming. We are not at opera."

"Arrogant jerk." Although she followed the two men's fast strides, Tsunade didn't miss the way Orochimaru let out an almost invisible creepy smile before he checked on the lock, confirming something on his own device, before turning it off. She would have to ask him about that later on.

* * *

}{

* * *

"Hokage-sama."

"_Itachi, what is going on in there, I have ten missed calls from you. You know I cannot answer while in a conference, for fuck`s sake."_ Oh the joy, he sounded pissed off, Itachi noticed. No wonder, he has been cursing the people he had to encounter the moment he got in the jet.

Itachi went into an adjacent room, his onyx eyes fixing Orochimaru`s limo on the window, already checking on his laptop to see how his team was coping with Lorane. The connection was slowly but surely getting stable. "I am sorry for having interrupting you but we have two latest incidents that I had to brief you about."

"_Incidents? What incidents?"_

"First of all. I am sure you know about the trip the heirs that are going to take part into the upcoming ball two days from now, are currently on."

"_Ah, that useless silly shit, how could one have missed it? Isn't Konoha already there?"_

"Precisely this is the problem. Lorane had planned a surprise attack on their team. Athena of the Sound was there as well, to back them up. I am trying to establish another connection with them because our devices got jammed again."

Tobirama sounded anything but content. His voice was hard and throaty, although it was crystal clear he was trying his best to keep it whisper level.

All the ruffled sounds in the background assured the older Uchiha brother that he was probably still in the meeting room. _"What the heck is with them and the fact that they stand out so much this days? Have they managed to kill someone? Don't tell me I have to take the first flight there and deal with it myself. And why is the Sound involved…again?"_

Itachi almost dropped the phone from his hand, not believing his eyes what he was seeing. Not only his screen was full of unbelievable messages, but he has just learnt that INTERPOL has already been there, though no one from the CIA has asked for their presence.

"They…Haruno has been there, guarding my brother, along with Naruto. Ten Ten and Neji kept a low profile. I see their messages and they seem fine. No one has been hurt, fortunately, but someone we don't know about, got the INTERPOL involved."

"_What do you mean someone we don't know the identity of? Wasn't any of you?"_

"Neji tells me that no, no one has called for the police, but they managed to be there just in time, like someone has warned them beforehand. Weird."

"_This is no coincidence Itachi. It is just like the incident with the four suspects, when someone from the outside has announced the Tokyo police force in advance. These events are related."_ Whoever said Tobirama was stupid, clearly was just mocking him. He was not the Hokage for nothing and his mind was working intently.

Itachi put his phone on speaker, already tasting to Neji, who was briefing him about the situation. He was content to find out that they managed to murder all the Lorane`s henchmen and evacuate all the heirs. They were already in their way home. "I am afraid I have another bad news and I am sure you will not like it in a bit."

"_What bad news?"_

"Someone barged into our weapons building and stole everything. Not only that, but Otokage-sama is here as well and he actually told us they too got robbed from some ultra secret experiments they did."

Itachi pressed his hands on his ears, cautiously, mentally trying to envision the windows break. _"WHAT?!"_ That much for Tobirama`s collect attitude. He more than roared from the other side of the line.

"_WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Someone stole our weapons? Fucking Hell! When?"_

"Last night. Not only that, but they actually knew our password and lock combination because the door is not forced. The only one that didn't have access to, was the one from Orochimaru`s lab. Everything beside that is untouched. Their work is flawless. Like I have suspected, it is someone from the CIA that is probably working for Lorane."

"_No more time for jokes. Itachi, I am going to send you another password to reset all the ones in your offices and weapon stores. Check on everything and take all the data to the DS&amp;T. Also, call for a meeting with the General Counsel. The situation around the world is shaky at this moment. I want the Director to be there as well. We need to take drastic measures."_

"I understand, Sir. I will deal with it right now. Tomorrow I am going to take a sight at the Sound`s office as well and compare the data. Aburame is going to lead the analyses."

"_Just don't involve that Snake Man more than necessary, I hate his guts! And inform the __Directorate of Intelligence about a meeting I would like to organize. We have to discuss politics and economics latest data. Have you seen them?"_

Itachi could have cared less about that at that moment. Someone was free to rob them like they were naïve kids and his team was dealing with Lorane in the woods. That could wait. Until he heard what Tobirama stated next. "No."

"_It involves that brother of yours as well. Take a look at the TV more often and stop living in caves, like that freak Orochimaru and his lunatic team."_

"What about the Mangekyou? Sasuke is dealing with it just fine." In fact, Kakashi was keeping Itachi updated with the news related to business and global economy, much to his horror and he got an idea of how the stock markets were doing. Compared to the other companies, Mangekyou barely lost something and it was due to his brother's genius.

"_I don't know how it is going, but if he has branches in the Western Europe then he has a problem."_

Itachi didn't like the sound of that. If Tobirama said that there was something bad happening, then he was more than right. The Congress he was attending gathered the most powerful Governmental organizations that dealt with peace and security around the world, as well as hundreds of other experts in various fields of interest, such as economy, so he knew better. "Why do you say that?"

"_They are going to face a crises in the upcoming weeks. Austria, Germany, Finland, __Luxembourg__, __Netherlands__, Norway and Spain have announced that they are not able to pay their loans to the World Bank Group or the International Monetary Fund. They have stopped the import of most of the goods and they are currently changing all the currency to dollars and send everything to the export to pay their debts. The others are already in major collapse. And it is all thanks to Lorane rising the taxes to gases, oils and energy."_

Itachi already felt his mind shut down. He quickly accessed the online news channels, confirming the Hokage`s statements. Many countries from the Eastern Europe and part of the Eastern Asia were already declaring national insolvency.

Suddenly, the situation turned upside down. That was a bad sign, he knew it.

"What is happening in here?" He almost feared about what was going to happen in two days when all the people that were having running business were going to come together. He was already contacting the INTERPOL. They needed a security like never before. Then he was going to gain courage and call his little brooding brother.

* * *

}{

* * *

"Orochimaru, care to explain to me what the heck have you copied from Akatsuki`s security system?" Tsunade has been nagging her colleague ever since they got into their limos heading back to the Sound`s HQ, but he was intently working on his tablet, not paying attention to her.

And that bothered her. She took a pillow that was meant for resting the hand on and threw it to his head, the said man dodging it without even watching at the flying towards him object. At most, she was childish, as his wife. "Stop that, you are distracting me."

"Distracting? Don't you dare hiding something from me, or else I am going to hunt you down, before Lorane does it. Now spit it all, what was that?"

"What was what?" Good, Orochimaru was having a clear image of the mountain and the cabins his agent was, as well as the rest of the Akatsuki gang. They looked fine and Lorane looked…a little dead.

"Your mother's wedding anniversary…the thing that you have downloaded from that not so forced lock, you smartass. Why would you need that for anyways, since we have already confirmed they knew the pass code?"

"It was just that. I want to know the last password they broke, that is all."

Tsunade was eying the Otokage in disbelief. Was he smoking weed or being high was part of his immunity system? She was dead worried for Sakura, since they had no way to communicate and Anko has been feeling really sick that morning, so she was at the hospital, waiting for the blonde medic to come and bring her supplies and dumplings. She had no time for that. "For what?"

"Are you trying to annoy me Tsunade? Because I must say it is working. I want to compare the letters and watch for a pattern in the system, that is all. Besides, I have something in mind that bothers me, so I want to keep it that way. Let`s do a scan of all the passwords Akatsuki and the Sound are using and see if we can find a match into the logarithm. Something to lead us to them."

"I don't understand a thing."

"This is because you are stupid like your uncle, that is why. Damn that Tobirama spilled his seed in his predecessors, making all them cretins. The one that breaks our passwords is someone that has fully access to all of them, meaning either someone that is close to the Director or someone that sets most of them and knows the pattern. You know we don't just throw them at random, like the one from our lab. If I can find a mosaic they are using, maybe it is going to lead me to whoever Lorane has sent to trick us."

Orochimaru smirked down at his colleague, who was already having a bottle of sake in her right hand and donuts on the other, stuffing her face. Poor woman was not dealing with the stress properly. "Does this make it any clearer for you, Tsunade?"

"You are fucking insane."

"And you are going to get fat."

"I hate you."

"Cherry is fine. She managed to kill one of Lorane and Akatsuki took on the rest." The woman visibly relaxed, leaning further into the comfy chair.

"You are not going to win me with this. Tell her to call me as soon as possible. I miss my Blossom."

* * *

}{

* * *

_Riiiing Riiiing Riiiingg_

He snapped really bad, cursing the living daylights out of whoever dared to interrupt his sleep. "What?!"

"_Stop screaming into my damn ears, I already have a headache the size of the Chinese Wall. I got news for you."_

"They better be good, or else…"

"_Don't you dare threatening me, since I am your superior. Now stop the bitching and put this call on the other line. I want to talk with the others as well. Better make it as one call and save my damn time." _

Reluctantly, the middle aged man, with the long golden hair, kept neatly into a ponytail went into his office, pressed a secret button under the office desk and instantly, a large flat screen appeared. "I hate you all."

His and his interlocutors` face appeared instantly. There was another window with a mysterious person hid in the shadows, that looked like he was seated on a…was that a throne or was he imagining things? "Where is _he_?"

"_Patience. I gave him a call."_

Inoichi felt his insides clench in anger. Not only were they bothering him with other probably unimportant stuff, as another failure, but he was forced to wait for the last person to join their little chat. What the heck? "Then give him another, I don't care. I have stuff to do.?"

"_And what do you think we are doing? Making sand castles?"_

"**Gentlemen, violence has never been the answer. Love and mutual understanding is the key to peace." The third person spoke, silencing the other two. **

Inoichi looked at him like he was seeing the Devil. Who was that man anyways? "What about you stop spouting nonsense, like we are in the philosophy classes and at least show your damn face when addressing us?"

"_This is going to happen pretty sure, don't worry."_ Much to his horror, it was not the man on the weird chair the one to answer. Was he ignored, because that would be rude and totally unacceptable?

"I want him to answer to my fucking…"

The other party joined the conversation, his bored looking face popping on Inoichi`s screen. All of them could have seen each other and communicate in real time, despite their different time zones. "I see all of you are here…in a way."

"It was about time you join as well. Now, what is going on in here _boss_?"

The said person let out a deep growl, totally annoyed by the ridicule tone Inoichi used_. "I will tell you exactly what is going on in here. You three, are a bunch of incompetent losers and I will tell you the reason why. Not only you have totally failed in catching the Uchiha heir-again-, but CIA has gotten the upper hand this time, which I don't approve."_

"I remember clearly telling you not to underestimate them, but you are too arrogant to even see the truth. They are going to discover us and it is going to drag all of us down." The bored person has talked, not even having the decency to face the web cam properly. He was reading a newspaper, drinking coffee. "And I remember telling you to let me deal with the Mangekyou."

"_I see you staying there like a fucking useless plant, doing nothing. This is why I sent Inoichi and his daughter to help you out. Why are you two so unprolific? Don't tell me you have second thoughts. You know what happens to the ones that chose to betray me."_

"Quit the threats, you don't impress us. We are equals in here, don't forget. You need us as well. Leave it to me and this blondie here to deal with that. You just do your own stuff. It is not like your precious assassins have managed to do shit during the trip. No one has been injured."

"_Equals? Don't misunderstand. You all own me your own heads, you fuckers. Besides, this is not my job to begin with. Nagato, you failed again."_

Tree pairs of eyes were cast on the said unresponsive man. The only thing that could have been seen was his massive ring with the feared pair of compasses and the big crystal glass of scotch. His face was completely concealed. **"It was not a failure. It was to confirm my thoughts."**

"What thoughts? That you didn't manage to take down some kids? I don't mean to offend you but you are a loser."

"If the thing you wanted to confirm is the fact that someone else is helping the CIA from the shadows, then you are a retard for letting those killers die in vain. I thought this was obvious."

"Heh…at least there is someone else who is not a complete moron. Is this true, Nagato?"

The leader of the Lorane nodded once, his weird colored purple eyes beaming at the camera, taking all the other two people that were watching him by surprise. Was some kind of fashion trend to wear contacts in that organization? **"It is. I sent two of the best people available I had and they have been effortlessly taken down and it was not the CIA`s doing."**

"Really? Then who would have been this skilled to make a fool of your marvelous organization?"

"_Watch it Inoichi, as long as you collaborate with us, it is __your__ organization as well." _

"I don't give a damn about that. Nagato?" So that was his name, Inoichi kept in mind. Weird name with a weird resonance, just like his general appearance. Just what has he gotten himself into, anyways? Those people were…an unexpected mix, that was for sure.

The answer made all of them got silent and reflect. Truly, no one expected that, although the way Nagato was making it sound, looked casual.

"**Uchiha Sasuke. Mangekyou`s CEO. He is the one that came to CIA`s rescue, I think more than once."**

Inoichi`s cerulean eyes budget out of their sockets, clenching his fists at his side. To think his precious daughter was supposed to seduce a man that could have taken on their assassins easily was not something he has planned. It started to get dangerous. "Are you shitting us? This is a joke!"

Nagato spoke evenly. **"Are you calling me a liar?"**

"Are you taking us for fools? Do you really expect me to believe such a thing? What does he have to do with all this?" The other participant to the conversation neatly folded his newspaper, having troubles in grasping what Nagato was saying. It was truly something anyone would have find hard to believe, without a solid proof.

"**I have no reason to lie. Uchiha Sasuke is at least an assassin and a really talented one. We have searched for his background, but found nothing. Not even in the FBI`s database, or the INTERPOL`s."**

"What about the CIA?" Inoichi smartly asked.

"**Nothing in there as well."**

"What about the files you stole from them? Do they contain something about him?"

"_I doubt it. This are more…science fiction related. Though it is exactly what we need to complete another step of our big plan."_

"You want us to rule over the world using ancient stories? Are you all nuts or something?" Inoichi didn't like where that was heading, but he had no choice. They helped him and his company survive and his family didn't have to face poverty. He has long ago sold his soul. But Ino didn't.

"**They are not ancient stories. You are an impatient man. Be careful not to cost you dearly. You know God praises perseverance and patience**."

The blonde man snorted loudly at that. The others were just having their arms crossed over their chests, mirroring each other's postures, one looking extremely angry, the other being impassive, with such a natural talent, that it was a miracle he was even breathing. "Oh, spare me the details please. I want to know when are we going to come to the light. This thing is taking too much."

"_Soon. To be more specific, tomorrow."_

"Oh? So you actually plan on doing something. What about the upcoming Ball? That is a good chance to take down most of those snobs in one shot."

"They have probably called for the INTERPOL to provide help. It is going to be difficult."

"_This my dear friends, is going to have a different approach. We are not killing anyone there. In fact, we attack no one." All the eyes were on the first to speak man. _

"How so?"

"_Because what I have on mind is going to successfully land a good blow on the Mangekyou and its playing Batman heir. This is your chance to approach him and annihilate that company once and for all. Don't lose it."_

"I don't see what you can possibly do, but I will play my part like I promised.  
Inoichi turned his attention towards the lazy man, resting on his chair, in what looked like his living room. "You are going to help me."

"Don't give me orders."

"_I told you all to cooperate. Nagato, how are the companies we have managed to take over?"_

"**Good. Europe is in collapse. Soon, Asia is going to follow. I am leaving America the last, because a global financial crises is going to affect them too. Then we can successfully have the undivided control over the world's economy, Nothing is going to stop us."**

"You do realize you are not just going to win with only that."

A small arrogant smirk_. "True. But we have an upper hand and the secret lays in the data we have stolen. That, and the fact that we have another surprise for some insignificant pests that are going to have a meeting in two months from now."_

"Pests? What pests?"

"_Some pests that are in the way to success and we are going to eliminate from the equation."_

Inoichi looked dumbfounded. It was Nagato the one to explain. **"The world`s leaders. We are going to take them down then. And that…is going to throw the people into despair and learn the true meaning…of ****pain.****"**

* * *

}{

* * *

It was the first time since Sakura has started to work for Sasuke when she actually prayed for something to happen and put an end to that more than uncomfortable silence that was hanging above her and Sasuke`s heads.

Truly, it was so thick that she was certain that if she tried to use the large knife she used to chop off the tomatoes and leak, the pink haired agent would have succeed.

"Won't you say anything?" Ever since Sasuke has woke her up when they landed on the roof top of Mangekyou`s HQ and took one of the raven haired Uchiha`s white limos-he had such thing in the underground parking lot, who would have guessed-he said nothing to her.

Not a single word, looking lost into his thoughts. Well, she should have been as well if she was to kill some Lorane lackeys and get caught in the act by her servant, but it was too much.

Sasuke was staying still on the table, waiting for Sakura to prepare them something to eat. It was 6 am in the morning and even though they were dead tired, hunger was taking over. He let his onyx eyes take in her features, sensing her distress, but chose not to comment. "Hn…"

It was not like he didn't want to say something, but in all honesty, he had no idea where to start from. Sasuke knew what Sakura wanted to know, but he could not tell her why he killed the guide and the Turkish woman, without disclosing something from his past as well. "I don't speak the alien language Sasuke, so you have to do more than that."

Not wanting to make a fool of herself, or even worse, cut down a finger or two, Sakura decided to make pasta. It was the quickest thing she could have prepared that was not fast food.

No, that wouldn't do. She already boiled the water and dropped the spaghetti inside, preparing the sauce.

Sasuke was rubbing his temples with his palms, having purple deep bags under his onyx tired eyes. He too was exhausted, but at least was trying his best to not let it show. Sakura on the other hand, was yawning constantly. "You don't have to explain anything to me, since I cannot say much about myself either. But at least…say something. Anything."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

The midnight haired Uchiha folded his hands on the table in front of his eyes, thinking about how many hours of sleep would he need to make half of his brain function and go straight to his damned company.

He had a message from Jugo that didn't sit right with him and some formulas to email. "That is not helpful. There is nothing else to say. They wanted to kill me. I only took them down and saved my ass. Is it good enough?"

"What do you think?" She didn't mean to be rude, but it was difficult for Sakura to ignore the fact that the man she was supposed to guard, was probably having better fighting skills than her. She looked briefly at the bandaged arm-her work in the helicopter-thinking about the size and the way the skin was pierced.

It didn't look like he got that while in battle. It was too…smooth and precise. Sasuke understood the harshness behind her words, choosing to remain silent.

Normally, he would not permit anyone to use that manner of speaking when addressing him, but of course, Sakura was different. She ranked higher in his top, that was a fact. "That we should drop the subject."

Sakura finished the tomato sauce, taking two plates she had filled with hot pasta, pouring sauce and parmesan on the top, placing one in front of Sasuke and the other in front of her.

She wasted no time in taking a large bit, not bothering to let it cool down. Her stomach was killing her slowly. "What subject? I am doing all the talk…if you can consider this talk."

"Let me get this straight. You said you are not going to question my actions, just like I don't question yours, but at the same time, you keep on nagging me with telling you something you don't even know how to voice out. Is this logical, Sakura?" He missed the way she was preparing pasta, Sasuke decided. It was melting inside his mouth and…she looked at him from the other side of the table, with a sad and worried expression on her face.

Damn he couldn't stand that look on her emerald eyes, because each time she did that, he had an electric jolt cross through him and it bothered him. "I am sorry." She said softly.

"No. You have all the right to know. You saw me killing someone. That is understandable."

"I don't want something from you that I cannot return. I just…" She paused, facing the plate. "…I think I am tired. And stressed. This is why I don't cope with it so well. But I can't help it. Sasuke, did you know who they were from the very beginning?"

What was the point in denying the truth? "Not from the very beginning. I only realized it when the guy that played the guide took a longer route. He only kept on insisting us to reach the peak of the mountain, no matter what. It was suspicious. Although, I never guessed the Turkish woman was helping him."

Sakura lifted her jade eyes, seeing that Sasuke`s onyx ones were boring into her own. Her cheeks were getting a rosy hue, making her gulp once.

Whenever she looked at her like that, the emerald eyed agent was reminded of their passionate moment from the waterfall. How would things be the same again after that? "I see. Well, you said you know there are people wanting to take your head."

"I am who I am Sakura. Just like the other famous business people you have seen on the news, assassinates happen. Though you realized it is no coincidence in here."

"Why haven't you hired bodyguards then?" It was a question Sakura always considered, but never had the chance to ask. That was a good moment, since he looked completely honest with her.

She wouldn't be a hypocrite and pester him into confessing things he preferred to keep for himself, since they have already establish neither of them was a normal person, but she felt like…he was dangerous. Of course, he wouldn't harm her, but he had power. Power that she didn't understand.

"What for? I can take care of myself all right. I don't need losers to stay stuck on me, like my father does. It is pathetic."

They both finished at that time. Sasuke placed the plate into the dishwasher and Sakura did the same. They both headed-more like dragged their bodies-upstairs, with only one thing in mind: sleep. Though they both stopped for a moment in the hall, sharing the same thought.

Sakura pulled her lower lip in between her teeth, playing with her hands, not knowing what to do. Sasuke was having his back on her, a hand on the knob of his bedroom's door. He hesitated for a moment, like wanting to say something to her, but decided not to, then went inside.

The pink haired girl felt at lost of what to do, but the moment she felt the cool blow of air coming from her airy solitary room, she realized that she couldn't get inside, because she started to feel like belonging somewhere else.

And it was not her bedroom. The opened door of her boss` chamber-he never let the door open-was telling her all she had to know. Sasuke has been given her a choice: come and sleep with him and overlook the incident, or put some distance between them.

"Well fuck this shit…" Didn't she kill more people that she could have counted before? Heart was calling her and she couldn't deny it anymore.

Sakura entered the room, seeing Sasuke`s frame rest on his side, with a hand under his pillow, and the other resting on his bare chest, his back on her.

So she took off her shoes, leaving them at the entrance and approached his bed, slipping past the navy sheets, cuddling close to him, burying her nose in between his shoulder blades, hugging his waist.

"Can I stay here?" Her voice was muffled by his hot skin, and she already felt the familiar warm ray inside her chest beam, when his scent engulfed her. He was hot and he smelt amazing.

"You are here."

"I can leave if you mind."

He turned around to face her, throwing a hand around her back, pulling her flat onto his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. He smirked when she mirrored his movement, placing a chaste kiss on his pulse.

Did she actually think he was upset on her or just had fun with her in the woods, like some teen in the trip with his classroom, in search for a juicy gossip to brag about to his friends?

Wrong. Sasuke had no intention of letting her go anytime soon. And she was warm and her hair smelt like cherry blossoms, lavender and sandalwood, making him leisurely inhale deeper, feeling his tired muscles relax, sleep taking over him. "Sleep."

But instead of taking his advice to heart, Sakura found herself lifting her chin, angling his head and press her lips on his own, kissing him, while her hand roamed on his back. When Sasuke started to reciprocate, kissing her back and letting his hand slip past her waist, down her ass, everything suddenly got really intense.

* * *

}{

* * *

Emerald eyes crept open tiredly when the first rays of the morning brushed over her long lashes, making her bury her face into the pillow, moaning contently at the strong scent that welcomed her, because she realized that she actually knew that familiar manly fragrance and it belonged to the one and only Uchiha Sasuke.

Then a pair of panicked forest green orbs flew open, shifting her body so that she got completely entangled into the navy silk cover, darting her hands on her sides, realizing that she was completely alone, into Sasuke`s room.

"What the…auch…" A small palm went straight in between her thighs, where a very sore sensation gave her a good wake up call, blinking rapidly, while her fingers were intently looking for any blemish on the smooth skin, uncovering her legs to check on her injury. It looked good.

It only hit her what has been going on the moment she has seen a very compromising piece of evidence in the form of her dark lace bra, aimlessly thrown near the bathroom's door, making her rosy cheeks burn in shame. She hid her face behind her palms, trashing her body like a little child.

"My god…" It was going to take her a lot of time to get used to the idea of not actually pose as the raven haired Uciha`s not so humble maid, but as his secret girlfriend, because she has been quickly reminded of what a wild night did they have.

Reluctantly, Sakura got off the inviting warm bed she would have liked to stay in forever, scratched her messy pink hair that was sticking in all directions, heading straight to the shower-Sasuke`s-yawning lazily, while she was dragging her legs towards the wardrobe, looking for a bath towel.

She was too tired to go and take one from her room. Her room…did she even want to go back? Would Sasuke mind her stay into his own, from then on? The Sound agent had a million questions racking her head, but she was going to deal with it after a long hot shower.

"Gotta call Papa…and Karin. She is going to freak out, I am sure of it." The jade eyed lady turned the shower on, relishing under the hotness that hit her skin, giggling at the sight of Sasuke`s shampoo and shower gel. Should she…?

Smiling deviously, Sakura grabbed the large bottle, pouring down the man shower gel, rubbing her palms together, until she got as much foam and bubbles as she could have, washing her body off, inhaling deeply. It smelt just like him and she was already having dark thoughts crossing her mind.

Thoughts she has never considered before, Sakura realized and it was not necessary a bad change. At least, modesty was something she has long paid her farewells to, since the onyx eyed sexy Uchiha took her three times last night, leaving her body covered in his love marks, and making her stumble on her feet.

Why were women walking in a funny way after sex? Sakura vaguely remembered Karin giving her a very scientific explanation she was too horrified and stupefied to even listen to, which proved to come in handy at that point. Too bad she couldn't remember a thing, but that was going to change the moment she called her.

After the emerald eyed agent finished using half the bottle, not getting enough of the joy of actually using a male's bath, trying to live each new experience at its fullest, relishing in every passing second, she stepped out of the bathroom, folding the towel around her slim curves, heading to her room. She has been hit by the coldness of the space, feeling cold shivers adorning her milky skin, down her arms and spine.

That until she realized she, in fact, didn't have the laptop, because Sasuke so conveniently dragged her along, without giving her the chance to take her luggage. "Oh shit…" She would have to call Naruto and ask him if he took their stuff, because not only her computer was there, but her weapons as well.

So she took her phone instead, mentally cursing the much smaller device and the inconvenience of talking at that thing, going back to her boss` room, throwing her body on the king sized bed, resting on her tummy.

Sakura dialed the number she knew by heart, not bothering with the speed dial, planting her nose on the pillow. She vaguely asked herself where Sasuke was, but knowing him, he was probably at his company. She would give him a call later on.

Another equally throaty voice answered on the second call. _"Cherry? I called you on the laptop and I was just about to try reaching you on the phone. I was dead worried."_ Orochimaru`s usually smooth voice has been turned into one of an old man's, that has been a passionate smoker. He seemed tired, but relieved.

"Papa…I…don't even know where to start from. You have been so busy this weeks and I honestly can't even remember the last time we have talked. Are you updated with everything? I assume Tsunade-shishou briefed you about my hospitalization and I am sure you are aware of what happened yesterday, aren't you?"

"_Of course, my dear. I know about your injury and I am sorry for making Tsunade do all the talking, but I assume you wouldn't want me to make you more uncomfortable. How are you? Are you taking care of you?"_

She was so not taking care of her, Sakura realized, but she had a nagging Sasuke that reminded her to eat and not neglect herself. Plus, he had a very good way of relieving her of stress, though the method was a bit…more _personal_.

Not that she minded, the doctor has told her-in front of Ten Ten, who wouldn't cease her laughter-the benefits of an active sexual life. ""Yeah, I am fine now. That doctor that tended me and Ten Ten is a friend of Tsunade`s. He is very skilled. I only have one deeper injury on my thigh, but is healing rapidly. Other than that, I am fine, really."

"_Good. Let's go back to our business. I have not been able to catch the one that stole my documents, nor figure out his identity, but as you know, I suspect we have a traitor among the CIA members, though they are too many to check on and it is taking us time."_

"Us?"

"_Itachi and I are working on the case. You don't know because no one had time to announce you, but yesterday night, someone has barged into Akatsuki`s weapons base and stole their guns, including the newest ones Aburame has been testing. And what is even more worrisome is the fact that the lock is not forced. You know what it means, don't you Cherry?"_

Sakura`s emerald stunned eyes flew open wide, palming her forehead, letting the information sink in. She had no idea and something told her that Akatsuki only found out later on as well, since no one actually had signal.

That was twice as bad as she has first envisioned. She already had a suspect in mind, but Sakura had to first confirm it with her Papa. "They had the combination."

"_Exactly. In fact, the only door they have forced their way through, is the one from Tsunade `s and my secret laboratory. Though, they knew the password of the other doors that lead them to the last floor, even the one of the elevator."_

"It could be anyone. Even the security guards. They have all the keys after all. Or the higher ups. Aish, this is confusing."

"_It is most likely someone of a higher rank. Though I doubt it is only one person."_

"Is it Lorane Oro, isn't it? The ones that robbed both you and Akatsuki. Ten Ten told me yesterday, while we were fighting the assassins that Lorane is copying their arms, because the guns are identical to ones they use in combat. Something big is about to happen, I can just feel it."

"_You have just spoken my mind Cherry. I already knew that. Currently, Itachi, Kakashi and Aburame`s team are investigating our HQ, but nothing relevant so far. He told me everything. Tobirama is on his way here. But I loathe the idea of him tagging along."_

"Try to deal with it Papa, Akatsuki are cool. In fact, I think we have become friends, can you believe it? Ah, by the way, how could have I forgotten this? Papa, about what happened yesterday. I am sure Itachi filled you in with everything, because he was the one to supervise us, as much as he could, giving the fact that we had no GPS connection."

Orochimaru confirmed he was well aware of the mountain trip`s events. He was also keeping a close eye to the Akatsuki, who were a bit too familiar with roaming around his lab and office, but he had no choice.

Itachi has been honest with him and disclosed everything he knew. Tough the Otokage couldn't help but feel that he was gravely overlooking a crucial fact, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it_. "I know everything, as you have suspected. I was the one that announced him about Lorane. It is the only thing I could see on the satellite."_

Oh, the best part of it was about to come, Sakura realized. The only regret she had was the fact that she didn't have the laptop to see Orochimaru`s expression when she was going to reveal such thing.

"But…there is something you probably don't know, that left me speechless. And I am not talking about new Tiramisu recipe that fancy restaurant from the downtown is making by adding vanilla butter into the mascarpone. Papa, believe it or not, but there were actually two additional Lorane members, who were posing as an utterly annoying woman from Turkey, who in fact, is quite a reputed jewelry dealer of something and our guide."

"_So there were more than I have anticipated. Damn. I hope you didn't have problems because of my carelessness."_

"This is not your fault Papa Oro, you didn't have internet, is understandable. But neither of us had to deal with them, and you know why? Because there was a certain someone that not only read through their every move from the very beginning, but took both of them down, without breaking a sweat."

She could hear Orochimaru`s ragged breath echo through the speakers and she kind of guessed what kind of reaction he had in the next few seconds. Should she shout it out loud so as Itachi would hear what kind of brother did he have? That would be twice the entertainment.

"_Someone else? What do you mean by that? Weren't you the only ones there? Or did police provide some sort of unexpected back up?"_

"None of the above. The person that killed the two of them, after he so smartly saved our assess from a certain death, by realizing we have been lead towards a trap, and came with the brilliant idea to change the route or our hiking, is Sasuke."

There was a pause of about three minutes, during which Orochimaru said nothing as if letting the information sink in. Sakura wouldn't have blamed him, for she clearly remembered her own reaction when coming across the murder scene, and the bloody aura around the midnight haired heir's person.

But she couldn't forget the flickering inside his dilated pupils, when his tongue came in contact with his own blood, dripping from the cut. It looked like he was almost…enjoying it, in a sadistic guilty pleasure and it was maddening. _"Are you sure of that?"_

"Sure? Fuck Papa, I have seen it with my own eyes. He was standing there, with a sword in his hand, while they were dead and gone. You should have seen the look in his eyes, it was…frightening. Later on he even confessed that he murdered them and it was not the first time he did it. Moreover, in the CV you have given to me it was indeed stating that he is a black belt karate fighter, but his skills are ten classes above the average. Adding it to his LSD trips during high school days and strange flashbacks, makes him even more suspicious. What is the real deal with him anyways?"

"_That is all the information I have received from the Director. If there is something you find suspicious, investigate. I would like to help you, but we are kind of busy in here."_

"Papa, do you think Sasuke knows about Lorane? I mean he told me he knows there are people on his ass, but he didn't go into further details and I don't dare to ask him simply because that would mean blowing up my cover as well."

"_I don't know. Judging from what you have told me, one would think he actually knows about them, which I highly doubt. Maybe he has a guess that they are a powerful organization, but I don't think he has our information."_

"_Leaving that aside, there is something I find intriguing in all this equation. You said that he has confessed to you that he has killed before, is that right?"_

The truth was that only a dysfunctional questioning pair like the two of them would have found it thrilling to talk about how one of them had experience with murdering people and not being behind the bars, after a round of mind blowing sex, that left her stingy all over. "Yeah. Why?"

"_Why would someone like him that has a reputation to keep would say such things to a woman he barely knows something about?"_ Oh, he was not a genius for nothing, Sakura totally overlooked the fact.

Her cheeks were growing red and she felt a knot on her stomach, while thinking of the less embarrassing way to tell Orochimaru about their secret affair. That if they did have one to begin with… "Well it is because I…we…"

She couldn't say those words to a man, that she considered to be her father, the pink haired agent concluded. Damn, she needed a long girl talk and fast. Good thing the Otokage didn't have much time to waste on youngsters in love, so he let is pass with a well chosen comment.

"_I see. I am not scolding you for getting…personal with him, nor do I want to know about how far did you guys get. But all I say is to stick to your mission and don't let Lorane get close to him. At any cost. Remember the Grand Charity Ball from tomorrow. INTERPOL is going to help you out as well."_

"Ah, by the way. I have two more things to say, though I am sure you are going to act accordingly. Someone has called for the INTERPOL yesterday, because they came pretty quick and there was not enough time for them to be at the exact time we have finished the chasers off, so it means someone has announced them beforehand."

"_Wasn't it one of you? Have you asked the Akatsuki? Or the other heirs?"_

"It was neither of them. Please look into this matter as well, because it is deeply connected to the four decapitated Lorane henchmen and I think it is the same person that keeps a close eye on us the one to do the job from the shadows this time as well."

"_I will ask Shino Aburame to track the phone call, as soon as I personally contact the INTERPOL. Anything else you want to say?"_

"Yes. Though I am sure it is pointless to tell you this, since I am sure you already suspect it. Make sure Sasuke`s criminal record stays clean. I don't know how, but do something and don't let him get under investigation or worse jail. Can you do it?" It was a huge thing what was she asking, Sakura was aware, but she would suffocate if the young Uchiha would have been detained by the police.

And it was not such a big deal for the CIA to deal with such things, because they took care of their agent's criminal offences on daily basis.

Also, Sasuke simply stated that he had a way to deal with the problem, probably by hiring the best lawyers or use his connections to bribe the prosecutors or the judges. Many others like him did it anyways. _"I can. Leave that to me."_

"Thank you." Sakura could clearly hear Itachi`s deep voice calling the Otokage probably to show him something, so she knew she had to end the conversation, though she truly hoped for them to talk more. The pink haired girl truly missed her Sound colleagues and it pained her everyday to be so far from them. "I miss you Papa."

"_I miss you too Cherry. Don't forget that even though I look like I barely have time to even exist, I am always watching you. Understood? You are not alone." _

He did his voice to have a soft tone with her, because God only knew that Orochimaru loved Sakura like she was his own daughter and it absolutely killed him slowly to know here so far away from his protective gaze.

"Go. They need you. Call me when you have time. Tell Shishou and Anko that I said hello. Love you."

"_Ok Cherry. I love you too. Ciao."_

"Ciao." She hung up on Orochimaru, rolling on her back, changing positions, gluing her emerald eyes on the wall. She checked the alarm clock and realized it was in fact 1 pm. Did she sleep that much? No wonder she hasn't even realized when Sasuke has left.

"Karin…I need Karin…" Sakura quickly called her friend, biting her nails in an anxious matter, hoping that her friend was not in a mission. She got the voice mail, which only meant she was kind of busy, probably with seducing and killing another loser.

"Damn it!" No, she would not call Anko, even if she would have been the last standing woman. If the red headed was a pervert, Otokage`s wife was giving Jirayia a run for his money.

No way in hell would she tell her about the way she and Sasuke were conveniently 'communicating' ever since they did it in the forest, like in the movies, surrounded by enemies.

Wouldn't that make for a good action movie, she wondered, while making her way downstairs into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. She even forgot to take her medicine, but her stomach was throwing a fight, so she had to comply. That until she opened the fridge and saw an appetizing Tiramisu cake winking in her direction.

She wasted no time in grabbing the dessert, placing a hand over her heart, solemnly. "I am sorry Shishou…I already sold my soul to the Devil. Come here my little friend."

* * *

}{

* * *

Sasuke was having the worst day of his life, like seriously and it was thanks to all the ridiculous unbelievable things that were happening to him, in the form of the most horrific events he wanted to quickly solve, with a flick of his sharp sword in the right direction, and as much discretion as possible.

But no. After he has been attacked in the mountains hours ago, karma decided to kick his ass hard and bring the person that made it to the top on his 'people to get rid of in a lifetime' list, in the form of his 'beloved' totally getting on his nerves father expecting him in the meetings room.

The first thing Sasuke did in the morning was to call his secretary, that was constantly placing a hand on his shoulder to make him not forget where he was and not lose it for real, and ask for an urgent meeting with all the shareholders available.

After he has been updated with the sinister news around the world and took the pulse of the auction market in New York, realizing his stocks have dropped with 2%, he felt his temples explode. He had some bad news to deliver to the snobs that were only interested in profit and dividends he was not going to share for that trimester and to top it all, his father decided to grace them with his presence.

The first thing he said when the rightful raven haired CEO barged into the meeting room like a hurricane, scaring the other already gathered people around shitless with the fierce annoyed look on his face, was 'you are late, son'.

Not only did he so obviously made it sound like a scolding, but he purposely pointed out to their unfortunate family lineage, much to his disagreement. Sasuke would have long severed any connection with the Uchiha family, if not for his mother. And he had some cousins that were not that bad either, though they rarely saw each other.

Sasuke went straight to the end of the long table, turning on the video projector, not even blinking in the direction of Fugaku and his countless bodyguards-that stirred the beast within his boiling blood-when he casually slipped past them, like the former CEO was not even there, not having any shame in giving him an answer worth of a high class business man.

"No shit." Jugo was right on his tail, well aware of the animosity between the two relatives, placing the thick file in front of him and the small notebook and tablet. That was going to take a long time, he knew.

Sasuke opened the file he has been studying before the meeting, addressing to the audience, speaking low, rarely and clearly, not leaving any trace of doubt into his speech. "We are facing a loss. The charts are not lying. Therefore, we have to drop the value of our shares on the market."

Disapproving stunned whispers came from all around the table from the not very content people. 'Here we go' Sasuke chanted into his mind, eying each of the people around with an impassive look on his face. Deep inside, he was beyond tired and all he wanted was to go home, take a long shower and go lay beside Sakura in his bed.

Seriously, it only took her angelic features squirming under him and screaming his name to turn him on and distract him from a job he was not in the bit pleased to do, but he had no choice. If God gave him a runaway imbecile older brother…

Fugaku was frowning at him, glaring daggers at his skull, but it had no effect on his younger son, and he probably was well aware of the fact, but chose to ignore it.

He was livid at the calmness in Sasuke`s tone, when blatantly stating they didn't manage to maintain the profit and advantage they had towards their competitors. "Unacceptable. This is going to determine us to lower our authorised capital, meaning the number of stocks." He shouted out at his son.

Sasuke was painfully clenching his jaw, fisting his hand under the table, visibly growing livid, doing his best not to snap at his father. Was he that much of a loser or he was just doing that to rile him up?

It was obvious that with an upcoming economical crisis, maintaining the initial prices was impossible. No one would blame him for anything, for the ebony haired man did more than enough to be on the top for so long.

He more than hissed the words to his father, eying him in a way that promised permanent impaling if he dared to be a smartass once again. Sasuke decided he was not in the mood to take shit from Fugaku.

"It is unavoidable. What happens in Europe directly affects us. The cars companies are facing insolvency so I thought it is clear for even the ultimate idiot to understand that they will no longer need car components."

"Can't we just lower the prices or at least, drop the custom taxes, until the situation is going to get better?" One of his shareholders tried to come up with a solution.

The others were watching him expectantly, probably waiting for Sasuke to come up with a genius solution like he normally did. If only his mind would have not drifted to other things… "It is not that simple. What we are going to do is going to heavily affect the other investors as well."

Another followed, though he was dumber and more aggressive. "Who cares about them? I want my part of dividends, as I own twenty percent of this fucking shares!"

"So you prefer us to lower our capital and face possible insolvency just because you cannot live without your expensive car for a month or two? Get real." Sasuke knew it was going to turn into a disaster. Why couldn't grown ups act more like their age?

"He is right. What is the point in keeping my stocks in here, while I gain nothing?"

"I don't know, maybe because there is currently no other company to offer such shares like us and have this income? Use your damn brain, if you claim to have one!"

"If we drop the value of our shares, we should reduce the number of shares as well. Some of you have too many anyways."

Fugaku folded her hands upon his chest, finding it a good moment to mock Sasuke. "Good job in coping with the situation Sasuke. Just what I have expected from…the _other_ son of mine." And the way he said it, bringing Itachi into the conversation, made Sasuke`s bottomless eyes narrow dangerously, snapping his head towards his father.

If he was smart, he would not provoke him like that. Not after he faced danger from more sides. His rich baritone harsh voice successfully silenced the commotion.

"Quit the annoying ramblings and listen up. This is not shogi we are doing here, so stop coming up with unrealistic lunatic ideas. So for the ones that don't know the basic definition of the term 'global financial crises', kindly take your stuff and vanish from my sight."

Sasuke was gripping his pen with all his might, eying each one in the eyes, making the once loud men present get uncomfortable and gulp once. When Sasuke felt like acting like a boss, he did it flawlessly.

"So regarding the shares, we are going to drop their value until our cheapest share is going to be with only 0.26% more expensive than the ones of our rivals ones. As for the problem with the car factories, we are maintaining the custom taxes in order to not elude the international laws, but we are going to sell our goods without including the value-added is going to make up for the custom taxes, because those are higher than the VTA in the countries we are talking about."

"What about the dividends?" Seriously, Sasuke was one step away from taking his laptop and throw it in that man`s fat head.

Has he even had graduated from University? Who the hell asked for such things when the world was basically screaming collapse. It was enough to turn on the TV and realize how bad the situation really was to not dare being greedy.

"We are using all the profit we gained for the past two months to maintain the authorized capital and not lower the number of shares. We are going to see how this works. Any profit after that is going to be shared accordingly between all the shareholders. Is this good enough for you?" And if it wasn't, Sasuke didn't have enough 'fucks' into his bank account to give.

That man could go to Hell and take his father while he was at it. Fugaku was openly disapproving with his plan, coming up with childish solutions, that had no connection to reality, Sasuke understood.

And when the young Uchiha started to make a comparative presentation between the main stock markets, Fugaku claimed they were not updated with the latest values.

Sasuke inhaled sharply once, trying to come up with the best silent killing method he knew. Seriously, he couldn't take that anymore. Plus, the older shareholders present tended to give him credit. He couldn't wait to get out of the place that started to suffocate him.

"Jugo?" he addressed his secretary to some point, while the other occupants of the spacious meeting room were busy trying to understand the charts, probably checking for answers online.

"Yes Sir?"

"Any sign from the police?" The onyx eyed heir was referring to the two Lorane members he killed. He had to personally make sure there was no trace of him into their database.

"Here. Look at it yourself." Jugo took away a sheet of paper, handing it to Sasuke, who took it leisurely, not wanting to arouse suspicion. He eyed the content once, smirking and nodding approvingly.

"Good." Police has not even mentioned his name while recording the incident.

"By the way, has Sakura left any message?" Oh, he couldn't wait to get home and ravage her. No joke, but Sasuke found himself unable to stay away from her and it was such an unusual concept for him, but his heart was not betraying him, though he often chose to ignore it.

Sakura was doing something to his insides and it was a thing he liked and approved. He was letting her in, he knew. And not shockingly, he didn't mind either. His maid was…different. Unique.

"She did. She told me she didn't call you on the mobile phone because she didn't want to be a bother. I told her you are going to give her a call as soon as the meeting is over." Jugo didn't question further, and it was out of respect and devotion. He could clearly see the attachment his boss had towards the pink haired girl.

Sasuke smirked once, taking much pride at the fact that he made her think about him non stop. Wasn't he doing just the same? "Smart girl."

Sakura…she has been into his mind ever since he woke up in the morning, with a delicate hand embracing him possessively and a soft body pressed on his own. It was the best morning of his life and it was almost like the mystical creature with pink hair was able to take away the tiredness.

He had million thoughts that floated through his mind regarding their relationship, but the most powerful of all remained her soft lips attached to his neck and her ethereal feminine image when he deflowered her.

Never in his life has Sasuke so ardently longed to go back home, because he knew there was someone very special there probably waiting for him, and that sole thing gave him enough strength to endure the unpleasant tensed atmosphere around.

He only had to survive that day and his father's constant glares and disapproving…

* * *

}{

* * *

"Jugo, I would like you to bring me the files with the bank account I have opened in Switzerland, as well as the report of today's meeting. I need to sign those damn files and give my consent regarding the lowering value of our shares."

Sasuke tiredly entered his office, with his secretary following him suit, a strong dark coffee in his hand, tablet in the other.

"I am waiting for their response, because I have asked for the account statement. It is going to be delivered to us in one hour, at most."

"Good. You can leave. I am gong to handle everything here." The raven haired Uchiha threw his body on the chair, opening a large file at random, massaging his temple. He so didn't want to be there and work. "And for fuck`s sake, don't let my father come in. Tell him I am busy."

Jugo chose not to question, only nodding once in understanding, heading towards the door. "Of course Sir. I will let you know if something else happens."

"Hn…" He was already engulfed into his work, losing the track of time, occasionally drinking his coffee. He loathed the taste with burning passion, but it gave him energy.

Only, the Heavens didn't caught the meaning of his words, meaning not wanting to be disturbed, because not ten minutes after his secretary politely took his leave, a totally unexpected guest decided to interrupt his moment of peace.

When he sensed the door opening slowly, like it those thriller movies when the assassin wants to prolong the main character's agony, Sasuke`s onyx eyes snapped in front of him, feeling his head explode at the sight of a sultry golden haired woman boldly barging inside, like she owned the place.

His reaction was immediate and innate. He slowly rose from his seat, glaring daggers at one smirking at him Ino Yamanaka, who finally got the chance to meet the famous heir in person. Her eyes were all on him.

"Who the hell are you?" The harshness in his voice betrayed all his anger and tiredness in a not so polite manner. Usually he was not rude with ladies-Mikoto taught him better than that-but 'usually' was the key word.

Plus, the attractive blonde entered _his _office uninvited, something akin to what Fugaku used to do just to annoy him, and it was unacceptable.

"Just someone that couldn't wait to finally meet you." He voice was honey coated and she was swinging her hips seductively, like stepping on the cat walk, approaching him slowly, but surely.

Sasuke measured her from head to toes, as in to confirm his suspicion that she was another fan girl, adopting a very uninterested look on his face. It was not that much of a problem, because in fact, she didn't manage to catch his eye.

She was one thousand Sakura years late for that. "Just _someone_ has no right to even ride the elevator up to this room. State your fact and make it brief. And I hope it is a good one."

Ino felt her insides squirm in pleasure at his snapping commanding dark voice. He was just like everyone described him: alluring, bossy, mysterious, fascinating and impossibly handsome.

That was quite the catch. She licked her lower lip, eying him sultry, smirking. "You don't know me, do you? I must say I feel disappointed. Though, your reticence deeply intrigues me." She told him faking that she was hurt.

"You are _that_ Yamanaka' s daughter." Sasuke throw the insult back at her without any remorse or consideration. He knew about their unexpected growth, but it was nothing to impress him.

He knew why she was there, of course. A possible relationship with their rival's CEO would have been beneficent. Too bad he gave no damn. "That is absolutely correct. But I am not here to discuss...business." She said scoffing her small nose, getting close to him.

Sasuke didn't move his body to put distance between them, just because that was his space and she was not going to determine his actions. She was the one that needed to vanish _pronto._ "Then you have just wasted a plausible excuse to try and flirt with me, so if there is nothing else interesting you would like to say, you know where the door is."

Ino closed the remaining distance between them, boldly lifting her hand to trace a perfect manicured finger down his chest, feeling him stir. She could clearly make out the ripped muscles hiding underneath and it gave her chills.

"Who said I am here to flirt? You are quick to jump into conclusions." Baby blue eyes were looking straight into his onyx ones.

A hand trapping her wrist firmly prevented her to further explore something that did not belong to her. "I am not a very patient man." He growled at her. Her empty look was nowhere Sakura's loving full of warmth gaze. That on that made him...like her?

Ino wouldn't back down, although she knew about the plan. She was deeply offended by such an obvious rejection. Where was the major player everyone knew? Because that Uchiha Sasuke in front of her was another person. "And I am an impatient woman. Don't we make a good team?" She was using all her charms.

"I don't team up with _women_ like you."

"This is not what your reputation says about you."

Sasuke grew annoyed by that model. She had a lot of time to waste, but he did not. All the files, the monthly reports, documents that had to be send as fast as possible, checking on the Swiss bank account, were all time consuming. "Than you should know that in my eyes, you would at most be a one night stand."

"Is this the case, huh? Then what if I can become more than just a one time fun?"

"I would tell you to stop smoking low quality weed and fuck off my office, until I personally make sure you got the main idea. You have already wasted more of my time that I was willing to give."

Ino cockily tilted her head, eying him confidently. She couldn't wait to have him at her mercy. "So you want to play hard to get? Very well, I won't back down from a fight. Tell me...do I have _competition?"_

_"_Hn...you are not worth enough to be anyone's rival. You will never be, so I suggest you go find yourself an idiot willing enough to overlook your shallowness. I am the wrong man to try and fool."

"Au contraire Sasuke, soon enough, you are going to be under my magic spell. Then whoever _she _might be will have to admit the fact that I never lose."

That made his gaze cloud dangerously, shoving her filthy hand away from her. Sasuke turned his back on her, heading towards his phone. "Get out."

"For the moment...but I always get what I want. Au revoir! Have _fun_ at the Grand Ball." She said cryptically and knowingly, seeing his shoulders stiffen for a moment as in sensing the subtle threat, but did noting else.

She left his office feeling victorious all of sudden. If the sexy Uchiha would have kissed her ground like all the others, the game would have been boring. And she absolutely loved his untamed burning attitude. That man was probably a God in bed, she could tell. Into couldn't wait to find out.

'Soon Sasuke...'

}{

Mikoto couldn't wait to meet her son, although she has visited him four days ago and that was precisely why she followed her brooding husband to the Mangekyou, waiting patiently for the meeting to end , so she could visit Sasuke`s office.

When the familiar 'click' of the elevator coming to a halt announced the beautiful mother that she has arrived to the desired floor, she almost didn't wait for the doors to fully open and that almost cause a collision between her and another younger lady, who wanted to go down.

She put a palm on her racing scarred heart, smiling politely at the blonde. "I am sorry."

Ino waited for the elder woman to exit the elevator, bowing once, returning the smile, recognizing the iconic brunette. Uchiha Mikoto has made a name among the most reputed philanthropic organizations and press conferences. "Please, Madam."

"Thank you dear." Not realizing from where did she come from, Mikoto stepped out and crossed the long silent hall, towards the black leather office door.

Ino pressed the button to the underground parking lot, resting her hands on her hips, watching into the large mirror behind her, admiring the way her Elie Saab silk short blue dress was exposing her long legs. "Better win the mother's heart first. My future mother-in-law." She liked the idea of marrying into the Uchiha family.

.

.

.

* * *

A small knock on the door caught Sasuke`s attention, onyx eyes darting on the other side of the room. It better not be another loser of a shareholder that couldn't understand the plan, or a major slut, or he would truly take his car keys and make a run for it. Like Itachi.

To his relief, a motherly figure with a brilliant beaming enchanting smile made her presence known, belonging to his mother. "Sasuke-kun, are you busy honey?" Sasuke smirked at her, following her soft steps and the way her equally ebony luscious hair was fluttering behind her slim waist, like the soft feathers of a delicate black swan.

"Oka-san." He rose from his seat, approaching the lady that gave him life, letting her hug him dearly, just like she did when he was a kid, ruffling his raven locks. He kissed her forehead, relaxing under her fondlings.

That was the reason why she loved her the most, because Mikoto never once put anything or anyone above her children. "Have you come for the Ball? Where are you staying?"

"The same hotel the party is going to take place. Your father's idea." Of course, Fugaku was smart enough to not invite himself in his son's home and risk to be murdered in his sleep. Much to Mikoto's dismay, the two relatives were avoiding contact as much as possible.

"I see. Should I bring you something to drink?"

Both headed to the sofa, taking a sit, with the Uchiha matriarch placing her youngest son's hands into her lap, shaking her head. "No, it is fine. Your father is waiting. I just couldn't wait to see my son's cute face. How was the trip? Did you have fun?"

She had no idea. "It was ok, I guess. Nothing I haven' t seen before." He spoke vaguely, not wanting to upset his mother. He only wanted to stay in her presence as much as possible. Couldn't she just leave Fugaku's ass on the expensive room and come stay with him?

"If you say so...tell me, are you nervous for tomorrow? I talked to Kushina today. Naruto is already looking for a proper attire to match his personality. This is what he said." Mikoto giggled softly at the way Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Dobe is going to embarrass us all...like usual." No problem, Sasuke would act like he didn't know him. He was good at that.

"I think he is sweet. But Sasuke-kun, aren't you going to at least wear a _mask_? It is a masquerade after all." Inwardly, Sasuke smirked wickedly. He was wearing a mask all right. The problem was, no one knew...beside _him._

"You know I find it childish."

"You are just like your father." The elegant lady said heartedly. Sasuke shuddered at the thought. God forbids. "Both of you should relax more often."

"I guess we are both extremely _busy _people." Sasuke with the company and Fugaku with making his life Hell. That counted as a job too.

"Then...what about _her_?" Mikoto winked at her son, who quickly caught his message. He has been thinking about her all day and he found himself at loss of what to do. Should he make it official, or keep their affair out of the public's eye? What if he would endanger her life, or throw her in front of the media's unforgiving eye?

"She...is someone...different."

The insightful woman, with her equally pearl black eyes observed that Sasuke didn't use the word 'something', meaning unimportant. "Someone you like?" She insisted.

Sasuke looked deeply into her eyes, not saying anything. It was no need ,because his mother was able to figure it out. She knew him like the back of her hand. "..."

"You don't want her to get hurt." It was a statement, not a question. "This is why you hesitate."

"Aa." The young Uchiha answered, removing his gaze from her mother's face, brushing her hand through his messy hair. "She has been with me as well. To the trip."

It didn't surprise Mikoto and she understood what did he mean by 'being with him'. They have been _intimate_. "She is a very cute girl. Beautiful as well. I see the way she looks at you or speaks about you."

"What do you mean, mom?"

"You know, the way she cannot stop smiling whenever you are around."

He smirked, nodding once. It has always been so easy to talk to Mikoto. She was discreet and she was not making him embarrassed. All her discussions were mature and discreet. An eloquent madam. "Add blushing too."

"Then...should I give her another reason to blush?" The Uchiha mother unclasped her purse, pulling out a golden small envelope, with green borders, handing it to his son. "It is good to be cautious Sasuke, but be careful not to miss the magic of the moment."

Sasuke`s eyes widened slightly, taking the fancy looking object, darting his stare from it to his mother. It was not like it didn't cross his mind as well, but he found himself hesitate. "Do you actually think this is a good idea?"

"I like her." The Uchiha matriarch stated genuinely, flipping her hair over her shoulder, standing up. She knew how impatient her husband was. Better not make him wait, either ways she would have to act out of character and scold him. "If you do not feel the same, then make your own choice."

"Are you leaving already?"

"Your father is waiting. He wants us to meet us for dinner tonight. I wanted to let you know. The usual place at 7." Mikoto was talking about the restaurant Sasuke brought Sakura to, when she has been discharged from hospital. And before he had the chance to refuse, she added. "Please be there. For me. And for him as well."

He nodded once, lingering his look on her face a bit more. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything honey." She smiled in a cheerful motherly way when Sasuke pointed at the object she has given him, caressing his cheek. "Are you sure?"

"I am not good with this..._things_."

"Very well then. I will bring them to your home tomorrow."

Sasuke leaned in to kiss his mother goodbye, leading her towards the elevator. Before the doors opened, she turned around and asked him. "There was a pretty blonde lady I met when I came here and she didn't look like an employer." Mikoto smartly added. "Who was she?"

Sasuke brushed away all her worries, shrugging casually. "Just _something._"

"I see. See you later son. And don't forget." She pressed the last button, heading to the parking lot. "…in life, it is easy to make mistakes, but sometimes you should give fate a push in the right direction." Those were her parting words, before the doors closed.

Sasuke remained in front of the elevator, until he saw the number of the floors displayed on the small screen. "Arigatou, oka-san."

* * *

}{

* * *

"Mr. Uchiha!" Jugo emerged from one of the room, where his own office was situated, with a file on his hand, approaching Sasuke. "I have the documents you requested."

The ebony haired Uchiha put his blank face, slipping his hands down his pockets, signalizing to his secretary to follow him into his office. "Good. I take it that everything is in the right place."

"Yes Sir. Check it out yourself." Sasuke quickly scanned the contents of the papers, nodding once approvingly. "Is there any flaw?"

"Is this the latest account statement from Switzerland?"

"Yes."

"Then no, I see nothing wrong. The money is all there. 34 million from all the donations and our contribution. Why is it in euro though? I clearly remember I have chosen dollars." As far as Sasuke knew, their economy should have still been stable because of their neutrality and independence in the main economic areas.

"The exchange currency is in favor of euro. The dollar had a sudden drop in its value. We would have lost the interest."

"I understand. No problem then, it is the same thing. Did they suggest this?"

"Yes Sir. They have sent all the documents. The exchange and the transfer have been made via internet banking. Everything is ready for tomorrow when the Organizing Committee is going to announce the sum."

"Internet...damn I so don't like this shit. It can easily be hacked." Sasuke said as a matter of fact. Not that he didn't do all the transactions and payments online as well.

Technology saved him time and he saved money, but it was not safer than the traditional ways. "Don't worry, Mr. Uchiha, they assured us of the confidentiality. The money is assured in case something happens." Jugo took back the files from Sasuke, after he signed all the pages, giving his approval.

"Hn. This is what all say." Why did they make him take responsibility and open a bank account on his name anyways? Oh yeah, because the other were cretins. His sole concern was how didn't he force the Hyuga to deal with that?

"I am sure everything is going to be perfect. By the way, if I may ask..." Jugo waited for his boss' consent to keep going, even though he sensed it was a more personal question. "...have you chosen a proper costume to wear?"

Sasuke was shooting lasers from his eyes. He did find one. It had trashy clothes, a white mask and a chainsaw.

What was wrong with everyone asking him if he would willingly think about the best way to make a fool if himself. Ladies wearing elegant masks was all right and had an original beat, but men...

* * *

}{

* * *

"Hello Miss, how can I be of your help?" The polite receptionist clad in the police uniform asked the first moment she raised her eyes towards the sparkling emerald ones.

"I am here for the Interpol's report, regarding the mission from yesterday." Sakura stated simply, seeing the middle aged woman stare at her in disbelief.

"You know we are not allowed to disclose such secret information to strangers or _civilians_." The security guards and some random police officers that were keeping an eye to the detained criminals that were arrested eying her in a funny way. They probably thought she was insane or high.

Sakura impolitely rolled her eyes at that, remembering the way she was dressed-beggar style-taking out her CIA card, throwing it on the counter. "Sakura Haruno from the Sound. I hardly qualify as a stranger."

She looked amused at the dropped jaw if the receptionist. The woman took the membership with trembling hands, making sure it was not a fake. "Now be a good girl and tell me where the autopsy room is. I don't have time to waste."

"S-sure...let me confirm your identity into the database...hold on a moment please..."The lady with a long ponytail and big round glasses quickly tapped on the computer, searching for Sakura. She immediately found her among the top CIA agents. The Sound was notorious, no doubt. "Haruno Sakura...you can go to room number 104."

Sakura took back her membership, turning on her heel, heading to the said door. "Thank you." A group of police officers and a receptionist were watching in awe. Athena of the Sound...was a weird lady.

The pink haired agent knocked twice on the indicated room, waiting for a feedback. "Come in!" Came the masculine voice of the legist she knew. They have met before. "It is opened."

She turned the knob, slipping past the door, feeling the pungent smell of formaldehyde hitting her nostrils. "Good afternoon. I am sorry to interrupt." She approached the table the legist was currently working on, immediately recognizing the body of the fake guide.

The others were each occupying a different bed, spread around the room. That was quite an enjoyable job, Sakura realized. No wonder it was insanely well paid. "I am here for the results. Found anything useful?"

The doctor was intently taking down notes, based on his observations nodding one. "Please look at that file, Miss Haruno." He pointed to a thick pile of papers on his office desk. "You may want to take a look at that."

The Sound agent approached the desk, brushing a corpse's leg unintentionally, pushing the bed aside, feeling cold shivers run down her hands. "Fucking..." She hated the morgue for that particular reason. They all looked more like sleeping. Karin and her stupid passion for horror movies... "Is it related to other cases as well?"

"Actually, it is. I managed to find something really interesting about this and the previous case. A connection." Sakura's emerald eyes scanned the data on the file, feeling a lump rise on her throat, kicking the air out of her trachea. "I am sure you have all the details fresh into your memory."

"B-but this is..." The stunned agent quickly took another sheet, reading further. The expertise report was not lying. All the data were accurate. "...are you absolutely sure about this?"

The legist wiped his hands, coming to stay beside Sakura, taking a red pen and a picture she was gripping, explaining his finding to her. She felt her vision cloud. "I couldn't believe it myself, but I have checked it twice and reached the same conclusion. See the shape and the depth of the cuts? It is the same pattern and I even managed to measure the G force of the hit. It matches."

"You mean...it is the _same_? To all the dead ones?"

"Precisely Miss Sakura. I have no doubt the ten suspects all work for the same organization. The tattoos on their wrists confirms it. They all belong to Lorane. I have a team to investigate the resort, the cabins and the surrounding area and look for any trace."

Her voice came out as a silent whisper, not having the necessary energy to hide her distress. The legist thought it was because of the morbid atmosphere. After all no one could have felt comfortable among dead bodies. "Do you have any suspect?"

"Except for the fact that it is all the same mysterious assassin's doing, none so far. But then again, I was asked to not dwell on the fact that much, which I find it suspicious, but my job is not to question the orders of my superiors." He casually stated, returning to his work. Sakura placed a hand on the desk, chocking on air. That was an incriminating proof, but it has been dealt with. "I just found it appropriate to let you know. Someone is being the silent hero."

"Thank you...for telling me, that is."

"Orochimaru is a close acquaintance of mine. I wouldn't turn him or his agents down." He turned his eyes over the shoulder to watch the anxious maid. "Are you all right Miss? Would you like a glass of water?"

"N-no, thank you. It is fine. I guess...is just stress taking the best of me." That would be a major understatement. She needed to go home fast and do a little research. And she knew exactly from _where_ to start looking for. "Is there Hozuki Suigetsu in his office?"

"Along with the other friends of yours, agents. He told me you would eventually come as well. Though you hold your ground better than the blonde kid." The legist pointed to a bucket resting under the sink. "I like to be cautious. In my job, having an eye for details is mandatory."

"I see. Thank you for your time. I am not going to keep you from work anymore. Can I have a copy of this files?"

"You can take those. I have everything saved in my computer."

Sakura shoved the thick file down her bag, nodding once to the doctor, paying him goodbye. "Then I am taking my leave. Have a great day."

"Good luck, Miss."

She exited the cold room, heading to Suigetsu's office, placing a palm down her sweating forehead, briefly shutting her eyes. She almost hit an officer in the process, making him spill the contents of his coffee. "Hey, be careful!"

"I'm sorry. I got distracted."

She shook her head in disbelief. Although her Papa kept his promise, the evidence was undeniable: Sasuke was the one that _killed_ the four Lorane assassins that robbed him. And he completely lied to her. The reason why police found nothing at the harbor, was because he _personally _for his stolen goods back.

And he rode the very same motorcycle he had, when they had their little escapade. The trace on the ground showed a perfect match of the wheels. And the cut around their necks was the same.

She let herself into Suigetsu's office, finding the whole Akatsuki assembled there.

"Hello, guys. Mind if I join the gathering?" Sakura tried to act as unaffected as she could. Deep inside, she was mortified and shaky.

Suigetsu smirked at her, from his chair. He had his legs spread across the large desk. "There is always room for a hot lady in here."

"Pervert."

She was tempted to disclose the fact to the other agents, but decided not to freak them out. She would first dig into the story and have more insight on _what _exactly was Sasuke Uchiha.

Or, the question was..._who_ exactly was he?

* * *

}{

* * *

"Not here..." She threw the books she was deemed unimportant, after flipping the pages as quick as possible, feeling the hair at the back of her neck raise. It was getting difficult to breathe in that room and she was feeling her lungs getting heavier with each passing moment.

But Sakura was perseverant in her roaming through Sasuke`s office room, looking for any relevant proof of his suspicious actions. After she left Suigetsu`s office, the sole thought on her mind was to find relevant documents at home to clear the insecurities away.

"Not here either…" The pink haired maid used the large chair to reach higher, taking all the files in turn, finding nothing on the shelves. "…c`mon Sasuke, show me something worth of your reputation."

She was tempted to blow the lock of the small secret locker she knew he had on the other side of the room, but she knew that it was not something she could have used…for the moment.

Plus, it would automatically turn her into suspect number one in his eyes and he was already too informed about her private life. "Now the only place where I should look for…" Her emerald eyes were cast on the office desk. "…is here."

She quickly opened the first s drawer and was surprise to actually find quite a lot of neatly folded papers and hard covered files. She took one at random, hitting the nail on the head.

Forest green eyes went wide as saucers and a pair of petal like lips parted open in astonishment. "What the…" What she was holding was a full replica of the formulas and hieroglyphs Sasuke wrote on his wall, during the LSD incident. "…when did he make this?"

Sakura aimed for the other sheets of paper, realizing that not only Sasuke has entirely copied them-when he did that, she wouldn't know-but he actually tried to come up with a logical explanation, and damn right if it didn't look scientific and complex.

"Wow…are this…demonstrations? Don't tell me he actually knows how to read hieroglyphs…" She even found a small notebook that was full of algebra and mathematic formulas that seemed to be related to the ones he designed in his moment of delirium.

"Amazing…did he actually figure it out?" Sakura checked for the hour, seeing that it was almost 7 pm, so usually Sasuke would be home at 10 or 11 pm, so she still had time to scan everything and send a copy to Orochimaru.

The pink haired maid quickly took everything she found in the drawers and bolted to her room, turning on the laptop and the scanner. She had a lot of work to do and her eyes were stinging her.

Naruto indeed took both her and her boss` things and brought them back to Tokyo. She put his bag inside his room but resisted the urge to roam through his personal belongings…well…she already searched through his office…but that didn't count!

"Oh…why is it taking this much to load…" Sakura let her head hit the pillow, looking at the screen and the green line that was slowly filling up, showing the process of scanning. "…damn Sasuke…"

She knew nothing about him, the Sound assassin realized. Nothing at all. Uchiha was a mystery and a dangerous man that one should have approached carefully, because there was something about him that made alarms ring down her mind.

The raven haired man she grew so attached to was able to kill Lorane members without breaking a sweat and it was frightening. All the times she swore to protect him, it has been the other way around, Sakura realized.

But even so…she _wanted_ him and she wanted what he had to give so much that it hurt. Where did they stand after what happened in the mountains? They conveniently agreed to not talk about that incident anymore, but what about them?

Sakura wouldn't freak out at the fact that Sasuke was acting like an assassin himself, because her mission was to protect him without hesitation, but she grew unsure of their relationship as man and woman. How did he view her at the moment?

Should they make it public? They were both wanted people, so it was not like they would endanger one another. And her cover…it crossed Sakura`s mind often, that it has become unnecessary to conceal her physical appearance, since Lorane found out who she was. And she told Sasuke she was rich. Should she start to act like she normally did?

Would it freak him out? "Aish, this is crazy!" She messed her hair, pouting comically. She was at loss and her friend decided to go MIA on her. She took her phone and quickly sent her friend a short message, with a very suggestive emoticon. _'Call me asap. I need a good girls talk. Cherry.'_

With all the bothersome thoughts crossing her mind, Sakura went down to the kitchen, preparing something to eat, going through the security plan she got from Suigetsu. Indeed, the INTERPOL was going to help the Tokyo police force and the CIA to secure the place where the famous Charity Ball was going to take place.

Sakura was intently searching for a good spot to hide and keep an eye of Sasuke, without being seen by him, but found nothing to satisfy her. There were not so many places she could have remained confined into and it made her go crazy.

When she finished scanning all the sheets from Sasuke`s office, she put them back into their rightful place, thanking all her lucky stars that the raven haired Uchiha has not caught her into the act, still not coming home.

She knew where he was, because he sent her a message and let her know that he was having a family dinner, so she should go to bed and not wait for him. Sakura took his advice literally, heading straight to _his_ room, still feeling insecure.

Sure, he let her sleep with him last night, but maybe it was out of guiltiness or pity at her troubled looking features, so he decided to let it pass. Though…she could clearly feel the change in attitude and the closeness they had ever since she gave herself to him.

Sakura quickly undressed of the clothes she wore, taking a pink cotton large towel and slipping on the shower, into Sasuke`s bathroom, feeling like a total creep, because she inwardly decided to use his shower gel again and be a full time stalker.

She felt alone in his airy villa and it provided her some kind of comfort if she caught the scent of him. The moment she started to clean her body, playing with the bubbles, gluing her nose of her shoulder, sharply inhaling his scent on her skin, Sakura felt ten times lighter and his gorgeous looking face popped into her mind.

The steam got hotter and more delectable and so did her thoughts, because the pink haired lady found herself having urges she never felt before and she didn't know how to react.

It was crazy and disgusting in her opinion, but the more she was reminded of Sasuke and what he did to her, the more her hormones started to react in a funny way and her body temperature started to rise involuntarily.

She felt her thighs suddenly weigh more, dragging her down and there was the familiar boiling pool and throbbing area manifesting down her navel and much to her horror, Sakura knew she was aroused.

And what she did next was only out of reflex and unbearable need, because her movements got slower and more precise, focusing on the spots of her body she never much played attention before, like the back of her knee, the junction between her shoulder and neck or her armpits. "Mmm…"

As she started to explore her body, Sakura shut her emerald eyes to double her senses, placing the bottle of shower gel down to have both her hands available and started to act more out of character, doing things Karin was bragging about being able to bring her pleasure.

Of course, listening to Karin was like watching adult movies, but even so, Sakura found her hand slip in between her legs, tentatively touching her inner folds and look for her clit, rubbing it. She quickly felt tiny electric jolt down her spine and she exhaled softly.

It was nothing like she felt when Sasuke did that to her, but it has encouraged her to touch herself more and test to find out what she most liked. The other hand went straight on her bare breast, massaging the base slowly, then giving it a little squeeze.

It felt _good_, so she applied even more pressure until she was at the border between pain and pleasure. Sakura then rubbed her nipple, feeling it harden instantly, pulling at it to see how it felt. "Ah…" Another thought suddenly hit her and it was outrageous, but she couldn't help herself.

The emerald eyed girl wondered how would it feel to try and lick her nipple and see if she got the same effect as when a certain Uchiha did that to her.

She could easily do that because she was endowed enough to press on her rounded mound until she brought the rosy bud as close to her head as possible, bowing her chin to its level and touched the tip with her tongue, flicking it over for a few times.

When her skin covered in small shivers, she engulfed it with her lips, sucking on herself, while her fingers were rubbing at her inner lips, tracing her labia and clit, then twirling inside her core, slowly slipping a finger inside.

It was the strangest of the sensations to feel her inner walls, their soft texture and the tightness of her passage but not in an unpleasant way.

She then realized why it hurt her so much when Sasuke entered her. She was really tight, just like he said. So the dirty talk was not just empty talk. "Oh…" She pumped once to test the friction and it was perfect, so she started to finger herself at a slow peace, testing the waters.

It was the first time she did that to her body, so somehow she was afraid not to hurt herself or make a mistake. Ironically, she had complete faith in Sasuke, but she was afraid to do that herself.

Sakura inserted another finger, while she continued to lick her nipple and breast, fastening the peace of her fingers. It was very pleasurable, but she soon realized that doing it by herself, was not enough. There were small tingles and pricks down her skin and her muscles constricted slightly like in anticipation, but that was all.

The only thing she felt clearly, was the painful constriction of her core and it started to bother her. She wanted release but she herself couldn't get there. "Damn…I can't stop…" Soon she grew worried. She tried to push a third finger inside, but she was not slick enough and it hurt, so she only resumed using two fingers at a normal peace.

But she learned to press her thumb over her clit to double the stimulation. She was panting, both in frustration and relaxation, while the hot steam was pouring down her back. Sakura was totally oblivious of the outside world, trapped into her own steamy fantasy.

* * *

}{

* * *

Sasuke entered his home deeply exasperated. The family dinner was, in his most honest opinion, catastrophic. Seriously, she even entertained the idea to take his food plate and empty the contents on Fugaku`s head. It has been that bad.

Not even bothering to turn on the lights, he aimlessly threw his briefcase on the sofa, as well as his suit jacket, untying his tie and rolling up his sleeves, making his way upstairs.

He didn't need food because he has just eaten, but maybe he wouldn't mind an aspirin for his headache. Since his father would not stop criticizing his way of dealing with that day's meeting, Sasuke did what anyone else in his place would, meaning drinking a little too much for a family gathering.

And he even drove like that, miraculously without getting involved into a car crush. Good thing the streets were almost empty at that hour. He was not drunk, only tipsy, but his senses grew alert when he saw that the door of his bedroom was wide open and strange sounds were emerging from his bathroom.

Of course Sasuke knew that Sakura was probably going to sleep into his room-he was not going to let her sleep somewhere else-and the light on the bathroom and the sound of the shower assured him that she was being there, washing her body.

And no, it was not the fact that he was a major pervert, but it was because realization that she was actually moaning and panting inside, the thing that urged Sasuke to go inside and see what she was doing.

The raven haired Uchiha silently pushed the door open and what he saw made his mind go blank and his member stiffen instantly. He froze for a moment with his hand glued to the knob and his onyx eyes two times bigger.

There, in front of his stunned gaze, was Sakura, his supposed to be maid, stark naked, taking a bath in his own damn shower, using his shampoo, fingering herself, moaning heavily.

It was pure reflex that his legs took the lead, taking him closer to the said pink haired beauty, as silent as a feline, sneaking behind her back. Sasuke had a million dirty thoughts crossing his mind in that moment and he quickly did a mental choice of the method he was going to use to punish her for playing with his tired conscience.

Although…a model like looking gorgeous lady, displaying such an erotic, but not debauched attitude was not entirely a bad thing, on the contrary, it was just the thing the raven haired Uchiha needed to cease away to horrid events of that day.

But he let his stare linger for one more second and enlighten his lustful lighted onyx eyes with the way she was cupping her soft rounded breast, pinching her nipple and how she so tentatively pushed her fingers inside the core he has previously rammed into.

Sasuke smirked at that. She was a beginner, but it was the most arousing thing he saw, particularly because she ironically enough, looked more than innocent while doing that.

He came impossibly close to her, until his chest hit her back, feeling the water getting him soaked, bringing his hands in front of her chest, palming and squeezing her breast, scaring her shitless.

"Whoa…." Sakura almost jumped in surprise, attempting to turn around and punch the living daylights out of whoever had the guts to touch her, totally snapping out her little dirty moment, but Sasuke prevented her to move, pressing her torso heavily onto him, gluing his lips to her ear.

When she realized who it was, she visibly relaxed into his touch, though he could clearly feel the erratic heartbeat pulsate through his palms. "Why Sakura, I had no idea you were into this kind of things. Though I wouldn't say I don't find it….._hot_." His husky voice was sensual and amused, feeling her stiffen, turning her head over her shoulder to face him.

A pair of totally embarrassed forest green eyes clashed with the black sapphire ones that were eyeing her cockily. She has been caught doing to most shameful thing ever, and her cheeks were already flaming. "I-I was just…w-why…are you here anyways? Are you stalking me? You pervert!"

Although, when his skilful hands replaced her unpolished one, slowly massaging her breasts, rolling her nipples between his index and thumb, she started to reach the turned on state she was desperately looking for. "Pervert?" He faked a hurt look.

"Should I remind you that you are the one that plays with herself into _my _bathroom…" He took a long lick on her neck, smelling his shampoo on her. It drove him insane. "…using _my_ cosmetics…" One hand reluctantly left the full mound he was pleasuring, slipping past her stomach, in between her legs. "…and you dare to call _me _a pervert?"

"Ahaaa….p-pervert…" Sakura bit her lower lip when Sasuke started to rub her hard, trying to assess how far has she been able to go without him, taking much pleasure when he realized her body was reacting to no one else beside him, not even to her. She was barely wet.

"Hn…hardly. Usually women come to me, Sakura. Though not this time." He shoved two long fingers inside her, pumping her hard, deciding not to go easy on her. The reaction was immediate. Sakura threw her head backwards on his shoulder, moaning loudly.

"Ah…S-Sasuke…" The pink haired lady brought her hand around his neck, pulling him down, mashing their lips together in a needing kiss, while their tongues wasted no time to taste one another, in a long wet battle. "Mmmm…."

When the need for oxygen became unbearable, Sakura detached her lips from Sasuke`s, while he retracted his fingers from her, facing him, brushing his damp hair away from his face, studying him.

He looked dead tired. Equally handsome, but wasted. And he smelled like a strong beverage as well, though she couldn't consider him entirely drunk. She understood why he did it. It was his father…

"Are you ok?"

He smirked lazily at her, placing another full kiss on her mouth, while he pushed her back more under the shower. "I am now."

The Sound agent would not blame him for all the stress, with all the constant pressure from the media, his company related work and murder attempts going on around. It was a mystery how was he still able to never chase the smirk off his face whenever he had her on his sight. Or maybe she was that much of a scar tissue or a painkiller.

"And I am going to make it even _better_." In one swift motion, Sasuke removed his belt, never once breaking eye contact, while Sakura was slipping her hands past his damp shirt, unbuttoning it, trying her best to get rid of the sole barrier between her touch and his toned body.

"Is that so?" She tried her best to be seductive, while her emerald eyes were taking in the way he used his belt to tie her hands on the shower`s wall bar, keeping them trapped above her head. She didn't know what he intended to do to her, but her body was trembling in anticipation.

Her full rounded breasts looked richer and firmer exposed under his hungry darkened gaze, and he could not deny himself the pleasure of cupping her hip bones, while his tongue left wet trails of saliva down her neck and collar bone, coming down to her chest, but refraining from directly taste the soft rosy tissue of her mounds.

Sakura took a sharp breath and let out a half strangled moan at the way hot drops of water coming from the rapid shower stream, were hitting her nipples, hardening the growing erect buds, pointing expectantly towards the curled up in a small approving smirk on Sasuke`s lips.

She pressed her thighs together, rubbing them, well aware of the tingles and pinches those stimulating acts had on her hormones.

Everything around was ten times hotter than normal: the shower wad too hot, Sasuke was impossibly should be forbidden hot and her hot body was on fire. Was this how Hell was supposed to feel like? Melting lava suddenly felt like a second nature under his touch.

"Mmm...S-Sasuke..."

"Electrifying, isn't it? I never tried this with anyone before."

"W-why...not?"

"Because I had no intention to pleasure anyone else before..._you."_

_"Ah!"_

"The way I do to you." Sakura threw her head back, whimpering in pleasure when Sasuke more than teasingly, used the tip of his tongue to flicker and graze her pleading to be suckled nipple, not coming in contact with every other part of her skin. How wad it possible for him to be that precise?

"Please..."

Sakura arched her back to push his face more into her chest and make him engulf her fully, but Sasuke has more than anticipated her body language, because his firm hold on her hip was preventing her from ruining his fun.

And that only caused her throbbing lower abdomen to rub on his tightening bulge into his pants, making him growl at the feeling. She was desperately asking for it, Sasuke was aware.

And he had no plan in denying it. That feel of her perfect body melting under him and the warmth she was surrounding him with, when he thrust his member inside her was a guilty pleasure Sasuke was never going to give up to.

"Need something Sakura?"

"Argh...I-I...only...ask to..."

"Tell me and I am going to see if I can _give it to you._"

"...!" Sasuke clamped her nipple with his lips, gently rubbing the sweet rosy bundle in between his teeth, inside his mouth, while his tongue was massaging it to cease away any pain she could have felt.

His left hand snuck around her waist to unglue her back from the cold tile and bring her closer, while the other went lower, to squeeze her buttock.

"AAAh! D-on't stop! More!" Sakura hooked one leg around Sasuke`s waist, while her exposed inner lips and core were rubbing at the front of his pants. She absolutely adored how their bodies immediately responded to one another, each time with a more explosive sensation than the previous one.

She had electric jolts in all her body, that time, crossing the shy border of her spine and lower abdomen. And it was maddening. She loved the way he was spontaneously touching her, expertly working on her most needing hot spots.

He actually knew how details would make a difference, only causing more milk juices to stream down on her thigh and his pants. His large hand was skillfully massaging her ass, while his long fingers were brushing her lower lips from the behind, occasionally slipping past the small crevice to tantalize her dripping entrance.

She couldn't take it anymore. There as only one thought in Sakura's mind and it came as an obvious answer to her clenching burning muscles. She wanted him and wanted him bad.

"Sasuke...do _it _with me."

"This was the plan from the beginning. But I plan to do more than taking you." Sasuke pressed his canines down her areola, biting her nipple down, making her moan in both sudden pain and unexpected pleasure accumulate down the boiling pool into the pits of her secluded regions.

He took a long bold lick on her breast, up to her long slim neck, whispering hotly and darkly into her ear. "I am going to make you _scream _my name, until your are going to implore me to stop."

If there was something more erotic in the Galaxy than his sensual baritone voice saying such scandalous threats, Sakura would have liked to learn about, because she went slicker in essences than the Milky Way. "Make me...scream, but I will not tell you to stop."

"I will hold you onto that."

Sakura boldly helped him discard of all the clothes the moment Sasuke freed her hands, while he bent her over the bathtub, with her stomach pressing on the cold marble edge, while she was gripping the other side tightly.

He lifted one leg over the bathtub, keeping a firm hold on the back of her knee not to let her fall, exposing all her private parts to him to explore, displaying a lustful view of her ass and damp vagina. It was more arousing for Sakura because she couldn't see and predict what he was going to do. That made her both thrilled and scared.

"Sasuke..." He was tracing his index on her thigh, groin and circling her small ass opening and it was a way of touching her that he hasn't used before.

"Shhh...don't be afraid. I will never do something that is going to not be pleasant."

Her lips parted in relief when she felt a tongue pressed on her core, lapping the juices sticking to her folds greedily. Nonetheless, she started to tremble when the onyx eyed Uchiha started to suck on her clit and roll his tongue upon her lower lips, eating her out.

He used his available hand to part her rose lace folds more, blowing coolly upon her entrance, making her push her hip backwards, towards any source of relief.

Sasuke was teasing her and her inner walls were clenching rhythmically, almost painfully. Plus, Sakura had mixed feelings at the way he was lifting her bent leg as high as her flexibility allowed, openly exposing her intimate womanhood so freely, that were making her both aroused and insecure.

Did he like what he was seeing? Was she coming close to his expectations, or she was just another average girl, with a fuckable hole for him to find release? Albeit Sasuke has never gave her reason to feel his inferior, she couldn't help it. She was after all a shy girl without men experience and that was how her tensed body reacted.

Almost like he has sensed her distress, Sasuke pressed his torso briefly towards her back, placing butterfly kisses down her shoulders and neck, while his growing erect member was rubbing in between her buttocks. "You are beautiful, Sakura. You have never been any less than perfect. Everything about you is _delicious._"

The way his chest vibrated through her ribs and spine was even more delectable in Sakura's opinion. "Sasuke..."

"I want you, because it is _you_. I want what is yours, but only what you can give." Sasuke was absolutely sure that his little maid didn't need any fore play, because the way she was soaking wet and with all the rinse from the shower, she would take him all in no problem.

Oh, he couldn't wait to melt inside her and that was the reason why he wasted no time in aligning himself to her entrance, slowly but firmly pushing his milking tip in between her folds, sensing her spine straighten and shoulders going stiff.

He knew she was particularly tight, even if they had been having sex before, he didn't plunge inside her like he intended to. He had enough time to take her to infinity after she accommodated to his length. He was nowhere near average, that was for certain.

"Ah...it..."

"I will be gentle, I promise. You say how much. I will comply." He refrained from using obey.

Sakura nodded once, lowering her body into him so as his member was surely making its way to the hilt, stretching her muscles apart. She bit the inside of her cheek, clenching her hold into the sink, emerald eyes compact.

She knew from their past experiences that her raven haired boss was well gifted and she had to relax and breath deeply and not show him any resistance, because that would make the pain increase.

It was always uncomfortable at first, but Sakura couldn't wait for him to ram into her like he did before, when she grew comfortable and it was for that short moment when her mind exploded in colors she would endure all the stinging sensation. The orgasms he gave her were like exploding comets.

"Deeper...g-go deeper..." She knew she almost took him in all, but Sakura found her body crave for all of him, as a sort of a full connection and pride, even though she felt Sasuke`s shaft tear her innards apart.

But since she was not pure anymore, the lack of barrier made the pain subside faster. When she felt him all inside, it was that sensation of completion that bloomed inside her, accompanied by the clenching throb deep down her navel.

When Sasuke found himself all the way inside until there was not anymore space to separate their bodies, he put a hand around her stomach, pressing her ass on his abs, not moving until she gave her consent.

It didn't matter for him to stay frozen inside, because the hotness of her slick passage and the welcoming home call she was radiating through every pore was enough to make him content. Happiness. It was the exact thing he needed and he found it in her. Always.

He buried his nose into her damp short hair, inhaling his shampoo on her and it drove him insane. The fragrance blended into her own smell, giving it a feminine touch. "This...smells better than I would have thought."

"...go..." Sakura found it funny how such small gestures that were so alien in comparison to what kind of man Sasuke was, got them cozier with each other and she liked that. He was not only using her naivety in his favor. He was honest. But what she wanted in that moment was for him to make the knot inside her belly go away. It became unbearable.

And he complied, by slowly retracting out of her until he was almost all the way outside, then pump inside, testing the friction of their rocking bodies. It was hot, slick and tight. In a word, it was perfect.

Sasuke used his strong hold on her waist and knee to keep her in place, while he set a normal tempo, parting her inner walls more with each jerk of his hips hitting her sweet spot all the way to the top each time.

Sakura got air get stolen from her lungs when she felt the raven haired man moving inside her, her emerald eyes rolling deep inside their sockets. She was mewling and pressing her nails into the white marble edge of the bathtub anchoring her body trying her best not to fall inside.

Even though Sasuke was not entering her with all his might and abandonment, like their first time, his thrusts were hard and precise. He found the perfect angle to hit her and the position he was keeping her steady in, even tough it was kind of acrobatic, allowed him a deep penetration. "Oh...Sasuke...move..h-harder!"

An immense pleasure that the pink haired agent openly craved for started to make its presence known, announcing an explosive mix of sensations, in the form of splashing juices pumping out of where thy were so deliciously connected, making Sasuke`s eyes and mind get clouded at the sight.

Next time, he was going to do her in front of a mirror and let her see their love making and marvel like he did. "You don't have to ask. But I am dying to hear you beg for it."

Instead of going faster, Sasuke deliberately thrust slower, leaning in to trace his tongue over her spine and placing damp kisses in between her shoulder blades, teasingly, feeling her shudder.

Her taste, her body around him and her musical strangled soft moans were throwing him over the edge every time. "Sasuke...faster...I n-need this f-faster..."

"_Implore_ me to do it and I shall comply." It took all of his will power not to ride her mercilessly and primal, his own lower abdomen bursting in flames and muscles clenching painfully, but Sasuke took great pleasure in watching the usually refined and delicate pink haired maid do some dirty talk. She was very hot when she decided to actually act seductive.

Sakura placed her palm over Sasuke`s one, over her stomach, leaving small scratches on his wrist, panting heavily. It was still unusual for her to use that kind of foul language, but strangely, as lascivious as it was, it turned her on more. "Just...f-fuck me already! Damn Sasuke s-stop the teasing and...just...take me h-harder! Like t-that time!"

Sasuke knew she was referring to their first time. That was something he had imprinted into his mind for the rest of his life and four other _reincarnations_ from there on. "I love it when you curs, Sakura. It makes you dirty."

He went at top speed, almost making her fly forward if not for his grip on her, fucking her senseless, each time going deeper and rubbing her g-spot, leaving aside any inhibition.

"Aaahhh! YES! Like this!" Was that her, Sakura wondered. Because the abnormal strange sound coming out from her mouth sounded more like something Karin would say.

Oh, her friend was going to be so proud of her state. She was bent over a large bathtub, screaming in ecstasy, while the sexiest man alive kept all her secret spots unfolded in front of him, fucking her from the behind, like in an adult movie. And her moans turned into cries and screams in pleasure, much to her dismay. Goodbye her decency, welcome debauchery.

"F-faster! Sasuke!" Sakura realized that even his name had an erotic musicality into the syllables and it was something she so much enjoyed to shout.

And she was supposed to be his _maid_...that was kind of kinky, the thought of domination. Sakura so didn't mind leting him screw her until she saw stars and crushing meteors, because it was too good.

"Fuck, you are so sexy when you scream my name, Sakura." Sasuke`s own breath was uneven, he too feeling his member rock his way to release and her utterly impossible thick passage caging him and increasing the abrasion was not helping much. His forehead was all sweaty and he had troubles in keeping her secure glued to his body.

The constriction inside his abdomen was burning him like hot coals, his full of semen balls were hitting her inner folds with each passing fast thrust, weighing heavily and painfully, begging for release and he felt himself being close, but he wouldn't deny her orgasm first. "Mmm...ohhh..."

"Damn...you are so...fuck..." Sasuke slipped his hand away from under her soft one, placing it upon her widely parted lower lips, tingling her inner folds, then pulling and pinching her clit.

The way she threw her head back forcefully, almost hitting his forehead in the process, announced him that she was close. Good thing he was taller and she came ricocheting on his collar bone, screaming. "AAAAH!"

It took all her CIA flexibility and years of training to keep herself in that position, with one leg up the edge of the sink, back arched impossibly deep and glued to Sasuke`s chiseled chest. The skin on skin contact was undeniably ravishing.

Her hand went around his neck, fisting into his damp raven locks, pulling and shouting out loud in bliss to every ghost inside the house and neighbors that she felt her body go feather like and float above the clouds.

"Is this good enough for you?" Sasuke`s mouth stuck to her ear shell, biting the elastic cartilage softly, pulling at it, while taking in the way her so finely shaped sphere breasts were widely and freely bouncing up and down, while he was ramming her, cursing nature for not granting him an additional hand to pinch and squeeze them and pinch her swollen nipples.

"...yeeeesss...I am...Sasuke I w-will...the same like before..." An immense orgasm crept from her confined places, stirred by the feel of Sasuke planting himself inside her as deep as his well endowed shaft would go and the circular massaging of his fingers, hardly pressed above her clit and folds. And the fact that he was licking her shoulder was giving her cold shivers down her spine, blending with the tremors and the throbbing of her muscles.

"SASUKEEE!"

It was impossible to resist, so when Sasuke lifted her leg up in the air more, making her unglue the heel from the edge and push him impossibly deeper three more times from that position, she came like a spring river, after all the snow has melted and raised the water level, flowing down rapidly and angrily. She milked Sasuke for all his worth, taking him over the peak as well.

"Fuck Sakura..." Hew came as well after managing two additional pumps, fusing their juices, feeling his head go light and muscles flush.

He did his best to fold his both hands around her and support her smaller limp body and prevent a fall. Sasuke could clearly feel and even hear the loud drum of her thrilled heart pumping ardently inside her chest and her harsh pants.

"...S...asu-" Sakura was too exhausted to even state his rightful name. Her head lolled from his chest to his shoulder and her hand fell on her side. She heard his unsteady heart thumping rhythmically like a joyful carousel ride at the same staccato tempo of her own. She loved to see what effect she had on him. It meat the world. It held value. And feelings.

"I think that this is what they call...the perfect welcome home."

"...you...still stalked me in the bathroom...pervert."

He chuckled deeply, his manly ragged voice reverberating through her back. "Why Sakura, should I remind you that it is _my _bathroom?"

She smiled softly, creeping her emerald eyes leisurely open, looking around the fog created from the shower. A window should be open wide fast. No wonder she was not cold. "B...but this is...my privacy."

"Hn...then let us share some more of this _privacy."_

"Wha-" Sakura quickly shot her hands towards Sasuke`s broad lean shoulders descended down, swiftly turning her around, sneaking his hand behind her knees and lifting her up, carrying her bridal style towards the room, smirking sexily at her deep blushing flushed face.

"I hope you don't mind another round."

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A delicate French manicured finger was the precise contour of Sasuke' s lean pectorals, cuddling closer to the warmth provided by his bare form under the bed sheet.

Sakura let her cheek rest on his shoulder, aimlessly focusing on his sharp jaw line, fanning her uneven breaths on his neck. He had a possessive hold around her shoulders, resting on his beck, with his left hand bent under his head, facing the wall.

After he adorned her in countless caresses, stolen dark whispers, and hungry kisses, he more than rocked her world, actually succeeding into proving her that it was possible to come two times in a short period of time, while having the skill and a godly gifted manhood.

And she praised him with long red marks down his torso and back, making him god deaf with her high pitched sharp screams. He was right. He made her chant his name until her vocal chords got sore.

But the best part was the way his strong arms immediately found her trapped to him, making Sakura's legs entangle into his own. She loved the gentleness of his smooth skin and ripped muscles. Being with him was as natural as a perfumed gentle summer mountain breeze in July.

"I have grown up in an orphanage, in Vicenza." She started casually.

Sasuke`s shoulders stiffened not expecting her to bring that subject up, saying nothing. She went on. "There were nuns that took care of me and the other girls, but most of them were old and didn't have patience to deal with the little ones, like me."

Slowly, bus surely her voice got quivery and it didn't escape Sasuke`s sharp mind. He let her continue. What she was telling, as much as it would be, it was the truth. "It was difficult. I have always been too...energetic and didn't like to obey rules. They would lock me inside the basement when I misbehaved and not be given me anything to eat. There was a kind nun that took a like on me because I was helping her with the chores and she would bring me a warmer blanket or keep the rest of the food from the kitchen, when I have been punished."

Past memories she didn't want to reminisce were shooting through her mind. She twirled one of Sasuke`s raven locks around her finger, gaining courage. She couldn't stop there.

"They were strict and made us learn thick books in order to someday become nuns like them or teachers. The nuns were educated, that I won't deny. Most of what I know is thanks to them." Sakura's next statement cleared up Sasuke`s confusion over her refined manners. "I learnt French and German from them, as well as Latin. I polished my skills later on."

"I even made a friend there, the only that approached me without the intention to mock me, Isaribi. She was one year older and her parents died in a plan crush two days after she was born.

Her grandparents didn't want to raise her and abandoned her to the orphanage, the next day after the funeral. I heard the Principal talking about it, though I have never told her. She had a necklace from her mother and I wanted her to cherish the memory."

Sasuke made no attempt to stop her, nor saying a word. But she knew he was intently listening. She went on, her voice getting lower. "We have grown up like two sisters, doing everything together.

The other girls were constantly picking on us, pulling pranks and blamed it on us, so we often got scolded or punished. She used to give me her piece of bread or pasta because I was a walking skeleton, as she stated once. She was a little...plump you know?" She giggled once at that, remembering the kind expression on her friend's face.

"The nun I have been telling you about helped us with our homework. She was really good, teaching us math, science and even literature. Goethe and Nietzsche were her favorite authors. And, believe it or not, she taught us martial arts as well. She started to teach Isaribi, then my friend passed the knowledge to me. All behind the Principal's back."

Vaguely, Sakura realized that Sasuke was brooming his fingers through her hair, in a soothing manner. Like wanting to assure her that if the monsters of the past would emerge from under the bed to take her soul and throw her back into the time, he was not going to let her be swallowed.

"Life is difficult when you have to spend your days with other 300 mean girls and nuns that don't want you there. I have no memory or any information about my parents or any living relative. To the world, I am completely alone."

Sasuke quickly overlapped what the pink haired lady was telling him, with what she wrote in the CV. So she was indeed an orphan, but the situation was tremendously different.

That girl had no farm, or any possession whatsoever. It changed everything. But then again, she told him that she was not poor anymore. Something big happened before that, he concluded. "The only think I know for sure is that they named me Sakura. I have no idea what my family name is, though. I got the Haruno part to be able to enroll in high school and get an identity card."

Ok, that made Sasuke`s heart skip a beat, painfully jump on his throat, preventing him to inhale. Sakura didn't have a real family name, or origins for the matter. Of course he couldn't understand her suffering. He had Mikoto, his angelic mother, but Sakura had none.

"When I turned twelve, Isaribi got really sick. I remember she only stayed in bed, not able to move. I knew she was going to die because I never left her side, crying constantly. She was like the relative I never had. And she told me to run away from there and make a living outside. That was why, in a night, she gave me her necklace telling me she wanted to see me get free from that prison until she died. It was the last wish I granted."

"So I snuck inside the Principal's office, stole a train ticket she had to Ravenna and run, straight on the window, leaving my friend and the orphanage that was my shelter for twelve years behind not once looking back."

Sasuke secretly wished for her to never stop until she told him all the truth. What were the events that marked her and threw her in depression and agony and what made her so strong and turned her into a real lady? But he would never push her further. All she wanted to say, he was going to be content with and...repay her.

"But life outside the orphanage has been anything but simple. I managed to somehow fake my personal information and go to school. They gave me testes that I passed them and I had some advantages because I was an orphan. The nuns never once looked for me because I suspect they never cared to begin with. I rented a small room in a deprived neighborhood somewhere in the vicinity of the metro station, having all the society rejects as neighbors that you could think of. You know, sluts, drug dealers or wanted criminals."

A small river of tear pooled inside her foggy emerald eyes, rolling down her cheeks. It was not out of sadness though, it was relief. She was able to finally tell Sasuke something real about her and she was glad how that felt.

He was a source of great support and comfort. Most of all, he never judged or look down or pitiful at her. "School was only difficult because I had no money to afford books or notebooks, so I befriended the janitor and the librarian to let me stay at school and us the library. I got top scores at most of the courses and a scholarship to pay the daily supplies. But I had it rough. I had to suffer the bullying coming from the rich kids that laughed at the fact that I could not afford proper clothes in winter, or had no money to eat in the cafeteria."

If the next thing she said shocked him, Sasuke was good to hide it. "One of them was Amy Watanabe. The one that has been killed." But it took him by surprise nonetheless. The events were connected in a way. He never liked that woman and good thing he run from her.

Sakura threw her hand around Sasuke`s chest, nuzzling closer to him, thanking all the Heavens he was not disgusted with her state. She was loaded as well and had a reputed job many would only dream of, but he didn't know that, nor was he making her feel pressured to confess more.

He even told her she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. If anything, that Uchiha was not superficial. "The room I lived in was two times smaller than your bathroom and I didn't have a kitchen or a bathroom. It was cold during winters and I barely afford electricity. No one wanted to hire me, but I refused to take on...inappropriate jobs."

Sasuke knew what she meant and his respect only grew tenfold because she valued herself. She didn't become a slut or a burglar. But what she said next beat most of the horrid scenes he has been witnessing.

"I know how it sounds and I will not blame you for feeling sick, but there were times when I used to beg for food and when I didn't get any, I would eat street cats or even rats, because the starvation got unbearable."

"Sakura..." She shut her moistened eyes briefly, when a pair of lips attached softly to her forehead, his voice low and husky. "...you are amazing. This will never change."

"I didn't want to do this, but I..." She inhaled sharply one gulping on air, feeling a sob escape her lips. Damn she didn't want to cry, but it was unavoidable. "...so much pain. I didn't have a proper door and there was the constant fear of someone barging inside and kill me or rape me. It didn't happen though, probably because I was viewed more like a beggar. But no one would give me a job, not even to mop the floors, because I lacked credibility."

Sasuke felt cold drops of water tingle on his skin, from Sakura's uncontrolled tears and he wanted to stop her. That was painful to listen to, even for him, but somehow he realized that she was disclosing tnat harsh part pf her existence because she wanted to _let it go_ and _move on_.

But he brought his available hand on her cheek, brushing away the sadness from her face. She leaned into his touch immediately, when he cupped her jaw. "During my sophomore years I thought I was going to lose mind and ironically enough, I realized that I have been better at the orphanage, where at least I had a proper bed and food, so I started to cut myself often and even attempted to commit suicide. But it never worked and the school's nurse, a woman I would occasionally help, was constantly sending me to the hospital, where they would give me blood transfusions and nutrients."

So she has been suffering from depression ever since, Sasuke realized. She told the doctor the truth. Oh God, the way his blood boiled inside his veins was inhumane. He felt the urge to take his jet and fly straight to Italy and make the people that let her suffer face his wrath.

Why did it matter for him to have all the money in the world since she has been suffering like that? Sasuke suddenly got a better understanding of his mother's philanthropic activity.

Many people were struggling like Sakura all around the world with no one to acknowledge them and put an end to their misery. "I was not lying at the hospital Sasuke."

And she went silent after that, silently letting her eyes empty of unshed tears, gripping his torso tightly as if to make sure he was not going to leave her. It was the last thing in Sasuke`s mind.

And before he could stop himself he asked: "But this is over now, isn't it?" He was pointing out to whatever it might have happened when she turned eighteen. Sakura's story stopped when she got in the eleventh grade. So the change was there, it was obvious. "Don't answer this if you don't-"

She cut him halfway. "I am not poor anymore. I told you before. I met...my savior during Christmas. And he introduced me to people that care for me and never left my side. I am a changed person. They changed me and filled the void inside my heart. My best crazy friend included." She couldn't help a wide smile made its way to her lips at the thought of Karin.

Sasuke`s onyx eyes went wide when he realized how similar to him she was from that point of view. He too found someone to put an end to his rebel attitude and pull him out of alcohol, sex, violence and drugs and show him another way. And he didn't hide that fact from her. Oh, the urge to tell her everything was leaving him breathless. "Just like me."

She raised her head to fully face the black orbs she so loved, finding everything that melted her insider there: **understanding, acceptance, praise and want**. Sasuke said he wanted her but it has never felt that powerful. "Sasuke..." She knew they were the same, because Naruto told her about his high school days, as much as she knew.

"I am sorry. For everything that you have been through. And my deepest regret is that you haven't met me earlier." Sakura didn't know if that was a meaningful confession, but she felt like she has sunk into a river of honey and chocolate when he brought her chin down and kissed her fully and slowly, letting her taste the meaning of his words.

She returned his kiss contently and greedily until they both pulled apart when their lungs felt like exploding. "Sasuke...this is...I know it didn't mean too much but...I hope you accept it because is coming from my heart."

She was looking at him with wide puppy eyes, like a small child, expectantly. He brushed a fallen strand of hair out of her face, behind her ear. "You are wrong. It means a lot."

He then intertwined his fingers behind her back, bringing her body atop of his, maintaining the eye contact while he did his own confession.

He told her everything about his family and high school days, including his rivalry with his brother Itachi and the hate and disappointment with his father but conveniently left aside the name of the person he got help from.

Or should he say...people. But he didn't hide the fact that he had advanced fighting skills, explaining her that fighting and killing people...was something he did before.

But surprisingly, it was Sakura who gave him a mind blowing sensual French kiss when he finished his story-at four am-before she fell on his chest sound asleep. They were so much alike like it was meant to be.

The Hyuga had an inspirational word for this, Sasuke understood before he too fell asleep, and that was destiny.

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The following morning, clad in only a large shirt-Sasuke`s-Sakura was biting her fist, desperately trying to reach her red head friend, Karin, constantly getting the same annoying voice mail.

She had a million things to confess and million emotions washing over her body and she needed someone to confess to and give her an advice. Sasuke left early, explaining to her that he was part of the Organizing Committee of the Grand Charity Ball and there were some more things to be double checked.

She already had the security plan from Suigetsu, so she would have to once again confirm the latest changes in the schedule with Naruto and the other Akatsuki. But not in that moment.

Diiiingggg Doooonng

"Hm? Who could it be?" Curious, Sakura made her way down the stairs, trying to figure out who could have been so early in the morning, because Sasuke wouldn't ring and his friends had a spare key.

She opened the door, popping her head outside, finding no one. "What the…am I going insane?" Must be her imagination playing tricks on her. Stress could do that to people, she concluded. "…oh?"

But just as she was about to shut the door, the emerald eyed girl came across a large blue box, with a small fancy looking envelope on it, winking at her. "A gift? Santa, are you here?" She fully exited the house, taking a quick peek around, to see who left the mysterious package, but she found no one.

It couldn't have been a bomb, could it? "This is weird." Shrugging once, Sakura took the pretty large box inside, closing the door, heading to her bedroom. Better not explode the whole living room.

She pulled away a special device designed to scan contents and look for any suspicious goods inside, finding none. So it was not a trap. "I swear this is how all the horror movies start." She studied the envelope, opening it, reading the note inside.

Jade eyes were glistening with incredulous tears while she realized what she was holding. Her palm went straight on her mouth, to contain a sob.

"No way…I can't believe it!" It was the first time when Sakura felt all the joyful impatient butterflies from her chest being set free from their cage and burst outside.

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**Author`s Note: **_I know I know, I am so guilty for letting you guys wait this much for this update and I am not even going to justify myself. I was re-reading the first chapters and then I realized that they were so bad and I almost get ashamed of writing something like this, so I quickly decided to make some changes, of course, in the way of writing them, because the main idea still stands, but the grammar, along with the confusion of terms and...writing in general left me speechless...and angry. So I will reshape the first ones. This is the reason why I have not updated on the other stories as well.**  
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_I suck at writing fighting scenes and I know it:(( I truly hope the first part of this chapter was not too boring and it somehow...satisfied your taste. If not, I am truly sorry. I realize I am better at portraying emotions than writing action. Maybe it is because of the lack of practice...or vocabulary. I don`t know. I wish I was able to do better. _

_Ah, I almost forgot...the person that Sasuke talked to on the phone in the previous chapter is not Fugaku, his father. I am sorry for the confusion. _

_Thank you all for sticking out with me and this story, even though I now realize that my start was kind of...unfortunate, but you still gave me a chance and I would have never been to grow up without your support, especially those who always found time to left me a word and express their appreciation. _

_I do hope the next update is not going to take this long and I am doing my best to fix what is left and what I deem poor, before I put an end to this story. Until next time...thank you all for reading this story._

_Ah, and not to forget...let`s all have a moment and shout it out to the world that Sasuke and Sakura is so happening, that it should be turned into a national holiday!_


	28. Chapter 27

**-Chapter 27-**

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* * *

Sakura simply couldn't stop her pulse to run like a rocket defying gravity, getting lost into the maze of the unknown, flying towards the sky and she was simply glorifying the immense emotions she was feeling.

She has almost missed her red haired best friend trying to reach her suddenly shutting down alertness, as she kept on calling her. Instead, all that the CIA agent was seeing was the note and the unexpected gift in front of her, while the rest was left blurred somewhere into a faraway galaxy. "What..." But the constant annoying _beep_ of her laptop brought her back from the remake of the Cinderella's fairytale, reminding her of the little time she had at her disposal, if she would have wanted to honor the invitation, on a whole new level since her arrival in Japan.

"Rin! Oh my Gosh Rin, I thought someone has kidnapped you! I have been trying to reach you the whole week!" No more masks. So having made up her mind, the emerald eyed lady flipped her laptop open and, with beaming eyes and a goofy childish curl of her rosy lips, introduced herself to a bored but surprised looking Karin, watching her from the other side of the Earth in suspicion, as she was impersonating a forest's pixie's mission to smile, flutter and chant to the nature's rebirth. She looked beyond happy and it was strange for Karin to see her friend that way.

"...you have a dumb expression on your face. And you look ..._different_. And guilty...wait a second..." Auburn eyes gave Sakura a scrutinizing stare, so as to confirm her suspicion, then they went wide as the sun's halo when realization struck her. "Oh shit, you got laid!"

Sakura nodded once, suddenly not feeling that shy or embarrassed to admit it. She felt different and more at ease and comfortable with the topic, since she and Sasuke have basically been intimate with each other more than once. Hell, he asked her to move into his room! "Don't say that so bluntly, Jeez."

"Wow, you actually did it! Oh, this is rich! My eternal virgin Maiden has finally decided to stop pursuing a hermit's life and become a woman! Gotta call Anko! She owns me a thousand!"

What truly shocked Sakura was that her crazy friend was actually sending a message to their other equally eccentric CIA friend, Anko, just to brief her about one of them having an affair, like it was a national holiday and she was sending her greetings. During Christmas, Karin was a volcano. She always started her hunting for presents one month in advance.

"...you two have betted on me having sex?"

"Nope. We have betted on you being attracted to women. Having sex came as a bonus." Then the red headed stopped the tapping for a moment, pursing her lips at her friend, so as to confirm she hasn't slept with an alien or with a giant homunculus with three legs and Cyclops eye, having her share fair of doubts. "Please do tell me it was your sexy hot ass of your boss the one you have slept with."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend, starting to think about getting dressed, finding matching underwear, maybe doing her makeup...she couldn't start the girl talk with Karin, because she would never hear the end of it. "So what if it was him?"

"Oh fuck...Cherry, you know, I was just playing, but have you really had sex with Sasuke Uchiha? For real?" Ok, was Karin getting anxious or has she stayed too much in the sun and got the sunstroke of the century? Sakura wasn't sure.

As for her part, Karin was starting to realize the extent of the mess her emerald eyed girl found herself into. Sure, when it came to the people close to her, the red headed agent was defending their right and happiness like a lioness and her advice for Sakura would have surely been something along the lines of 'screw the CIA and your mission, run to Vegas and be happy'.

Only...the real situation seemed a bit too much and too sudden, even for her. Sakura was not the kind of girl to walk on thin ice and she didn't have the necessary experience to trade with the devil and sell her soul, for a moment of ecstasy. Even so...

Her tone was a bit too nonchalant for her once oblivious virgin friend. "Yeah. I had sex with Sasuke. Why would I lie about such a thing? You are my best friend, aren't you?"

But her slightly quivery voice has betrayed her and Karin understood. Sakura was taking a big risk and she was aware of it. But for some unknown reason, she was jumping into the fire. Karin would support her no matter what. She swore she would do that the moment they saved each other's back when they first met during a mission and have become inseparable ever since and consequently, she would keep her promise. "You! Have to tell me everything! With details please!"

And leaving all the nagging thoughts about the responsibilities that came with screwing up your mission and get personal with the man you were supposed to protect, she had to know EVERYTHING. Karin had no shame and she knew it. And one of her favorite hobbies included peeking into her friends' private lives.

Karin knew no such term as _privacy_. Maybe with the exception of Anko and their boss. She shuddered at the idea of all the debaucheries those two sadists were doing. They were making Hidan look like a pope.

"Actually, you will like this. In fact, I still can't believe it wasn't a dream. Your craziness is contagious. And sultriness, mind telling you. I should stop hanging out with you and Anko, `cos you are a bad influence. Getting me in all kind of troubles." Ok, so doing it was an act of pure defiance and protest to all her moral values, education and she was well aware that she has challenged her fate and pushed her luck until it screamed in agony, all in the spur of the moment, as a result of being charmed by the eternal fascination that Uchiha Sasuke represented.

But talking about it was making Sakura`s tongue clench into her mouth. She already felt blood fuel her rosy cheeks and a beautiful guilty blush was decorating her neck and the lobes of her ears.

"Yeah blame it on your friends that they show you how to LIVE your life, _cara mia_. Now spit it and stop teasing me already. Orochimaru is driving us all insane and he might call us the available agents back to the HQ."

"Ok then. Hear me out Uzumaki Karin and bow to the master: I, had sex, with Sasuke Uchiha, during the mountain trip prior to the Grand Ball today." And to make it all the more dramatic, the proud Haruno girl was having her arms down her hips, her eyes shut, chin high up and a smug expression on her face.

"...ok? So far so good, but you need much more to impress me, honey. Though I must admit that you had balls to lose your virginity to him, while surrounded by those cretins there."

Sure, it was unexpected to hear Sakura doing such a courageous -more like insanely outrageous- thing, but Karin has done far more shameful and unexplainable things. And ninety percent of them were not even legal, so she wouldn't be impressed by two people fucking into the woods.

"Let me finish before I melt into a puddle. We ditched the camp fire and did it on the waterfall, deep into the forest. And Lorane was on our tail, attacking us in the same night. How is that?"

Ok, so that changed the story..._completely_. So Karin's once unimpressed figure promptly fell on the laminated floor of her CIA office, where she has spent the last 72 hours working.

She wasn't even having the power to protest at the way Sakura was smirking victoriously at her dumb looking face. That was epic. To see Karin being shocked over something that didn't include a Sasori running around clad in her underwear, drunk and singing Christmas carols, or Hidan's Halloween costume as a Manga playboy maid, knocking on the elders' doors, singing Nirvana choruses, instead of _trick or treat_. "You're shitting me! You fucked him under Lorane's eyes?!" Where was her agenda because Karin was sure that her friend has scored among the first three most scandalous things a Sound agent has ever done. She basically made them all look like amateurs. It was the context the thing that Karin didn't like

What Sakura was confessing, half dreaming, half serious, was ringing alarm bells down her head and she was not certain they were positive. But what truly left her envisioning the worst of the scenarios was Sasuke`s detached attitude towards the situation he found himself into.

Was that man irrecoverably oblivious by nature, or he knew more than he would have let the others know? Basically, Karin knew that Lorane could have finished them off right that instant and since they were targeting the Uchiha heir as well, the red headed was stunned that they didn't fructify the opportunity, which was suspicious.

"Yeah. Then things got surreal and unfortunately, it got me even more confused."

"Ok, so I totally didn't see that coming. You actually...oh Jeez, this is so fucking sexy! Tell me how it was! Was he good? Gentle, or he rode you like rodeo? Is he big? Does he have stamina? Did he take you once or twice?"

Sure, there were many mysteries left unsolved, but for the moment Karin would focus on the juicy details she has wanted to hear from her friend since forever. And her starry eyes and the wicked smirk made Sakura`s creeping red earlobes burn like a furnace.

She wanted to virtually punch her friend and the flashbacks kept on repeating down her mind were not playing in her favor. "Normally, I would have punched you, but somehow, I don't feel the need to do it anymore. Gosh, I am turning into you! I will grow horns!"

"No, you have discovered you have a working vagina and functional hormones. Now answer me."

"Why do you care about how good Sasuke is?" Like the emerald eyed agent wouldn't know how Karin was not the same question she asked whenever the context. She should have kept her trap shut, since she knew that Karin has been able to corner Jiraiya into telling them about his kinkiest fantasies. No Sound agent would ever be able to look at Tsunade the way they did, meaning respectfully and inspirational.

"Because girls _talk_ about such things. Men do as well. Expect his friends to know about your popping cherry. Well...it depends on how blabbermouth your boss is and judging from how he is, I would say he is not the one to brag about it."

"Ok ok Jeez, you said so many dumb things, that I am stunned they can be placed into the same sentence and still sound coherent. So if you must know, yes, it fucking hurt like someone was tearing me in half with a katana, but Sasuke has been...I don't know how to put it into words Karin."

"Then put it into images if you want, just go ahead and do not slip anything."

"I felt like...we had this...connection. There was something going on between us and when he entered me I felt...complete. Like there was an emptiness inside me and he filled that hole to the hilt for me."

"Well duh, of course he filed your _hole_, that is the main idea, go figure."

* * *

"...I will fire you from my best friend job if you mock me further. C' mon Rin, I am trying to be poetic here, show some understanding, or else I am calling Sasori and Hidan and they will find out before you do!"

"You wouldn't...You know, fucking Sasuke has turned you into a vixen. Mamma mia, he brings up the best of you, that's great. Good, keep on going."

"You're nuts. Anyways, like I said, when we were together kissing, him moving in and out of me, I felt complete. Like there was this part of me which has always been missing and he was the last piece of the puzzle I needed.

I would have never believed it is possible to feel so...**alive**! It was...I just can't describe it but I felt it! My whole being was responding to him and wherever he touched me, I felt my skin burst into flames. And that water was freaking freezing, but I didn't feel cold!"

Karin's auburn eyes were slowly but surely taking another hint and they started to lose mischievousness and the usual playful attitude. What Sakura was confessing was half what she was expecting and that only included the physical part.

Of course THE Sasuke Uchiha would turn any night escapade into something hot as Hell if he pleased, considering the amount of ladies who stepped into his playground, but the pink haired enchanted girl was more focused on the emotional side of the story. The one that included alien attachment the red headed was not familiar with, simply because she refused commitment. "...oh dear Heavens…"

"Yeah, that's the right word! It was like touching Paradise and he was so gentle, even though I know he wanted more. I feel protected, cherished. I was afraid he will think of me as a whore because I have followed him while he took a moment to respire, far from the curious eyes, but everything felt so _natural _between us! And the way he touched me...his kisses are divine, Rin, I can't stop kissing him! Is this normal?"

Sakura's tone raised two octaves and she was fluttering her hand in front of the unmoving friend of hers, wondering about Karin's sudden mood swing, like she was following a soap opera with a lending actor she didn't like. "Earth to Rin's brain, are you running low on battery?"

Without even considering the impact of her words on the less experienced friend of hers, the Uzumaki agent honestly let out what has been torturing her mind, more whispering than talking huskily like she normally would. "Holly Hell Cherry, you are _in love_ with Sasuke!"

"I am not...we are...not like that..." It was not something that Sakura was not aware of herself, because she too could feel the sparks of emotion whenever the midnight haired prince was around, but the impact was two times bigger when hearing it from someone else, especially if it was someone she could trust and didn't want to make fun of her struggle.

"Don't even try to _deny_ it, Sakura! I have asked you to tell me about it not just to satisfy my perverted curiosity, but precisely to see how far you were willing to go and you have given yourself to him completely! Careful Cherry, you are trading on thin ice with this one."

"I know, but I can't stop myself. I don't know what is happening to me and I cannot stop it from happening, but I keep on thinking about Sasuke all the time! When I sleep, I dream of _him_, when I wake up, it is _his_ face I see and when he is at work, I keep on looking at _his_ GPS and think of _his_ touches. Heck, he caught me...touching myself in his freaking bathroom, Rin! I felt like dying of shame!"

"Normally, if the situation wouldn't have been so serious, I would have laughed my fucking ass out loud at your foolishness, Cherry. You NEVER masturbate in a guy's bathroom, unless you want to turn him on and jump his bones. I suppose this was not your intention."

"No, of course not. It is just that I can feel it on my skin and I swear it tickles me and I get shivers! I feel his hands on me, holding me, playing with my hair, stroking my cheeks, pleasing me, teasing me...and I cannot say _no_ to him. Heck I want him, Rin!"

"I can see that much. You keep on talking at present tense, which means you two have kept on having had sex after your first time in the mountains...fuck, I can't believe you jumped him during an attack. That takes talent, I admit."

"This is not funny, this is _bad_! He will think I am obsessed and get tired of me! I.. Just don't want to.. Gosh I can't believe I am even admitting this but I don't want him to stop...sleeping with me."

What was even scarier was the fact that the idea of getting intimate with Sasuke whenever there was the opportunity, was among the things Sakura felt no shame, remorse or, God forbids, regret on doing and there were few things she felt like that about.

The Uchiha had a way of making the pink haired lady feel high class no matter the circumstances and she has always wondered about that. Maybe it was because he knew how to precisely act in each situation and display the proper manners in each context, nonchalantly changing moods and she clearly saw his performance from the previous trip.

One moment he fucked her brains and made her feel damn special while he did it and next time you know, he took an acoustic guitar and pulled an Eddie Benitez to his finest, leaving the audience mouth gape in amazement.

Then he even had the gentleness to dedicate the caressing melody to her and her only and then spit venom to the arrogant people who dared to even breath in the direction of what was sacred for him.

Maybe it was the way he pulled her strings in a manner that made Sakura's body vibrate at all the right moments and resonate with the mystery that he represented, the thing that made her unable to refuse him anything and it was both scary and arousing the idea of her being willing to do _anything_ he would have asked for. The only inhibitions she had were coming from the lack of education in some aspects.

"...why do I have the feeling that there is much more to the story than you two just doing each other, while you kinky play the maid and her boss?"

"Stop being a seductress and go kick Shikamaru's ass from his throne. Yeah, you are right, there is more. Rin, right before the trip, we have started to sleep together in the same room. This is strange, but ever since I have been hurt in that attack when I was kidnapped and had Ten Ten saving me, not only he visited me to the hospital, but he is constantly worried for my well-being and he even asked me to move into his room!"

"Congratulations for virtually getting married. If he gives you a ring, please do announce me prior, cos sure as hell will I need at least a month to find the hottest maid of honor dress."

"Actually, he hasn't asked me to marry him, but he did something I didn't expect and I don't know what to do or how to take it..." And so Sakura has gotten to her own dilemma.

The golden fancy envelope was resting in between her trembling hands, on her lap. She pulled her lower lip in between her canines, trying in vain to contain a foolish smile, failing miserably.

It was impossible to hold back the joy rising from the pits of her stomach whenever she envisioned the small things Sasuke did to make her feel like one in a million and he even told her he would give her _anything_ she wanted, which was knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Karin decided to test the waters and be dramatic. Truth to be told, she could hear the wedding bells and she was quite unsure about how she should feel. Sakura has been unhappy since forever and the amount of grief she felt and the disgust over the outside high society left her with a bitter taste and numb.

And if Sasuke was able to bring back what has been taken from her and give her latent emotions a good wake up call, then the auburn haired Uzumaki had nothing to object.

The Sound and Orochimaru were another story but she knew for a fact that even he wouldn't bring himself to stand in between his protégée and her probably last chance to happiness. And that led to Karin's worst fear: if the Uchiha would go as far as to break Sakura's heart, he would_ crush_ her beyond repair, that was for sure. "He told you he is bi!"

"Wha- no, of course not! Stop saying such things. Look." Totally oblivious to where her friend's thoughts were slipping, Sakura leaned behind her back, took the rectangular white box from the bed and presented it to her looking closely friend. Suddenly, she felt important and it was stupid and unnecessary, but Sakura couldn't help it. Karin was her sister. So she didn't have to hide or pretend. "And it came with this invitation."

So that was it! Karin thought victoriously. Her suspicion has been grounded after all. It would explain her best friend's sudden Cinderella mood and she couldn't quite blame her. Sasuke wanted Sakura to be his date to the Ball and not _just_ another date because Karin understood that for the onyx eyed Uchiha, her sister was not _just _one woman.

Maybe the jadeite eyed agent was not that delusional after all and her feelings were somehow reciprocated. Sasuke didn't strike as the man to give false hopes or make his women hope in vain.

He was probably the type to come straightforward and ask for what he wanted and that was what crossed Karin's mind while reading the content of the invitation. It was written entirely in _French_. How romantic could that be? "Is that tonight's Charity Ball?"

"I think he wants me to be his date." Karin didn't even question Sakura's choice of reading the content out loud making it sound like the Uzumaki heiress was not able to understand the meaning. But that was not the time to feel offended . The Uchiha`s choice of dreamy words has been too much of a shock. "It says: _you keep Athena's flames never dying, my Goddess_." He indirectly pointed towards Sakura's CIA nickname. Karin felt like dying. Was that man for real?

"Oh my God, I will have never guessed that the player of this century was able to do romance!"

"Stop saying that, you don't know him! Sasuke is..._more_ than that. More than any other men. He is an enigma."

"Now you defend him. And he is giving you presents and wants you to be his date to the most important event of the year. I take it you realize what it means, right?"

* * *

"...everyone is going to watch us 24/7? I will attract the paparazzi's attraction? I will make Lorane's job ten times easier? This mission is as good as over?"

"...nooo? It means your so called boss wants you guys to be **official**! You told me he introduced you to his freaking _mom_! Dude wants this planet to know you are his girlfriend. He wants to mark his territory, that's for certain. But...I will admit, he has style."

"What do I do Rin? Should I go? I am supposed to watch him, but I had planned to stay concealed and back Akatsuki up, not to appear to Sasuke`s side and have all the women devour me with their stares!" Sakura knew exactly what she was talking about and she could clearly grasp the extent of accompanying Sasuke to the ball. It would be a blast.

She would be more exposed to the media and Lorane than ever. Was she ready for that? What about her mission? Could she call it a mission anymore? And why wasn't Orochimaru said anything about how _bad_ she screwed her mission up the moment she let herself get charmed by Sasuke?

There was a thing that Sakura did which was mortifying Karin to the point she wanted to get some garlic and a crucifix, fly all the way to Japan and exorcise the horrid friendship out of her friend's system, it being the thing that has gotten into her to befriend the Akatsuki? "First, do not spell Akatsuki`s damned name in front of me. Secondly, fuck Lorane, the mission or anyone else and do what you want. You want to be with him, don't you?"

"I..._do_. I want him, I can't lie anymore. And I think he was to me too. He doesn't just have sex with me or simply uses my body to satisfy his needs. He cares about how I feel or if I like what he does to me. No one has looked at me the way he does. I feel special with him and. I want to go."

"Then go, why the hesitation?"

"...we _talked, _you know?"

"I thought it was obvious that you haven't just fucked around the clock."

"...sometimes we had...but still we talked about our pasts and...He has secrets as well. We came to a mutual agreement and understanding and we have decided to not push each other further than we are willing to disclose."

There was something that suddenly stroke Karin and she had a moment of stupefying dread. She let her crimson dilated irises fix their jade counterpart from the other side of the world and her tone was dead serious.

"Wait...he _doesn't_ know about your CIA identity, right?" Because that would have been beyond catastrophic. It was an agent's biggest sin to disclose his identity and if Sakura went as far as to trust a stranger up to that point, then Karin would have a lot of things to do and a lot of conspiracy and evil plans to concoct along with Anko and Tsunade, in order to cover for her.

Sakura was able to resonate with Karin's justified anxiety and she knew her friend was right. In fact, it was so interesting that was keeping her wake up at night among the others. She was well aware of the tragedy that would follow and she was quite stunned at the fact that Sasuke has not figured her identity out already. It was either God's little miracle or a paradox in terms of being so obvious that it escaped the Uchiha`s sharp vigilance.

He was too cautious and complex in his thoughts to not look into his own yard...or bed. Inwardly, on the other hand, she wanted him to know everything and get over with the lies. Even if it would mean her doom. But the only thing that frightened Sakura for real, was for him to _reject _her, along with her secret. She could handle CIA's damnation, her Papa's disappointment, her master and colleagues' pity, but she couldn't stand Sasuke`s cold stare.

That no. "Are you crazy? Of course not. I only told him about orphanage and high school. He never believed I grew up at a farm anyways. And he told me about his own high school past experiences, which was just as fucked up as mine. He did drugs, alcohol, parties and nor even his friends know about everything he did exactly."

"Isn't it weird that both of your lives have changed after high school?"

"This is the problem, Rin. I know he hides something important about himself and I am afraid it might be more fucked up than I thought. I kept on warning Papa Oro about this, but he acts like it is no big deal. Lorane has planned on attacking the heirs and take on Sasuke as well, while me and the Akatsuki have fought them in the forest.

Sasuke has not only murdered their team leader, like it was a walk in the park, but he figured on and ruined their plan on attacking us all from the very beginning. Basically, he tricked the guide, who was Lorane's henchman, to think he had the upper hand, while he was being gravely manipulated by Sasuke. He saved us all and he knew exactly what was going on around him."

"I don't like where this is going. Sakura, do you realize what you are saying? From what you are telling me, it looks like he made fun of all the CIA agents present, by acting like a team leader himself. Like his..._brother_!"

"Damn it, I haven't thought of that before. But I am afraid this is far from being a coincidence. The club scene a month ago, his amazingly accurate aim, the way he beat the shit out of people who nearly killed me and Ten Ten, without even blinking, all the LSD trips, which seem to be taken from Star Trek, his own confession about hiding and doing things he shouldn't have done...and Rin, I swear when I entered his...our cabin room...the blood...the way he was holding his sword...he was covered in blood, surrounded by blood, inhaling the scent and tasting its flavor...he looked more of an assassin than Lorane dogs themselves!"

* * *

"...Sasuke took on his chasers all by himself?! Well damn woman, who the Heck is this guy?! What has Orochimaru said about this?"

"He is investigating, but with all the stolen material and Lorane standing out more than before, he put it aside for the time being. But _I_ am investigating. For instance, I have discovered, coming across his ID and passport, that Sasuke is not Japanese, but has American citizenship. His parents are clearly Japanese and, according to the principle of jus sanguinis which is enforced in Japan as well, he is automatically born Japanese and the only way to lose it for good, is to become another country's citizen, in his case, American. Do you understand?"

Ever since she has found out about that piece of information, Sakura has spent a lot of time racking her brain for a good possible explanation for Sasuke`s change of citizenship, since he basically had no connection the USA, except for high school, but couldn't find anything reasonable at all.

She didn't want to think about it being a whim or an act of defiance towards his family. That didn't sound like him and even if it would have been a teenage mistake, he would have corrected it when he grew up, which he didn't. Sasuke was still American, even if his roots were all Japanese.

"No and I don't intend to go and dig into Japan's Constitutional Law books, but I don't understand why would he give up on his Japanese citizenship?'

"How should I know? At first, I thought it had to do with him studying in the USA, or it being easier to conduct his business, judging from the fact that he has almost all his company shares traded on the New York`s auction market, but it doesn't explain anything."

"Indeed, it doesn't. Hm, strange. It is not like he was from Somalia or Congo, for God's sake, he was Japanese! Show me someone who wouldn't like to be a Japanese!" Karin's intelligent brain was constantly adding up the information she got about the intriguing Uchiha heir, brick by brick and nothing made any sense. She knew how much of a twisted life a businessmen had and how many machinations they did to keep their companies running and not get caught by authorities, while doing illegal stuff, but it didn't seem like Sasuke`s case at all.

It didn't look like he did everything for the Mangekyou`s sake. And Sakura has already told her that the raven haired man was hiding something. Heck he even admitted it to her! That was fucked up for Karin no matter how she looked at it.

"And...to top it all, he has extrasensory abilities. Don't look at me like that, you know what I am talking about."

"The fact that he is reacting differently to drugs doesn't mean that he is freaking David Copperfield, Sakura."

"I wish it was that simple. How many druggies are able to play and mold electromagnetic fields, when taking LSD or cocaine or other shit they smoke or inject? Exactly. None. And not only he is aware of what he does, but he is a hundred times more careful when I am around, to lower its effect on me and protect me."

"Damn Cherry, you got yourself one Hell of a mystery. I don't know what to say, except for the romantic part. This man loves you and you love him, that much is painfully obvious, but at the same time, he is a _mission_ and there are too many things about him that don't make sense."

"And what am I supposed to do? Tell him I only want us you be fuck buddies at most and act like maid and boss for the rest of my mission? He never believed I am a maid and I told him I have money, so this won't do. The way we are now...is more like we are dating in secret. Heck, he bought me the most gorgeous dress ever and took me out for dinner on his favorite restaurant! In broad daylight. Everyone saw us _together_!"

"He knows you are rich?" Karin couldn't believe how close to finding her out Sasuke truly was. It was a mystery how he hasn't quickly come up to the conclusion that the emerald eyed girl worked for the CIA.

And to make it all the better, he said he didn't care about what secrets she had, which was the cherry on the top of the cake. Their _wedding_ cake, of course. Just what kind of damn man would _not _be interested in his partner's concealed life, knowing that there were people wanting to go for his head?!

Was he an idiot or was he that much in control of the whole situation? Karin ventured to guess that it was the former and that made her head spin again. Sasuke was more of a mystery than her friend. Who was that Uchiha anyways? What was the deal with him? "Oh damn don't let Orochimaru find out, either ways he will vent out on us now that Anko is more in hospital than home. Her pregnancy…there are minor complications, but your shishou is there with her. Don't worry."

"Well I couldn't lie anymore since he bluntly asked me whether I approached him solely for his looks and money. I am lying to him, yes, but I am no whore and I don't mean to trick him. Hell, I fell for him, Rin!

And I know I am sick of hiding my identity from him. I am almost tempted to...tell him the truth and get over with. I felt so good, so at ease when I told him about my high school days as a beggar, like my heart felt suddenly lighter. He won't judge me. I feel secure in his arms and I can't help but think at how much more happiness is he able to bring me, if I am to remain beside him?"

"Don't let him go. Don't give Sasuke up, Sakura!" She must have been nuts, Karin knew because she should have told her friend to stop playing with fire and get to the safe zone, but she couldn't. Sakura was her younger sister, she loved her and she would not deny her happiness.

She swore she would support her no matter how dumb her decisions were. Even if she would have been faced with an impossible task such as fighting all the CIA alongside Sakura, Karin would do it. "Fuck, don't listen to my paranoid ramblings or your Papa's fucked up mission.

Fight for this love. No matter how much of a Mars alien this Uchiha hottie might be, he is still a man to die for. And he makes you happy. You are different from before, and in a good way. He changes you, you look happier and more...cheerful. It has been so long since I have seen you truly enjoying something, besides stuffing you face with Tiramisu.

Like being joyful for real. And, for Pete's sake, he helped you overcome your sorry virgin state. Now you can have him whenever you want. I am jealous you know? I heard he has stayed away of his regular women scandals. Congratulations for keeping his ass on a leash."

"Stop making it sound like I am a dominatrix. And I have met Uchiha Mikoto, his mother and she is the sweetest angel ever. I think she likes me and damn is that woman an intuition prodigy. I see where Sasuke got it from. She makes the best dishes ever!"

"So you have met his mom and she cooked for you as well? What is next? Wedding bells? I keep on telling you this is modern Cinderella."

"I keep on telling you that you knocked your stupid head when you were little, but you won't listen, you crazy woman."

"That is obvious, dear. Now you only need to win his dad and start planning the royal wedding. Just don't get white doves and a carriage, cos that is dumb as fuck...and gay-ish."

"Speaking about his dad...Heavens, I think he and Sasuke are at war. He hates his dad with burning passion, I have seen it myself when they had a company related meeting. This is when I met his mother as well. They are like sworn enemies!"

"Hmpf...typical billionaire family drama. Don't worry about it, winning his mom is the key."

"He adores her! You should see the way he acts around her. Sweeter, gentler and he even sweet talks! The normal Sasuke doesn't act like this." Sakura couldn't help herself.

When Mikoto came to unexpectedly visit her son, she followed the interaction between the two relatives with much interest and Sasuke was like inverted sugar around his mother. It was not a weak side he was displaying, but an even more powerful one.

Even though she fought many years to keep her inner persona on leash and transform into the perfect assassin, Sakura knew all too well that peoples' most fearsome weapons were feelings, because they had the ability to turn impossible into reality when necessary and Sasuke looked like he was not lacking the ability to get attached and convey emotions into gracefulness. But he only did that around special people like Mikoto and it was a rare moment when he was genuinely content and serene.

"Only in the presence of very special people."

"What to do now Rin? Should I accept his invitation and have the entire CIA, along with Papa get a heart attack, or-"

"Go, of course! Fuck this mission, it is already a failure since dude is more than able to protect both his and your ass. But you have something real, something beautiful going on there and I swear it is romantic and cheesy and...go and show those wealthy bitches that you have snatched that god from under their noses. Don't forget to put me on the same frequency of your tracking device, I want to see their faces. That is going to be a blast. Don't forget to make a flashy entrance. Something like Oscar clowns do, but don't wear a push up bra honey, you don't want to give them a run for their money.

Let him imagine you naked until he can't hold his hormones any longer and, if he is inspired enough, which I bet he well damn is, maybe he will give you some steamy time somewhere in the bathroom, rooftop or drawer."

"Agree with the first part, facepalm myself at the second part."

"Yeah, skip the interesting parts. Better go naked then and get the job done. Why bother undressing? This is always such a drag, like Shikamaru says. The freak. Show me the dress and let me guess what your couple costumes would be: Arlecchino and Colombina? Ariel and Prince Eric? Pocahontas and John Smith? How about Tarzan and Jane? That would be hot!"

"Neither of the mentioned. Thanks God he is not totally insane like my friends." No matter how many dresses Sakura has gotten from Orochimaru, Tsunade or her friends, on special occasions and not only, that particular one was the most treasured gift and Karin reacted accordingly.

Her auburn eyes have widened considerably, her mouth hung down low dramatically and she allowed herself to blink slowly, so as to not miss any spark of the magnificent gown, approaching the screen, until she has bumped her nose on the web cam. Sakura giggled at her, victoriously.

To think there were things that left her red headed seductive friend speechless and stunned was epic by default. She had a similar reaction nonetheless, but she added the part with jumping and screaming like a mad woman as well. " Isn't it gorgeous?"

It was in the moment Karin's eyes took in the dress when the wheels in her skull started to work as the red headed made the necessary connections. And then she burst out laughing, evilly.

* * *

"Wait a sec...oh I can't believe it! This is priceless! Ha-ha Cherry, you got a Greek Goddess dress, he hit the nail in the head with this one! Are you sure he doesn't know about your codename as well?"

"You mean Athena, the Goddess of war?" In her euphoric induced state, Sakura has totally overlooked the incident. She took a double look as well, almost dropping the dress she was holding on the mattress. How could such a thing slip past her keen eye was a mystery to her. The Ball was indeed a Masquerade, but to think that Sasuke has bought her a dress in a similar fashion to what the ancient Greek Goddesses were wearing, was frightening.

"No, I mean Miss Piggy. Duh! This is more than a simple funny coincidence. This is fate! Destiny and whatever that Hyuga freak likes to say!"

"If this gets nasty, you are to blame for encouraging me to go."

"I am already to blame for everything you do, so chill. How much time do you have?"

Emerald eyes flew on the clock behind her while Sakura was busy mentally calculating the time she had to get ready. Even if she wouldn't accept the Uchiha`s generous invitation, she still had to be in full agent mode and ready for anything that Lorane had in stock for them.

She couldn't possibly be losing to Akatsuki. "The party starts at 19 pm, so I would say...9 hours at most."

"Good. Enough to go to a hairdresser and get damn stylish hairstyle. And while you are at it, get rid of the hair color as well. Pink at a formal party...not even if it is Halloween."

"Yeah...you are probably right." Sakura twirled a lock of her bangs around her index, pouting at the symbolic for her pastel pink color, nodding in agreement. She didn't need to maintain a facade in front of Sasuke anymore and Lorane knew who she was, so her friend was right.

The jade eyed agent already decided to go for the fire, so she knew the extent of appearing flawless in front of all the VIPs, especially if she didn't want to embarrass the Mangekyou`s CEO. "But Rin...do you think...that Sasuke is going to get himself a costume as well?"

Karin took no time to confidently answer, waiving her hand in front of her friend, like a diva. "Honey, that man already wears more masks than anyone else." She couldn't have been more right.

* * *

**-7.25 pm The Grand Ballroom-**

* * *

"This is ridiculous. Instead of all this nonsense, they could have donated all the money to charity and get over with this. Waste of my damn time, adding to the fact that it gives us more trouble to baby-sit their damn assess."

"Hyuga, I am warning you: keep your freaking mouth shut and stop ruining my fun, or else, I will beat the crap out of your scolding face and give a good meaning to that shit costume of yours. The Hell are you dressed like anyways?"

"Myself, obviously. Why posing like someone else? So childish."

A pair of disbelieving and visibly furious mocha eyes fixed the bored mother-of-pearls ones in a manner that promised violence and torture later on, making their audience, consisting of their small group barely stifling their chuckles.

The moment the Akatsuki group has arrived to the Ball, all clad accordingly, trying to blend in, escape annoying people who approach them to greet them and look for anything suspicious without looking suspicious themselves, Neji has started his tirade. Basically, he criticized everything that moved and damn well his keen eye and reputed intuition helped his cause, much to his fiancé's horror.

Ten Ten adored those kinds of parties, but of course someone had to _always_ ruin her fun. " ...because this is a masquerade? But we already know that you are socially retarded. At least stop damn complaining, you are driving me nuts!" She was hissing and bumping the Hyuga continuously, making him frown murderously at her improper manners. People were watching, judging and acting arrogantly and it bothered him to no end. Hell he didn't want to be there in the first place.

There were too many people getting on his nerves, starting with his loathsome family, minus Hinata, who joined his group. Hyashi Hyuga was trying extra hard that day. He was in high spirits all right. He and Uchiha Fugaku. The fact that Sasuke was having it worse than him was the sole thing that kept Neji on going.

"I suggest you stop pissing me off further, Ten Ten. I already have enough displeasing people to pretend to be in good terms with."

Like usual, the humble and shy Hyuga heiress has felt the need to apologize for everything she hasn't done and alleviate some of the animosity hanging on their shoulders, making the other CIA spectators watch her sympathetically. It was impossible not to find the stunning Hinata extremely cute and the angelic lavender gown framing her delicate petite curves, in the same shade as her unique irises, was adding to the regal innocent aura. "E-Excuse father, Neji-nii-san, he didn't mean to be rude. Is just that the c-companies going through a h-harder period. H-He stresses everyone b-because of it, oka-san included." What was truly a shocking news for a stranger, was the fact that Hinata actually knew everything about Neji' and his group's secret identities and she got their backs in front of Neji's family whenever necessary.

She has found out by chance one day, when Naruto just couldn't have kept his mouth shut, when he came to visit Neji and hasn't observed the brunette coming to serve them her famous biscuits and tea.

She was quite tactful and versatile upon hearing about her cousin's job, unlike the brown haired agent who fainted, literarily. Then he pummeled Naruto to a pulp. She even interfered to stop them, proving to possess advanced fighting skills, stunning both the males with her flawless performance.

Apparently, she did wonders on the goofy blonde Akatsuki who couldn't resist her fairytale appearance, daydream nonchalant eloquence and gaze, clinging to her side, much to Neji's disapproving eye. God forbids that man getting too close to his cousin. And to make it all the bad news for him, she was very good friend with Ten Ten, who worked magic in brainwashing her and stir her against him. "Ah, stop trying to make him look less like the idiot he is, Hinata. This is the way his dumb brain works. Always a party popper and a mood spoiler."

"Aren't you supposed to be my fiancé? Hell you are worse than grandma Maya Hyuga. Oh Lord...please don't tell me she is spiking the punch again!" There was one character in each aristocratic family, who has probably been adopted or had an unexplainable situation, because he or she was the total opposite of the others, successfully embarrassing them with every chance they got.

A relevant example was Uchiha Obito, who has been stuffing his mouth with Crème Brulee ever since his family has abandoned him near the buffet, meaning ever since they have made their glorious appearance, then using the napkins to fold cranes and planes.

Another one was his 78 years old grandmother, Hyuga Maya, who has worked as a Prison warden for 50 years, before she retired to take care of her indoor-outdoor geraniums garden. Probably spending so much time among the criminals has made her go nuts, because she always found a way to turn the Hyugas into the subject of fun-among the others and that moment was no exception. The moment Neji's worried pale eyes flew on the said woman -clad as a prisoner, of course- who had two bottles of Scotch in her hands, dancing towards the large crystal bowl of punch, he felt his vision fog and the need to hide under the table.

"She is the coolest lady ever. Is this a fancy Ball, or a three years old kid's anniversary?"

Neji would have said some more things to his equally demented lover if not for his other Akatsuki colleagues' sudden flashy appearance, who ruined his momentum. Ten Ten was always the first to hit on the bar.

He was barely keeping her out of the alcohol's reach and the displeased stiff Hyuga was cursing all the waiters roaming around with champagne for always ruining his plan to keep his fiancé far from getting drunk. So she was drowning her cravings into chocolate.

That chocolate fountain was making him sick on his stomach. Well, that and his friend's choice of a costume. He had to take a double look and perform a slow scan on him from head to toe. Was it too late to pretend he didn't know him? "Hey guys, warui ne, I got stuck into the traffic.

Some idiot with a Cayenne took fifteen minutes to parallel park that shit and made a line the size of the US Highway 1 behind his freaking car. You should have seen the Prime Minister honking on him, it was raw epicness. What the hell dude, where is your costume?"

"...are those..._whiskers_?" The one and only Uzumaki Naruto has found it funny to introduce himself to the classy audience wearing something that only road workers or school bus drivers on strike would wear, meaning an overdose of black and neon orange and it was making Neji see dancing dots, like he was looking at a disco ball. It was painful to withstand. "What are you, Thomas O'Malley from the Aristocats?"

Apparently Naruto didn't have a problem with making a fool of himself since he acted like it was nothing out of ordinary to be a walking circus. That, or he simply didn't care. Neji would give him credit for the former.

He scoffed and shook his head at the way his girl cousin was pointing her fingers in her signature peculiar manner, getting all stuttering and blushing when the Uzumaki came to stand in between them, taking in her graceful features. What an idiot, Neji bitterly thought. He better keep his Jiraiya induced fantasies to himself or else..."No, I am a fox, are you stupid or blind?"

"Both, but in reverse order." Ten Ten didn't waste the chance to laugh at her fiancé and their agent colleague at the same time. She knew how to perfectly fructify the opportunities she got. Plus, Naruto was like an oasis in the middle of their desert gloomy group of people who constantly had a pole shoved down their asses and were friends with Lurch from the Adams Family, like Neji, Itachi or their Hokage.

The look she got from Neji made her snort audibly, barely containing a full hearted laughter. "Stop insulting me in public, woman, there are people who know me, and I am the Hyuga's heir. Show some damn manners."

A punch down his arm successfully stopped the pale eyed agent's ego burst, coming from a dominatrix Ten Ten who took her fiancé back on the leash, reminding him who the boss was in that relationship. He would not ruin her fun. At least not until Sasuke would get enough drinks down his system to punch someone and entertain all of them further. Man, anticipation was killing her.

"Auch!" What would happen if he were to leave that place right that instant? Neji wondered while rubbing his going sore arm. Ten Ten had a punch that would make almost anyone consider not to mess around with her.

"Command me once more and you won't live to see yourself get crowned as the Hyuga heir, you party popper." She then turned towards Naruto, deciding to mock him a bit and enjoy the party before Lorane or anyone else decided to ruin it.

Plus, she liked the blonde boy's guts. The nonchalance he had in bringing the ridiculous to the highest peak was fascinating her. "I like the cape. And the ears."

"Pf...yeah, good job in robbing the kids' manga cosplay section. Next time, try Sailor Moon instead. Like that dude who flirts with that hot chick over there, in the neon purple spandex."

"Suigetsu, dude, get your facts straight! That is not Sailor Moon, is Galactus from Fantastic Four. Duh!"

At the way Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest, having a solemn expression on his face like he was talking about environmental issues, not fictional Marvel characters, was ridiculous and pure fun.

Hinata let out a short giggle, while Neji looked mortified. Suigetsu was having the time of his life beside Ten Ten, laughing heartedly and audibly like she did. They were not that caring about their social impact like Hinata. "I suggest...you don't show your face in front of Sasuke."

"Why? Is his costume that lame?"

Was Naruto really thinking about his raven haired friend showing his face in front of the others, be it his business partners, or minions from Jupiter, looking anything besides his usual boring flawless formal clad?

If that would have ever happened, the sky would crumble and the world would face its violent end. "Noooo...? He had the glorious meeting with his father." Well, an encounter between the elder Uchiha and his youngest son would be an easier and faster way to the end of the world.

Naruto's usually dumb face got serious in a blink of an eye, like he was being bipolar. He was afraid he arrived there too late to stop his best friend from doing something that would have probably given him a lot of pleasure, have brought a mountain of problems as well to the already overdose. "...shit. How'd it go?"

"You can imagine. Sasuke didn't even acknowledge his presence. He only greeted his mother than excused himself, blabbering some shit about meeting some business partners and investors, as well as talking to the representatives of the Swiss bank about the fund raising and the check."

"He has been killing his liver ever since." Ten Ten knew because she was looking at the very angry Uchiha with jealousy. Why was she the only one not allowed to drink? She swore she would not exaggerate and have more than two bottles. " Go lift up his mood a bit, he is sulking worse than normal."

"Fuck no, not when he is like that. I don't have suicidal tendencies."

"...then why are you dressed like...like that?! It is like you are begging for a good beating."

"Because I, unlike the boring people like you or that Teme, know how to live my life. The two of you should form an alliance and go get a life."

"How about...we focus our attention on some...more interesting stuff?" As far as Suigetsu was concerned, besides the boring part where he needed to silently do his job and keep his senses high alert for any possible treat and play the reputed Interpol agent he was, his woman radar was flawlessly working as well and the 'harvest' was looking promising.

* * *

It was one big orgy consisting of hot ladies, all trying to reveal as much skin as possible and be as suggestive and daring for the hungry rich asses as much as possible, all of them being on Suigetsu's liking. His wolf like stare was busy following a passing-by red headed who winked at him playfully. "Damn this place is packed with hot chicks!"

Opposite to him, Neji found the whole scene revolting and insulting. "Suigetsu, are you even able to tell the difference between a formal reception and a brothel? What do you think this is? Champs-Élysées? Get a hold of your slutiness and don't embarrass us worse. Naruto is already doing a damn good job."

"Well look around you, Hyuga. Isn't it the same thing, as long as the sluts are parading like in a fashion show, looking for a good fuck and wearing taller heels than Burj Khalifa and less clothes than porn stars?"

"Yeah, and aren't you doing the same, you damn womanizer?"

"Nah...I am merely generous and give the ladies what they want. And they all want this gentleman here."

Ten Ten felt the need to remind the shark looking agent about his competition, who was busy having a hoard of women begging for his bones, without even trying. She pointed at Sasuke who was keeping a safe distance from all his acquaintances, looking like he would rather be out catching butterflies with a net, than simply being there. "Try once again, Casanova. Your competition is right there and his score is already ten points higher."

"...don't tell me you have counted the women who flirted with Teme so far."

"27 and it has barely been an hour since this party has filled with woes." Suigetsu deadpanned at the serious and professional tone of the mocha eyed woman. Was she that bored or was she getting nuts from living for so long in Neji's presence? He wondered.

Even Hinata found it a bit weird. Everyone was amazed that the Hyuga heiress has finally found the courage to mutter something since Naruto's imperial arrival and she has chosen that particular moment to join the conversation. That or she was a proud gossip girl like Ten Ten or Kushina. Or Anko. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. Trust me Hinata, this is among the best entertainment you can get from gatherings like this. As if you wouldn't know. Besides the chocolate fountain, of course. Neji, go get me more."

"No. You will get fat."

"So? Since where is this bothering you?"

"Since I know you will make my head explode with your complains, and blame me for not keeping you away of unhealthy food." He turned to a laughing Naruto who was taking whatever dish the waiters were serving from their plates, feeling his head throb. The sole reason why they were there was to ensure those people's safety, while his colleagues were doing just the opposite.

What if Lorane chose to make their evil plotting come to life right in the moment they were stuffing their faces or laughed at the others, totally jeopardizing their task? And what was Itachi doing, not answering his calls?

Neji knew that their leader has joined forces with the Sound, bringing the two brilliant minds together to solve the riddle. And that was what it frightened him. "I swear you are just as bad, Naruto. At least put that damn mask on that dumb face, for God's sake, to avoid being recognized. Or pretend you have just met us."

"...what would happen if I throw his ass into the punch his grandma has just spiked?"

"You will give this party the vibe it lacks. What kind of shit music is this anyway? I feel like I am attending a funeral. The only missing things were walking zombies and a coffin." Ten Ten absolutely loathed jazz music of all sorts. She was a hard core rocker and the rhythm, the piano, the guitar or the saxophone`s melodic lines were not harmonizing with the tasty foods she was ingesting. Nor with the mood.

"Speaking of funerals and cadavers...have you guys took care of...you know...security?"

It was Suigetsu the one to surprisingly be the voice of reason among them. He probably had enough telephone numbers and lascivious promises for later on from the ladies who were devouring him with their hungry stares, if he decided to act accordingly to his reputation.

He lowered his tone to a whisper level, so as to make sure he ceased away any eavesdropping attempt. "There are twenty INTERPOL police officers dispatched on the building and its surroundings."

"Good. We had placed extra microphones and high frequency anti-tracking devices. If Lorane shows up in here, or try to jam our devices and throw us in another black hole, we will be ready. No need to reenact the Mountain trip or Shiseido Ginza experience."

"What the heck happened two days ago, anyways? How was Lorane able to go unnoticed and hide right before your eyes?"

"This is what Leader is trying to figure out, the moment he stops playing Monopoly with the Snake Freak."

The dumb expression that Naruto had in his face was perfectly matching his attire. Any news about the snake looking Sound leader was sending chills down his spine. The man was scaring him to no end and their collaboration even more. "He is what?"

Neji rolled his eyes at his CIA colleague, barely fighting the urge to raise his harsh tone. He couldn't possibly risk attracting more attention than they already had, courtesy to the cerulean eyed foxy agent and his equally ridiculous eccentric friend Suigetsu.

The Hyuga couldn't find a reasonable definition to describe his costume, nor did he have the guts to ask him about what did he represent. "They are collaborating, obviously. There are some problems at our HQs in Italy. Lorane has pulled a good one on us this time. The problem is Sasuke. He has already seen more than he should have had and Haruno is having her hands full with him."

"They are in _looove_." Ten Ten explained to the other female member of the group, drawing an imaginary heart in the air with her index fingers, making the said lilac eyed girl's luscious peach lips turn into a subtle 'O' in surprise.

Kushina has chosen that particular moment to make her presence known, approaching the agents eagerly, coming to stand in between her son and Ten Ten -she didn't want to ruin Hinata's moment- interested in the possible hot gossip. She even bumped fists with Ten Ten, much to Neji's disbelief.

Great, one more loud representative of the feminist movement has joined their group. Kushina Uzumaki was just as bad as his fiancé and Naruto combined. To his horror, Suigetsu was the last normal left. And that man was giving the term 'lunatic' a bad name. "Who is in love with who?"

"Sasuke and his guardian angel, Athena of the Sound. You have probably heard about her." Ten Ten eagerly explained. Naruto nodded energetically. He was way past his childish jealousy on his raven haired friend.

Plus, it was difficult to chase another lady inside his mind when the Hyuga heiress was standing so close to him, looking like a bellflower`s bud in bloom and smelling like a vast field of Lillis of the valley. The sole thing that was making him hold back was Neji's ascending murderous protective aura. Man was that agent scary and possessive.

Kushina's clear eyes got full of stars and her joy grew visibly with each passing moment. She has heard of Sakura and honestly, she couldn't wait to meet her and confirm whether the pink haired agent was a perfect killing seductive Sound agent, or she had the grace and the womanhood of her mentor, Tsunade.

That was interesting to follow, plus she knew how much her son has fantasized about her. But what stirred her curiosity, was her closeness to Sasuke. Whoever was able to approach the Mangekyou's fearsome CEO must have been something special. "Ah, the girl who saved my baby and helped you then? Is she together with Sasuke?"

"Probably."

"Of course not, what nonsense is that?"

"Is not nonsense, it is called destiny Hyuga! Wasn't this your favorite hook up lame line? And you wonder why you have been a virgin until the tenth grade."

"This is not funny Ten Ten. And that is_ not_ a hook up line."

"Love is never a funny thing. Pull that stick out of your ass and experience its freedom, Neji, until it gets sore."

"Where is she by the way? I want to meet Tsunade and Orochimaru`s pupil. She must be an interesting woman, if she has managed to make a man like Sasuke come out of his shell."

"Oh you have no idea..." Ten Ten wicked knowing smile on her getting devilish features. It stirred confusion among her friends, but she chose not to comment. The present women understood what she meant by that one.

He chestnut eyed agent would give Sakura the credit she deserved for having the guts to act like there was no one left in the Universe except for her and Sasuke, laughing in Lorane's faces. Seriously, having sex with the Uchiha heir in the middle of the fray? How come she didn't come up with the idea?

"What is that supposed to-" Naruto's breath hitched down his throat unexpectedly and his eyes mirrored a mass of UFOs descending the sky when his glance cast on the head of the stairs. Star struck was an understatement for the way his jaw hit the floor and his body freeze in awe.

Suigetsu fluttered his hand in front of his unresponsive friend like they did it on cartoons, finding his behavior hilarious. Did he hear Neji slapping his forehead? "Naruto? Dude?"

"I think he had a stroke."

"Don't you need a brain for that? Maybe that was his sole neuron getting Parkinson."

"The Hell dude, have you seen the dude who bought the last Ramen Bowl costume before you, or what?"

The Hyuga agent deadpanned at the newfound information. Seriously, wasn't that supposed to be something formal, high class and ridiculously luxurious? Then why were all dressed like ready to trick or treat? "...is someone here dressed like Ramen?"

"Just don't ask...his wife is a matching onion..."

"...and you guys blame Uchiha for being disgusted..."

Ten Ten was the one to inform her fiancé about other families having same issues as their own, somehow trying to make him feel better. His grandma looked like she befriended another aunty with a funny pair of glasses, both looking like they were plotting world domination.

He sweat stropped at that one. Everyone around him was either extremely lame or a pain in the ass. Albeit, he couldn't help but snort at the mental images invading his skull envisioning what he has learned from the mocha haired woman. "His cousin Obito is Batman."

"Oh, dear Lord, this is the end of their clan..."

Naruto's sudden outburst successfully caught anyone's attention on ten km radius. The blonde was pointing to the stairs, having the same dreamy semi-shocked expression on his face, making them all look in the said direction. "Athena!"

"Huh? I think there are some women here dressed like mythology-"

"No! There! Sakura-chan! She is-"

* * *

Words were not enough to describe what the Akatsuki group was seeing, because each felt that no matter what they could have said, would not properly describe the way Sakura looked like. So they resumed in holding their breaths and not blink, afraid to miss a thing and the others were mirroring their astonishment. "Oh damn..." Suigetsu couldn't help but gape at the image of her when they have met, looking like a tramp, which was automatically overlapped with the image of her in that moment. He had to take a double look to make sure that they were the same person.

"Isn't this a bit...too _flashy_ for a CIA undercover?" As far as a women were concerned, Ten Ten has already done a full scan from head to toe on the emerald eyed CIA colleague of hers and she couldn't help but inwardly agree with her spectacular appearance.

She, just as Kushina who couldn't help but clap her hands two times, not caring if it came as loud as a traffic jam during the rush hour in the grave like silence ,knew why Sakura was there like that.

She has been invited as someone's date and she would venture in a wild guess that it was no other than Sasuke the one to be her date, which was already a good start for promising entertainment. The party was plain boring, except for the ridiculous costumes.

"I don't give a flying fuck because she is FUCKING HOT!" It was the most intelligent thing that Suigetsu felt like letting out, but he wouldn't lie. It was painfully obvious, as it was vulgar and lascivious.

"I-Is she Sakura H-Haruno of t-the Sound?" Sure enough, Hinata has heard everything about the famous Sound branch of the CIA's special units and Sakura was emblematic for them.

So the shy Hyuga was just as impatient to meet her, ever since she has learned that the two offices have buried their guns and came together to cooperate. Sure enough, the stories were true and the descriptions about the emerald eyed agent were accurate. "S-She is beautiful." She was. There was no point in denying it. The others nodded twice in agreement like in a trance.

Beside her, Kushina couldn't have agreed more. The jade eyed woman was just as she has imagined her to be. Outstanding. "That girl...knows how to put on a good show."

"Hahaha, so does our brooding friend there. Check him out and note down. With a red mark on the calendar. Uchiha Sasuke, the king of all the glares and the cobblestone hearted bastard of the millennia, who is more of an ice block than the previous Ice Age itself, is star struck. I bet you five hundred that he is going to drop the glass." Suigetsu challenged, suddenly finding his mood to party again. Things got interesting. The last thing he expected was to see Sakura parading in front of a mass of vulnerable people, exposed and looking like she was modeling for Christian Dior.

"I..." Naruto started randomly addressing to no one in particular, probably trying to find his voice again and answer Suigetsu's observation, shifting his eyes from Sakura to his equally mesmerized dark haired friend. "...have _never_ seen Teme so speechless. Never!"

But what truly shocked the Akatsuki gang, including Kushina, Hinata and Suigetsu, was how the fine crystal scotch glass has slid down Sasuke`s hand to the laminated floor, breaking in million pieces and making a piercing sound. Just like Suigetsu has predicted, the Uchiha has dropped his glass the moment his gaze travelled to the dreamy agent.

* * *

/

/

/

* * *

Sasuke was having a very bad time. Being one of the Heads of the darn Organizing Committee, he had to be there three hours prior and he was already bored and pissed off out of his mind.

Not only his colleagues were dumb and couldn't get their tasks right, but the hoards of rabid slutty fangirls were giving him the eye, flirting with him without a shame and that annoyed him to no end, so he was trying his best to keep his cool and not snap.

Of course, that proved to be a quite difficult task to do since the arrival of his deplorable father. He only exchanged a fugitive look followed by a dragged cold greeting, then he took his time to chat with his mother.

Good thing Fugaku has quickly found the company of the imposing Hyuga Hyashi so they were both engaged in what looked like a very important conversation, namely business related stuff. They parted ways with Sasuke telling his father to go die, as polite as he could, since Fugaku started to complain about the poor skills of the Organizing Committee and how displeased about the music, food and choice of beverage he was, indirectly pointing to his son`s lack of imagination and organizing skills.

Mumbling a quick apology to an equally pissed off at her husband`s display of tact, Mikoto, Sasuke promptly stormed in the opposite direction of his father, not wanting to punch him until he saw stars.

So there he was, sipping a glass of scotch alone, as the presence of Naruto and his other friends was driving him equally insane. Seriously, the raven haired Uchiha couldn't begin to understand the imbecile idea of a Masquerade, but after seeing how the majority tried to come up with the most ridiculous costumes, as they were preschoolers, was disgusting, revolting and…he saw Obito Uchiha.

God, his mind was spinning and Sasuke was sure that alcohol was not the main cause of it.

Secretly, he was dying to see a certain emerald eyed lady ,but he was not sure that she was going to honor his invitation and brighten up his foul mood. Would she truly come? Were her feelings strong enough for her to take the risk of being seen with him?

The Mangekyou`s famous CEO was not an artist at romance, as he was not used to such portray of his feelings towards someone he had sincere feelings for, but he hoped his invitation has been suggestive and persuasive enough.

If only Sakura would reveal her stunning presence in front of him in that moment-

Onyx eyes froze in bewilderment when they fell on the stairs, as if they sensed that there was something there waiting for him to respond to the mesmerizing call.

Sakura.

The woman he has been waiting and the lady who was present in his mind around the clock. She was there. She has come. And she was glowing!

Sasuke`s parted lips and unmoving state was the undeniable proof of his astonishment, as he follow her coming down.

He couldn't breathe, move, exist, or remove his sight from the scene, as the people around mirrored his behavior.

* * *

Watching her descend the stairs was similar to watching a ballet show displaying in front of his eyes, in terms of elegance, refinement and precision. She was hardly touching the floor and it was as mesmerizing as watching the sun going down during the pink summer sunset. The ineffable has never been so tempting and the need to lock her into a golden cage and keep her out of the tainted world's eyes, secluded in a place only known by his eyes and heart has never been so ardent to Sasuke.

Every blink of her shimmering unique hued jade almond shaped eyes and every meandering move of her delicate fingers over the spiral railing, was reminding Sasuke of the traditional melodic flute and lutes of Chinese soothing symphonies and the lyrics evoking ancient spirits of nature, eternal happiness and peace of mind.

She was as beautiful as a maiden floating above the imposing corridors and painted red and bright green columns of the Greek temples, and the way she was dominating the way people held their breaths while following her slowly descend the stairs, with such a natural born instinct and joviality, was the most incredible thins that Sasuke has ever seen.

Her skin was as soft as the velvet wings of a Mariposa butterfly, challenging the silk molding material of her dress, in texture, delicacy, pearl like shining and royal fascination.

The fine complexion of her porcelain cheeks, reminiscent to the finest lace embroidery, was elegantly touched by a dust of rose blush, so subtly and flawlessly applied, like the delicate petals of a timid soft poppy in bloom, caressed by the embrace of the summer sun.

She was glowing like a nymph under the moonlight, bathed in its rays, highlighting everything that Mother Nature has so exquisitely created, with the precision of the most skilled jeweler, carving diamonds and rare pearls, as Sakura has never been so radiant like in that moment.

Siren curves made to mesmerize the viewer and generous perfect gifts to captivate the most cobblestone of hearts, were tantalizing the audience. Mother Nature couldn't have been more inspired when creating such an artistic symphony of versatile manners and feminine looks, and her makeup, hairstyle and choice of accessories were all like inspired by pure nature's wonders.

Sakura`s presence was solar and calm, yet, at the same time, she was keeping a studied appearance of the lazy radiance of the lethargic autumn sun rays. The vaporous folds of her silk and fine brocade dress were fluttering like elegant ladybirds' wings, molding down the stairs as she was stepping on them, gracefully.

Her appearance was as angelic and pure as a white dove spreading its wings upon the azure and the snow white dress was wholly embracing her ivory skin, glowing like delicate petals of daisies adorning porcelain.

The Goddess picture of her has never been more untouchable and serene as in that moment, and the charm was contagious. She had every eye on her and every hanging down mouth was due to her unexpected appearance.

It was not because Sakura was not one of the regulars between the guests, but because she was the only one shining brighter than all their glamour combined, while being delicate, discrete, subtle, innocent, lovely and fascinating.

Her hair color was a maddening light caramel, highlighted by subtle shades of pastel pink, in the same hue of the summer pink sky at dawn, mirroring into the calm waters of the vast endless ocean. Her eyes were having a magnificent exquisite sparkle, rivaling the purest jade gemstones in rarity and beauty, both bathed into a flickering candle's warm radiance.

There was golden glitter dust poured over her curled delicate eyelashes, right below the nude pink eye-shadow and the unique excellent executed make-up combination of daring, taunting, luxurious and innocent colors, was giving her an aura which was so noble and defined, as if she held the stunning shades of the rarest butterfly's wings trapped into her features.

Everything about her was perfection beyond comprehensive words. The lipstick in the passionate color of the wine gave her just the right amount of high class refined and studied elegance, appropriate for such a former Banquet, but at the same time, brought up the unique suave features and natural alluring and feminine sensuality of her heart shaped full lips and they were automatically sending a subtle silent invitation to fantasize about wistful kisses and savage unconditional passion.

And one must have been blind to miss the expertly executed French manicure, in a translucent pearl rose shade of the nail polish, while her lean slim fingertips were barely brushing the golden metal spiral railing in her way down.

She wore a pair of shimmering gold encrusted bright green diamonds armlets bracelets, decorating the elegant mother-of-pearl skin of her forearms, all adding to the royal way she was keeping her posture straight and her shoulders lean and elegant, masterfully completing her swan delicate fairytale allure.

Sakura was picturesque up to the finest detail, embodying the perfection of womanly shapes, delicacy and the longing aspiration for the ineffable has never been so ardent for a suddenly getting thirsty for coral pearl marble skin, heavenly peaches and honey like nectar that her innocent lips of her tasted like, astonished Uchiha.

And oh, how much he wanted to get lost into her embrace right in the moment she so subtly, almost unnoticed, but so skillfully and accurately shown in the context, elevated her chin for a bit and, having just the right dosage of cockiness and refinement, letting a ghost of a smirk grace her beaming features, as if she was letting everyone know that, not only she was more than worthy to be standing among the people following her every move hungrily, but she was outshining every and each of them in the most high class way possible and deep inside, Sasuke`s heart fueled with a sudden surge of pride at the figment of her being there for _him_, as _his _lady and courtesy of _his_ invitation.

* * *

And damn right his mother couldn't have chosen a more appropriate attire to bring out the goddess inside her. _Athena...the Goddess of wisdom and inspiration._ The irony of it was the fact that Sasuke could have truly spotted the aura of a deity inside her. Something heavenly to match the unadulterated fragile spirit inside her was calling for his every pore and the raven haired enchanted man found it impossible to resist the fascination any longer.

And truth to be told, he didn't even want to resist her anymore and never in his life did Sasuke feel so willing to succumb to his desires like in that moment or any moment from there on. It has been just like he has always suspected ever since she first cross his path: their encounter has _not_ been at random at all.

Past longing memories of another passing time have been flooding his already clouded mind.

Skin, like the purest virgin snow shimmering like million tiny crystal particles beneath the moon's mystical rays, adding to the already ethereal picture and the silk expensive material of her gown, in the same shade as her complexion, rightfully touching her frame like a second skin, was making everyone wonder whether she truly grew wings and she was, in fact, floating over the stairs, instead of touching the ground.

Truth to be told, Sakura seemed like she was barely touching the crimson wool carpet and her toes in the Roman sandals she wore, were dancing on the stairs, as she was playfully tiptoeing over them, in a playful innocent way, reminding of the famous paintings of unadulterated angels twirling and running carefree in the Eden's Garden.

Long manicured nails were drumming on the railway, elegantly, seductively and alluring, like summer rain drops dancing playfully on the window. She had the delicacy, grace and mystical beauty of an Egyptian cat and the feline's dramatic long and slim features make it impossible for the stunned raven haired Uchiha to tear his eyes away from her. But he couldn't help it.

And he couldn't also prevent the soothing tender memories of the past that once belonged to him to invade his mind. Figments about a very special _her_. She, who was advancing towards him like a phantom of an ancient glorious dream of an ancient era, has been returned to where it originated from. She has been _reunited _with him. Fate was returning him what has been lost.

_Her._

Sasuke had no idea of how or why was he tested by such thoughts, but he was certain that, as a result of a twisted ironic game of fate, he and Sakura have had a fortunate encounter somewhere, at some moment, in time.

And if every bit of information that he has been came across during his existence was not being a valid enough proof to confirm Sakura's rightful place beside him, then the smile she gave him the moment her eternal confident emerald eyes blinked once and bowed in shyness and innocence was more than enough to break the once impenetrable granite around his heart in half. Something...powerful. It was everything his mind was able to perceive in that moment. And for Sasuke..._everything_ that _had a meaning _fought to come to light.

For a moment, his consciousness slipped into a faraway time and an ancient forgotten place he knew, but never seen before and his temples were enveloped in sudden lightning bolts. Good thing he was close to one of the tables, so he could support himself on the hard edge with his available hand.

The other one flew on his forehead. What was going on? That was no migraine or an attack and certainly he was not _that_ stunned to see her, like the morons around him. That was definitely a scotch glass hitting the floor he has just heard...His glass of fine drink.

The stairs got suddenly blurred and changed design and material, the guests lost their _masks_ and gave up on fake smiles, the chandeliers turned into torches and Sakura...he blinked twice so as to convince himself that he was, indeed, trapped into a flashback and he hasn't -still- lost his mind. She was still herself, only...she was not exactly like the one he was used to.

Her rose velvet skin was slightly tanned, like rich caramel, her hair was neatly but playfully kept in a high ponytail, decorated with beaming various gemstones in all the colors of the sun, sand and marble, and her clothes were a luxurious display of exotic shades, in a hazy combination with her oriental beauty.

But what shocked Sasuke for real was the look in her eyes and the smile directed towards him and him only. By all the Heavens, it was the same gentle loving look Sakura always had. And when he let his eyes fall on his own attire, he understood the reason why he felt his heart burst out of his ribs cage of happiness.

They were...

* * *

A deja vu.

It was not just a funny distant random thought, with no related meaning. It was a _memory_ of the two of them living their happiest day together. That was the Sakura of his past. He came into his senses two seconds later, when she almost reached the base of the stairs, clearly heading towards the rooted in place him.

He was able to see the moment when she has become his wife, because the two scenes were shockingly similar. It was not the idea of him becoming his husband the one to make him anxious, but the way those kinds of memories have suddenly grown in number, all overlapping with his present time, blending almost perfectly.

Another existence threatened to come to life and take over and Sasuke was not sure if that was such a bad thing. Because he was certain that nothing could have been worse than what he has experienced so far.

Until she came to throw him into a windmill of experiences.

To show the real face of a him he brutally shoved away into the most secluded confinements of his conscience.

And Sasuke knew it was no coincidence. Something was about to happen. It was like a premonition he couldn't ignore anymore. Along with him rediscovering a long lost woman who, apparently, has been his, came the danger that was lurking from the shadows.

Charcoal eyes returned to an approaching him Sakura, roaming over her slim gazelle ankles, which were gracefully decorated with golden straps of her sandals, in a perfect gleaming shade to emphasize the unblemished skin underneath and the long dress was sensually rippling over her long calves, letting enough room for the vivid imagination to be tantalized by the graceful shapes she possessed.

She was one of the few madams present who ventured to choose not to wear high heels, but it was not like any other accessories could have complement the already ethereal looks any better.

In fact, everything that the emerald eyed lady wore and the way she added the subtle small details to make a difference was oozing gentility and good taste, because Sakura, unlike many other representatives of her gender, knew the boundaries between classy and cheap.

Nothing she wore was too much and the right dosage and balance between extremely feminine, tasteful and alluringly sexy was driving Sasuke crazy with each passing moment.

With all the self-control he possessed, he just could not tear his getting hungry stunned onyx eyes away from her. It was like following a shooting star entering the Earth's atmosphere. No matter how great the need to turn around would have been, the fascination to see where it landed in a million particles of small miracles or vanish before it hit the surface, was too great to resist.

She was keeping her virtue and modesty, with a fine noblesse worth of a man's of his status and Sasuke couldn't have felt anymore prideful watching her getting nearer.

He knew she saw him, because even though she acted accordingly to the etiquette and refrained from having excessive manners and gestures, her body language assured him that she was barely containing a large smile to take over her features, with every single meter she cut from the distance separating them, and it was not only incredibly uplifting and a true oasis to fuel his ego, but funny in such an innocent manner as well.

Being with Sakura was as natural and suave as a mother shielding a crying newborn into her protective arms. It was the sole thing Sasuke had that was not a sin and the sole thing he would unconditionally repent for, was that he was tainting the cherry blossom by keeping her committed to him, although hearing the ardent words bursting right from the bottom of her heart, was making it impossible for him to let her go.

For some twisted work of destiny, Sakura _wanted_ him and chose to be with him, unconditionally, going as far as to give herself to him, even if he kept on lying to her.

* * *

As she was stepping on the last remaining stairs, his mesmerized irises automatically and hypnotically stood glued to the white long dress, following the way it was hugging her delicate curves like a second skin, in all the right places, with a longer backside rippling upon the stairs as it was barely and sensually brushing them, like the gentle fluttering of a swan's wings, touching the water's surface.

The ample folds were embracing her long slim concealed toned legs, as she descended and the waives of the smooth fabric was making the lady wear a fascinating noblesse and exotic enrapture, as a reminder of the once worshipped glorious ancient divinities, whose imposing replicas lied carved in marble and mosaic in the Greek and Roman temples, entrapping their power and beauty in time, for eternity.

Knowing Sakura's character and watching her get in the role she was trying to portray, she couldn't have been impersonating a more proper character. Sasuke knew his mother was brilliant when it came to reading characters and guessing their inner soul, after all, it was a trait he also possessed as a gift of inheritance from her, but, seriously, it was almost surreal how much she came close to the woman present into his dreams and flashbacks.

Was there something more to Sakura that he has not seen, but it was ridiculously obvious for the others? The Uchiha heir wondered, while he felt his pulse accelerate, as the stunning girl was parading on the stairs, taking her time, so as to let everyone admire, but not touch.

She knew how to put on a show and torture the going lustful men's around her minds and fuel the other lady's jealousy, which was for sure. And boy, wasn't it a major turn on for one certain midnight haired Uchiha as well.

A sharp mask was resting above her nose, perfectly framing her oval shaped face and delicate rosy cheeks, in a fitting for her feminine features almond shape, emphasizing her cat like eyes, visible underneath and the fact that she has applied a dramatic kohl black eyeliner, bringing in their unique contour and dusted a golden glitter mascara on her long rich lashes, was making the jade irises sparkle and stand out even more, brightening up her beautiful features.

Semiprecious gems in the same rich hue of joyful jade as her orbs and red rubies were decorating the upper part of the pearl white mask, where the eyebrows were supposed to be and the tiny glitter smaller Swarovski crystals were radiating under the chandelier's warm light.

Four pastel pink colored feathers, of different shades and lengths attached to the right side of the mask, starting from the corner of the right eye were brushing the shell of her ear and mocha longer strands of hair, as she moved, and the elegance and the touch of sensual appearance only added to the mysterious and intangible aura she radiated.

Again, Sasuke`s stare flew on the daring bright passionate red as she smiled softly, because it was giving her heart shaped full lips a refined and studied sensuality and feminine allurement, in the right dosage, so as to break the boundaries of the ineffable she was portraying, by wearing the angelic colors of innocence and purity and it gave her a more mature refinement, suitable for a formal party, populated by the cream of the society, in perfect accordance to the etiquette and Sasuke realized that her choice of conduct has not been at all random.

His once pink haired lady knew _exactly_ what she was doing like she had been well instructed beforehand, but she has already confessed to him that she came nowhere near the lowest class, so that didn't shocked him any longer.

Then her soft moist lips parted in a large mesmerizing smile, reminiscent to the gentle petals of a lotus flower in bloom. By all the Heavens, she was iconic in all her splendor, like a Gioconda among the inestimable portraits in the world's most reputed Arts Galleries and Sasuke felt like he was hyperventilating. Her beauty and the need to touch her and make sure she was not the sweetest and most cruel mirage has never been more suffocating and ardent.

Sakura`s sharp curves, her blazing eyes, wild, untamed, dominant and sensual like an amazon's, rivaling Mother Nature's most sumptuous radiating vivid forest green in color and fascination, but mild, shapes and gentle like virgin snowflakes lines, rivaling Venus, the goddess of love and ethereal beauty, in feminine charms and idyllic womanhood, were all driving him absolutely insane.

His own lips parted as his orbs were as wide as his fascination for her was growing to its apogee, never once removing his gaze from the Sound agent. The emerald eyed masked lady has managed to demolish everything about the modern divas on the high society, with a single brush of her perfect French manicured nails over the railing and a studied flutter of her impossibly long eyelashes, while she scanned her surrounding, in search for something...or someone.

And when she found what her eager eyes were longing to see, the spark in her stare was able to keep the sacred flames of Athena's fire burning for eternity. The moment she saw him.

And the perplexed crowd has simultaneously followed her lead like spell, while not being all that much surprised by her choice. Who could have been more fitting-and predictable-to be that siren's company, other than the Uchiha heir himself?

What was a pleasant change in the scenery was the well knowing mouthwatering smirk blooming on his fine lips, the moment his gaze connected to hers. Usually, he had but two emotions playing on his stoic face, while participating in public gatherings, and they were extreme boredom or blazing fury. It all depended on how talented the people around him were to stir any of those two reactions inside him.

But never _enchantment._ Never in his life has anyone seen Sasuke being _pleased_ to see something occurring in front of him, like in that moment. No one could have blamed him for allowing his walls to shake, because the girl was totally worth it.

* * *

Little did he know that the enchanting beauty was thinking the same about his appearance.

As far as she was concerned, Sakura had her own share of exhilaration when her eyes landed on the man she was looking for and finding Sasuke Uchiha in the crowd, be it a high class select reception or the streets, was the easiest thing to do. The unmistakable refinement, the elegance of his composed attitude, the power he possessed or the entrapping unmatched extraordinary handsomeness, were all qualities that made him practically stand out.

She was feeling like candidly floating over star dust, while fighting to keep herself composed and not give in to her getting weaker and weaker trembling knees, at the sight of the charcoal eyed man she has come to be with. In front of her, stood the sweetest rapture of all her unshared fantasies. He looked that amazing!

In fact, the image of him nonchalantly holding a glass of whatever he was drinking in between his fingers, with a bored, almost arrogant, superior nonchalance and superiority, was a fascinating by definition.

Nobility and elegance have never looked more royal-blood on anyone. The way he looked clad in his striking navy and lacquer black suit, like the embodiment of manly refinement and fine taste of luxury , screaming royalty through every of his gestures, was maddening, and the crescendo rhythm of her trembling heart let Sakura know that she was caged into his alluring dance, passing the point of no return, all so willingly.

He was unpredictable and strong as the crystal sand particles of the hot desert and suddenly Sakura had a vision of him in another, more exuberant and exotic context. An imposing nobility coming from the ancient Egypt, with impetuous fine linen, silk and wool clothes, in the regal color of the sumptuous marble and bronze decorated palaces, golden sewing, peacock and bird-of-paradise feathers, sewed in gold and rubies vaporous mantles, expensive jewelry reflecting the sun rays and masterful perfect angles and lines of his features shining like tiny dew drops on the exotic Egypt luxuriant trees` luscious leaves and charcoal irises in the dramatic rich shade of black olives, all placing him in a once glorified ancient era, like he belonged to Scheherazade's stories.

As she was getting closer and closer to the man of her dreams, Sakura could clearly make up the way the warm light of the chandeliers was emphasizing the subtle hued blue locks curling upwards in that distinctive way she adored, the sound of his clear rich voice blending with the elegant music playing in the background, the fresh summer ocean and salty touch of his perfume, sprayed upon his pulse, the smooth unblemished marble skin of his cool face and the pearl shiny teeth whenever he tantalized her with a smart cocky line was challenging every top male model or royalty in allure, attitude, appearance and elegance.

It was almost surreal for Sakura the instinctive fine manners he had in still managing to be so masculine, while portraying such tactful and elegant refined manners. Sakura was well aware that he was deadly, but charming.

And suddenly, the emerald eyed Sound agent found herself craving for gentle caresses, fugitive gazes, innocent intertwining of fingers and angelic beams, like she has found herself back into the mountains, trapped into his arms. It was the sweetest memory she had, without one where she hated or blamed on herself.

As stupid and outrageous the things she has done since they met might have been, everything she did with Sasuke brought her no remorse, only happiness. She was happy and it felt amazing to be able to perceive such suave emotions so ardently.

She began to nurture new emotions, believe in something real and it was turning into something beautiful. Who was that mysterious Sasuke Uchiha? She wondered. He had everything and once told her he would give her anything and suddenly she felt richer, and she was not thinking about anything material.

So selflessly, the pink haired lady found herself wanting to let him show her his own way and she would follow, no matter what kind of secret he might have concealed in the darkness of his shadow. Like she was anything better.

What was truly ingenuous was how they managed to wordlessly choose the midway and fall into steps together, with a destination unknown. Lorane or anyone might ruin whatever fragile bud they were shielding, but for the moment, she had the world and the world was staring at her with all the vanity their jealous and envy eyes could muster. She would have liked to laugh at the way women around, clad in all the finest, most exclusive expensive jewelry, embroidery and luxury linen, who were failing in hiding their ugly greedy libidinous desires and rapacious souls, behind the shiny craft* masks they were gripping, at the way they were burning holes down her skull because of her audacity to display herself in the company of a man who half of the planet would have killed to have, like she belonged there.

It gave Sakura a sense of both fulfillment and a cocky arrogance, because little did they know that it was her rightful place. And if Akatsuki`s dumbfounded faces-she saw them from the first time she descended the final stares and she was laughing like a mad clown on the inside, or the jealous eyes on her were not making her pride ascend on her luscious seductive lips, then her presenting _his_ invitation to the security at the entrance successfully did the job.

She spent so many precious moments squealing in the mirror before she called for a cab, when she read his name in silver italic letters on the inside of the sepia paper. She must have gone completely insane, the jade eyed agent was positive. But she couldn't care less. If Uzumaki Karin and her older counterpart, Anko, have managed to live that long, being completely nuts, than she was safe. Not to mention Hidan!

She wanted something else. Something more. She felt different into his arms, like he was slowly changing her and it was not a scary thought for the Sound agent.

What was that mysterious warm tingling sensation, like the gentlest flutter of a dragonfly's silk wings, that she was experiencing every time Sasuke held her hand, like in that moment? It was so addictive and comprised more wonders than a genie's magic lamp: protection, security, comfort and support. He had it all.

And his eyes...their intensity was numbing, provocative, mind blowing and it stole Sakura's breath away, as they were beautiful beyond belief, like every part of him. It was a perfect complementing part of his amazing looks.

God, he was simply gorgeous in that moment, dressed like he was, acting like he did and locking his gaze with her like it was magic. Irresistible. Her throat slowly went dry and her grip on his hand involuntarily tightened.

She couldn't remember the moment when she has been surged with such an untamed happiness and she wanted nothing more than to embrace him tightly until she melted all the existing distance between them and lose herself into a joy without borders, like there was no curious eye on them to witness.

Suddenly, Sakura has been washed by the ardent need to experience the simplest of world's smallest, yet so significant miracles, such as letting her hair loose, throwing her head backwards and laugh at the content of her heart, like she has been caressed with all the light of the sun.

She was that happy to be watched by the man she couldn't keep her eyes away from in a way that made her heart burst in billion tiny fireflies and envelop her slightly trembling skin in a radiating happiness, like she never felt before.

She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she could watch as he was just as stunned to see her. Looking at her like she mattered. Like they were real. It was real and it was happening and the emotion was getting unbearable.

Sasuke was sinfully alluring, mysterious, dark and sensual, like a windmill and he brought with his ardent passion a windmill of exhilarant sensations with his raven locks brushing over his long eyelashes, like polished lacquer brushing lace.

For the first time since she has been by his side, Sakura felt like she belonged there as she has earned her right to stay by his aide. The last thing in the world was for her to embarrass the sole Mangekyou CEO and spoil the image of a perfect him, that he arrived to keep through skill and wisdom by himself, with an unworthy presence. She felt a winner as both a woman and a lover-far from her the idea of her CIA identity.

She was surprised in a positive way by his serene playfulness, even though Sakura knew how bad she was attracted by the rebel side of his stoic character. She got a good insight of his other face, the one he kept hidden from the world, and unveiling so many sides of her gave Sakura a choice of how much of a complex and complicated character Sasuke was, but it only added to the main reason why she liked him that much.

Seeing how he could swiftly and nonchalantly act like an upper class and at the same time, outshine them with a more refined gracefulness in his demeanor and expressiveness of gestures, was a huge magnet. And a quick peek around assured Sakura that she was definitely not the only female around to respond so eagerly to his natural charm.

She more than lift her chin arrogantly, yet elegantly at the going green of envy ladies around, whose disappointment of losing their chances to be Sasuke`s next plaything, was palpable. Yeah, she was having so much fun. Yet, nothing was funnier than Akatsuki`s faces -and Naruto's costume. She had a hard time stifling her hysterical laughter. If Karin would have been there, Sakura knew they would have both been down rolling on the floor. Yet, she has spotted some unfamiliar faces among the CIA group and one particular stunning young lady attracted her attention.

The emerald eyed Sound member has appreciated the many qualities Sasuke had, but there was a peculiar one that she liked about him and that was his reserved and polite way of showing how much he liked something, because his stare on her was not making Sakura feel uncomfortable. He never did and she realized that it was noting his attitude. Education was visible in everything that Sasuke did. And so was his demeanor when she finally came to stand one step far from him, as the caressing music kept on playing the rhythm of their thumping hearts.

* * *

"You have made me wait quite a long time for you, Sakura. But...it was worth it."

"Why? Missed me?" She tried smartly, deciding to play his game. A game she came to enjoy and adore. It was part of the interesting relationship they had and added to its spiciness.

And his honest reserved answer stirred the fluttering of her heart even further, doubled by his deep black sapphire orbs, all set on her. "You have no idea." His sensual bass voice was slowly sending musical rolls down her spine, making her shudder.

Courtesy to her more experienced in the art of relationships, Karin, Sakura has come to realize that the taste of the handpicking of the elegant classy dress was the gentle Mikoto's doing, and it couldn't have brought Sakura more fulfillment, than to know she had the Uchiha matriarch's appreciation. "Thank you. For inviting me here, that is. And your way was very original. "Don't forget to thank your mother for her tasteful choice." She smirked at his brief surprise, while his hands found her slim waist and right palm, both starting to move along the melody, as some couples around were doing, both trapped into each other's fascination.

Somehow she felt she could connect to Sasuke`s world better and even fit in. Plus, there was an eloquent way in Sasuke`s mother's words, that made Sakura feel close to how a mother would soothe her tenderly and the woman has been approving and kind to her. She didn't judge nor has she been critique. Mikoto was wise and sharp, like her two sons -Itachi had his fair share of personal accomplishment and wisdom.

"Hn...the note is original." She would probably never l know, but Sasuke was kind of impatient -thus it was not his style- and quite anxious over the fact that Sakura might have a change of heart and not accept his feelings which came along with his Ball invitation , but the pleasant pinkette has not disappointed him. He trusted her, he really did. "You are full of surprises lately."

"Let's say I feel inspired."

"Have you found yourself a muse?" The lady was sharp and always had a smart retort to keep up the pace.

"No." He spun her around in a graceful pirouette, while the silk soft _blanca_ folds of her silk dress have followed her sensual hip's movement, in a mesmerizing flutter, like an exquisite crane`s ample wings, then brought her back flush to his chest, while his hand immediately found her rounded hip bone, flawlessly following the sensual waltz. "But a Goddess has found me." The onyx eyed Uchiha found himself to be very poetic.

"Maybe she has always been looking for you." She hit the nail in the head unconsciously, making Sasuke`s pupils dilate. He started to suspect that maybe Sakura somehow felt the same as him or even had the same feeling that their history might have had an unexpected beginning. Should he ask her, or...

"Then maybe I have always waited for her."

"This is not like you...to open up this much while being in public." She was right, Sasuke knew, but frankly he didn't care in the bit. All his life he lived for appearances and for being complacent or follow rules he didn't even agree with.

So there has been nothing wrong with experiencing other moods. It was not like he was obliged to entertain them, nor did he own them anything.

"And I could say that it is quite suspicious the natural way you follow the etiquette."

The moment he saw Sakura lower her stare from his visibly guilty and ashamed gaze, he immediately regretted that he has so bluntly brought up such a subject, so he tenderly slipped his digits down her chin, not permitting her to feel remorseful towards her past and secrets.

It was a mutual understanding. Their own bond was based on that particular secret. A true test to strengthen their link, so she would not take the blame upon her. "Sasuke-"

"Shhh, don't worry. I know what you want." Small slim fingers folded upon his wrist, keeping Sasuke`s hand upon her jaw and chin, like she accepted his silent apology. And when she rewarded him with a gorgeous smile to match the mysterious Mediterranean fresh look of her mask and porcelain skin, the raven haired Uchiha felt a queasy stir on his chest, right above his heart. A powerful emotion that was reminding him of the times he too used to have feelings. Others than bitterness, regret and major disappointment.

"Right now, I have what I want. I am so happy." For Sakura, Sasuke was like a gentle summer rain, cooling down her burning hot skin, in such a soothing and relaxing manner.

She leaned her ear on his chest, clearly perceiving his heartbeat thumping on her eardrum, and the emerald eyed lady could clearly hear the peculiar rhythm of his heartbeat, like an orchestra of sad violins and energetic crescendo contrabass and flutes, in a sweet symphony of happiness. Such a distinctive amalgamation of inner emotions coming for someone distinguished for his icicle like sharp character was making Sakura's own ecstatic heart rate escalade to an infinity of new outcomes and possibilities.

She had another choice. She was not bound to follow anyone and the mere thought of her being able to orchestrate the ending of her own fairytale, and dream her own dreams, was filling her sparkling jadeite eyes with joy and _hope_.

More than her mission, CIA or Lorane and beyond her hopeless obscure past self, in that moment, she got everything and it was all within her reach. She only had to lift her hands and grab it, hold it dearly, lock it securely into the chest of wonders within her heart and never let go.

_'Are we all wearing masks? / hiding our faces from the world like now? Because I have faith that you...will always recognize me, Sasuke.' in a sea of souls wearing masks..._

"Because you are here?"

"Because I am with you...I mean...as an escort...or...whatever I...we...are...and for this I am glad. Whatever little chance to spend time with you I might have, I will take it." She had no idea where those words were coming from or if she had the backbone to back them up, but Sakura felt like she had no control over her reasoning.

Those confessions were coming out of her own accord and she knew she made no sense. But that experience she was living was overwhelming, and not because she wasn't used to such banquets -no one was beating anyone yet, which was uncommon- but because she had a man to _date_. A thing that was completely foreign to someone who has always been alone, rejected and cursed. She felt both powerful and shy.

And that asked for a frown coming from Sasuke who wouldn't allow her to feel less than a Queen-his queen. "You make it sound like a onetime occurrence."

Yes, he was not used to compliment ladies or whisper tender words they craved to hear down their ears, but surely enough his feelings couldn't have been so weak and lacking power of persuasion, could they? It was definitely not in Sasuke`s intention to make her feel less than special, hell no!

* * *

"This was not in my intention to offend-"

But Sasuke -like always- was very receptive and was not lacking intuition and that was why the young Uchiha didn't let the Sound agent ask for forgiveness for a thing she hasn't done. "You don't have to feel like a one night stand. This is not the image of you I want to present the world."

"I know that. You have never given me any reasons to be embarrassed. They don't know about us." And Sakura was more than content to keep it a secret. The more the others knew, the less their chances of a charming peaceful lazy romance they had. Secrecy and being discreet* was as valuable as gold in their society.

But Sasuke managed to awe her again with a smart daring response to their prejudices, for once again. "...then let them know." He said it so calmly and eagerly, as if there has been no trace of doubt in his thoughts or feelings. Words that Sakura has never known that she hoped to hear so dearly, flew out of his mouth like gentle wind blowing in the sails of the ships.

"...what are you talking about?"

"Be with me." She stopped dancing, moving, breathing, seeing as senses took over her fogged reason. "Drop the act and _go out _with me."

"Are you seriously asking me to...date you?" Sakura was not a religious person by default, but she was praying to all the Heavens for it to not be a cruel dream she would wake up alone and empty as a broken shell from, losing her gleam and leaving to break in the sand. She would not be able to take such a blow.

Her astonished, but hopeful forest green eyes were widened and searching for any trace of doubt in Sasuke`s pearl black ones. She found none. He was dead serious and it only accelerated her racing pulse even further.

"You can accept it or not. I will not judge you." As if sensing her distress and mistrust, the onyx eyed Uchiha assured her that he would give the rose haired lady enough room to decide, without feeling pressured or intimidated to accept it. And that was the reason why he chose that manner to invite her to the party. Consequently, he went on. "I have already told you I will give you everything I have. But I won't force you into anything. If you don't feel the same, then-"

As far as she was concerned, Sakura wanted to shout it out loud, to jump, make a thumping*, kiss everyone around and spread flowers or take a brush and paint rainbows and unicorns, because she felt like she will not be able to contain her happiness for long.

What was Sasuke talking about and how could he have thought that she will refuse him, she wondered. "How come I feel like crying, if all I want is to jump and happy dance?" Who in her right mind would refuse a man like Sasuke Uchiha?

Sasuke gave her a sexy smirk that left her out of breath. "You can do _whatever _you want." The dark forbidden desire melt Sakura's knees and she was aware she was averting her eyes like a school girl confessing to her first crush, receiving daisies and white chocolate.

Still being trapped under the haziness of being asked to be Sasuke`s girlfriend -she couldn't stop her inner to chant it over and over again in amazement- the emerald eyed agent couldn't refrain herself from asking.

"Do you...like me, Sasuke?" She was aware of the fact that it was an idiotic thing to ask, since no one forced him to ask her to date him, but her skeptical CIA agent side butt in, unfortunately.

He would have loved to show her exactly how much, but all the bothersome eyes on them prevented Sasuke to plunge his tongue down her mouth and show her the real meaning of a French Kiss, albeit he chose to just discreetly and subtly tighten his hold around her waist, letting his palm slide down to her lower small back.

"...I do like you, Sakura. A _lot_." He truly did. It was a fact he grew to gladly accep and Sasuke found himself admitting it without feeling anything to make him hold back. Not even his cautious side. And he did nothing on a whim, or before taking into account every single possibility, analyzing it up to the finest detail.

"I don't know much about this since I am...ahm...like my nuts friend says...a hopeless eternal fool...but...I keep on thinking about you. I know it sounds creepy, but I miss you every day when you are gone."

She was honest and Sakura was well aware that she was present on his mind as well, either ways he wouldn't have called her daily at least once, using lame excuses such as bringing him food -Mangekyou`s cafeteria was rivaling Ramada's or Hilton's restaurants- or bring him documents he forgot in his room or office.

"Don't miss me." He boldly leaned in and glued his high chin on his new girlfriend's forehead, feeling half of his worries magically lift from his shoulders. It was the first time in his life when he asked a woman to be more than a one night stand and truly meant it. "Because you can have _me _whenever."

"...even later on?" She challenged, trying her best to refrain from any excessive gesture, as the cautious agent was well aware of the fact that they were being closely watched. On the other hand, seeing Sasuke looking like he was the image of world's most luxury brands and feeling his mouthwatering physique radiating of pure strength and indulging heat, she couldn't stop herself for getting turned on. Moreover, she knew all too well how skilled, meticulous and passionate he could be, so her excitement only grew tenfold.

"Your friend is wrong. You are not inexperienced." The onyx eyed Uchiha found himself thankful for such a real lady-not high class slut-because her gestures were pure, not invasive, shy and curious, but extremely tender, and the desire to protect her, knocked to his dominative and possessive side. "And I will make sure you will not even be able to scream it, when I am finished." Inwardly, Sasuke has already made up his mind to not allow any of them have a restful night. His wicked inner beast was already growling in excitement thinking of how he would tear that dress in half and fill her with his need and desire.

"Sasuke..."

"You have no idea what you are doing to me in that dress, Sakura." He whispered hotly, letting his gaze scout their surroundings once, smoothly and expertly maneuvering both as the music came close to the chorus.

Although, there was something at the back of his mind, ringing the bells of his caution and intuition loudly, because Sasuke swore that something was odd in the air. And it was not the usual cheap false atmosphere. And definitely not his father's fierce eyes glaring daggers down his skull.

He threw him a quick arrogant smirk making Fugaku turn around and head towards the bar, accompanied by what he recognized to be Neji's uncle, Hyashi, the Hyuga magnate and another dude with a striking long blonde ponytail who he recognized to be the owner of the Yamanaka Group.

"You are very hot yourself. Every woman is ready to tear me to shreds for being so close to you."

"If anyone wants to touch my girlfriend, then they have to face me first." Silently, he would have liked to added that it didn't matter who that might be but if they went as far as to mess with what was his, Sasuke was unleashed like a puma and just as predatory. The image of Sakura hurt and hospitalized was something he didn't want to see ever again.

"Your girlfriend...Am I your girlfriend? As in...officially?"

"Aa."

"I like how this sounds." Elegantly so as to be careful not to ruin their rhythm, the Sound agent leaned into his arms, until her forehead was brushing his left shoulder, resting her cheek above his heart, where she could conceal an honest joyful smile from the curious eyes. And she felt a familiar queasy flutter ascend towards her chest, like it happened whenever she was able to decipher a phantom of emotion coming from his body language.

So she shut down the music in the background and focused on hearing the melodic crescendo beat of the young Uchiha`s heart, which was lulling her eardrum like thousand Greek hymns and harps solfeggio, coming to life in the hands of the virtuous Orpheus. Nowhere else was Sakura able to feel like walking on the Eden Gardens, like she did into his arms.

* * *

'_Please let this be more than a dream.'_

_'Dreams where I am yours and you are meant to be mine.' _"Say it again."

"Want me to go and sing it for you instead?"

"Would you?"

"For you? Anything." Seriously, she just had to ask and Sasuke was ready to jump into fire for her if her desires would have been such.

"If you don't mind, when we get home." Sakura leaned her chin on the junction of his neck and shoulder, inhaling his mesmerizing scent deeply, while both were slowly moving as the melody was coming to an end, on their own rhythm.

She has been deeply impressed by his voice and guitar skills and honestly, she did want to lay in his arms while he sang only for her. "I am selfish, but I want it to be only mine. I don't want to share it with the others."

"Hn. How possessive."

"Only with what belongs to me." The Sound agent mentally committed suicide when she realized what she has said. Sure, they had a start and it promised to be a rollercoaster of experiences, but it didn't mean she had a total claim on Sasuke.

She wished she had it though. She has grown to realize who Sasuke was as a social figure standing by his side automatically gave her wings. "Does it bother you?"

"To be owned by you?" He raised an eyebrow amused, looking down at the once rose haired woman, following how the cat like mask was framing her big almond shaped emerald eyes and the fine high curled line of her eyebrows.

"Feel free to possess me, Sakura." The little vixen, clad in cherub clothes was slowly but surely turning him on and she was doing it unconsciously. He truly wished to ravage her right on the table that was some meters far from them. He felt bile raise his throat. It was full of sweets.

"I would love to." They both pulled apart reluctantly when the song stopped, allowing the live orchestra to have a short break. Sakura immediately slipped a hand under Sasuke`s arm, claiming her place on his side.

She felt like coming back from Nirvana, landing straight to Las Vegas. She should take her time to laugh at their costumes. Then her eyes cast on the Akatsuki, where she got a thumb up from Ten Ten and she swore that Suigetsu was whistling.

"Come on." Sasuke started to head in the opposite direction making Sakura follow. Maybe he saw her smile and nod at Ten Ten in what she recognized to be a silent woman to woman agreement. "We have given them enough to gossip about."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Where would you like? The rooftop? Elevator? The closet? The back seat of my car? Or the boring stuff, like the dressing rooms or the back yard?"

"Surprise me."

"Maybe later. I suppose you will not say no to something sweet." The playful Uchiha shot a smirk at the way Sakura's eyes beamed with joy. Like a child, she was. He knew she was a sugar addicted. And that was why he indeed decided to surprise her.

"Do they have Tiramisu?" Sakura immediately felt her heart rumble. Sasuke and Tiramisu in a single day was as taking Orient Express to Heaven. "Oh, they do!" It didn't matter whether she was supposed to play the role of a classy woman or not, because the moment she set her eyes on the said cakes, she saw nothing but coffee and mascarpone filling.

"How come? I thought they would only serve expensive plastic dishes and ridiculously expensive liquor! This is how it usually works."

"Usually?" Sasuke couldn't stop himself from asking. So definitely that was not her first contact with a high-class party, dishes and people. That was obvious. The secrecy around her was killing him. It was intriguing like a spider's net.

"You know it as well." But he forgot how smart she was. Did she suddenly seem more confident as well, or was the mighty Uchiha heir competing with Tiramisu? "Anyways, I am glad they have this. Usually, the most you can find is coconut Belgian chocolate from the fountain, but is loaded with saturated fats and oil."

"I do. And this is why I asked them to serve Tiramisu." He stated casually, while Sakura was feeding from the cake. He snorted once when she scoffed at the idea that she couldn't take a large serving, because the etiquette said otherwise.

"...you mean...you did it because-"

"Because I know you like it. Enjoy. I drove three VIPs insane by giving up on _Tikka Masala_." And it was worth it. Sasuke could clearly remember the two men's angered ugly faces when they realized that their favorite dishes were not on the menu. They threatened to not participate and even sue the Organizing Committee. Pure entertainment.

"...Sasuke, I can't believe you did this for me! And you weren't even sure whether I would accept your invitation or not! Or you did? You are so full of yourself." Sakura didn't know whether to feel taken granted for or deeply moved. Sasuke went as far as to order something especially for her. She knew how difficult it was to organize such events and request a particular dish or song or even the table arrangements. Tobirama has never succeeded in having Bavarian Sausages to any of their parties and he was a CIA leader!

It took Sasuke a moment to speak out his mind. "If you wouldn't have come, then there would have been no reason for me to be here." Many things have changed in his life since Sakura has come to work for him and it was not entirely related to her.

"You are insane! Thank you. I can now die in peace." She took her time to take small bits of the cake, allowing the sweet rich taste of ladyfingers, strong coffee creamy cheese melt into her mouth. "This is Heaven!" And she was not talking about the cake. If only Lorane would not ruin their fun-again-it would have been the happiest day of Sakura's life.

"What is the matter?"

"I don't know...no one has ever done something like this for me before. It feels..._special_." And it was. If Sakura was not able to stop herself from smiling and blushing like the helplessly in love idiot she was, was because that the joy she felt was on par with the hope she recognized as blooming inside her when she met Orochimaru, her protector.

She wished she could tell Sasuke about him so much, but that was out of question for the moment. Maybe she should try to imply or refer to him vaguely. Sasuke would understand and not push her further than she wanted. He proved it to her.

"This is nothing in comparison to what you truly deserve, Sakura."

The mesmerized emerald eyed angel put the spoon on her plate, lowering down her hand, to hold Sasuke`s left wrist, as if she felt the need to do that. Out of her own accord, the small birthmark in the peculiar shape of a crescent moon was relaxing her. "I am...losing my mind."

"Let's see how much." His velvet voice was dreamy and peaceful and his gaze was as mystical as shimmering stardust on the clear night sky, a facade of Sasuke she was deeply fascinated and spell bounded by.

And Sakura has soon found out exactly how did it feel to play by Sasuke`s rules, since he basically had none. And maybe that was why she froze in place when he brought his hands upon her cheeks and leaned towards her to brush the corner of her mouth in order to determine her to part her lips a little and traced his tongue over her lower one, right along the thin line of expensive Belgian chocolate, slowly, seductively and hotly, making Sakura's field of view turn into a dense veil of fog and her knees melt like steaming pudding.

She was sure she inhaled sharply once in astonishment, but she couldn't remember letting the large gulp of air free of her lungs. What was Sasuke doing in such a moment? '_Doing wonders_', her invigorated reeling in bliss inner self chanted and she wanted to drown her stupid head into the chocolate fountain for actually, timidly and teasingly, using the tip of her own tongue to touch Sasuke`s in the process, in a totally innocent looking attempt of a swift French kiss.

And he even had the nerve to smirk, she felt him doing it, because her eyes were long shut to the outside world and all that was connecting her to the exterior, were her running over 100 mph alert senses.

More than sensuality and dark desires stood the gentleness of getting connected to the onyx eyed man and never pull apart from touching him.

He built a temple around his heart, ignited the torch of passion and devoted his pleasure to her, worshipping the fire she ignited inside his mind.

The emerald eyed lady immediately recognized the mysterious manly sophistication that Sasuke represented and his unpredictable as a mountain stream personality, which were both like the hidden innate passion he possessed, and Sakura could have had an idea of what those pure smoldering intense irises concealed behind his apparently calm and aloof facade.

A lupine thirst to taste her was bolting through his veins and the feral was galvanizing.

He felt as if the implacable cold steel of his sharp blade pierced his heart, which always seemed to be cruel, implacable and merciless, was just his way of protecting himself from being hurt. Could that have meant he has been left alone to suffer and grew distant because of losing the trust into the others?

Moist lips, sweeter than exotic cocktails in hot summer days, wet meticulous ravishing tongues, honey like cashmere skin and real emotions, that was the recipe to the most uplifting sensation that Sakura was experiencing and she couldn't help the fluttering of her innards, the vibrations of her chest and the trembling of her fingers, which were locked securely around Sasuke`s firm sculpted hands, nails digging down his silk suit. She was more likely trying to hold her ground, since the emerald eyed lady could clearly perceive how the floor was flying from under her sandals and she was floating on the ecstatic feelings that Sasuke was awakening inside her fogged mind.

No past, no future, no time and no danger, only him, his touch, his voice, his breathes and his thumping heart was everything that enveloped Sakura. She couldn't care less about how the others might react or how bad her image would have been exposed to eyes that should have never witness her truest desires.

Time was probably ticking away, following its flow and so were they, defying the laws of physics, living their story into a parallel universe, where everything that truly mattered were the colors of happiness, the taste of fulfillment and the emotion of the first luxurious experience together.

* * *

Right there and then, unbeknownst to her, Sasuke made an oath to not let it be a one time exposure, but he would make sure that the charming mademoiselle would hold his hand through all that his life represented. Be it good or bad. He would only protect her from being hurt by his past mistakes.

The paradox of finding the deepest of the connections, by tasting the forbidden apple, was only matched by the delicacy of the gentle moment. The raven haired Uchiha could have sworn that he would have never wished for that day to ever end and, for the first time, he felt how the menacing thoughts and dark feelings he had due to certain people`s resentful presence, who were probably watching them in disgust and disbelief, as it was clearly dancing into their smug stares, were leaving his once throbbing temples.

Sakura was his own aphrodisiac, and her Goddess like presence served as his own sacred altar, where he could finally discover peace of mind and touch serenity. She had the ability to keep the flames of passion burn for as long as feelings of love and dedication would continue to run the wings of time, like the purest white doves. Like the very memory of her touch and vivacious eyes.

Never in his life has a woman looked at him in the way his once maid was doing, as if she was contemplating a majestic mountain peak on an Alpine landscape and she was radiating the mesmerizing sensation of everything that was beautiful and meaningful to him as well.

He had contradictory feelings which were giving him some ideas, because Sasuke wanted to both take her somewhere and love her until there was no distance left between them, or just scoop her into his arms and hold her tight to calm his soul. Sakura had a funny way of sending him into a contemplative state of mind, but there were only soothing visions playing before his eyes.

And unexplainably, the young Uchiha heir found himself dreaming to spend some time alone with Sakura, far away from Japan. Maybe Switzerland, where his uncle had a sky resort-hot cinnamon and oranges chocolate in front of the chimney and the strong scent of rocky cliffs and sparkling snow -or the translucent narrow streets of Santorini- marble streets and columns, pastel colored houses, in the shades of the clear deep ocean, pure white cotton clothes, yachts and topical beverages.

All the things that he knew they were normal for two people that wanted to be together, were coming to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And looking deep into her jadeite eyes Sasuke was stroke by a revelation. Being with Sakura was _natural_, as if it was meant to be. Like he was born with the memory of her imprinted into his innate reflexes.

The Uchiha heir knew how to react to her gestures, and damn right she knew how to read his mind as will, whether she was doing it consciously or involuntarily. Then he knew that the deja vu was somehow, a denied memory, but it wasn't the proper time to dig into the story. He had to focus his attention on the cute blush of his girlfriend. How was she doing it -being so seductively innocent all together -was beyond his understanding, but nonetheless mesmerizing.

The beauty of the intimacy behind his meaningful word, the seductive logic ,the striking reasoning of his implacable logic and the feelings he was nurturing could have been comprised in a simple valuable word for both: fate. The onyx eyed Uchiha knew no possible way to convey everything she has managed to bring to light since she has come to his life yet she gave him so much showing him the deepest and most seductive meaning of the word 'rich';

Sakura let her feelings float through every gesture and every endearing touch was filled with a gentle emotion she couldn't portray other ways. But she didn't care nor did he. It was a miracle the way she responded to his kiss, resonating to his touch and reacting to his body like she has been waiting for him to come and bring her back to life, from a long time slumber.

/

/

/

* * *

Somewhere farther than where most of the appetizing dishes and sweets were, as well as the oblivious pair, a gang of agents were having the time of their lives.

Naruto was having the fun of his life, along with Suigetsu, while Neji was throwing weary glances towards the two lovers and Sasuke`s father, who looked just in the proper mood to kill somebody right on the spot.

That didn't look good. If Lorane wouldn't start a war, then Fugaku would take the bull of the reins and assume the role of Napoleon at Waterloo. "Oh fuck ,that was priceless!"

"Yeah! That shit was even better than Sasuke punching random dudes' faces or his brother's!"

"Are you always that retarded? Is that funny to you?" As far as Neji was concerned, what Sasuke and Sakura were doing was sending constant alarms down his skull, making him check on his concealed weapons every five minutes, as if he was certain that something was about to turn up bad.

But of course the always collected and responsible Hyuga couldn't have been left alone to reason, because Ten Ten promptly stomped on his foot, making him let out a broken cry of agony. She made sure she dug the twelve cm high heel down his shoe, as if she was stepping on the head of a cigar. "What was that for?!"

"You are such a heartless moron."

"I can't believe Uchiha is so irresponsible. This is what you get from hanging with people like you."

"What is Teme thinking about? Heck even the aliens are watching!"

"Now you realize what I mean..."

"I am telling you that the dude there..." Suigetsu pointed his pinky in the direction of his best friend and newfound colleague, sipping from his Brandy, totally undisturbed if people were watching, as women were fuming all around, gossiping and badmouthing, like Sakura has stolen their crown and the elders looked offended. In a nutshell, it was raw entertainment. "...is the first to walk down the aisle. See who is going to be his best man."

Naruto's face suddenly drained of color, like he poor Uzumaki had a sinister revelation of the upcoming third World War. "Wait...you don't think he proposed to her, do you?"

"How should I know? Is not like I can hear anything and before you ask, no, I have already tried to connect to Sakura's microphone and listen, but she has it turned off. It's in their sneaky Sound genes to be paranoid."

"Pf...more like in each woman's instinct to watch out for creeps." Kushina hi-fived with Ten Ten, while Hinata nodded firmly in agreement, finding the men's idea to eavesdrop at the lovers' conversation outrageous and lacking the delicacy of an upper class.

"Ah damn!"

"Would you have spied on them? And you have the guts to call yourselves gentlemen?! You are disgusting."

"Psh, says who? You hid Shino's special bug micro-camera in the toothbrush to spy on your fiancé when she showers!"

"Say what?! Oh my God, Neji, is this true? I will decapitate you!"

"How come we are talking about me and things I haven't done again, and no one has a problem with Uchiha and Haruno competing for the headlines in tomorrow's newspaper, for the new hottest couple in Japan?"

"Because admit it, they have style."

"Miko talked to me about this girl." Kushina felt the need to share the hot piece of gossip with the youngsters around her, leaning in to whisper, because she was feeling like all the eyes that were not averted to the new sweet couple, were set on their acquaintances. "…although she doesn't know who she is. But she feels a connection."

"How would you know, mom?" Naruto shoot his clear deep cerulean eyes to his mother, being extremely interested in the Uchiha Madame's opinion on Sakura, because the stunning wise brunette was just as well-knowing, analytical and sharp as her two sons. If she got a liking in the emerald eyed agent, then there must be fate bringing her and his best friend together in such a seductive fairytale way.

"I helped her find matching shoes for that dress." Kushina will not forget the best friend's beaming eyes, while they have spent a marvelous day shopping for Sasuke`s new sweetheart's clothes and Kushina swore that it has been a long time since she has last seen Mikoto's soft lips graced with such an emotional radiant smile of hope like in the moment she remembered of Sakura's pastel rose charming cheeks and her expressive innocent jadeite eyes.

The red headed Uzumaki matriarch was feeling sad for Mikoto's long awaited day when her younger son would find himself a worthy woman to finally settle down, well aware of the raven haired spiky Uchiha`s steamy escapades with random companions.

"Mikoto-san is the one who bought the dress Sakura wears?" If Ten Ten was stunned, she had no shame to manifest her awe towards Kushina's confession, because her dropped down jaw and rich high pitched tone caught their spectators' eye, but, just like Naruto, she knew the importance of the moment. "OMG!"

Neji couldn't care less about Sasuke`s newest love affair. But the people around started to stress him and he was half tempted to go and give the nonchalant Uchiha a piece of his mind, just for the heck of it.

But judging from how Fugaku's jaw was clenched like a shark's, when he was devouring its prey, he was firm on his suspicion that the Uchiha family's pillar would come up with a brilliant for the audience way to mark another embarrassing moment on the Ball's agenda, breaking his own previous record.

The pale eyed Hyuga shot up a fine eyebrow at the stoic man's visible distress. Why was he that bothered by such a trivial manner anyways, since he didn't give a damn about his son's reputation, public perception on him or his private life?

It was not like Sasuke making out with Sakura in public was affecting Mangekyou`s status or the value of its shares on the stocks market. That was something worth of his attention, Neji decided. "What is the big deal about this?"

"Dude..." Naruto slipped a hand around his friend's stiffened shoulders, half snorting at the way Ten Ten's angered pupils were shooting lasers in his direction and half coughing, trying to appear solemn, when in reality he wanted nothing more than to roll down on the floor, laughing his ass out loud, like a totally not caring about his public image Suigetsu. "...just go to NASA and sign up for that next lunar base, because you are not living into this world."

"K-Kushina-san means t-they have just become official."

"Official as in...dating?"

"No, official as in opening a quail farm. You're such an idiot, Hyashi-sama is right."

"Which side are you on anyways? You are _all _mentally deranged. This is serious. Those two cannot be together, it will compromise the mission."

"Stop being such a drama queen, I think they are a perfect match."

"Oh yeah? Then tell me this, Miss incurable romantic, does Uchiha know who exactly is he dating? Has Haruno told him about her playing James Bond or decapitating criminals?"

"She can tell him, after all, Sasuke is just such of a freak to not have a flying fuck about that. I bet he would find that funny as Hell."

"Something that Uchiha would find funny? Is there such a thing existing in the Universe?"

"...what about Fugaku? He doesn't look too pleased."

"Who cares about him! Has he ever been pleased by anything?"

"S-Sakura doesn't strike l-like the o-one to act before thinking." Neji would have cheered for his cousin, if the idea wouldn't have been so revolting, outrageous and totally not his style.

"I agree. Miko-chan said she is a smart woman. I that this too, either way, she wouldn't have managed to make Sasuke fall for her, while she posed as a maid."

"Things are getting interesting. At least he hasn't gotten into another fight...yet."

"He still has time. Look at all the wolves out there, eying his lamb." Suigetsu wouldn't make a fool of himself, by not admitting that Sakura was a killer, especially posing as both innocent, and sensual.

Of course Sasuke had competition and man, he could clearly sense an alarming rise of testosterone, coming from the hungry eyes of the lustful magnates, who would probably spent a fair share of money to have the once pink haired lady for a night.

And his friend had such a dark sense of humor to show them how to careful keep the debauched ideas for their dumb minds and never voice them out, especially when he was around, or his wrath on them would become legendary. " And let's not underestimate his father."

"True that."

"I still think this is wrong."

"Well no one asked you Neji, so shut up. You are in minority, so bow to the majority."

"The majority is retarded. He is doing a big mistake. Let's just pray that nothing bad happens...again."

"I swear you are-"

* * *

"May I have your attention please?" Ten Ten's train of elaborate curses suddenly got interrupted by one of the organizers of the Ball, who she didn't recognize, but knew about from her fiancé.

The vivacious man in his fifties jumped to the stage, eagerly addressing to the present audience, on a sugary too polite voice, trying his best to be charming and excusing himself for interrupting whatever activities each of them were engaged into. All the eyes were on him alone, being rewarded with silence and attention.

Of course Naruto and Suigetsu haven't missed the opportunity to laugh at him and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was dressed like Martin Luther King with a bed hair. "He is kind of impossible to miss, since he is shouting through that microphone, don't you agree?"

"Shhh, this is supposed to be a solemn moment. So take a serious face to look good in the pictures."

"Solemn? You have a freaking tail Naruto. Good luck in looking serious."

"I would like to thank all the guests for being present tonight, on such an important day. With the help of your generous contribution, 3 million dollars will be donated to help the less lucky of us."

A round of clappings and cheers were heard when the huge sum of money has been revealed. "Never forget that it could have been any of us in their place. Of course, this Ball, which has become a tradition and I hope it is going to attract even more participants on the next editions, would have been just a whisper in the night without the contribution of a man, who promotes the intercultural and interethnic exchanges, please welcome Mr. Takeshi Nagano-san, the President of Japan."

The middle aged tall man has bowed once to the audience, coming on the stage, followed by his secretary, getting standing ovations and cheers from the sophisticated public present. To the golden haired Uzumaki`s and Suigetsu's deep regret, there was nothing ridiculous or funny on his appearance, so he was rather a boring character.

"Thank you Mr. Dawn for the introduction, but my contribution is insignificant. You are the ones I want to thank you for taking some moments from your all so busy schedules to reflect upon the unfortunate people's struggles."

His words reached his public's ears, in a fluent English, along with his deepest gratitude. It was no secret that the man was very devoted to philanthropy. "Today, we have the chance to fight for a change. Let's make a difference for the next generations and help the poor children dream of tomorrow. _Arigatou gozaimashita minna-sama_ for being here together."

"Aww...this old man is so cool." Ten Ten had a hand placed upon her heart, mimicking how deeply emotional the President's speech was. "He should have been a Pope instead."

"Since when have you become so religious? Don't tell me you got it from that mother of all the freaks in the Sound, Hidan."

As far as he was concerned, when the most influent man in Japan has pressed his glasses higher to his nose, burying his face in a file he had prepared by his secretary, as if getting ready for a longer speech, Naruto's patience has magically run low in anticipation. "Please don't tell me is going to list all the sponsors now..."

"Now, I would like to thank all our sponsors for making this Ball one of the most important..."

He more than slapped his forehead, while a group of weirdoes from behind his own gang have shamefully let out a deep _'sigh'_ in exasperation. Naruto threw a quick weary glance at them.

They looked like a gang of metal heads, who were not amused by what was happening so far. "Yup. This is going to take time. Now where are those damn beef burgers? I am sick of eating fishing bait. Neji where are the burgers?"

"Burgers? In here? Do you think this is KFC or McDonald's?"

"You said there is going to be burgers!"

"No, I have not. Now stop screaming into my damn ears and watch. They are going to show the bank account and the check."

"Bah, who cares?! Haven't you seen money before or what?" Naruto would have never understood their obsession with money or the urge to always brag about it, publicity.

He was bored as Hell and there was no sign of the Freemasonry trying their best to be funny, or an upcoming anticipated family fight.

"...Honda, Takata, Apple, Carrefour, Samsung...and let's not forget Unilever, Chanel, Durex, International Hozuki Shipping Holding...

"Dude..." Naruto patted his shark faced friend's back, a little bit too enthusiastically, because Suigetsu almost spit the beverage he was sipping on Neji's shoe. The Hyuga's look turned murderous and even funnier. "...you are famous!"

"Yeah..." Ten Ten snorted at the ridiculous pair, finding all the activities so far be extremely boring. "They have mentioned you after the condoms company."

Kushina burst out in laughter at Suigetsu's dropped sown smirk, when he realized the implication of the mocha haired lady's words, while Hinata giggled, but averted her lavender eyes shyly. Suigetsu promptly waved his fist in the direction of the organizers, muttering curses that would make Hidan's heart pound in joy and pride. "Sounds legit!"

The Akatsuki members vaguely heard the crowd laugh at something funny the announcer might have said, growing impatient.

So far, the social event went smoothly, with no incidents whatsoever and they wished for it to stay like that. Lately, Lorane has stood out too much for their liking and it was crystal clear for any agent that the infamous criminal organization was plotting something big.

"...now, before we get straight to the main event and send the money to the non-governmental organization, Luna Charity Haiti, I would like to specifically express my gratitude towards the Organizing Committee and its Head, for handling the managerial problems and taking care of the Bank Account in Switzerland, Mr. Uchiha Sasuke here."

While she clapped for the said looking bored -she knew better that trust appearances- raven haired Uchiha, along with all the others around, Sakura couldn't help but mock him, feeling like she could h easily pose as a star guest, if she stood beside a man like Sasuke. "You are a celebrity. The crowd adores you." And by crowd, she pointed to all the women around.

Meanwhile, even if he had all the attention averted towards him, while his name has been dropped among the others, Sasuke never once stopped dragging chaste kisses down Sakura's bare shoulder, like there was no one around. "They can all go to Hell for all I care."

"Is this going to last?" Sakura purred like a content cat, while briefly wondered how come she was not ashamed by acting like that in public. It was probably Sasuke`s influence and his magic touches.

In the meantime, she enjoyed the way he was kissing her skin, as pleasurable shudders enveloped her skin. A daring concealed finger was running up her bare thigh, while she was slowly melting into his arms, like chocolate.

"Got other plans?" He taunted coyly, smirking at the way the jadeite eyed girl was mewling and trying her best to contain her moans. She was a refined and educated lady, no doubt about it. From that point of view, she was closer to Hinata than Ten Ten.

"I might have..." She shot back just as deviously, understanding the true meaning of not caring about the others. Tobirama had no problems in insulting the Hell out of Orochimaru, even in front of the cameras, so why would she be bothered by mere whispers and rumors? Shame was _so_ underrated, as Karin would have told her.

"Patience is a virtue, Sakura."

"St-op, people are watching."

"Those things are not people. This is a Zoo. Gorillas don't count."

She tried her best not to laugh at a suddenly going funny Uchiha, while keeping a half attentive eye on the announcer dude. "Now ladies and gentleman, the reason why we see all here..."

Every single eye was glued to the huge screen behind the man, waiting for the sum to flash on the screen, along with the face of the future beneficiary of the impressive amount of money donated to the foundation they meant to help.

There was some meaning behind the even that Sakura would not deny it. She was remembered by the days when she used to live in poverty as well, and she was happy for those children who would get the money. No one should suffer from hunger or lack a proper home. " I hereby present you 3$ million dolla-"

* * *

A sudden sinister silence that filled the Ball room, like black mist charged with a demonic force, has cast upon the audience.

Jaws dropped in bewilderment and shock and _every single living _stopped breathing, moving and went still as human statues.

"What the-" Naruto's voice came as weak as a frightened whisper, and the blonde was so surprised, that he couldn't even hear himself talking. He felt a hand -probably his mother's- rest on his shoulder, while he couldn't unglue his cerulean widened eyes from the screen.

"...ah...do we have... The announcer, who came into his senses, tried to get rid of the nagging silence and try to act like a pro, even though he knew that no one was listening to him. "...technical problems?"

He turned his head over his left shoulder desperately, searching for the Organizing Committee's members and the technical stuff, but they were just as dazed. He saw some confusing movement there, but couldn't decipher what they were doing.

When Sakura found the breath she didn't realize she was holding, again, her fingers tug on Sasuke`s shirt, giving it a little squeeze. "Sasuke...?" What was going on? Her mind was a mess. Was it a hack? Was it indeed a technical problem? Was it a crack in the system?

Was it Lorane?

"..." But Sasuke said nothing. He only kept a deep frown on his face, and he was not looking at the screen. No. He was looking in the opposite direction, glaring daggers at someone's skull. His father.

Ten Ten was first to ask her comrades the obvious, recovering from the shock, hearing the alarming loud signals ringing down her mind. Her agent senses were high alert. "What is going on?!"

"**Zero**!" Naruto answered her question, as if the chocolate eyed agent needed to hear it from someone else in order to confirm that her eyes were not deceiving her. " The bank account is-"

"Empty!"

The huge zeros were flashing before their eyes on the big screen, as if fate was laughing down their faces. One second later, the crowd erupted. Whispers, shouts and even whistles could have been heard from the confused or angry people. Something like that was unacceptable.

"What is going on here?"

"Guys, do you possibly think-"

"Lorane." Neji calmly stated and the Akatsuki members knew better than to be fooled by his apparently calm features. He sounded alarmed and nervous.

"I told you something was not right! It was too quiet out there."

"So that's what they planned? Steal the money? For what?"

"I think Naruto...that the answer is right before you." Smartly, Neji turned to look in the direction of Sasuke, trying to follow the direction of that vile look he gave to somebody or something in particular.

He saw Sakura subtly touching her inner thigh, and he guessed she was probably sending an SOS to the Base in Ravenna or checking on her weapons. As if on cue, her tensed but firm emerald eyes linked with his lilac ones as he gave her a short nod. She did the same.

"Oh don't tell me..."

"They planned on blaming it all on the Uchiha heir! They did a good number on us this time." Ten Ten was already dialing the number of their team leader, praying to all the Gods that they weren't completely surrounded. Lorane has left them speechless and powerless.

"This is bad. Let's go." Neji addressed to Naruto and Suigetsu, slipping a hand down his pants, where he had his gun, while said two agents followed suit. "Ten Ten, you stay here in case something happens. Keep an eye on the heirs. Regroup with Haruno when she gets rid of Sasuke. Kushina-san, I let Hinata-sama in your care."

"Roger that!" She was already turning the microphone of her in ear stereo, hearing the familiar voice of the older Uchiha brother at the end of the line. All around them it was chaos. No one paid attention to anyone and no one was attacking anyone. It was just panic. "Itachi! This is Ten Ten! We need help! Over!"

Sakura was watching the spectacle in front of her, already mentally formulating a plan. She needed to stay with Sasuke, because it was her mission, but she knew she had to help the Akatsuki in case something happened. Her own handsfree was on the same frequency as Akatsuki`s and she was hearing the conversation between Itachi and Ten Ten. "...this is not a coincidence, Sasuke."

"I know. Fuck!"

She looked at Sasuke`s figure, trying to make out why was he that stirred to kill his dad with the look he was giving to an approaching them Uchiha head. It was not like he was the one to blame, was he? "What are you plan on do-"

"Mr. Uchiha!" They both turned to look at two older men from the Organizing Committee. One was the President and he addressed Sasuke. "Will you please follow us?"

Said Mangekyou CEO didn't even flinch, nodding once. It was not like he could have protested in any way, but he whispered to Sakura before he followed the two displeased looking men and Fugaku, who has joined them earlier.

"Go home. I will be back soon." And as swiftly as he could, he slipped his car keys down her opened palm, making her realized how much he cared for her safety. Unfortunately, it was the last thing on her mind. Her spine was trembling of concern for his well-being. She knew that he would be scolded for the missing sum, since he has been directly involved in the money transfer in Switzerland.

"Be careful."

She watched him leave her side, accompanied by those scary looking men, then exchanged glances with Ten Ten, who was cautiously getting close to her. "This is Lorane's doing." Was the first thing that Sakura told to Ten Ten, when she got face to face to the said coffee eyed lady, both looking weary around.

"I know."

"Where is Suigetsu? I need to enter the system and track whoever has managed to empty the bank account. It could lead us to Lorane." It was not the time to falter and Sakura knew that it was a task that had to be done immediately, because once the money left the Swiss bank account, it would be impossible to get them back. She had no doubt that CIA was already trying to enter the system, but she knew other more efficient way. Maybe contact Shikamaru.

"He and the guys are already doing that. They told me to keep an eye on this place in case this is a diversion and an attack is about to come."

"It sounds reasonable."

"What are you going to do? You have to contact the Otokage. Itachi is not answering his phone. I think they might be together. We need backup."

"I have already dialed him. As soon as he sees my message, he will call me back. Meanwhile, I will follow Sasuke. I sense trouble and I am afraid that this time they were sneakier than usual."

"I know. Sasuke has been framed. Lorane made him look like the one who stole the money. I wonder why?" Ten Ten was well aware of the fact that the midnight haired Uchiha was in deep trouble, and she saw worry dragged upon Sakura's beautiful figure, like a dark veil of a grieving widow.

As a woman and a lover herself, she understood where those feelings were coming from, as she felt sorry for Sakura. Sasuke was a person she knew and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. That was a disaster and Sasuke`s relationship with his father was already fragile to begin with.

They were probably at each other's throats by then, while the two agents were trying to rack their minds for a reasonable explanation and a come up with possible solution.

"I don't know, but I fear it has to do with the Mangekyou and its reputation. Lorane has always tried to get rid of it and now they have managed to find a quite effective way." Sakura whispered to Ten Ten in a haze. She felt her phone vibrate.

/

/

/

* * *

**-One of the hotel`s meeting rooms-**

* * *

"I hope this is just a misunderstanding, Mr. Uchiha."

"What else could it be?" Sasuke shot back to one of the Vice-Presidents, while the whole Organizing Committee and the President gathered in one of the smaller conference rooms, trying to find the culprit and repair the damage. Losing $3 billion was anything but a child's play.

"I don't know, but this is what we are going to investigate."

Sasuke was not only pissed off. He was enraged and he was barely keeping his cool. He knew exactly what was going on, but he knew he had to remain calm and focused.

And of course, his father was doing his best to push his buttons further and test his patience, knowing all too well that he was running low on it. "Good work in embarrassing the whole Uchiha clan, son. I hope that, for your own good, this stunt is not going to make us go bankrupt and throw us on the last place on the stocks market." He whispered smoothly down his son's ear like he was almost content to see him screwing it up. Sasuke had no doubt he was.

And that was why he felt the urge to clear the confusion for him and remind the older Uchiha who was in charge of his cursed precious company. A place that weighed more in Fugaku's eyes than Sasuke would ever do. "Remember, you could have been in my place."

"But I am not, since I am not acting like an irresponsible teenager, flirting with random women and ridicule our family's reputation with libidinous behavior, instead of properly doing his damn job."

Oh, his father hasn't just insulted Sakura in front of him, did he? Because Sasuke was positive that his fists couldn't have become harder clenched under the desk than in that very moment. He would punch Fugaku sometime and the moment has been dragged long enough.

"I suggest that...you take care of what you say about Sakura. This is a line that you will not cross."

"That is not for you to decide, son."

"Gentlemen, please, can we focus on the thing we are all here for?" The Vice has interrupted a possible argument between the two relatives. "I assure you we are all very busy people."

Said two Uchihas shot him a glare of death that drained all the blood from his ghost like pale face. One just didn't interrupt an Uchiha when angry. Not if the two of them were Sasuke or his famous father.

"Mr. Uchiha, care to explain what the meaning of this is?" The President has started bluntly. He knew it would be his head the one to be taken first if they didn't clear out the mess.

Sasuke was holding his ground, not impressed by the reproaching harsh commending voice of the man who was probably twice his age and experience. Like he gave a fuck about them.

"This is what I would like to find out as well." And he would, the moment those clowns in front of him would end their stupid child`s play. He had more important things to do...and people to talk to, yet he was wasting precious time for nothing. And that pissed him off and bad.

"Transferring the money we have raised from the donations into the Swiss Bank Account has been your responsibility!" Oh, they were putting the blame on him, Sasuke inwardly laughed humorlessly. Onyx eyes rolled down at the hysteric man in front of him and his outburst.

"It has been the entire Organizing Committee's responsibility."

"That's true but...as one of the three

Heads and their Representative, you are to take full responsibility."

Slowly and menacingly, Sasuke stood up, deciding he had enough of their bullshit. His voice was low and dripping venom, making the man in front of him suddenly feel like it not being a smart idea to threaten the Uchiha heir like that. "Why don't you stop the freaking mind games and say it out loud: you are suspecting _me_ for stealing the money."

"That's correct! The prosecutors will dig further into the story, until they find the culprit who is responsible for this disaster. Meanwhile, you are the main suspect. You are removed from the Organizing Committee for now."

"Hn. Keep those accusations for when you will have enough proofs to incriminate me." He stopped for a moment so as if he was considering his options once more, then, with all the confidence and serenity in the world, he managed to almost give Fugaku a heart attack.

"You will have the money transferred into your bank account by tomorrow. My secretary is going to contact you." It was crystal clear for everyone that Sasuke was going to use the company's money to cover the stolen sum.

Before he left the room, not in the mood to deal with all the ones that doubted his devotement, Sasuke lingered one second more in the doorway to warn his listeners. "You can be sure that I...will _not _be fooled."

"...we will see about that!" Before the President had the chance to shot back at the cocky Uchiha, he was out of the room like he has never been there to begin with, leaving a group of stunned people behind. "Michelle!"

He shouted at the poor scared secretary, who was griping his suitcase and laptop as if her very life depended on it. " Withdraw all the shares we have bought from the Mangekyou. Let's see how arrogant is he going to be after he loses his _precious _company."

Hearing the desperate decision of his younger son, Fugaku felt the need to interfere and defend what was the most valuable thing in his life. "Actually...I have a proposal for you, Mr. Hoshigawa."

Said man suddenly changed mood and turned docile. Whatever THE Uchiha Fugaku had to offer, promised to not be less than a fortune. "Sir?"

/

/

/

* * *

**-Mangekyou`s HQ, CEO Office-**

* * *

"Juugo." Sasuke stormed into his office, finding his secretary already waiting for him, having everything his boss has asked for prepared in advantage, after they talked on the phone not long ago.

"Mr. Uchiha, two of the largest investors have turned down your offer and one of the main investors has requested his money for the shares he had back."

"I am aware of that."

"What is going on anyways, Sir?" Juugo followed a very distressed and tired looking onyx eyed Uchiha throe himself on the sofa, already scanning the latest files and reports. He took the remote and turned on the TV, seeing that the incident was already on all the channel news. His head was killing him slowly. He vaguely wondered if Sakura has gotten home safely. His car was not there so she has followed his instructions.

"Someone is trying to frame me and bring Mangekyou down." He informed his secretary, while Juugo was looking at how their shares had a major drop on the auction market. He has figured as much, since Sasuke has been the target of many criminal organizations. But just as his boss, he didn't expect such a huge blow either. "Prepare the files and transfer 3$million in a bank account, in the Organizing Committee's name."

"Yes, Mr. Uchiha."

"Don't take it from the company's capital. I have a bank account in Copenhagen. Use that." Of course he would have wanted nothing more than to see the company he loathed so much go down, along with his father's inflated ego and nonexistent pride and reputation, but Sasuke knew he couldn't have been so irresponsible.

Many people's lives depended on Mangekyou. And it was not that he didn't want to let them go bankrupt. It was not that he couldn't. He had to protect them.

The moment he instructed Juugo what to do next, the loyal secretary was already out, doing as he has been told, calling for an emergency meeting with the Board.

The moment he has found himself alone in the confinements of his silent office, Sasuke threw his tablet straight on the soundproof window, cursing that it didn't break, or calmed his fury. His trembling in rage fingers barely hit the keys of the phone properly.

An equally displeased and worn out voice rung into his ears from the other side of the line. _"Sasuke."_

"I need your help." No, Sasuke didn't even try to keep on his pride. The situation called for it.

_"With the stolen money from the Charity Ball?"_

"Aa. The Freemasonry did a good number on me this time. I want to track them down and HUNT them DOWN once and for all."

_"We have to follow the last transmission. This is the only way to find out where the money is and who emptied that account...if it has ever been full to begin with."_

While he listened to the instructions coming from his -he couldn't believe he admitted that to himself- most trusted interlocutor, Sasuke went to the sole triangular shaped space of the office, which was not made of glass and pressed one of the fake paintings on the walls down with his palm, revealing a huge screen lowering down from the ceiling above his office desk, with the complete map of the Globe.

Million sparkling red and green dots attracted his attention to certain possible spots he could have been interested in. He realized that it has just been e-mailed to him, using an ultra-secret Broadband Internet Connection. "I suspect it happened after I got the extract of account so two days at _most."_

_"I will try to find out what happened with the money in the meantime. You just try to minimize the damage until we clean up this mess. Their purpose is clear."_

"I know. I have already lost two important investors. I expect more damage to come.

_"Be careful. You cannot let your company go bankrupt. It will mean the end of the business market." _Sasuke promptly rolled his eyes in annoyance. As if he needed to be reminded of that.

It was not like he cared about the money he had to give from his own savings, since he got more than he could count, but it was more about the money. They were successfully bringing him down along with his company and his hands were tied up.

"It is far from over. The moment I find out how they did it/"

_"Yes. We cannot afford to lose any more time."_

"I have the feeling that the ones running out of time are not us." His fingers were already flying over the keys, tapping and searching for the location of the people who dared to mess with him, because Sasuke was anything but pleased at the moment. Frankly, he did expect something like this to happen, but foolishly refused to believe it could happen.

For everyone's that was close to him and depended on him, Sasuke knew that no more mistakes were allowed from that point on and that meant doing something that was making his blood boil: _cooperate_.

/

/

/

* * *

**-Uchiha mansion. Sasuke`s office.-**

* * *

"Nothing...nothing...nothing here either..." After scouting all the surroundings of the hotel, together with Ten Ten and realized that there was no trace of assassins around, Sakura went straight home, just as Sasuke has instructed, but she did not lose time.

The emerald eyed agent went straight to the raven haired Uchiha`s office, searching through his files. Both mentally and physically, she was a mess. "There has to be something here-"

A pile of files fell on her leg from a higher shelf and scratched her bare ankle. It was hard covered in crimson leather and it did not look like there was business related material. "Auch! Fuck!" Nonetheless, she dropped on her knees and collected all the flying papers to study them better. "Couldn't wait anymore minute, huh? What is this?"

As she was scanning the contents of the papers, her jadeite eyes widen like saucers. "The hell..." Pyramids. Math. Formulas and theorems. Everything was neatly written there and Sasuke`s italic handwriting was unmistakable. "Either Sasuke plans on robbing the pharaoh, or he is actually an architect."

There were the complete descriptions and the plans of what looked like pyramids, because he had the measures calculated and the building plans complete up to the finest details. Only a skilled architect could have done it so masterfully and that freaked her out.

"These are all copies of the formulas he wrote on the walls but...they are not random anymore. Has he found a logic behind/"

While her eyes were taking in the pyramid in the sketches, Sakura couldn't cease away the feeling that she actually recognized that construction. Her astonishment only grew tenfold. The Great Pyramid of Giza! "Wait a second..." She used her laptop to search for the said world wonder, not believing her eyes how everything suddenly started to make sense. "...what am doing?!"

She promptly slapped her sweaty forehead as she realized she was looking for information on Wikipedia, like a loser. Coming to her senses, the emerald eyed agent quickly entered CIA's secret network, where the most complex and complete accurate information was, looking for her object of interest.

"The Great Pyramid...measurements and building...geographical position...terrain...the moon's phases...rebirth...the pharaoh's return...eternal life...geometry of the Great Pyramid…the triangle sides in the King`s Chamber…200 years before Pythagoras…Realizing it was too much complex information to be studied online, Sakura clicked on the download button to get the material on her hard disk and compare to what Sasuke had written, later on.

"This is impossible." She felt her head spinning in consternation, while looking at the downloading rate, fisting her hands down her messy hair. Sakura found herself unable to cope with what she has just learned and if she was to be right, then everything they knew about Ancient human history would fall apart in an instant.

She then realized the extent of Lorane's ambition and it dealt with things so unimaginable and hardly tangible, that it left her wonder why haven't they succeeded in ruling over the world so far. "He...did all the calculus! This is more accurate than everything the world's libraries contain! But how? And why?"

_Beep Beep Beep_

She almost exhaled in relief when Orochimaru`s name flashed on the screen of her phone. She tried to reach him once, but all she got was a busy line. She knew he was working with Itachi, so it was to be understood. "Papa!"

_"I heard about the Charity Ball and the stolen money, Cherry."_

"You can't even imagine how bad this is. Basically, it is on all the latest news and they are putting all the blame on Sasuke, even if he has not been the only one to take care of this. It is like everyone wanted to corner him and now they got the chance. Is it possible for Lorane to be among the Organizing Committee and pull the strings from the shadows?"

_"It could be. I am afraid their plan of bringing down the Mangekyou has come to fruition."_

"Damn...can't you do anything, Oro? I have tried in vain to hack the Swiss Bank's transferring system, but I have found nothing! Not even a trace of money. When Sasuke has opened the account and sent the money to Switzerland, the bank hasn't even put the money into the bank account, and if they did, the numbers and the extract of account says otherwise. Is like he kept then all for himself, which he didn't."

_"I have tried to do what you have did, my dear, but reached the same conclusion. Lorane has probably erased all the traces. This time, proving that the young Uchiha is innocent, is going to be more difficult."_

"I know. Akatsuki and Hozuki from the INTERPOL are already dealing with that. They might have more experience in cyber-crime cases than us." Sakura truly hoped that her comrades knew what they were doing, either ways she had no other way to help Sasuke.

And the fact that he could be in big trouble because of the disappearing amount of money that was his responsibility was driving her crazy. Last time she checked on him, the targeted Uchiha was inside the Mangekyou`s HQ, in one of the meetings room.

_"That is correct. But we cannot let them handle everything. Keep on searching and, more importantly, keep an eye on Sasuke. We don't know what Lorane has planned."_

"Sure. He is at his office, probably being scolded by his business partners. By the way, I have found some weird material on his office. He had them hidden at home. I am sending you a copy, because I am sure you will want to have a look."

_"What kind of material?" _

That was what she wanted to know and she hoped her boss would enlighten her. Orochimaru, as well as her_ shishou_, were educated in ancient history. A common passion they shared. "About his LSD trips. I thought he put that aside, but apparently he had been looking for an explanation the whole time.

Papa, those weird numbers and hieroglyphs are somehow related to the Great Pyramid! He has made a detailed exposure of its construction drawings. While searching through the database, I found nothing more complex than what he has. It is impressive. And difficult to understand."

It took Orochimaru some moments to answer to his protégée, as if taking his time to process what he was hearing and Sakura couldn't blame him, for she was still not believing it herself. _"Interesting. But why the Great Pyramid?"_

"I don't know, but it gets even more of a mystery if we are to think about the tragically massacre from Egypt not long ago. Could it be just a coincidence that all the most recent events are related to this particular place?"

_"It is too early to make such assumptions...yet."_

"How is your own research going? Any news about the stolen documents?" Sakura knew that the secret stolen documents were killing her two teachers inside slowly, but surely, either ways Orochimaru would have never willingly accept the Akatsuki`s collaboration.

On the other hand, if Lorane would go as far as to plan to both rule over the world's defense system and drag CIA down, they were supposed to get their hands on both their weapons and secret experimental technology first. Unfortunately, they already get their hands on both.

_"Nothing, I am afraid. Their work has been just as perfect as now. Shikamaru has joined Itachi and me, but we cannot come to a reasonable conclusion. All we have are guesses and assumptions. We suspect that the leaks of information come from the higher ups. I think it is safe to take the CIA Head into account."_

"Normally, I would have said that you have ventured too far, but nothing will surprise me further."

_"There is also an important Summit in Bruxelles with all the world leaders by the end of the next week, to discuss the world`s current economic crisis."_

That made the emerald eyed agent rub her forehead, as she was intently eying the complete downloading of the files she has accessed. A place where the most prominent Presidents were gathered was the same as walking straight into the lion's den. "Hm...a field day for Lorane."

_"Indeed. Troops have already been dispatched from the special security and Intel Divisions. We want to have the upper hand. Lorane has managed to track every step we took so far. Mistakes cannot be made anymore. Not if we don't want this world to face imminent collapse."_

"Papa, don't you think that their performance tonight is a bit..._too_ insignificant for the opportunity they had? Basically most of the major companies holders were there, right under their noses. Shouldn't this have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of them?"

_"So you say that creating a rift at the Lead of the Mangekyou is not enough? Cherry, if the Uchiha`s company falls down, so are all those other companies which directly or indirectly depend on them. I would say that it was more than enough."_

"True that...I don't know Papa, call it paranoia or extreme tiredness, but I have the feeling that we haven't seen enough of what they have planned. Like something big and catastrophic is going to happen. I keep on seeing TV News that gets me...nervous."

_"Trust your intuition and pay attention Cherry. I will support you. And, even if it pains me to admit it, you have that Akatsuki buffoons to support as well. Their Leader is not that bad either."_

"Oh? What about their Hokage?"

_"...don't talk to me about that man!" _In another context, Sakura would have laughed at Orochimaru`s misfortune. The two Leaders simply couldn't be put into the same room, without it ending in a monster fight. Annoyance was palpable into the Otokage's tired hoarse voice. Poor man has been probably screaming the whole day. _ "I am hanging up, Cherry."_

"Keep in touch." She hung on Orochimaru, who seemed to be just as confused and overwhelmed by her which was not helping. Ever since they have met, Sakura knew she could always count on the Otokage's clear brilliant mind and ask for a good advice whenever necessary, but he seemed unable to clear up all of the confusion. Sakura prompted her hip on the edge of the large office desk, eying her surroundings.

Fresh paint. She couldn't cease away the idea that Sasuke seemed to be more in control than all of them. He knew what he was doing in the mountains, there was no denying it. "Damn this is fucked up." The way he held his ground...

Her phone ringing for the second time made Sakura snap out of her trance. She quickly answered, hoping to hear good news. "Naruto-kun? I was waiting for news from you guys!"

_"I am afraid they are not all that good._" She felt her heart sunk down her stomach. Naruto's disappointed tone has got to her in an instant._ "We are not able to find out where have the money gone and without them, Teme is in big trouble. So far, we have managed to pinpoint a weak signal coming from Yucatan and surprisingly, Osaka, but we lost it in between the two cities."_

* * *

"Yucatan and Osaka?" Her brain was spinning like a windmill, running through all the possibilities, making her question everything around. Suddenly, nothing made sense and Sakura truly hoped she has managed to find a connection. Something, anything to help them find the missing link or links.

"This is one hell of a distance. What is the connection between the two citie-" A striking bolt shot down her spine, straight to her head and her eyes widened in consternation, when inspiration hit her full force, making her feel illuminated.

"Don't tell me..." At the speed of lightning, Sakura quickly looked for a world map on the Internet, accessing one that clearly showed the two apparently random far from each other cities, immediately finding the missing piece of the puzzle. "Egypt!" She more than shouted out to a non-responsive Uzumaki. Egypt was halfway the distance from Osaka and Yucatan.

_"What? Did you say something, Sakura-chan?"_

"Egypt...the place where the link has been lost! Naruto-kun, look for the signal in Egypt as well."

_"Why there? I don't see any connect-"_

"It is halfway the distance between Osaka and Yucatan. Also, remember about the last week's tragedy with the CIA agents assassinated in Egypt. This is no coincidence!"

_"...ok? Suigetsu is working on it. There is no other suspicious activity going on here. The party goes on, but people are talking. I am afraid is bad news for Sasuke Teme. And his father is more than pissed off."_

"I can imagine." And she did. The look they got from Fugaku spoke volumes. The death glare he sent towards them both was making her skin freeze in terror. Like father like son. "Ok. I am currently at home. Sasuke is at the Mangekyou, in the meeting room. Let me know as soon as you have found something out."

_"I will. We will sort this mess out, Sakura-chan, believe it!"_ Sakura was thankful for Naruto's uncommon intuition. It was like he sensed the good and bad in people, knowing exactly what to say to make their worries less difficult to weigh on their shoulders. "I too hope so...Naruto-_kun_."

/

/

/

* * *

**-Ravenna Italy, Sound HQ-**

* * *

No matter how alert the infamous Otokage might have been, it was impossible for him to focus on his task and locate the jammed signal, which was causing the CIA agents so much trouble.

His sharp extremely tired eyes were following the older from the two Uchiha brother pacing down the office, in a robotic manner. "Would you please stop digging holes down my floor? I am getting dizzy." Orochimaru eventually addressed to a totally not collected or patient Itachi, who suddenly turned into the brunette male version of an angry and anxious Tsunade Senju.

Not even dwelling on the fact that he was shamefully ignoring the Sound Leader, Itachi was in the verge of pulling down all his hair, or doing something extreme as biting his manicured nails.

Even breaking something from the office was fine, as long as it would help him to better focus. "How is it possible for my ototou to have messed it up so bad?! This is a disaster! It's all over the news! I don't want to imagine the headlines tomorrow. Fucking Hell!"

Ever since the phones, pagers or computers literarily exploded and were constantly beeping or flashing, his mind had a shut down and his fury has only been equalized by the frustration of his own inability to help.

"It is all Lorane's doing. Another reason to calm down already and help me find the money as soon as possible."

"I can't believe we haven't tracked their exact location yet." Shikamaru stated indifferently. When he has been informed about the situation, he came rushing to the Otokage`s office room and joined Itachi in helping the Sound locate the culprits and find the missing amount of money, without any luck. And that intrigued him as well. No trance of the Lorane meant they have all been outsmarted. "I don't understand it, Otokage-sama. We have a weak signal following this route..." He came in front of the World`s map from the middle of the room, pointing his finger on a specific location, as he was making his point of view know to the two following pair of curious eyes. "...then it crosses the North Pacific Ocean all the way to Japan."

"The problem is...why don't we have the satellite view of the entire freaking signal?!"

"It has been lost somewhere halfway, from what I can see."

"That's even stranger. There is no obvious connection between these two locations. We have Osaka as an ending point, precisely because they have prevented the money to be sent to Japan, and we have the starting point somewhere on the Yucatan Peninsula."

"...this is absurd!" Itachi slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, making all the pens roll down on the floor, while his disbelieving eyes were glued to the screen he was watching. "This area is huge! The money can be everywhere! We cannot cover all this area, not even with all the agents we have at our disposal!"

It was a painful truth, but a truth nonetheless and Orochimaru knew it. That was the reason why they have been handed the task to brainstorm and outsmart Lorane, but it proved to be an impossible task, even for Itachi and Orochimaru`s bright minds.

"...indeed...they want to make it look like the locations are at random." The Otokage suggested, feeling more than exhausted. Last time he checked, Uchiha was calm and collected.

"Isn't this a basic strategy if one doesn't want to be detected?" Itachi shot up an eyebrow at the equally lacking inspiration Otokage. At that time, he could have accepted almost anything.

"Or..." Orochimaru tried to sum up all the data they had so far and reach a logical conclusion, based on Lorane's moves and strategies. "...they want to _make_ us think it is random."

"To conceal the real location."

"Yes."

"...then we must think of a pattern or something in their apparently chaotic moves. Let's make a list with all Lorane's latest attacks."

"Most of them are in Japan."

That made Itachi grow visibly more alert. He was no fool. The older of the two Uchiha heirs knew of the Freemasonry's main target and he was not eve trying to mask his worry. Sasuke was in danger, he couldn't protect him and that drove him nuts. "Hmph...of course. Near my foolish little brother."

"Not only. The others are everywhere the heirs were."

"So does it mean there is no pattern, but they simply set up their locations based on where their targets are going to be?"

He was one step away from taking the thick file in front of him, consisting of all the locations where Lorane has stricken so far and throw it towards a suddenly up in the clouds Orochimaru. Was he ignoring him? "Orochimaru-sama?"

Said man was not even blinking. His yellow-ish eyes were set solely on the multitude of flashing on the panel dots and crosses, occasionally peeking at his notes. What truly crossed Orochimaru`s mind was a sudden outrageous thought about a possible link regarding the code used to unlock the door from Akatsuki`s weapons base.

There was just something there that Orochimaru was not able to see, yet he felt that it was right in front of him. He just had to put his finger on it...a ventured further idea..."Found something interesting?"

Itachi's stern voice made him snap out of his reverie. "What is this red dot?" He put his finger on a red flashing area. "Here. This small region."

Orochimaru furrowed his eyebrows, flipping the pages inside his memory, going through all the information that lied stocked down his brain. "If I am not mistaken, that is Nato's militarized Area number 25, Bagheera, in Giza."

"Egypt?" Shikamaru questioned the Sound leader, as he nodded in confirmation.

It was Itachi's turn to state the obvious. "The last attack before the cyber-crime from today has been in between Giza and Memphis."

"That's correct."

"What are those?"

"The Pyramids of Saqqara."

"I see. Interesting."

"Exactly...halfway in between the two-" Before the Akatsuki`s brain had the chance to hit the nail on the head, a short vibration followed by a ring stopped him mid-sentence. The id of the caller clearly stated 'Naruto'. "Excuse me..." He addressed to the other agents present, and then glued his ear to the phone. "Naruto?"

_"Itachi, we have got something that I think it would be of great help!"_

"We?"

_"Sakura-chan thinks she has found the source of the signal used to hack the bank account! She told me and Suigetsu, and we have been investigating. We suspect that Lorane has a base somewhere near the city of Giza in Egypt, pretty close to the complex of the Pyramids of Giza!"_

His charcoal almost stunned eyes went slightly wide. His agents have reached the same conclusion. It only meant that he has just gotten the confirmation of their suspicion. "We have just figured this up. But how did Haruno reach that conclusion? What was her source of inspiration?" Shikamaru and Orochimaru were all ears, since Itachi preferred not to put Naruto on speaker. "I see...this is what we also think. Ok, keep in touch then. Take care, we don't know what they are plotting."

The Akatsuki`s Team Leader shut off the phone after nodding once more to himself, addressing the lazy genius. "I am dispatching three of my best men to Egypt!" He didn't hesitate when dialing his secretary's number, not waiting to consult with Orochimaru beforehand. His task was clear. "Romina? Call Rock Lee, Hoshigaki Kisame and Inuzuka Kiba to the Sound's HQ immediately!"

"It is too dangerous for just the three of them." Orochimaru started casually, when the two names have been dropped. It was not that he didn't trust their skills, but Orochimaru was not the one to bet on his agents' lives. Their well-beings were his top priority. "That area is scouted by local rebel violent groups of terrorists." The look on Itachi's stern face assured him that the Uchiha was unfaltering in his resolve, so he decided to go for the safest way. "I will have Sasori and Hidan to go help."

"Thank you. Then, I will personally meet them and instruct them." Knowing that they at least had a plan, Itachi found it to be no more need for him to waste any more time in the company of Orochimaru. He and Shikamaru could deal with the rest. He didn't like to admit it, but he trusted the Otokage, up to a certain point. "If you will excuse me..."

He paid his farewells to Shikamaru and Orochimaru and left the room. He would personally assist the two agents if the situation would have called for it.

"Please..." Following Itachi dragging his body downstairs, to the front of the building where his silver Lexus was parked, Orochimaru flipped his phone open and called one of his best agents' number. He truly hoped the man was doing better than last time he checked on him, at the ER.

Hidan's groggy voice betrayed his annoyance of being woken up. Or worse. "I have a mission for you." The Otokage simply informed, without giving him any room for refusing. "Tell Sasori that it is time for him to test his new toys."

He then threw a glance to his tablet, lifting a fine eyebrow at the data appearing on the screen, as his search results popped up. The Otokage rose from his seat, quickly collected his stuff, threw his long leather coat around his shoulders, took his Armani hat and followed the Akatsuki`s team leader's way, outside the meeting room. "I will be downstairs. Take your time Nara and inform me the moment we have a clue."

"Yeah yeah..." Shikamaru didn't even remove he is stare from the world's map he has been intently studying. He didn`t give a flying fuck about the Otokage or the Akatsuki. He couldn't have been more bored. "Aw man, this is such a drag..."

Meanwhile, inside his car, the Head of the Sound was having a pleased expression playing on his face. "Now let's see..." He was holding the pad in his right hand, while his left was resting on a crystal glass of Moet Imperial Champagne. "...who is the wind that moves the windmill."

A wicked smirk formed on his lips. "My…Who would have thought..." Orochimaru eyed the contents of the data he has received, few minutes ago, content. So he has been right all the time. Go figure.

As far as he was concerned, the mystery has been solved. Or should he say…_they_ have been right all the time, because the snake faced man, with hidden ambitions, was not the one to take credit for someone else's work. "I would have expected nothing less from _you_."

His job there was done.

"We are taking a small detour." Orochimaru told his chauffeur. He has managed to hack the system used to break both his office's door and Akatsuki`s base. As he has previously suspected, it was the same culprit, because the pattern of the code used for the hacking, matched 100%.

At the end of the report he had in front of his eyes, flashing in bold letters, was Lorane's _true Leader's name_!

/

/

/

* * *

**-Japan, Tokyou. Mangekyou`s HQ, Sasuke`s office-**

* * *

"Mr. Uchiha, what are we going to do next?" Juugo was basically running down the halls, trying his best to keep up with the raven haired Uchiha`s pissed of rapid strides. The meeting with the Annual General Meeting has been anything but pleasant. Their situation was worse than they would have imagined.

"Increase the prices with 2% for each product delivered to Europe and 1% for the rest and lower the custom taxes from our prices. It is the only way to keep the value of our shares at a decent price." Came Sasuke`s automatic reply.

He wasn't pissed off. He was not angry. Hell, he wasn't even bored. He was a robot. Since the moment his secretary, who was as vivacious as a death person could have been, has called him at the meeting, he automatically entered a robot mode state, letting his brain and logic to take over, successfully shutting down any emotion or feeling.

"Have you seen the New York stocks market's data for today?"

Was Juugo trying to be polite or was he having suicidal tendencies, Sasuke briefly wondered. He threw a freezing glance towards the poor gentle tall man, making him almost drop down the files. "I am aware of how competition is doing."

"No Sir, I am not talking about the shares." Following his irritated boss inside his office, Juugo took the remote control and turned on the TV. Even if it was way past midnight, the local and international broadcasting news were all showing the same thing.

Having one eye paying half attention to the suddenly too bright flat screen and having the other set on his desk, Sasuke was paying attention to whatever piece of news could have been that interesting to him, while packing up his things. He had enough idiots to piss him off for one day.

Even the Australian announcer's accent was irritating him. **"...due to the unexpected incident from the annual Charity Ball and the Head of the Mangekyou being accused of fraud, many smaller companies which depended on it are facing collapse. But the worst situation is related to one of the main shareholders and partners of the Mangekyou, namely the Byakugan, which, according to the main stock markets, has gone into bankruptcy, according to the latest stocks markets data...**"

Juugo turned off the TV, seeing that his unresponsive boss had his head cast down and his hands planted firmly on his desk, while his face was concealed by his silk long raven bangs.

"Mr. Uchiha..." He started cautiously as if trying to walk past a sleeping tiger, in the Jungle.

"Fuck!" Sasuke`s vile tone cut through the suddenly thick air around the space, like a knife, making Juugo's tiny hair at the back of his nape erect in dread. All the pens, files, phone, laptop and clock resting on the desk on flew on the ground, when Sasuke`s hand whipped everything on its way, spreading the objects down the sparkling white floor. The enraged Uchiha fisted his hands on his messy raven hair, while his secretary crawled in panic. "Fuck!"

It has been a long time since Juugo has seen Sasuke losing control like that and it has been anything but pleasant to withstand. He knew that he had no way to stop him. He didn't have the power to stop the Uchiha.

When a phone interrupted a soon to come hurricane, Juugo has prayed for the poor soul at the end of the line. "Yes!" Came a throaty voice as sharp as a razor blade, but it went magically softer when hearing the angelic worried and loving tone of his mom. "_'_Kaa_-san_?"

_"Honey, where are you?! Are you all right? I have been dead worried!_"

The onyx eyed heir inhaled sharply once, mentally counting down to ten, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his secretary. "I am sorry that you have to go through this, mom. I am aware of the media. I will send my helicopter to take you back home/"

_"Oh no, don't worry for me dear. Mom is fine. It is you the one I am concerned about. What happened? Are you still at work? Your dad is-"_

"He is...here, trying to come up with a plan. It was only half the true, because Fugaku was more like concocting a plan to make his son look like a fool, rather than truly helping, but there was no point in further worrying the poor woman further.

Sasuke felt terrible sorry for not being able to protect his mother from the social media's harassment. He had been caught out of guard. "The meeting has ended. He said he has something urgent, and then he will return to the hotel."

"I tried to call him, but he has his phone turned off." She did a small pause knowing the relationship between the father and the son all too well. Mikoto was no fool. She knew how bad they hated on each other, but she couldn't help it.

As both a mother and a wife, the poor woman had to tear her heart in two. Choosing only one was impossible. She has always tried to be the missing link between two bubbles of oil and water. "_I am sorry dear. It was supposed to be a special day." _Sasuke knew what she was talking about.

/Sakura/

"You have nothing to apologize for, mom." It was him the one to be forever thankful for such an understanding, caring and supportive mother. And the fact that she was approving on Sakura was making Sasuke feel so content. Her opinion was more precious than gold.

_"...what about her?" _

"...we will make it somehow...or so I hope." He will, was Sasuke`s inner resolve. He won't lose Sakura. He refused to give up on her delicacy and let go of her warm hand. He couldn't wait to rush home and embrace her tightly. If anything, he felt the need to be by her side. Like a lost soul, searching for its shadow.

Mikoto's voice was as tender as pampering cotton as she sensed her child's distress and tried to touch him with her light. _"She is very special, isn't she?" _Mikoto liked Sakura. It was the most honest opinion,because the girl was as special as a diamond engagement pearl ring and a gentle heartedly one lifetime promise could have been.

"Hn...your great contribution was appreciated. Thank you, Oka-_san_. For _everything_." _For always being there for me, were the silent lingering words. _"I wish you would come by my place and spend the night, but I am afraid that my home is not a safe place. Not for the moment." Realistically speaking, he couldn't protect them both. Not when his life was endangered as well.

_"Oh, it was my pleasure dear, but I did nothing. She shines by herself. You two are meant to be, everyone saw it clearly. And everyone talks about it...among other things. Do not worry honey, I will drop by and check on you before we return home."_

"Ok. Take care."

_"You too honey, I love you." _And then she hung up, leaving a much calmer Uchiha dwell on concocting the best plan he could to minimize the damage his actions did on the other people close to him_. _It was the last thing on his mind to hurt them further.

"I love you too...Oka-san." His mild features turned serious again when addressing a confused Juugo. Why was he afraid of he wondered, because it was not like he would have done something to the orange haired man.

"I am leaving. Juugo. I want you to convey this message." Before taking his leave, Sasuke handed his secretary a small note wrote on a torn paper from his agenda, exchanging a short knowing glance with the man before him. "You know what to do. Be careful." Sasuke`s hand was already pressing down the door's knob, while his presence still lingered in the doorway. "This place is not safe anymore."

"I know, Sir."

/

/

/

* * *

-**Next day, 11.25 pm. Uchiha Mansion**-

* * *

She was pacing through the dim light from the living room, with her phone on her hands, dead worried. Sasuke has been working his ass off at his company, since the day before and he never once called.

Sakura was in high alert mode, checking on him constantly, confirming his location. Nothing happened...for then. Nothing, except for Neji Hyuga's company going bankrupt. She has spoken to Ten Ten. Neji was a mess, like all the Hyuga members and he was drowning in alcohol.

Akatsuki were barely coping with both the problems. The moment she heard the front door open, the pink haired lady whopped her head in said direction, while her heart exhaled in relief. She didn't realize she has been holding her breath.

As soon as he came into the privacy of his silent home, Sasuke discarded his briefcase carelessly on the armchair, quickly working on letting his tie and shirt buttons lose, like he was attempting to free himself from not only the uncomfortable clothes, but from the society's bindings as well.

A familiar and getting cozier day by day bell like chirp caught his attention, approaching him from the other side of the room, where he could clearly see a charming mermaid like silhouette approaching him steadily.

"Sasuke!" Only having the clear full bright moon and its golden halo as the single source of light to see the stunning presence of the man she was dead worried for, Sakura run straight to his open arms, not allowing him to even remove his trench coat, hugging him tightly.

He seemed to be too taken aback to respond, but the Sound agent hasn't realized. Her nose was buried into his chest. "Oh my God, I was dead worried!"

"Hn." Was all he could say and not because he attempted to be rude or push her aside from his problems -she was already more involved into his mess than anyone else- but because Sasuke was not focusing on what she was saying.

The visibly confused and scared mocha haired lady stopped right in front of him, scouting for any signs of bad happenings and troubles on his face, with her lucid forest green gemstones beaming in his direction, while he had no reaction whatsoever, beside the stern, serious, implacable and steel like hard expression adorning his gorgeous features.

There was his new girlfriend almost running to him the moment she heard the knob turn and the sound of worried impatient steps was all that echoed through his over exhausted mind at the moment.

That until the onyx eyed Uchiha caught the sight of what she was wearing and fuck if all the stress hasn't magically left his muscles, being replaced by a new sort of tension which was boiling inside his veins, pumping adrenaline and testosterone through his vessels, like boiling steams of lava.

A silk short summer kimono, sewed with golden embroidery, portraying Chinese flying dragons, with bright red scales and pastel pink Phoenix birds, was cupping her gentle curves, while a louse dark green obi was hugging her slim curvy waist, keeping the two folds in place.

The refined V shape was sensually low cut, supporting her rich chest, while the long hems were cascading down her slightly uncovered round shoulders, giving the curious eye a tantalizing insight of her lace brand new Victoria's Secret navy blue bra.

"Gosh, are you/" No words, no apology, no other response, but his silent lips crushed on her and a fierce rapacious kiss, was all that Sasuke had to say.

One second earlier, Sakura was sprinting towards him, crushing her slim frame on his chest. One second later, when the worn out Uchiha came into his senses, she was in his arms, kissing him in a way she never did before.

She didn't know what has changed, but it was certainly making her heart accelerate each time his feverous lips were suckling and pulling on her lower one, while his left hand was claiming its place around her waist and his throne above her heart.

He was probably not in his best state of mind and talking was most likely the last thing that the raven haired Uchiha needed and Sakura understood him. She never felt his struggle and has never been in a similar pinch before, but she understood him.

Moreover, she knew what he needed and decided that it didn't bother her, because, some hours ago, he has made his feelings do all the talking. There was even a slight hint of regret in the way his lips were pressed upon her own, massaging and dominating, like he didn't want to use her as relief and Sakura felt like melting into his arms for such consideration.

But she was his girlfriend -her stomach squealed at that and her pulse pumped faster at the new title- so she had to play her part. Besides, it was not like she didn't _want it_ just as mindlessly.

And that was why she hasn't allowed herself to control a prolonged moan when she felt a warm smooth palm slide under the hem of the kimono she wore, pulling it up to her thigh, kneading the soft flesh inside, then ascending towards her firm ass, gripping her and bringing her hips flush into his own. He broke their lip lock to allow themselves to catch their breaths, while their faces remained unmoving from the previous position, as their breaths were fusing in a staccato rhythm. Then Sasuke took the lead again and slipped a hand under her chin, maneuvering her head up to deepen their kiss, forcing Sakura to arch her neck and part her lips wider, as they explored each other's hot caverns as deep as they could reach.

And she set no boundary for the Mangekyou's Head as he let his hands slide past her every rounded curve of her body, as he pleased. And that night, he felt possessive and ready to dominate what was his. Probably because he was feeling like his territory has been invaded and the impulse to protect what was rightfully his has been awoken from the depths of his warrior side. And that only turned her on more. His digits were aiming for every place she need them and his kiss was burning her mind. Sakura couldn't keep up with his peace any longer. He grew urgent and feral and Sakura felt unable to prevent a content mewl as her own excitement grew, as her hands couldn't stay in place anymore second. She had to respond in her own clumsy, but sincere way.

As a result of how lost in rapture Sakura was in that moment, with Sasuke's lips holding hers captive in a never-ending thirsty feverous kiss, her impatient hands quickly found their way towards his shirt, as trembling clumsy fingers were trying their best to unbutton the fine article of clothing that was keeping her away from touching his flawless body.

But having any sort of control was as impossible as containing her broken moans when the emerald eyed agent felt Sasuke's magnetizing hands sensually dragging the _yukata_ she wore down her shoulders, making the pleasure double when he replaced the soft airy fabric that once hid her modesty, with moist chaste kisses. She promptly dug her nails into his shirt, tearing it open on her first attempt, as his husky maddening low chuckle accompanied by the sound of torn silk, were the only things resonating through the eerie of the room.

Sakura realized that she was just as craving to be his, as he has openly declared to be hungry to possess her and stopping his hands from following each curve of her exposed frame was something she was not willing to do. Cold shivers run down Sakura`s forearms and spine, while Sasuke`s sweet mouth left hers, ink order to pamper the velvet skin of her newly uncovered shoulders and neck, as she was softly keeping on repeating his name, as a chorus she loved.

The emerald eyed lady shut her orbs to the outside word, angling her head to give Sasuke more access to the side of her long swan neck, while she took advantage of their closeness to glue her nose on his silk hair, hanging carelessly over his high cheeks and ears, because she knew for a fact that the Uchiha used to pulverize his perfume on his pulse and the back of his ears, so the strong fragrance so hotly imprinted on the silk strands of his longer raven spikes, were brushing his neck and jaw and the combination between his shampoo, expensive cologne and natural odor was sending Sakura into an endless spellbound. She pressed her nose under his chin, inhaling sharply to catch the maddening masculine scent with every breath she took, until she got to the point where she was mistaking oxygen for feral lust.

She didn't have the memory of them both getting naked because time into Sasuke's strong embrace was just a remaining of one more passing episode of their secret connection of hearts, minds and souls, but she clearly felt his radiating warmth as a pleasurable tingle crossing her skin, when she found her back hitting the plush cushion of the sofa and Sasuke`s intoxicating body hovering above her, careful not to crush her much fragile carcass, but close enough to leave her breathless in arousal.

* * *

Her hands immediately found their way into his disheveled gravity defying soft locks, taking a fist of the rebel curls tickling her wrists, while his head lowered to meet her halfway, engaging into a battle of succulent lips molding upon one another, dancing in perfect harmony as their hearts were pumping together, both adrenaline and madness. Breathing became a challenge into the almost nonexistent space between their rocking bodies, and equally useless as any word that might have been carelessly let to linger above their flaming chemistry.

Just as their hands were having their own minds and broke every rule, so were their clothes tousled aimlessly on the carpet, glass coffee table or the back of the sofa. No matter how strange it might have sounded, in the company of Sasuke, being dressed felt alien and uncomfortable. Maybe that was the reason why Sakura only grew alert of their nakedness when a stronger breeze slipped past the opened back sliding door, from the yard and hit her exposed legs. They were as covered as Adam and Eve, but so was their longing for one another transpiring the limits of the Eden Garden.

But it was an insignificant price to pay in order to be able to feel Sasuke's body radiating the very essence of the finest manliness through his pores and she could perceive the life flowing through those hardened muscles, pulsating with power and vitality, every time he flexed his arm to touch her further or bent down to reach her sweet spots. And it was exhilarating. Everything about the handsome Uchiha was breathtakingly perfection. In every way. A beauty beyond definition and a strength without boundaries. Sakura wasn't sure whether what she had stocked inside her mind was just an absurd idea which her drunk in bliss inner has conjured from her wickedest desires, but she felt like she has been craved for Sasuke all her life, without even being aware of what exactly was she looking for.

_A bird without a nest to return to._

_A ship without a destination._

_A meteor shower during a cloudy sky._

_A solitary high cliff where not even the wind had the courage to venture._

_A memory trapped into the haze of time, with no past to belong with._

_And she was alone no more._

His hands were everywhere, his kisses where everything and his fire was salvation. Sakura was not sure whether those dragged throaty mewls and cries were escaping past her parted lips, but she was sure she hasn't missed a spot of Sasuke's lean protruding muscles or the planes of his back and hard platinum long fibers of his broad chest and toned abs, which were glistening into the dim mild moonlight, covered with drops of sweat, puncturing down his temples, fusing with her essences. Aroused was an understatement for how she felt, because Sakura could have sworn she has been dried of any vital liquids, all streaming from her body in endless clear rivulets, milking down Sasuke's magical fingers.

She felt her mind explode into his touch. He knew exactly how she wanted him to play with her and please her. Even though Sakura was aware of the simple thinking she has been reduced to, she couldn't cease away the urge she had for Sasuke to put his palm flat over her throbbing core and rub her folds, up and down, hard and slow, while the knot in her lower abdomen was pulsating and making her lower regions vibrate, like a guitar's body when playing the right chords.

There was no part left of her intoxicated body that Sasuke hasn't set on fire with a prolonged kiss, a long lick or an expert touch, but Sakura felt like she was burning in flames just like a torch. Hell, she could have bet that her frame got its own source of light. Incandescent as he was making her to be. Painting her into his colors and the Sound agent knew that she was a complete other person while being with Sasuke. Unlike the stranger posing as a Sound agent, that woman looking back at her was something she could recognize in the mirror. Someone she liked to look at and get used to.

Someone like her.

With someone that was him.

Sasuke.

Her own reflection.

And she saw it clearly into his flickering irises. They lead her along the way of his heart, like a lighthouse rescuing the lost ships from the merciless storms. No matter how much she admired his eyes, the fascinated CIA agent always marveled at how beautiful they truly were. Unique in both shade and shape, and so expressive and intelligent. His gaze was reflecting his state of mind and his vivid look was what truly made him outstanding. Sasuke would have been an incomplete man without those smoldering black sapphire orbs of his. His extraordinary self was best expressed into his eyes. He was beyond handsome. Gorgeous would have been a word to come closer to how he looked like.

* * *

He was not an empty man and the gorgeous appearance was not an empty shell either. Sasuke had a soul and Sakura found it as beautiful as the exterior. A heartless dumb fool wouldn't have been capable of such defined sensuality, she was certain about it. Sasuke was bringing erotic to the level or arts and understanding. He was a smart man and so where his fondlings. And the Sound agent was able to discover a sensibility under his fingertips, which she recognized to be a precious inheritance from the undying delicacy of Mikoto Uchiha. She wanted to smirk at that. It was something that his brother Itachi didn't have. It was only the youngest of the family's distinctive feat. Lucky her.

Unbeknownst to the caramel haired lady, it was a trait only meant for a special someone to discover. That was the reason why no other woman before her was able to bring that gentleness to light until then. All his life, people around Sasuke managed to only bring out what was the worst of him. Then Sakura came and tried to rescue herself and learn how to appreciate herself, while she was pulling him out of his own Hell as well.

For a moment, Sakura felt like the very offspring of the cosmos, because she had a mixed sensations stirred from the pits of her heart, as she was exploding in tiny particles of stardust, travelling across the Universe, frozen but flaming, like a supernova, billion miles away from Earth. She was squirming on the sofa, under a ravishing Uchiha, who has set a new pace as he placed his lips softly upon hers, trapping her slightly agape mouth in a chaste soft kiss, while he placed his palms upon her tired open ones, intertwining their fingers, locking their hands together, while his lips were creating dazzling rhymes upon her own, just as she was doing her best, in between sharp inhales for oxygen, to respond, moving her silk petals in sync with his own, getting tiny sparkles down her temples and cheeks, when the tip of their noses brushed and tingled each other.

"Sakura..." He urged her to focus on his face, while his husky contralto voice betrayed desire, desperation and need.

She tried to reason with him, but Sakura found it difficult to voice out what she was thinking about. "Sasuke...this couch is..." But the Sound agent wasn't allowed to talk further, because the man lingering over her was thirsty for her kisses. "...mmph-" She tightened the hold of his hand, while the charming haired Uchiha angled his chin for a better access, letting his tongue trace the corners of her mouth, licking her lips, with the delicacy and aristocratic manners of a cat, lazily lapping smooth sweet cream, enjoying the taste of adrenaline and relief oozing from his favorite lady, caught in the euphoria of the moment, then letting the moist hot organ slide past her pearl white teeth, pleasurably inside her cavern, massaging her gums and tongue, making her even dizzier in bliss.

As simple as the candid of the gesture was, kissing Sasuke always felt like experiencing the taste of the finest Swiss chocolate: it was dark, intense, rich, flavored, fine and noble and the melting passionate taste on her tongue felt as heavenly as bathing in honey. His taste was so divine and uplifting that it turned Sakura into a helpless addict for his treasures.

Yes, she was sick and she knew it, but there was a force beyond her always making her seek Sasuke`s embrace, throwing her into his arms, like a tornado. Maybe it was his general overwhelming charm, or mysterious ability to make her feel safe when he was around, even if he came as a dark horse for most of the time, and the self-confidence he placed in her heart was filling her with joy. No other man has ever told her how beautiful he thought she was, while watching her with the same eyes as looking at the very embodiment of his most sacred fantasies and it was making the emerald eyed girl reel into joy.

"Hn, _dobe_." Came Sasuke's reply, when he unglued his lips from hers to trace his tongue down her chin and throat.

She was surprised to learn that Sasuke was aware of what his friends were plotting behind his back, though it was the idea of him permitting them to do that, the one to shock her. He had such a playful side, she should have known better. "You knew?" She more like mewled, squeezing her eyes shut, than talking, in the moment she felt a hand ascend along her spine, slipping under the clasp of her bra. Anticipation grew feral as all the stellar net of nerves went electrically charged with energy.

"I got it changed with another one identical." Sasuke replied nonchalantly, while he dragged the straps of her lingerie slowly down her shoulders, brushing his knuckles over the skin of her forearms, covering her in pricking goose bumps, as she shuddered.

Sakura giggled when the joyful sensation started to match the unsteady queasy fluttering from her stomach. "Hm?"

"I...am sorry it didn't go as planned." The raven haired Uchiha stated out of nowhere, and if she wouldn't have been so alert to everything he did or said to her, she would have missed to apologetically tone in his silent confession. His lips remained frozen above the valley of her bare full endowed breasts, right upon her racing heart.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned, oozing of a peculiar innocent confusion, casting her emerald eyes down to meet the sight of his bowed down forehead and his midnight mane spread upon her collarbone. " It was the best day of my life!" Sakura was the one to retract her hand from Sasuke`s hold, bringing both her palms on each side of his jaw, making him look up to face her honest smile. It was her turn to kiss him tenderly, before she spoke. "I felt like Cinderella. And I had met my Prince Charming."

"But in the fairytale, they have met for three times."

"Then you, Mr. Uchiha-_sama, _will have to work magic for two more times."

"That won't be the case." Sasuke threw her a ravishing knowing smirk, as he took advantage of her stare focused solely on him, to let his right hand leisurely glide into her lace panties, massaging her lower abdomen, navel and palming her already dripping core.

Flawless delicate French manicured nails dug into his bicep, while she bit her lower lip, muffling a moan at the sensation, as he leaned his head to place fugitive pecks on the crock of her neck, letting her perceive his breath fanning over her pulse, the sensation electrifying, like a striking bolt charging her with raw energy.

"Since you have already charmed me..."

"...how come?"

"You were the most beautiful woman tonight, Sakura_-hime_." The ink eyed man bluntly confessed, making Sakura's heart elevate to the skies, like a crane spreading its wings, freely and unrestrained growing majestic in front of the infinite azure. Shimmering dews of dew spilled along her eyelashes as emotion enveloped her like a protective mantel. His honesty has been emotional and strikingly beautiful.

"...you are such a...l-liar..."

"...last time I checked...I was your boyfriend." There was a brief moment of silence when their gazes connected as the intensity of their look penetrated the confinements of each other's skulls, before Sasuke let out a deep _sigh_, racking his digits into his rebel locks. "Sakura…I am not sure whether I am sane enough in this moment. I don't want to do this to you. Not like this."

She knew perfectly what message was he trying to converse into a proper apology, but the light caramel haired lady would hear none of it. She knew he cared about how she felt and yes, he didn't want to use sex to alleviate his problems, even for a moment, but she couldn't overlook the way he was looking at her and that was the state of a man who had solid feelings for her. If there was a way to help him overcome his hardships, Sakura would do it unconditionally.

It was not like Sakura didn't like what he was doing to her. He would better talk less and move the hand that remained motionless in between her parted thighs like he did before more instead. She started to ache down there because of the accumulated tension...

"Shh." The jade eyes woman pressed her thumb over _her_ man's glistening lips, silencing him with the warmth and urgent touch of her finger. "Not another word. Tonight, I just wanna feel. I will have time to reflect about it tomorrow.

_/I have a lifetime to regret anything... tomorrow, but never what you do to me./_

He nodded once, not saying anymore words as Sakura gave him her acceptance. His soft and delicate lips came down to capture her pursed ones in a sealing kiss, that left Sakura with the exhilarating sensation that he was covering her skin in gentle roses petals and his kisses were moist, warm and soothing as a light summer rain, making Sakura moan pleasantly, feeling billions of tremors down her limbs, making all her body come to life. Her hands folded around his neck as she brought him flush to her body.

It was like Sasuke was calling her to awaken after centuries of deep slumber and numbness, making her fire come to life and burn, and the sensation doubled when she snuck her fingers into his unruly jet ink locks, flowing down his nape, forcing the smirking down at her impatient and thirst Uchiha heir, to arch his neck and connect to her greedy mouth, in a naughty hot French kiss, that made the emerald eyed girl melt like a cinnamon scented Christmas candle under Sasuke`s eternal flames of passion.

Their lips were filled with godly nectar and need, massaging, nibbling and suckling the sweet flesh, until they both went slightly bruised from the pressure they were both applying, trying to take as much as possible from the partner's taste and imprint into the their own senses, giving life to a seventh one, like another world wonder.

The tips of their tongues were trapped into a feverous elegant waltz, exploring each other's hot mouths enthusiastically, grinding and sliding upon one another, tasting their combined warm saliva and the unique maddening sweet mint taste of one another, making the sparks of the natural chemistry between them raise to its apogee.

In the meantime, he midnight haired man`s hands were igniting flames inside the jadeite eyed agent, like he was touching a sacred temple and the way he treated her body, similar to an oasis he has been striving to get to, was making her crying of emotion. Never once has Sasuke made Sakura feel cheap, or touched in a wrong way, and she was not talking about his skills.

That, he got a lot. He was a meticulous man with a breathtaking appearance and had experience. But, whenever she slept with him, the emerald eyed agent felt more and more connected to him. It has never been just sex what lied between them, not even when they had their first time together. And that was because they did it as an impulse to let their feelings upgrade to the second stage and not as a mere debauched succumb to their sexual drives.

And that was precisely why Sakura was feeling so _good_. She basically let Sasuke do whatever he pleased, without objecting, because not even a single finger of his has crossed the line or was too demanding.

And by all Heavens, he was incredible! She couldn't help but shudder continuously and moan helplessly, abandoned into the softness of his lips or the rapture of his palm. That sensual skilled hand that was kneading her thighs and those fingers which rubbed her rosy nipples until they hardened and stood up like the shyest tulip buds, begging for contact, were killing her in pleasure slowly and surely, bringing her to his mercy.

Meanwhile, the CIA agent let her own hands explore his Heavenly sculpted body, spreading her fingers over every lean plane and angle of Sasuke`s hardened muscles, as her mouth watered with the sudden desire to lick those rippling fibers and taste raw power on her own tongue. Sakura got a primal need to join with the onyx eyed Uchiha in a wild savage way that she couldn't explain.

Sweet, tender and versatile as cream, yet rich, strong and seductive like black cherries lips, tasted like hot chocolate and his smell felt like a magnetizing icy arctic storm, throwing Sakura straight into the middle of the sweetest blissful fantasy. Everything about him was pure erotic, in the seductive way that only a poet could have so masterfully create. This was how sexy the raven haired Uchiha truly was.

* * *

Sakura found that manner to convey her message better because both of them have turned the superficial and insignificant act of sex, into the most expressive heir of the highest valuable feelings of longing and belonging. And that was when it moment when it strike her like an unleashed hurricane in the middle of the ocean: Sakura has realized how much she was missing the feeling of connection to someone so intimately and so untamed. Loneliness has made her blind to the cravings of her own being and has caged her into a silver cage where she lived like a cold heartless princess, surrounded by loving people who couldn't fully penetrate the ice stoned carcass built around her heart and unveil the fragile young girl with rosy cheeks and shy smile who she once was.

All her life, Sakura has been missing that kind of warmth and security and just as unexpectedly, that stranger came and, in just one month, manages to give her the world, without asking for anything in return. It was just the self-assurance and undeniable trust the thing that the pink haired lady needed to feel and it was radiating though her every pore. And Karin was glad for her, in all honesty.

Sakura was not like her. The Uzumaki seductress knew that in order to mentally handle all the stress and cope with her delicate missions, commitment was as good as a fairytale, namely utopia.

No sane man would have stayed with a lady whose job required seducing man into providing information and then kill them in cold blood. And that was why Karin was always flirting with her colleagues who could best understand the lack of feelings, attachment and bonding.

But not Sakura. The delicate cherry blossom has never been the person to play the others, since her earnestly and heart of gold was making her as pure as a crane's wing.

She moaned loudly when Sasuke`s lips glued to her ample mounds, tenderly suckling on her hardened nipple, hungrily satiating from the divine sugary taste and the scent of the scent of the mesmerizing luscious skin, pulling and massaging, while his slick tongue was drawing lazy circles around her pale pink sensitive areola, made Sakura`s body tremble like jelly. "S-Sasuke/"

His other palm was pressed upon her other equally begging for attention breast, expertly fondling and massaging it, like he was molding clay, delicately, precisely and skillfully, in the same pleasantly way like handling a work of art, occasionally rubbing the head of the rosy erect bud and twirling it with his index.

His amused but lustful touches were instantly rewarded with moans of ecstasy and whimpers of adrenaline, when pain shot through her, fusing with extreme pleasure.

His hand descended sensually down her ribs tickling her shortly, then kneading her hip bone, sliding to the inside of her thigh, brushing her groins, creating a boiling puddle inside the pits of her lower regions as a result of the anticipation and agony of his prolonged teasing, as he was intentionally refrained from touching the hot key spots that were meant to send her to the shooting stars. "Please/"

"Something wrong, dear?" He tantalized her, while ungluing his hot mouth from the breasts he was playing with, coming to attach to her ear, grinding the delicate cartilage in between his teeth, whispering seductively in a peculiar cocky masculine way, that sent the inner wild lioness from her free to hunt for fresh flesh: "Tell me what you want. No inhibitions." He challenged in a velvet dark way.

"Tonight I set no boundaries." The intoxicated agent retorted, as she couldn't recognize her guttural voice or her perverted wishes anymore. "Anything. Everything! Let's be everything tonight, Sasuke."

"Take...me!" She begged while his slightly taken aback, but entertained eyes were following the tremors covering her body while the fragrance of her arousal tantalized his nostrils, filling his mind with her fruity nectar.

Every time Sasuke was catching the scent of her floral spring natural fragrance, he involuntarily envisioned himself walking into a garden, wandering through the maddening divine perfume of red and white roses, caressing the gentle petals of the delicate flowers and the gentleness of her curves adding to the cashmere creamy skin was making the fascination grow even higher, all blending into her fairy like mysterious womanhood. "Possess me! I am/ "

_'Love me'_

"...yours." She finished with a gentle whisper, enveloping his slender waist with her trembling hands.

She couldn't deny herself anymore, she wanted him, every part of him, to align with his darkest of secrets, rejected past and troubled teenage drama that would shake a weak heart from its foundations, but Sakura needed him as ardently as she needed oxygen. The drunk in lust forest green eyed lady was certain that her resolve to never let Sasuke go has never been steadier. She was ready to give up on anything just to remain by his side for as long as he allowed it, be it her mission or her own self.

After being with the onyx eyed Uchiha the day before, so rightfully dancing with him, stealing the show along his side and be a special part of his fascinating world, the emerald eyed agent has realized that she could reach every start in the Universe with a simple lift of her hand or a simple blink of his eyes and curl of his lips.

If they were together, they could dream together the sweetest dreams and unleash a vortex of emotions, through every touch, and it was something so emotionally heartwarming, that it made Sakura unable to stop her eyelids from quivering, while feelings of beatitude kept on pumping from her heart.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"I...don't know what this feelings I have are, but..." She started cautiously, so as she was pondering* whether she should let out such words in that context escape her mouth. She was gravely underestimating his ability to detach from the daily problems and grant her all his attention. "...I have never felt more like my real self until today. I want this to last. And I want it to be you." When the emerald eyed girl felt Sasuke stiffen his shoulders, she almost immediately regretted her outburst. If only her mouth would have listened to her brain more... "I am rambling." She mumbled weakly, but not removing her cheek from his. And neither did he. "_Mi dispiace._"

"You don't have to explain anything." Was his assuring reply, whispered hotly upon her ear, making her skin tremble in excitement, as she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "It is all yours. Like I promised." He went on, while his hands were caressing her sides, tickling her and stirring the pool from the pits of her stomach further. "So Enjoy...Sa-ku-rah." He made her name sound like velvet pampering bare skin, warming up her heart and making her emerald eyes blaze with fire.

"Sasuke..." She moaned as he kneaded her perked up coral nipple in his way up to her squirming body. The room grew ten times hotter as the chemistry between them became atomic, viral and intoxicating. Sakura could feel its sparks puncturing every cell of her frame.

Intertwining their fingers together, Sasuke held both her hands captive above her head, while he trailed teasing butterfly kisses down her chest, to her navel, blowing puffs of warm air on his way, making Sakura shudder in a killing anticipation and let frustrated moans escape her throat, when she felt his breath fan over her burning skin. She could feel him invading her senses through every pore and when he planted quick chaste kisses on the inside of her thigh, she swore she lost her mind.

"S-Sasuke...s-stop teasing m-me!" She mewled under his tender gentle caresses, while his lips, which were cockily curled in a deviously sexy smirk, brushed past her belly button.

"Hm? Am I doing that to you?" The nerve of him to even chuckle, while she couldn't even free her squirming hands from his grip, was both frustrating and arousing and the fact that she couldn't alleviate the burning pressure of her core, by rubbing her thighs together, because of the raven haired man comfortably positioned in between her parted knees, hovering above her predatory, like a deadly unleashed cheetah ready to strike, was making Sakura want to both punch him and kiss him.

Albeit, she wouldn't even start to deny how incredibly hot he looked like that, the moment he dropped the characteristically impenetrable cold and steel like control he was famous for, and let the fire in his midnight sapphire irises make the inner raw passion caged inside him come alive. "Sakura?"

"I-I want to...punch you...let me go..." Although, the green garnet eyed lady was not in the bit persuasive, since she was more like urged him to cage her and never let go, than comply to her request, and if that didn't amuse Sasuke to no end, then nothing couldn't have had.

"Are you trying to threaten me, Sakura? Because if this is the case..." Slowly, but surely and with all the sexiness a male of the species would have been able to possess, Sasuke lowered his lips on the waiting impatiently and incredibly hardened longing for his touch milky nipple and suckled on it once hungrily, pulling it hard, freeing the bud with an audible 'pop', smirking at the way his girl's once ivory cheeks burst in flames at the sudden adrenaline rush. "...I find myself obliged to take dramatic measures and..." Another series of devouring kisses and small bites found their way to the Sound going crazy agent's arched neck and Sakura couldn't have processed what was more arousing: Sasuke`s unique contralto rich voice, that was enveloping her senses like a silky cashmere veil, or his possessive words that were hiding subtle innuendos behind them, but it was maddening and she could only gulp once, feeling unable to express herself in any coherent way. He was already reading her like an opened papyrus, anyway.

"...a-and..."

"...and _never_ set you _free." _And the sexiest manly wide and uncontrolled smirk was the last think that her widened forest green hazel irises have seen, before Sasuke captured her lips in a fierce bruising kiss, that took away every syllable she would have had to mutter, from her soft lips and she could only relax under him, close her eyes and try to keep up with his ravenous pace, losing herself into his taste.

* * *

Sure, it was easy to name whatever it was which was transpiring between the two of them, namely friends with benefits or a sexual affair, but both knew it was much more than that. In fact, if Sakura would have been honest with herself, ever since she first laid her eyes on Sasuke, besides the shock she had at his general physical gorgeousness, the CIA agent has felt a far deeper mysterious bond connecting the two of them, in an older than the time dance they were trapped into, and it both thrilled and frightened her at the same time.

It was the same as experiencing a deja vu, in the similar manner to what some religions would deem as karma or reincarnation of the soul. Was it possible for the memories she was building with Sasuke, brick by brick, to be a figment of a remaining distant past lost memory which rightfully belonged to a past her?

It was exactly those small gestures she did which made him feel more than physical satisfaction, the reason why Sasuke couldn't help but lean the feelings he never thought he had, towards her intimate involuntary gesture, like a kid seeking shelter into his mother's arms.

She was warm, soft and tender and the Uchiha heir couldn't consider his docile attitude towards her a shameful act for his manhood, since no straight man could have resisted that soothing feminine flicker of her fingers through his fallen on his cheeks silk locks.

_/Past mistakes of tomorrow? I have a lifetime to regret them. For now I am snowflake. And you are going to melt me in your palm./_

The traces of his touches and kisses were fluent and sophisticated, like a neat italic handwriting. He was covering her skin with his body art and she was blessing his walls with the screams of his name, in reward to every right caress, stroke kiss.

Soon they have both reached the same conclusion: every time they did it, it was better than before and since their need and passion was genuine, it was always different, more savage and sweeter, like a new discovery of each other's sacred pleasures.

And the difference in experience and skill was adding to the arousal and chemistry. Sasuke was looking for the eternal womanly definition of gentleness, innocence, ineffable, sweet naivety and honest attempts to overcome the fear of not doing mistakes and please her partner, while Sakura was expecting raw pleasure, expert digits to explore confined hot spots and fondle lace like lips, supple mounds and chocolate sugary delicious kisses to make her world whirl.

Sasuke loved her shyness, the curiosity kicking in to beat the lack of skill and how she did nothing to control her need to taste, feel, explore and give back what she was getting. But how could she have hesitated, thinking that mistakes could have been made, while a man and a woman were so deeply connected, was beyond him. She was the sole lady who the raven haired Uchiha has never set any boundaries to, when pressed together in such a rightful way. Intimacy of gestures, whispers and whimpers were all the reasons why he preferred to love her the old fashioned way, so proper for two lovers.

To possess her, watch her whimper his name and reach for feverous clumsy kisses, moan in need, fondle his chest, shoulders, rest her chin in the junction of his neck to hear their pulses connect and sync their hearts with their lust, dug her nails down his back muscles and scratch marble skin deeply, helplessly and sexily, mixing adrenaline with pain and endorphins, was making Sasuke break his own rules and push his own boundaries even further. The risk he took was more than worth the price.

It only drove him more mad, wilder and made him ten times harder, basically growing inside her throbbing slick burning body, which was fighting the pain to make place for the pleasure.

That Sakura, his spring lotus in bloom with unrestrained passionate clouded eyes and mesmerizing heart shaped lips, has always been so tight, yet so fit for his vigorous body, earning to feel the most he could give, cuddling into his opened embrace to welcome him all the way in, up to the hilt and even further, hungrily taking all of his sinful display of manhood, sexy guilty forbidden touches, his harsh uneven breaths, sensual low beast like manly growls and willingness to create a connection, instead of random brief encounters.

Despite his extremely aroused state, mirrored by the way his gifted member was growing hard and ready to claim its way inside her beyond slick passage, the charcoal eyed Uchiha heir wanted to prolong his lady's pleasure for longer. So his fingers stopped their journey briefly to rub her lace like pastel pink hued folds, then he traced the valley of her labia and lower lips, dragging his index lazily past her unfolded pulsating damp opening, coming to press his thumb over the hardened bundle of nerves, massaging the head of the clit, slowly, with ample circular motions, marveling at the instant response of her feminine treasures, while his fingers were touching her there like that. He encountered no resistance or hesitation whatsoever, only moans and begging. Sakura was completely succumbing to him, allowing the onyx eyed man to do everything he wanted and explore her in all the ways he deemed fit.

Ah, her trust was betraying an amusing naivety worth of a cherub escaped from the Heaven's holly Gardens. But that devotion only made Sasuke want her more and the strange need to take her was deeper than his lust to savage her body. Her skin was sweet, soft, smooth, moist and flavored like the pulp of a syrupy peach.

He parted her folds with his thumb to reveal a sweet pearl like clit, uncovering her so intimately before his eyes. And when the tip of his tongue flickered once over it experimentally, he got the most erotic moan possible in return, urging him to repeat the action. And she did, as he felt her body call for his touch through every sense. Just as her, Sasuke also shut down his outside perception and all he could see, all he could hear and all he could think of, was how delicious she was, while he was eating her out.

"Sasuke...please..." She grabbed a fist of his rebel locks jerking her hips up, while his face was firmly glued to her core. His lips were suckling as his abrasive slick tongue was grazing her spread wide lower lips in a way that left Sakura breathless. She begged for something she didn't have a name for. The passion became torturous. She needed more and he had exactly what she wanted.

The Sound agent wasn't an oblivious fool anymore. She knew he was barely withstanding the throbbing constriction of his full of semen balls, or the knot from his chiseled abdomen. It was visible from his body language. Sharp veins were protruding from his rippling biceps, his pupils were dilated, adrenaline was pumping through his rapid heart, his pulse was running madly and his dews of sweat were hotly rolling down his lean spine and the planes of chest.

"Sakura/" Desperation was obvious in his growl as he hovered above her, linking their eyes and letting the panting lady feel his need, despite the lack of light. They didn't need to see each other, since they could feel their sparkling need for one another.

And Sakura swore she hasn't even realized when Sasuke slided inside her, because there was always a natural born match into their connection, like they have been built to merge together and fuse like a single entity as their rocking bodies created a rhythm, but she truly couldn't overlook the sudden electrical bolt that hit her spine when Sasuke pumped her once, just to make the girl who was clamping him in a guilty delicious way that should have been forbidden, snap out of her ecstasy and feel him and everything that happened between them in that moment of ecstasy.

Feel him. Feel what he was doing and more importantly, feel their bond. Because what they were doing, was an ancestral dance that that couldn't have been performed alone. Sasuke knew it and Sakura was well aware of it too, because she has learned it courtesy of him. The Uchiha heir was not simply fucking her or using her as his plaything. He had the ability to do it, but he never made use of it and the answer for it, has been more than obvious.

The once rosy haired agent knew there weren't enough tears under the moonlight to comprise all the emotion she felt in the moment Sasuke told her he liked her and it meant the world, because she knew she has been the first one to ever been graced with such words coming from one of the most gorgeous man`s alive mouth. Only her. He acted so out of character solely for her and he called her his lady, as if he meant it and he cherished it.

Every time he moved inside her she felt the tension of her inner muscles stretch, as her passage was accommodating him, and it was the most addictive sensation. She lowered her eyes to where they were united to see her folds spread wide, like buds of tulips enveloping his throbbing hard rock length, while he was pushing inside her, slamming his hips on hers, until she fitted him all inside her womb, where he was spilling his seed.

And she felt everything up to the most imperceptible brush of his supple hot skin, and it helped her get mentally turned on as well, adding to her suffocating obvious aroused physical state. Sasuke had a way of keeping his body aligned with hers on a certain angle, so as to let the thick base of his generous manhood rub over the hood of her swollen erect clit, each time he rammed inside her, and he knew exactly how to properly do it, for Sakura to feel him all, each time he entered her. She was too lost in pleasure to remember how to even moan. His ministrations were only rewarded with viridian clouded irises flying wide open and rapid rises and falls of her chest, while she tried her best to breathe and not hyperventilate.

She has never been more ethereal like in that moment, Sasuke decided. Everything about her was ravishing: the erotic bounces of her supple ample breasts, while her tempting rosy nipples were pointing sideways, the way she tried to helplessly cling to him, slipping her hands under his armpits to palm his shoulder blades and cage him in a deep embrace or the lovely mimic of her red rose lips, as she was silently going through all the 'ahhs' and 'oh' she knew, unable to voice them out.

Beyond her past mistakes, lies and deceiving, Sakura wanted to feel that real spark transpiring between them. It was more than she could ask for, because she was certain that she didn't even deserve such happiness. Sasuke was a mystery, a strange heart with more masked faces than the moon and more concealed colors to discover than the rainbow, and even if he was no arch over the clouds, he was a pillow for her once ready to crush down solitary heart.

He saved her from herself, from the painful fears she couldn't overcome and she didn't care if he would have been the most wanted criminal or a time traveler from the stars. He was there with her, breathing with her, living with her, touching her, pulse on pulse and heart to heart and she wanted nothing more. That was enough. His bare form was enough.

In the embrace of the pure abandonment into the intoxicating moment, Sasuke felt like what he was doing was not even half of what he could truly show her and that was why he removed himself from her for a moment, making her open her foggy eyes, following him confused and displeased at the loss of contact, while he gently but swiftly slipped his palm under her lower back, maneuvering her to turn on her side, until she was spread on her tummy, with his back on him.

"What are you-" Sakura had an idea of what his intention was, but she couldn't do as much from that position since she was unable to see a thing, although the excitement grew with the anticipation, because she didn't know what would come next.

"Relax." His voice was soothing enough to assure her he won't do anything to hurt her, but devilish enough to promise pleasure. "You will enjoy it."

He sung seductively down her ear, as his chest was pressed on her back, sending his hotness to her. She nodded once gripping the armrest of the sofa, when the unpredictable Uchiha used his bent knee to part her thighs, as she found herself in all her fours, with her back deeply arched in a deep perfect 's', as her firm round ass was pushed up, on the same level to his hips.

* * *

Pure bliss shot through Sakura when swiftly as a predatory snake thrust into her core, going all the way inside her, deep and hard, filling her in one single motion.

"Ahhh!" Her nails dug into the plush of the armrest, her emerald eyes shut tight as her cries filled the space around them. From that position, his penetration was deeper and he could easier hit the right angles and reach the hot spots inside her inner walls, which sent her mind towards the shooting stars and turned her field of vision into glitter diamond particles, dancing under her eyelids. It was too much, the pleasure getting unbearable.

One hand was keeping her hips in place firmly, preventing her to jerk forward while he was plunging back and forth, while the other slipped past the crevice of her round toned ass, pressing his thumb on the sensitive tissue of her ass hole, applying a bit of pressure, just enough to let his nail slip inside, massaging the inside of the narrow passage. Her moans grew louder, her screams more high pitched and her walls were burning and pulsating, clenching around his rock hard on, constricting him in a vice grip that almost had him coming if not for his control.

"Fuck you feel so...fucking...divine!" As she was trashing her body like trying to escape the orgasm building into every pore, Sasuke let his own head hang backwards, as his eyes lolled into their sockets. He was chanting her sweet name as she was screaming his from the madness of her poisoned mind.

He could clearly distinguish her swollen bundle of nerves blooming from her inner lace like folds, covered in the slick juices that were leaking from the hotness of the narrow passage his member was penetrating, leaking down her thighs, with the help of the moonlight and lamps around the swimming pool. Amazingly divine and Sasuke was sure he felt no such pleasure with anyone before. The way his name came as an imploring for release, mercy and rapture from her lips, the musical seductive cries and the scent of their sweat, mixing flaming body fluids and her would sour cherries and water lily fragrance was awakening something inside him that the young Uchiha heir had no name for, but it was pure Nirvana. If there was such thing as the essence of beatitude and extreme willing delicious maddening abandonment to someone, then he found it in Sakura.

She was so incredible wet, like all the liquids were dripping out of her body, leaving the jade eyed agent dry and hot, because of Sasuke`s burning hot touches flaming her skin, igniting her fire, like the infinite dreams of Sahara desert, bathed under the merciless rays of the big rounded majestic sun.

"S-Sasuke you...t-this...w-we/" She couldn't form a coherent sentence. It was too _much_. He was too much. And he was amazing!

He was so soft, anywhere, everywhere and Sakura was intoxicated by everything that Sasuke was. He was everywhere and she wanted him everywhere on her and inside her. Their bodies were rocking and pleasuring each other in perfect harmony, speeding up their frenetic move, while their hearts were beating faster and faster.

And so were the harsh pants and the cut breaths, neither able to inhale normally. The level of enfolding chemistry was bringing them one step closer to infinity, with every thrust of the hips.

But there was a vow that Sakura made with herself and she was determined to not break the promise, namely never stop kissing Sasuke. Never. Whenever he detached his smooth kissable lips from hers, to tattoo the shape of them on her neck, shoulders, chest or further, where she was the greediest and more sensitive, she quickly encircled her hands around his neck to force his head up to connect with her.

She didn't even feel offended by his never ceasing smirk. Or maybe he was that sexy when he did that. Whenever he lowered himself more to enter her better and deeper, she strengthened her bent knees around his hips to meet him halfway, just as eagerly. Her cries of ecstasy became sharper, as they mirrored his thrusts, mixing adrenaline, bliss and pain in an agonizing way.

Sasuke was restless and his stamina was incredible. Sakura on the other hand, felt dried of any energy to even dare to protest. She was losing her mind and she enjoyed _every side _of that Sasuke she came to discover.

By any means, he was a far cry from the steel statue he was portraying in front of the others. Sasuke had two faces. He was the perfect CEO in a world dominated by corruption, ulterior motives and frivolous ambitions, where no one valued anything but money, even more than their own personas.

On the other hand, that unusually gorgeous man with those eyes like sparkling black pearls' glow, his untamed lion heart and inner flames, was the one she came to adore. And the sole words she was able to mutter whenever she was reminded by the taste of his honest feelings for her and the spiciness of his magnetic presence were _amore mio_.

He touched and pampered her heart like gentle warming oolong tea infusion.

An amazingly rapturous pool was ready to burst out from her most treasured innards as Sasuke continued to ride both of them to the apocalyptic orgasm as anticipation grew to an agonizing extent. "M-More/" Was all that Sakura's trembling lips could mutter as her damp hair splashed over her shoulders and stuck to her eyes. She pressed her cheek on the leopard cushion she was smashing with her weight, as her knees gave up on supporting her.

She was paralyzed in pleasure as waves of pleasure hit her full force, rippling down her spine and the inside of her thighs. She couldn't even make out where she was or where was the source of ecstasy coming from. She wanted to both get away from there and escape the unbearable tension from her muscles, yet she urged the Uchiha heir to push her limits further.

"Ah!/God!" It was the Creator's name she chanted first, before the much expected escalading orgasm finally hit her like a shockwave coming from an active volcano, erupting from the bottom of the sea. "Fuck, Sasuke/" And it was her lover's name she exhaled lastly, before collapsing on the sofa, with him thrusting inside her two more times, as his own release exploded inside her flaming body.

"This is/ You are/" Just as her, Sasuke too was at loss of words. He planted his left hand firmly to the headrest, supporting his body on it, careful not to collapse on her much petite frame and crush her, exhaustion visible into his soft weak tone. It was still manly and enchanting, tingling her eardrums pleasurably as her name escaped his lips, but lacking fierceness.

Sakura completed his unspoken sentence, speaking their minds, more panting than talking. "/A-Amazing! This was...amazing!" She shut her eyes, resting her face on the fluffy pillow, catching her breath and enjoying the calmness of her heart and the emptiness of her mind, both brought by the aftermath, while Sasuke pressed his lips softly on her shoulder. "Aa."

The intensity of the moment was floating above their still connected bodies, hearts beating in a perfect yin and yang unison, while their combined juices were leaking down Sakura's thighs in hot milky rivulets, giving both a pleasant feeling at the sight of the proof of how intense their lovemaking was. "Stay. Stay with me/" The emerald eyed agent felt like saying, taking both of them by surprise.

Was she afraid he was going to leave her? "As long as you want me./" If anything, it was her the one to leave him after the shameful incident with the stolen money. There was only one person Sasuke was ashamed of, for what happened the day before, and that was Sakura. He felt he let her down. But she was still there. She has always been there when he needed. And she hasn't pushed him away from neither her body nor her life.

She could have left, but there she was breathing with him.

One moment later, Sasuke felt the siren like curvaceous body of his girlfriend shift as she rolled on back to face him, giving him a smile so marvelous, that illuminated, not only the darkness of his home, but the loneliness of his heart as well.

Hormones of raw happiness and satisfaction left the jade eyed lady dizzy, speechless and dried her of all the energy. Sakura brought her hand up towards Sasuke's face, brushing the ink jet locks away off his onyx eyes. "I don't know how to make it any better/" She hummed softly while he leaned into her comforting warm loving touch. "But I promise to be the best I can for you."

/even more/ She would have told him, but she couldn't. It was not the time…yet.

"You have given me more than I deserve." The midnight haired Uchiha heir placed his lips softly upon hers, trapping her slightly agape mouth in a chaste soft kiss, while he placed his palms upon her tired open ones, intertwining their fingers, locking their hands together, while his lips were creating dazzling rhymes upon her own, as she was doing her best, in between sharp inhales for oxygen, to respond, moving her silk petals in sync with his own, getting tiny sparkles down on her temples and cheeks when the tip of their noses brushed and tingled each other.

She tightened the hold of his hand, while the charming haired Uchiha angled his chin for a better access, letting his tongue trace the corners of her mouth, licking her lips, with the delicacy and aristocratic manners of a cat lazily lapping smooth sweet cream, enjoying the taste of adrenaline and relief oozing from his favorite lady, caught in the bliss of her orgasm, then letting the moist hot organ slide past her pearl white teeth, pleasurably inside her cavern, massaging her gums and tongue, making her even dizzier in bliss than before.

"Want me again?" He challenged coyly, while his knuckles caressed the softness of her cheek bones.

She felt her inner walls pulsate in excitement at the sound of his provoking words as her core started to throb. How could she have told him_ no_, when all she dreamt of was the perfect vision of him and him only? Sakura wanted Sasuke 24/7 because she longed for liberation, of her demons, of her mind, of the solitude which was not constricting her anymore.

More than his family name, more than her mission, more than her wicked latent wishes, more than his taste for danger and more than pure physical passion and beyond palpable reasoning, was the very essence of the onyx eyed Uchiha adding her missing pieces together, mending her scars in a tremendously masterfully and right way, like the raven haired Uchiha was sewing pearls on lace: meticulous, luxurious, noble, precise and patience.

And she had a revelation of what exactly was she experiencing with him and the name for the sudden feeling flew out of her mouth, in a tiny like hoarse broken whisper, the image of a precious golden nightingale locked in a cage for years, expecting the right moment to burst outside and be set free of its enclosure:

"I...love you." She finally found the courage to tell him.

He said nothing at first and she knew he was visibly surprised as his hand froze upon her jaw and his fingertips remained stuck into her light brown curls. "I will teach you..." He calmly answered, as he lowered his already erect shaft towards her soaked entrance, slipping his glistening in pre-cum and their essences combined head past her silk lace folds, slowly, gently, as she welcomed him inside again."...how to love me, Sakura/"

Yes, her confession has been unexpected, but Sasuke was not surprised. He knew she had powerful feelings for him. The only regret he had was coming from his own selfishness to make her fall for someone like him.

It was driving him nuts. She deserved so much better yet she wanted him.

"Have I upset you?" She made him snap out of his inner conflict with a guilty regretful weak question. "Sasuke-"

"No./" Sakura was making him happy. There was no way she could have made him angry. "No." He assured her while pressing his lips upon hers, as he started to move inside her, pumping her. But unlike the first time, he went slower, as a result of exhaustion finally coming to him. As well as his mental burn out, stress and lack of sleep.

"Ah!/" Her moans turned into hums, while he was maintaining the gentle but exquisite rhythm, marveling at the new way her body was responding. How come the bulb inside his mind hasn't switched on until then?

She _enjoyed_ a calmer and a slower peace, but she had no idea of how to ask for it. And it was his responsibility to figure it out. If only he paid more attention to her body language instead of focusing on raw pleasure...Sasuke was mentally killing himself for his idiocy. And he was supposed to be the one with experience.

"Hn/" So having that newfound information stored inside his brain, Sasuke unlocked their linked fingers, guiding her hands around his neck, while he enveloped his own strong arms around her back, shielding her with his warmth, like a protective mantel, embracing her, turning their intimacy and bareness into a tender midnight symphony.

"Sasuke-" If Sakura was stunned by it or very ecstatic the raven haired Uchiha couldn't say for sure, but she immediately found his rhythm, because she responded in all the right ways, hugging him tightly, pressing herself to his hard rock chiseled chest, molding her feminine petite body with his own.

"...d-don't s-stop!" She could feel the protruding tiny veins of his erect member pulsate every time he was hitting the sweet spot on her inner walls that drove her into madness, and the sensation was numbing and electrifying.

"Does it feel good?" Rapid jolts were rolling down Sakura`s spine, accumulating inside her womb like a lava puddle, making all her muscles constrict and flex rapidly and intently. She could perceive all the details she has overlooked until then while being too lost in pleasure and it couldn't compare to anything she has felt before.

"Oh, God, Sasuke!/ P-Please don't stop! Please!/" He knew she was very close to another trip to the highest peak, for the second time that night, and his own body was reacting to the spell. His bouncing balls were filled of semen waiting to be released and each time they were hitting her labia, the tantalizing magnetic contact was making him ten times harder. Sasuke couldn't help but let his head fall back and roll his eyes at the sensation.

God, she felt amazing! That moment was amazing! Everything in his life was a mess, yet the moment was unbelievably amazing.

Her orgasm was escalading from all her pores and her spinning head has never been more shut down to the outside world as in that moment.

"Ah/this feels-" A thick layer of fog fell on Sakura`s darkened forest green widened irises and her harsh pants have turned into broken screams and whimpers. The pleasure was too overwhelming, as if it grew unbearable and painful. There were salty tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

It was another sort of emotion. She felt like they were more intimate than ever. He was so tender and delicate and so much like a lover should be and it was too much to handle. Her muscles got violent convulsions as the building tension grew higher and higher.

The emerald eyed agent could even envision how they were connecting each time Sasuke drove back inside her, slower, but sharper and the mental arousal which added to the physical one was a lethal combination. She was flying towards the realm of insanity and she was knocking at its doors.

The caramel pink haired agent didn't believe it was possible to get ever wetter than she was.

* * *

She could perceive their intense physical contact through each sense and it was amazing: the splashing sound of his firm hard rock member parting her moist sticky inner lips, penetrating her slick passage over and over again, like an old chorus of a love melody they both knew, the damp heated skin on skin contact, the music their grinding hips were creating, the intense chemistry and the tangible sparks of the electrical friction their exploring curious fingers dancing on each other's most needy sweet spots were building up, the scent of expensive perfumes and natural opposing scents, complementing each other, caressing their noses as they raised the level of arousal, as a response to the opposite sex's pheromones, the perception of their heart beats, like the joyful flight of a swallow, heading towards the spring azure infinity, in search of rebirth and hope, and it was as uplifting as a newborn's first cry at his mother's loving touch.

It was possible to find happiness and pleasure in so many wrong ways that it was amazing how Sakura was feeling more liberated and complete each time he slide inside her, filling her so deliciously rich and right, like he should never detach himself from her body ever again.

The alternating slow hard steady pumps and fervent rapid wild thrusts were killing her and the rosy haired lady swore she had no idea of where her nails were digging and gripping for dear life, because her hands were clenching around everything they could reach to be a lifesaver of her still intact sanity: the headrest of the silk and velvet sofa, the raven haired Uchiha`s flexing lean biceps, grounding her hips firmly in place while he was ramming inside her slick cavern savagely, his silk hair stuck to his pulse and sharp jaw line, or the small embroidered Chinese pillow which has been thrown off the sofa they were both exploiting intently.

_/I will learn to forgive myself Sasuke, you showed me how, because I cannot hate something you like. And you like the current me. I like the way I look like when walking beside you Sasuke. You give me value./_

He followed her hips undulate upon his body, like a mermaid's graceful swimming along the stream, while her pearl moisten bud was unfolded and glistening in front of his hungry stares, as she was imprinting his erect member with sticky milk juices dripping from her burning arousal, riding him deep and slow, feeling everything, while their own minds were blowing like supernovas.

It was a peace that was killing Sasuke fast and sure, in the most torturous masochistic and sweet way possible. But seeing her delighted face touched by Paradise and her body moving with his, as if she was floating on air made it worth it. "You are so beautiful." He told her honestly. She was. In his ryes, she was the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

Everything was blending in such a spectacular display of primal need and canning inferno, like in a masquerade with strikingly different masks dancing together, lost into the rhythm of the night: Her delirious whimpers of ecstasy, his guiltiness for wanting to possess her and violate the slowly getting familiar with his dark realm angel, like he knew he shouldn't.

They were so opposite. She had bright green eyes, in the shade of vivid virgin viridian of spring leaves, bathed into the warm sun rays, while his were mysterious and seductively dark. She wore the innocence of the first sparks of bloom, rebirth and unbiased happiness into her smile, while he was concealing his face from the outside world. It was only the thumping of their hearts resonating together the thing that made them dance in perfect sync.

He said it so low that Sakura has always missed it, but her heart heard it sound and clear and her soul was crying of happiness. "It's how you make me be."

What truly knocked the wind out of her hyperventilating lungs was the idea of him truly meaning what he said. No one has forced Sasuke to so openly admit she was his date, but he did it without any trace of doubt present into his low baritone delicious tone and it was that unadulterated fierce, yet calculated possessiveness, dominance and control the thing that was making Sakura's mind spin like a windmill, because that was the perfect definition of the complex and mysterious power a man like the Uchiha possessed, and it just drove her into beatitude. He even made love in the same manner, or touched her like he was maneuvering fragile precious Bohemian crystal into his skillful hands. He was capable of giving her so much pleasure, but Sakura knew exactly that it came as spiritual entangled with the physical perception, both getting overwhelming.

And when Sasuke`s hips fastened their peace, taking her higher on the scale of dark desires and unrestricted levels of insanity, lustful desires and raw pure passion, her constricted moans broke somewhere at the base of her exposed arched throat, throwing her straight into oblivion. She curled her toes on the mattress and her heels were burning her, like she was on hot coals.

"Ah!/ She exploded in bliss short after his feverous thrusts inside her, when the unleashed sensual raven haired man couldn't' keep the steady slow torturous peace anymore moment, letting them both abandon into one another's embrace.

"Fuck!" His own orgasm left Sasuke breathless as her inner muscles clasped around his hard steel manhood, in a vice-grip. Blood flooded his vessels as his muscles were bulking and his skin was on fire.

"S-Sasuke/" The cool air hitting Sakura's damp skin after their intense lovemaking, made her get connected to the outside world again, reminding her of the opened glass door and windows. There was loud music blasting on the eerie streets despite the late hour.

"/your neighbors..." She relieved into Sasuke's tight embrace as he folded his arms protectively around her shoulders and waist. His body heat covering her like a protective shell ceasing away the loneliness, was a simple little miracle itself and it meant the world to her.

She barely caught her own uneven breath, but all her shape running on lime wire senses were alert to his sharp speeding drumming heart, vibrating through his rising broad chest. She glued her lips to his left bicep to feel the life flooding him through her own touch.

"Hn...bunch of losers."

"Loud ones."

"Hn." He smirked as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, puffing her hot breath on his cool sweaty skin. "But your screams were louder/" He taunted her. Too bad the darkness around prevented him from seeing how red her cheeks were. She hit his chest playfully as he chuckled, placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

/

/

/

* * *

They made it up to his room, somehow, was the first thing that Sakura has noticed the moment her tired emerald eyes crept opened, as the first rays of sun caressed her bare forearms, next day, in the morning.

_Their_ room.

A playful smile adorned her lips, while the Sound agent turned her head over her shoulder to come face to face with a peacefully sleeping Sasuke and her heart immediately thumped faster at the marvelous sight of him.

His hand was resting protectively around her waist, while his disheveled soft locks were elegantly cascading down his forehead, concealing half of his deep in slumber face. Sakura was almost tempted to take a photo of his serene figure, as the raven haired Uchiha looked ten years younger than his normal self and even more breathtakingly beautiful.

Then, as if he has sensed her starry eyes resting on his figure, she felt his muscles stir as he was waking up and the next moment she knew, she has found herself mirroring into those bottomless alluring onyx eyes that she fell for. A ghost of a smile graced his features as she leaned to kiss him softly once, muttering a shy "Good morning."

"Aa." She giggled at Sasuke`s hoarse voice as she has been reminded by the reason why his usually smooth contralto voice sounded exhausted, but extremely peaceful and calm.

"...do you have any idea of how much foundation will I need to conceal this?" Sakura pointed to the love marks left by the savage Mangekyou CEO and his greedy mouth. True to his word, he has been thirsty for her.

"Hn. Then don't hide it." Sasuke simply stated as if it was the most normal thing to present to the world, as he leaned towards a smiling jadeite eyed agent, planting butterfly kisses down her shoulders, as she purred like a cat into his arms. "Let anyone see who you belong to."

"You are such an egocentric, Sasuke. Must you have your name written on everywhere?"

"Only on everything I possess."

"How come? Am I just a possession?"

Smirking, as he was keeping Sakura selfishly into his embrace, Sasuke flipped them so she has found herself on top, straddling his hips with her thighs, as she rested her palms on his broad chest. "Then feel free to take the lead." He challenged seductively, while his hands were massaging her exposed well-endowed chest. "Dominate me, love."

Sakura`s green garnet irises dilated like she has been surged by the sweetest maddening aphrodisiac. "You're...driving me insane."

"We are both on the road of insanity."

"I will go down with you then." He didn't answer at first, pondering what his next words would be. They both seem to enjoy waking up like a couple. Their first morning together.

"Being with me is going to be hard, Sakura. Harder than before. Especially until I solve this mess. You can stay safe at surface and save yourself instead." His digits were stroking her messy chocolate hair, as she was intently listening to his words.

She closed her eyes relaxing into his touch. As soon as Sasuke`s hidden message has been processed by her not fully awake mind, Sakura bowed her head as pastel rose locks from her bangs fell into her jadeite eyes, never removing her viridian orbs from the onyx eyed Uchiha`s face, while she suddenly looked maleficent and sensual. "I don't want to stay safe. I will do anything for you, Sasuke. Just ask and I shall do it. Just don't leave me...alone. Again."

/Just don't leave me...alone. Again/ For a brief of a moment, the midnight haired heir felt as if they have been through that before and those exact words were keep on coming to remind him of another ghost of a memory from the past.

As if he has abandoned her in a faraway ancient existence as she has begged him to never leave her side. And a sudden suffocating constriction down his chest, made Sasuke perceive that emotion as both a physical and psychical grief.

_-No! Don't leave! I don't want to be alone again!-_

As a sudden desperation at the mere thought of Sakura being separated from him shot through his conscience, Sasuke didn't falter when he slipped a hand under her jaw, cupping her chin and bringing her down to crash her lips on his own, in a breathtaking sloppy kiss, while changing positions, hovering above her, intending to do her again, only to have his phone ringing.

"You have to be kidding..." Sasuke swore he would murder whoever dared to interrupt him for loving the hot lady again...and again, until the sun went down. He was half tempted not to answer, knowing that any phone call could only bring more bad news, giving the situation.

It was a number he didn't recognize. "Hello?" He switched the phone to his right hand, because a naughty light brown haired vixen was climbing him slowly, kissing his chest all the way up to his neck and chin, giggling at how hoarse his voice was. She stopped when she felt all his muscles tense. "Father."

She was tempted to take that damned phone and tell Fugaku to go to Hell and shut the door, but she merely twirled a raven lock of Sasuke`s hair around her finger, playing with a longer strand in a way she knew that it would relax him, planting soft kisses on his pulse and collarbone, while he did his best not to curse his relative.

"What for?" Then the midnight haired man did something that took Sakura by surprise, when he put the phone on speaker, letting his father ramble, throwing it on the bed at random and engaged the emerald giggling eyed agent in a breathtaking kiss, rolling them over, until they reached the other side of the bed, taking the navy blue mattress with them in the process.

_"Sasuke, you will be here, do you understand?" _Fugaku's stern command was playing on the background while Sasuke seemed to pay him no mind, ignoring his dad like he always did. He didn't have to hide it from Sakura-and he was glad he didn't-because the lady knew of their relationship. "_ This is a chance I don't want to lose, since it might be the lifesaver of the Mangekyou." _That made him half attentive. He knew his father was a smart man and he worshipped the Mangekyou.

He grunted his signature response, while his hands and lips were exploring and tasting sweet cherry supple skin, massaging the inner of the jade eyed girl's thigh and knees, tantalizing her.

"Hn." He almost snorted at the way she was muffling her moans by burying her face into the junction of his shoulder, for his father not to hear her engaged in a shameful act. If he would to push himself inside her would that make her scream?

_"Tomorrow at 7 pm. Don't be late. I expect you to behave." _Having said that, his father hung up, without paying his farewells. He never did, like the caveman he was. Fugaku was only polite with his wife. And mother-in-law. That woman was the epitome of fierceness. But she adored her nephews.

"Sasuke..."

"I have to go." No, he would have rather swam with sharks than go home, but he had to. If Fugaku has called him -God only knew he couldn't stand his son's presence around him if he didn't need too- then it was important. " It would be better if you wouldn't come with me."

"Are you running away from your responsibilities?"

"Have I ever strike like a man who does that?"

"I...shouldn't be here...with you."

"..."

"...but I want to."

"I know. I am always making you suffer."

"That's not true. You are just...being with you is so complicated."

"This is the world I live in. If you don't want to be with me, then I have no right to keep you..." She shut him up with a harsh kiss, feeling him tense, probably taking into account the possibility of her leaving him. Sakura truly wanted to beat him to a pulp for doubting her feelings. Even if she wanted to leave, she couldn't.

A mission was a mission. Was it even about the mission anymore? A tiny voice coming from the mist secluded corridors of her mind echoed, but she chose to let it slip away.

"...oh, would you stop rambling already? You are like my friend and she is a clinical case."

"Sakura..."

"I love it when you say my name."

"I am serious-"

"So am I. Say it again."

"You are...annoying."

"_~But you like me_~" She sang playfully, like a nymph.

"Hn. I do. But it doesn't change the fact."

"Fool." She whispered to him. "I am staying. By your side, that is." And hugged him tightly, so as to prove she wasn't willing to give him up, leaving butterfly kisses on his jaw, enjoying his scent. "I want to be with you_. So _much."

Sakura smiled sincerely to Sasuke`s softened apologetically handsome face, planting a chaste sweet kiss on his lips, so as to alleviate any remorse he might have had for not allowing him to be his company. "I know."

"Don't be disappointed, _love_. I have something prepared for us when I come back." Sasuke gave her a one million ravishing smirk, so sexy that it instantly made Sakura more aroused than she was.

"Really? What? Is it something funny?" She purred. Inwardly, the Sound agent was melting at the way he has called her his _love_. "Sweet?" Everything was as sweet as a daydream.

Nonetheless, his promise was even more tempting than heavenly food. "I will be all yours to do whatever." He shot seductively, making Sakura's skin shudder. He better not stir her further or else...but the way Sasuke could look in the mornings, with his messy wild locks stuck on his neck and cheeks, lazy smoldering big eyes and a physique to die for, was a lady-killer.

"Then I will make sure to _enjoy_ it."

Nonetheless, the seductive smirk playing on the enchanted Uchiha only grew tenfold when due to her promise, she has swiftly managed to take him all inside her, without him realizing what she did, that until she has bucked her hips to slam into his own, taking much pleasure at the way his ink irises flamed with desire. Like her own. "You learn fast."

He did a short quick thrust inside her, while lowering his head down her full curvy chest, to take one perked up erect nipple gently in between his lips, suckling on it. "Just when I want to." She mewled contently. Surely, Sasuke had time to take them both to highest peak of the rainbow once more, before his departure.

/

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**-Japan, Tokyo. Mangeyou`s rooftop-**

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Clad entirely in a Versace black silk suit and a grey strapped formal tie, Sasuke smoothly parked his car into his company's underground parking lot, riding the elevator to the rooftop of the high building.

He was following the golden changing numbers of each floor, as he was heading up, grunting and scowling in annoyance. The reason why his loathsome father has summoned him in another city, even if he has just left Tokyo and didn't state his business before he left, was a mystery to Sasuke.

The moment he exited the elevator, he went straight to the helicopter, where he had been greeted by Juugo. "I will come back tomorrow. Juugo, send me the response of the Japanese group and the latest data from the shareholders and bank accounts. And...keep an eye on Sakura. Anything you find _suspicious_, inform me immediately." He instructed, while getting inside.

"Yes, Mr. Uchiha." Juugo nodded once, taking some steps backwards while the helicopter was taking off. Of course he knew what to do. Sasuke was always precise and explicit in his requests. Plus, he has insisted for the secretary to keep a close eye on some people, including his lady.

Little did he know that Sakura was following them from two streets away of the Mangekyou. She had no way to follow Sasuke but she didn't need to. He would be back by the next day, as he has promised her.

"Good."

"Have a safe trip, Sir." The keen secretary followed the line of the horizon, until he couldn't see or hear the noisy flying object any longer. He turned on his heel, heading back inside. He had stuff to do and the first priority was the Hyugas and their Byakugan. But first…he had another more important task to take care of. He had data to send.

/

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**-Japan, Osaka. Uchiha Fugaku`s Mansion-**

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Almost two hours of flying did nothing to cease away Sasuke`s headache. No matter how much he dwelled on the fact, Sasuke couldn't find a good explanation for his father's suspicion.

Normally he would have been used to his dad's unexpected caprice, but anything related to the Mangekyou could have been solved the day before or from the branch in Kyoto. But no. Of course he had to give his son Hell whenever he had the chance to.

Not wanting to land straight in his parent's yard -he was considerate towards Mikoto's bergamots garden, either ways he would have landed straight on Fugaku's tennis court and laugh at his despair- Sasuke jumped into the first taxi he saw waiting in line, heading straight to...Hell.

And his mother. Maybe he would invite Mikoto to dinner and have a chat. Far from her cursed husband. _'Yeah' _the deep in thoughts Uchiha decided. He needed to ask her about Sakura.

A deep 'sigh' and a shake of his head were the two things that Sasuke has done prior to him going inside his parents' home the moment he found himself in the huge mansion`s door steps. He was _so_ not in the mood to face his father...but the moment he stepped inside, Mikoto welcomed her son in her own loving characteristically way, hugging him tightly, like wanting to take away all his worries. "Sasuke, honey, you are here!"

"Mom." He returned her affection just as sincere, kissing the beaming woman`s forehead, charging with her radiant energy, before throwing a fugitive glance towards an indifferent looking bored Fugaku.

"Father." The equally apathetic looking Uchiha heir spat in his peculiar cold way, one that has brought his mind one step closer to insanity. He couldn't loathe the man more.

"Sasuke. Before we start, I want you to meet someone." Fugaku informed casually, like he wasn't moved by his son's repulsiveness. Of course he didn't since he was just as bitter.

"Kim!" He addressed to a random servant who was standing -probably eavesdropping and drooling at the young master- on the head of the stairs. "Inform the guests that my son has arrived and we are ready for the dinner."

Sasuke on the other hand, has lost appetite the moment he saw Fugaku's face. The man better state his business or else he would be gone in a minute. If it wasn't about the Mangekyou, then he had no interest in meeting anyone. "What is so important that you have made me fly all the way here?" He asked bluntly.

But Fugaku was unusually cryptically, and that made Sasuke suspicious and more cautious around his father than ever. The Uchiha patriarch was plotting something, Sasuke could have felt it. "It was all necessary to clean up your mess, since you are not able to handle it yourself."

Was Fugaku's pathetic explanation and it made Sasuke roll his eyes. So he had a plan all right, yet he couldn't stop himself from insulting his relative with any chance he got. Sure, how could he have missed the opportunity?

Mikoto decided to remind her husband about who exactly he was talking to. If the stunning woman felt like her sons were harmed or wronged in any way, she turned from a gazelle to a feral lioness herself.

"Fugaku, you have crossed the line! Your son is doing more than enough." She said confidently, in an equally stern assertive tone as her husband. She then returned her warm stare towards her handsome smirking son and put an arm around his waist. "I trust you, dear."

Sasuke knew she did. Mikoto proved it by supporting him unconditionally whenever. And she has always been there, having the right words to everything. "Thank you 'kaa-san."

The unmistakable sound of stilettos clicking on the marble floor followed by the sound of heavy confident approaching steps made all the three members of the Uchiha family turned towards the opened door of the guests room. "Before we start," Fugaku started, addressing his confusing son and his unusually silent Mikoto. "…there is someone I want you to meet, son."

Sasuke bit back the urge to shot back at him "no shit' but he chose not to. "And who might be so important that they couldn't come to my office instead and save me the trouble to fly all the way here, pray telling me?" He did his best to sound detached even though Sasuke was already starting to regret it.

"I present you Mr. Inoichi Yamanaka..." Sasuke gave the stoic blonde man a double checkup, wondering why was his father introducing him the Yamanaka CEO. He knew the man. Everyone did. And that was why he reluctant but properly shook hands with Inoichi.

Then he scowled at one woman who promised to be his newest number one obsessive fan. "...and his charming daughter, Ino..." He already felt his temples burn. Did Fugaku only call him for meeting two of the most boring people on Earth?

But his father has successfully managed to make the ground under his feet crumble with his next reply. Sasuke was as close as he has been to doubt his own judgment and sense of hearing. "...your _new fiancé_."

His world fell apart in a blink of an eye.

"..._what_?!"

/

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Author`s Note: I think that it is around this time when I joined this community, one year ago, and boy it was such a long ride! Unfortunately, it came with my last year of collage and Hell is not a strong enough word to comprise everything I have been through the past ten mouths. But I am still standing and I have graduated from Law School last Friday and I am too worn out to even be glad. I want you minna to forgive my long absence, but I truly had no time to take care of my stories. The random updates I have made, were what I have managed to come up with during my short break times. And this story is the first I wrote, so I wanted to take my time and not rush it.

I am again, sorry for only updating it this late. But summer holiday is finally here, so that won`t be the case to any of my stories again, I promise:D

I cannot even begin to thank you guys enough for still following and reading this story, even though I have keeping you waiting for so long. You are all legends and you have my deepest gratitude:*

Also, I apologize for any mistake I might have made. I have checked on the grammar, spelling and stuff, but if there is something I did wrong or if some scenes don`t make any sense, or seem out of the context, please DO let me know, so I can get it right. Please understand that I am exhausted, tired, I suffer from depressia and I am taking medicine to recover, so this is the best I could come up with. But I didn`t want to make my readers wait any longer. I kind of plan to end this story at chapter 30. So the climax is close.


	29. Chapter 28

**::A/N: There is a small dictionary at the end of the chapter for the Italian and Japanese phrases::**

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"No."

"Why don't we try and talk this over, instead of rushing things?" Mikoto couldn't help but burst out, interfering and attempting to alleviate some of the stinging electrical charged thick tense atmosphere, lingering into the span of the vast living room. "Let the kids know each other better, first."

The fine Uchiha matriarch couldn't deny the whirlpool of disdain, hate and remorse that washed through her son`s onyx silvery steel hard orbs when his mind processed the implication of his father`s words.

And she was not oblivious to the beautiful romance in bloom transpiring between Sasuke and the mysterious Haruno Sakura, the woman who she has met and felt a mysterious unexplainable warm affinity and familiar closeness, as well as the astonishing beautiful Greek maiden in disguise that waltzed into the limbs of glamour, elegance and exquisiteness, stealing the people`s breaths with her cherub like appearance to the Charity Ball, mesmerizing everyone and beautifying the image of her in her son`s mind.

She has seen the undeniable vivid sparkling chemistry between the candid graceful touches, smiles and caressing whispers, and she has felt her heart warm in a motherly shielding way, sheltering the possible love between the pair, wanting nothing more than his son`s happiness and she knew how difficult for the young Uchiha was to bond with the idea of allowing someone else to step into his playground and wield his heart, when his character was the very epitome of self-control and hidden thoughts.

Of course, Sasuke was silently thanking his heaven sent angelic mother for the undivided and unconditional support, knowing it all too well that his mother was flirting with the idea of cheering for his eventual relationship with Sakura, one that he was yet to make it 'official' as in going into the public`s eye with her by his side. Something he was eagerly impatient to do and stop hiding like two underage teens with a crush, meeting in various dark and secluded places, without their parents to notice.

And there was his imbecile loathsome uncaring father, who didn't give a damn about the virtual cherished image of his son, and only thought of his own well-being, because it was that cursed company the thing that was occupying the emptiness of his dense skull, and not his son`s fortune and happiness.

Of course, Fugaku was not the stupid imbecile that Sasuke wanted to believe –he didn't- and he didn't overlook the reaction of his apparently stoic father, when he so openly displayed affection towards another woman that he was not acquainted or familiar with, but then again, the priceless view of Fugaku`s scowling disagreeing frown was worth all the drama.

Black bottomless obsidian abysses shifted from the worried reeling in anxiety mother, Mikoto, to her father and the two spunky blondes, who had the guts to try and corner him and trap him into their intricate net of wicked machination, trying to speculate a weakness in his defense and fructify the advantage they thought they had.

He marrying that Ino Yamanaka slut was definitely out of question, Sasuke has ignored her from the very beginning when she personally came to seek for his irresistible presence, and he was forward into his decision to send her back to the pits of hell, where her realm was.

"This is out of question. We are all busy people. I advise you to spend your time wiser." Sasuke`s velvet low alto voice rung like a roaring speeding train, making his auditorium`s skins crawl in dread.

It was just the apparently sanguine and unperturbed façade he dragged over the richness of his baritone voice the fragment of eeriness added to his growl, which was making the thatch at their sweating napes perk in fear and take an invisible step back.

There was malice and threat dancing on the low tune of his voice, as he was seeping venom to the people before him. "It means money we cannot afford to throw out on the window."

"Son, I am afraid that you have no say in this." Equally monolith unflappable silvery onyx orbs clashed with his scorching counterparts, while Fugaku locked gazes with his son, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest, being all demanding, controlling and imposing, but it did zero to make Sasuke quail or melt under the intensity of his argument.

It was exactly the opposite; it only made the purple thick halo of maze around his lean straight shoulders roar to another peak of ill intent. "I and Mr. Yamanaka here, have already agreed on this marriage. This is in the Mangekyou`s best interest. Our families have wealth and power."

"As fascinating as sacrificing your son's happiness for money might seem, my answer is as good as the hate and revolt I feel. No means no in my vocabulary."

If anything, Sasuke didn't even forced himself to be polite and sophisticated in the presence of a nest of poisonous snakes, which were crawling and writhing around his feet, trying to curl around his ankles and drag him into the lowest levels of human perverted ambitions, all but reeking with sarcasm and irony.

He couldn't care less about any partnership or God forbids, merger, with any Yamanaka incorporation, since he too had his back up plans, and even if he wasn't about to succeed, then it wouldn't be because of his inability and lack of managerial skills or business professionalism and intuition, no, it would be the natural and totally predictable consequence of a world in decline and an international market in regress and on the verge of collapse.

Of course that all the companies were cursed to fail like pieces of domino, if the national governments and economies would downturn, which consequently implied the fall of the Yamanaka Inc. along with them, so there was no real need for him to go as far as to become related to their slutty cheap heiress.

The mere thought was leaving him with a disgusting acid taste on his tongue. He wouldn't be caught dead touching that woman in any way, or sparring her his attention.

So finding it a total waste of precious time –that he could have fructified with some more intense moments with Sakura and rack his brain for the best solutions to save whatever was left to be saved from his sinking empire- Sasuke swiftly whirled on his heel to leave the place populated with people he despised, leaving their disbelieving eyes to gawk at his retracting proud and haughty back.

But of course, the ebony haired rebel Uchiha heir wouldn't forget about his father`s unbeatable ability to annoy the fuck with him and his patience, always interfering with his plans of flying away from the abode of his control, totally losing his signature Uchiha stoicism and tranquility. "Sasuke you will not walk away like a spoiled brat when the company could-"

But, if there was something that triggered the bullet of exploding fury churning into his clenching chest, ricocheting like a boomerang back to his whirling back head, it was his father`s eternal line of scolding that he used since forever, to point out to his inability to grow from the dangerous disheveled teen that he was into a responsible adult, basically never acknowledging his merits, as a proud wielder of his family name.

And a good part of his porcelain mask of tranquil and calm went flying on the window when he more than growled to his father. "Go to Hell for all it is worth it. If the odds are such, then who are we to fight against it?"

It was gone before he had the chance to blink once, but surely enough Sasuke has caught the ruffling flicker of his eyes, almost cringing at the vileness seeping from his son`s rude lips, clearly not expecting such wild rebellious and defying impolite attitude. "Your tongue is sharp Sasuke, but your actions are rush and clumsy."

"You stopped making decisions for the company the moment you stepped down and I have become the CEO. Same goes for my private life. You and all the..."

He shifted his eyes to the two blonde loathsome figures, his glare blazing with disdain and disgust, bullets shooting from his thin firm lips.

Said father and daughter took an invisible step back, feeling a lump escalate their throats at the intensity of that young Uchiha`s vile sinister demeanor. "...other _things,_ should stay away from things that do not concern them."

"What are you trying to say with oth-" Inoichi, who has been busy gasping at the incredible scene unfolding before his eyes –since a potential argument between two latent volcanic tempers like Sasuke and Fugaku, were always blazing like funnels, since both were clearly hating each other- snapped of of his dumb idiotically stupor and decided to play the mighty influent businessman he was, straightened his curbed spine and tried an intimidating reverberating tone, similar to the Uchihas` but failed miserably,

The younger Uchiha didn't even flapped his stare from his loathsome father, to the blabbering blonde idiot, to inject to him, sharply cutting his irrelevant statement short, clearly not interested in anything he had to say. "This was a complete waste of my damn time. If there is nothing else you have to tell me father, one that would interest me, then I am leaving."

"Sasuke-"

"Mr. Uchih-"

"Honey!" It was his mother's voice that made him stop. He ignored every single eye in the room except from his mother's worried beautiful onyx eyes. "Why don't you join us for dinner? We can talk things over in a less hostile atmosphere."

He turned around racking a hand through his raven hair pulling it backwards. The gesture itself was so insanely sexy that Ino felt her throat dry.

Uchiha Sasuke was so goddamn irresistible, that she felt her insides burst in flames at the sight of him. He didn't want to stay; he didn't want to be in the vicinity of such disgusting people, who were ready to sell their souls to the Devil for a pile of such trivial low thing as money.

But for the female population, his inapproachable iron impenetrable sophisticated attitude, injected with just the right dosage of superior arrogance of a ridiculously wealthy successful shrewd businessman, turned him into the walking embodiment of dark sensuality and eternal endowed manhood.

Finesse and superior aesthetics have never been so flawlessly interlaced with rebel wild attitude, and conjured into one single dominant of character, like it was nesting inside that Uchiha`s drop dead gorgeous demeanor and looks.

"Please, honey." He exhaled deeply, visibly annoyed that he was forced into making such a compromise, racking his hand through his raven rebel locks in a gesture that was a solid proof of him trying to calm his nerves and control his temper, at the same time, being all too sexy, dark and alluring.

He followed his mother, father and the Yamanaka family into the dining room, wordlessly, calculating his next step and planning against his father`s ridiculous proposal.

Then Sakura`s vivacious enlighten emerald orbs and elicited face from that morning popped up his head, hitting him like a floral spring breeze in April morning, making him inwardly smirk. Like Hell he would agree with whatever pathetic lame joke of a fake marriage, just for the sake of saving the Mangekyou.

Fugaku had another thing coming if he thought that his younger son has remained the same oblivious naive fool who kept on chasing phantoms of his recognition, acknowledgement and praise.

As if on cue, a younger maid, who was probably eavesdropping at the heated conversation between the Uchiha family members and the Yamanaka representatives, popped up from the adjacent hall which led to the kitchen and shrieked in a stretched forced polite voice.

"Dinner is ready to be served, Mrs. Uchiha." Of course, she has addressed to the most pacifist and kind hearted person present, afraid to even breathe in the general direction of the two Uchiha males. The suffocating tension in the room throttled the poor maid and the beautiful Mikoto, but she did her best not to let it show.

She hated the deep crevice formed between her family, which got them far away from each other, to the point where they were only communicating through faxes, phones, emails and secretaries, not withstanding to breathe in the same room where the other was and it was making her poor motherly heart crumble.

She hated the drift between her family, she hated the disdain lingering between Fugaku and Sasuke, she was rotting in the grief that Itachi`s departure has caused and she was a hopeless pitiful dreamer of a day where her family would laugh again like one, standing united.

Or at least…she prayed for her sons to find that undying marvelous happiness that the Greek hymns and symphonies were praising, in the embrace of the women they loved and that was the reason why Fugaku`s declaration of a partnership between the two families has left her flabbergasted, immediately thinking of Sakura.

"Shall we go then?" Nonetheless, the jolly and exuberance in her Tinkerbelle suave tone hasn't cease away from her tiny smiling lips, taking the lead into inviting the other three occupants of the living room into the dining room and they followed her reluctantly, stepping in the direction of her son, coiling her hands around his arm as he followed her, not protesting.

If anything, her tender touch embellished with the eternal matriarchal warmth and love has spewed into his furious system, briefly calming him.

It was the very same sensation he had when Sakura touched him ,having the ethereal ability to take the demons out of the casket of his mind and relax him, but needless to say, the rosette`s touch was personal, intimate and romantic, unlike Mikoto`s motherly protective one.

The small group stepped into the light colored pleasant cozy room, each taking a strategically seat on the table, with Fugaku staying in the head, feeling the need to remind his guests that he was the king of his castle, Yamanaka Inoichi taking the seat on his left, with his over jolly flirtatious and lewd dressed daughter scooping right beside him, slightly disappointed of the fact that Sasuke has chosen the opposite side to sit, beside his mother, on his father`s right.

Oh well, at least she could have a constant vista of his handsome face and fantasize –delude- about how would he feel if she wore to touch him or kiss him.

Of course, Sasuke knew about what she was doing, but never once shifted his gaze on her, nor did had he addressed her any words. And that intangible regal aura only left her crave for him more.

Inwardly, the junior son of the Uchiha family sighed in annoyance. He only stayed because of his mother`s ardent begging –he could read her inner churning feelings in the same way she did with him, she didn't fool him- either ways, he would have already been on the way to his helicopter, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance as possible from him and his father.

He completely ignored the buffoonery of the Yamanakas.

That was going to be a torturous and long homecoming.

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_**::Japan, Tokyo, Uchiha Sasuke`s private mansion::**_

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A happiness like the gentlest first snowflake fluttering on the embrace of the velvet wind has graced Sakura's sleepy beautiful face with the smile of the millennia. Her bare porcelain pristine skin was making a sensual contrast with the dark silk bed sheets as she laid spread on the middle of the king sized bed, on her tummy, giggling like a fifteen years old girl with a little crush.

Ever since she and Sasuke stopped hiding their romance, every moment of her life has been filled with sweet memories of their moments together and to her surprise they have grown up in number over the last weeks. For the first time since she has first set her feet on Sasuke's home, there was a pleasant warmth in the room.

Usually, Sasuke had his air conditioning set on a high level, hence the extreme coldness of his chamber and villa, but not then and her heart melt like a puddle of honey flavored hot caramel when she realized that he has turned it off intentionally, to make it more pleasant for her, who, in turn, was always freezing.

She rolled on her side, taking the bed sheets with her, wrapping her torso with the softness of the pampering fabric and the spicy scent of Sasuke's intoxicating perfume. God, she would go insane with desire.

Everything around her had the print of his fragrance. She could basically smell him on the bed cushions, his pillow -where she buried her nose into, sniffling to catch a stronger hint of his cologne, imbed with his fresh ocean shampoo and she noticed that she could catch a weaker scent of her floral fruity perfume as well.

And that brought a wide spread beam on her face and tinted the small high cheek pressed on the pillow, with a cute delicate red rose hue. It had a familiar cozy feeling and she couldn't help the invasion of fluttering chaste butterflies, which were bursting from the pits of her stomach, up to her chest.

Her mind which was usually filled with thoughts of indifference, boredom, solitude, disdain, hate and mistrust, was then occupied by deep rivers of sweet honey, milk and cinnamon and Sakura swore she was in the mood to do the craziest odd things, such as celebrating Christmas in advance, make herself a good hot _hot _chocolate, with oranges and dark cherries syrup or take a walk along the shoreline, under the starry night sky and admire the panoramic faraway city lights, while enjoying a fancy pistachio ice cream and the handsome company of the most mesmerizing black gleaming sapphire orbs.

Eyes that she grew to associate with love, care, protection and happiness, which was an oxymoron and a contradiction by nature. She trusted and adored his black bottomless eyes. Eyes of a dark sinful road to danger, swallowing the light and make one lose its very soul, were the ones to be her candle and her guide.

The charmed CIA agent knew that she has overslept after Sasuke's departure, but she wasn't worried. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she reeled in a lazy reverie of how Paradise should feel like and ah fructified each moment.

Sasuke was visiting his family and she knew he was there. The GPS signal was beeping softly steady and clear signalizing his unchanged position. He was safe, so that was the reason why she allowed herself a moment to take a gulp of fresh air.

What an enchanting...evening. A lazy emerald orb crocked open to look at the clock on the nightstand. It has been six hours since Sasuke has left to his parents` home and she knew it all too well that he absolutely loathed the idea of encountering his father and she couldn't help but feel bad for him, even though Sasuke was hardly someone who inspired pity, she couldn't help it.

Sakura has always been an orphan and seeing broken families and relatives who had bad blood, made her heart pang.

It was so unfair to have his parents and brothers safe and sound, yet they were so far away acting like strangers, going as far as to pretend they don't know each other if they could have made it look like they were busy and didn't see the other.

She knew Uchiha Itachi pretty well, since the older of the two Uchiha prodigies brothers were branch colleagues and, even if they didn't actually had much in common, they weren't hating on each other and even had some joined missions together, and Sakura always knew that he loved his little brother and always kept an eye on him, using his CIA connections, and the only thing that seemed to faze Itachi were bad news about Sasuke.

The way he would jump from his seat, storm to the HQ and demand to be informed about the latest news about his little brother, was enough to let anyone know that the apparently unflappable silvery onyx eyes set on the beeping monitor screens and GPS signals, were not just casually strolling over the maps and red dots out of boredom.

His care for his younger relative was the only genuine and easy to read thing about the mysterious Uchiha Itachi, whose manners, calculated almost exaggeratedly stoic, flawless and brilliant attitude and character were as hard to read as his puzzling double meaning phrases and vague replies were.

That was probably the main reason why he didn't even flinch when he has been entrusted the mission to work hand in hand with Orochimaru to solve the biggest mystery: who exactly was selling the Akatsuki`s technology and was destroying the CIA from inside out and was darker than a shadow, that no CCTV has once caught it.

But Sasuke didn't even mentioned his brother once, beside the times when he has confessed some parts of his secret past, silently let the rosette know that he would never forgive Itachi for pursuing his dream to become an agent, leaving a younger, disoriented and unprepared Sasuke behind to deal with both his father`s rejection and a company he loathed with burning passion.

Yes, Sakura too found it a little bit cynical and hypocrite, but then again, no one could blame Itachi for wanting to spread his wings free and escape his family`s clutch, striving for independency, like any other normal young adult.

Whatever happened after, was just an unfortunate miscalculated twist of fate and selfish ambitions.

Bare slender gazelle legs scurried to the edge of the bed as Sakura rolled on her side, throwing her hands in the air, yawning and stretching contently, a soft moan escaping her lips, as bright rays of the jolly shining sun caressed her squeezed green jadeite eyes, creeping from under the sprawled puffy clouds.

She got up and dragged her naked silhouette down, her mind set on one thing solely and that was hunting for food to eat, because God, her stomach was growling and clenching and she had no particle of energy left in her body, courtesy to Sasuke, who has kept her quite busy last night and that morning too, but it was for the first time in her life when over exhaustion felt so pleasant and she was keeping that angelic bathed in beatitude smile embellished on her face all the way down the kitchen.

She didn't care that she had no clothes wrapped around her shoulders, she didn't care about the pale fresh sun rays glowing on her porcelain skin, making her look as ethereal as a nymph of the forest, she didn't care about the 70 years old neighbors who were working in the garden at first hour in the morning, probably catching the sight of her exposed debauched self on the see-through glass walls ,she had no problem in the world.

Her mind was entirely occupied with the vivid images of an exuberant passionate Sasuke and his love making and dear Heavens, he was the embodiment of raw manhood and perennial sexiness. Hard, steady, precise, beautiful and appetizing, he got it all and his body was just as sublime as the rest of the man he was.

She was walking in a funny way and Sakura was mentally laughing like a mad woman thinking about that Karin would say if she was too see her once pure innocent friend do the walk of shame, naked in all her glory, parading in Sasuke Uchiha`s luxurious airy mansion.

Oh yeah, her best friend would bit her fancy colorful nails in jealousy if she were to hear. In fact, Sakura mentally decided to call her friend and make her suffer.

Then she should tell her friend to send her some of her clothes, since it was pointless to remain dressed like a beggar since Sasuke knew she was not what she lied she was, plus she had the feeling that Uchiha Fugaku, his terrible father, wasn't really impressed by her performance from the Ball, so she wouldn't embarrass Sasuke more by displaying herself beside him in the rippled clothes she had.

Sure, she could always go shopping, but shopping alone was not only utterly depressing, but a major sin. Shopping sessions were supposed to be done with girls, and Sakura vaguely considered calling Ten Ten and summon her for a round of hunting down for fancy clothes, but she decided against.

Fine coral eyebrows knotted together, while she turned the oven on, taking some fusilli pasta and mozzarella from the fridge, deciding to have a totally carb loaded Italian specialty, thinking about Neji Hyuga`s company downfall.

Ever since Naruto has called her to let her know that the Byakugan was in the verge of collapse and his friend has joined the drunkards` side, drinking his liver into oblivion, Sakura guessed that she should let her new friend stay by his side.

Akatsuki were having big problems, and not only Lorane and their economic and cyber-attacks affected them, but they couldn't find out the culprit and the traitor in their organization either, so she should just text Karin and have her pack a part of her vast wardrobe and send them to her via one of CIA`s private jets, whichever would fly to Tokyo in the following weeks.

While she was waiting for the food to be ready, Sakura decided to busy herself with some news, since she hasn't been following much of them from the past weeks, being all focused on taking care of Sasuke, so she dragged herself to the living room turning on the flat huge TV, flipping the channels absentmindedly, a glass of cold sparkling water with lemon on her left hand.

"_**We are streaming live from Wall Street, where hundreds of company owners are protesting against the shocking major drop of their stocks on the auction market, due to the unexpected appearance of an enormous incorporations chain, that bought the most of the stocks listed by this morning and gained control over the market."**_

Intrigued to the point of disbelief, Sakura propelled into the sofa, folding her legs beneath her, dragging a wool blanket around her shoulders, putting the volume up, following the big orgy in front of the stock markets, where various numbers were flashing in red and green colors, trying to decipher what the heck was going on.

She was no specialist, but by the looks of it, it was all around the news. The stocks market from New York looked like a battlefield, there were hundreds of men in suits, of all ages, sweating, foaming and shouting different slogans, each complaining about the same thing.

Apparently, there was someone who had this ridiculous amount of money and power to turn the tables in his favor, while the other corporations were collapsing and that was not a good sign at all. She could smell Lorane`s involvement into that, but she tried to be optimistically. Plus, her first instinct was to worry about Sasuke`s company.

The reporters were streaming live news from Wall Street were presenting lists of all the companies that suddenly went bankrupt or lost the majority of the social capital or the value of their stocks and Byakugan was, unfortunately, one of the most tragic cases, but she didn't –thanks God- see the Mangekyou among them.

A sign that Sasuke has managed to miraculously keep his company on the good track, even when there was a storm washing down the world of business at the moment.

"_**We are now live with the magnate that has bought stocks at the total value of 256$ billion dollars at the major world trusts and international companies, **__**Mr. Nagato**__**."**_ A spray of water lemon burst from Sakura`s mouth when she caught the sight of the aforementioned person, forest green eyes going wide as plates, incredulous of what exactly she was seeing.

Those eyes…the bright vivid color of deep piercing lilac irises were flashing in all their terrific glory on the screen, dominating and promising apocalypse ,as the mysterious man spoke in a low menacing dull tone, words that made her blood freeze down her veins.

"_**Time for universal peace has finally come and I am here to make sure that I will lead this world to the peaks of glory and wealth and eliminate any threat that stays in between me and my dream."**_

She wasn't even following whatever the reporters had to say, dashing up to the stairs, basically flying to Sasuke`s room, where her phone was resting somewhere…under the bed. And it was beeping constantly, while Sakura plunged under the four posted huge piece of furniture, fingering over the fluffy carpet, until she took a hold of it, gluing it to her ear.

There was no such as Nagato –the insanely rich mystery businessman. That character was **PEIN **–the Lorane`s indomitable leader in persona and…he decided to go for the fire and step into the public's eye.

"Hello?"

"_Sakura-chan, we are in big trouble! Turn on the TV and-"_

"I have already seen the news, Naruto-kun."

"_Is it them, Sakura-chan, isn't it? It`s Lorane!"_

"Yes, that person…is their leader."

It was silent on the other line for a good whole minute, during which Sakura could only hear ragged breaths_. "Call your snake-man boss. This is bad. This shit is streaming all over the world."_

"You don't say?" She sneered at him ironically. She was on the verge of contacting Orochimaru, she flipped her laptop open, holding her phone in between her check and shoulder, however, her eyebrows furrowed when she dialed but got no answer. Orochimaru always answered her on the laptop, because it was the Sound`s secret lines for high top emergencies. "Call Itachi and inform the Hokage right this instant-"

"_Can't do. Leader is in France, keeping his eyes on the G12."_

She frowned at that. "Why the fuck are the world`s leaders meet up at such a damn time? Wait a second-"

"_It`s not coincidental, Sakura-chan. They have carefully planned all of this. There are also your Sound colleagues on the special dispatched team to work with the Interpol, FBI and safeguard the Congress."_

"I have heard about Neji Hyuga. Things are getting from bad to worse. I am not a damn specialist in stock markets, but according to all this news flashing on all the channels, Sasuke isn't in a much better predicament either."

"_Tell me about it. Neji is ready to snap any times and he threatens to lash at our throats if we stop him. I think he is on the verge of losing it. His family is forced to leave the country by the end of this week because of the pressure from the reporters flying around their house like buzzes. They went bankrupt. I am not aware of all the details, he won't talk to us and he won't even give in to Ten Ten`s threats and tell her more."_

"Shit. Wait until Sasuke comes back. He will know what to do. He always does…" She trusted him with every fiber; Sakura knew that Sasuke was not an average ordinary man. He was the biggest fish out of the tank. He had everything planned before hand, he was always ten steps before everyone and he managed to outsmart and escape Lorane for so long.

"_Teme is gone? Where? Why haven't you followed him?!"_

"He is in Hokkaido, by the call of his father. I think is company related. No, scratch that, I am sure is company related. I don't want to peep into their family affairs. It is not my place to barge in."

She knew it that the Uchiha didn't want to go there, he never hid it from her and she saw it in his after-sex glazed stare that his blood was boiling into his veins and he wanted nothing more than to decline, but knew he couldn't.

A father was a father and Sasuke respected Fugaku`s words, for some reasons that Sakura didn't understand, but then again, she didn't have a father and Orochimaru never in such a cold and distant disapproving way that Fugaku did. He was cruel and harsh when training her to hone her skills and polish her into a perfect striking emotionless assassin, but never acted like she was a nuisance or an enemy to her.

"_Well fuck. That man scares me shitless and Sasuke-Teme hates to be in his father`s presence. You should have gone with him Sakura-chan, cos God only knows how much self-control does he have left in him to withstand whatever the shit that man wants to tell-"_

"You should trust your friend more and stop worrying about it. Sasuke is not a damn child, he knows what he is doing and who he is dealing with, he has done it flawlessly for years and he sure as well ain`t losing his damn head at such a crucial moment. Meanwhile, we should focus on our task. I am trying to hack on the Televisions` systems and find the source of their signals. I will not stop until I find Lorane`s traces and hunt their asses down."

"_And I will go to the Interpol and have Suigetsu help us try and take their prints as well. I will drag Tennie`s ass as well and leave Neji drown into the bottle of Scotch that he sleeps with. _

_The moment Itachi is done babysitting the Presidents; I will have him join as well. I will contact the Hokage and you do the same with Orochimaru. So far, that snake of your freak ass Boss has leaked nothing to us and neither did Itachi. I want to know about how their research went on. I want to catch the bloody motherfucker double agents, infiltrators and moles who helped them break our codes and steal all our weapons and skin them alive myself."_

It was odd to hear Naruto`s ragged hoarse voice spurting profanities and snarl after those weeks that passed in a mild calm as they got together, but Sakura understood the edginess in his voice, for she too almost snapped at him , almost losing her cool.

They were cornered, Lorane was out shadowing the CIA, making them all look like amateurs, outsmarting them and when they thought they were going down, their freaking LEADER comes into the public`s eye, talking openly and serenely about brainwashing them, like he was trying to win elections.

Fucking Hell.

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* * *

**::Somewhere above Japan, Sasuke`s private helicopter::**

* * *

The strong cognac he was sipping hasn't been enough to wash away the bitter taste from his mouth, to alleviate the torturous rage which was churning into his temples. Never in his life has Sasuke felt more liberated from leaving a place, like he did in that moment.

For the entire lunch, he had to withstand two horrendous things and those were: Ino Yamanaka`s revolting, lecherous, indiscrete, obvious and disgusting flirt attempts and ogles and his father`s insane and bloody annoying rants and commends.

It took every inch of his willpower to not slit their throats right there and then, and get over with those bullshit, but he knew he had to play it cool and carry on with his plan. He has been ignoring his father for years, so definitely Fugaku won't get to him, nor would he dictate the course of his action.

Taking a generous gulp of the strong beverage, Sasuke let his thoughts drift to brighter horizons, where a pair of emerald orbs were definitely waiting and thinking of him. Sakura`s.

He was absolutely dying to see her, feel the touch of her skin against his, kisses her and make love to her, until their screams would perish with the first rays of the morning, because even if there have officially become a couple on the Ball, he felt an eternity since morning has tear her away from his arms.

He grew to find it utopic to imagine a life without Sakura. Her presence was tonic, radiating vivacious she gave color to the blank and white canvas of his life.

And definitely, NO imbecile incompetent and unimaginative father of his would tear her presence away from his life.

No. Hell NO! Sasuke was not the cliché spilled dumbass rich brat, who was bending to his father`s commands, dancing on the music he was playing and obey to his doctrines, like they were providential, just because he was afraid to lose his position and the wealth, and remain a puppet forever.

If that was the way Fugaku was viewing his son, then he was gravely mistaken him for someone else, and so was Inoichi Yamanaka. That man should have stayed the fuck away out of his life and catch it from the first time when he came to his office and propose a merger or an investment, that Sasuke wasn`t interested in his services.

The only regret he had was that he has left without spending more quality time with his mother and he was feeling regretful for the hostile atmosphere that he and his father has created, ruining the family reunion, but Mikoto understood him.

And the angelic Uchiha matriarch also knew that Sasuke would never give his family name to another woman, because there was already a mysterious woman who stunned the entire elite circle of billionaires, by making a ultra-shiny classy mind blowing appearance, on the Charity Ball and claim her son`s company, attention and ultimately, his heart.

So she won't be too upset.

While having those thoughts in mind, Sasuke vaguely wondered whether he should make a little escape with Sakura, somewhere where no one would nag them, refilling his glass with scotch, when his eyes flew on the beeping phone, narrowing his eyes at the ID.

He accepted the incoming call pressing the phone on his ear, letting his onyx orbs trail to the city they were flying above. "Juugo."

"_Excuse me for interrupting you, Sir, but something happened."_

"Speak."

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* * *

**::Hokkaido, Tokyo, Uchiha residence::**

* * *

Back at the home, discussions were still going on and they were quite heated, since Sasuke has left the two Yamanaka representatives with their mouths agape, leaving like an Englishman, after throwing a smart insult of choice, kissing his mother`s cheek, throwing a glare that blazed like thousand suns, clearly warning him to stay the heck away from his life and company, and went straight to where his pilot was waiting for him.

"Fugaku, we had a deal and you are not honoring your part of it. You said that your son was going to play along and become the nice husband for my daughter so we can unite our fortunes and I will drag the Mangekyou from the misery it-"

"Don't you dare refer to my company in such a ridiculous way." The older Uchiha representative snarled back, dripping venom through his clenched teeth, fingers coiled around his fish fork and knuckles going purple.

His son has just defied him in front of such an important potential investor, who fit in the role of a lifesaver perfectly, but no. Sasuke just had to be the stubborn man he was and act funny.

"Sasuke _will_ marry your daughter. He likes to rebel against me, he always did, and this is why he is thick headed and doesn't see the opportunity. I here to fix this mess."

Before Inoichi had the chance to inquire whether Fugaku clearly lost his hearing, since Sasuke has all but been adamant in his calloused refusal, the imposing Uchiha barked on his phone, ignoring his wife, who was muttering something to him, onyx orbs flickering worriedly to him. "Hatori, prepare the jet. I want you to take someone to Tokyo"

Fugaku all but knew that Sasuke has come with his private helicopter, so it was natural that Fugaku would call for his private jet, to send Ino Yamanaka`s expensive sultry ass back to Tokyo and stalk his disobedient sun. "I expect _her_ to play her role as well." His unflappable hard stare flew on Ino`s widened baby blue eyes, resuming his meal. Damn, they cooked his favorite meal.

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* * *

**::Tokyo, Japan, Sasuke`s private villa::**

* * *

Slim, fine digits were flying over the laptop, while digital encoded passwords and numbers were scrolling down, soft curses leaving her glossy lips, while her emerald orbs were focusing on the screen before her.

Sakura wasted no time. After Lorane`s leader had the guts to make such an arrogant appearance, as if he was daring the CIA to try and bring him down –it being even more difficult since he was becoming a public figure- she has been trying to hack into the system of any TV channel or radio station and try to pinpoint the location of the jamming signal, because she was certain that Lorane has hacked the satellites and streamed their own live transmission all around the world, brainwashing the people.

She only needed a trace, a ghost of a signal, anything she found as an intruder into the system, to lead her to where Lorane was having its nest of snakes, without any luck. No matter how many ultra-advanced high tech programs she used, she kept on getting blocked by a very strong malware which was messing her own programs, just before she was on the verge of decoding the binary codes and break the program.

What she has found out among the lines, was the fact that it was exactly the same frequency used at Shiseido Ginza and Granbell Hotel and the ones that Lorane used to jam their devices.

What was interesting was the fact that they were using the SAME signal for blocking and messing up their computers, but, since it was from different sources and locations, it was impossible to track, hence hack. Shikamaru and the IT department unsuccessfully broke into that system and they were the best of the best.

No luck.

No hacker that worked for the CIA or Interpol –they even sought help from the FBI- could break into that program. "Fuck…c`mon don't die on me now…no!"

She whined, letting her back fall on the bed, rubbing her blood shoot jade orbs with the palm of her hands.

Her eyes were killing her slowly and all she was seeing under her eyelashes were dancing dots, like she has been taken an overdose of some drug. It was ridiculous, because whenever she got close to break into that frequency and track the source of the signal; it was like the Lorane knew EXACTLY how to counter it, like they had access to their technology.

Sakura wasn't some stupid fool. She was aware that whoever was selling information to Lorane from the CIA has definitely leaked all their software and technology, developing programs to counter them. And that was why she was also suspecting the agents working in the department of IT and technology development. They were having access to both the guns and the programs.

Five hours…for five hours since she has seen PEIN making his glorious appearance on the TVs around the glove, having a hypocrite unrealistically speech sealed on his lips and ebbing it on the people`s minds, Sakura has been trying in vain to track Lorane.

And Orochimaru wasn't answering to any of her calls, but Sakura wasn't worried. Her Papa was working his ass trying to basically do what she was doing: decoding the keys used to unlock all the doors and sneak inside his lab and Akatsuki`s weapons base, as well as helping the Akatsuki to ensure the safety of the ones present at the G20 Summit.

She decided to check on something less depressing, while she gave her poor retina a short break, drinking from her green tea, which was steaming on the nightstand checking on Sasuke`s location, as a wide goofy smile bloomed on her lips, that were kissing the rim of her favorite English porcelain cup, seeing that he was on his helicopter, flying back to Tokyo.

Then a childish wild cliché romantic idea popped into her brain, as she was sipping her tea, crossing her legs under her silk night robe, trashing Sasuke`s king sized bed. But what the heck? How about instead of waiting for him to come home, like a depressive boring housewife, she went to pick him up from the airport instead?

Oh yeah, that would totally do. She eyed the car keys resting on the coffee table, that Sasuke has left for her to use his car if she wanted to, darting her hand to snatch them, then she rolled over, sliding from the bed and thumping towards the wardrobe, throwing the doors open, grinning at the clothes resting inside.

Since she didn't have to conceal the fact that she wasn't a poor woman, she has done 'some' shopping, and a very fitting vaporous light bright girlie red summer dress was flashing at her, begging for attention. Why the heck not?

And she even had matching lingerie…

Just in case….

And definitely NOT because she was some pervert or expected form something to happen!

Having those Karin-induced deprived thoughts in her cackling devilish mind, Sakura was already slipping the clothes on her naked form, thinking about where should she take Sasuke for dinner and help him alleviate some of his obvious stress.

Among OTHER very effective methods, of course.

"God! I am turning into Karin…"

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* * *

**::Narita International Airport, Japan::**

* * *

Sasuke thanked all the Heavens above –even if he hardly was a religious person- when Narita International Airport came into his field of view.

Sure, he could have landed straight on his yard or the Mangekyou's rooftop, but giving the latest –horrendous, disturbing- news, he would have rather not attract any more attention, so he merely landed on the airport, where he wouldn't get all the eyes on him, glad that his father and those pathetic blond idiots were far behind him and their imbecility wasn't reaching him because of the distance.

_Fuck them all!_

Minus Ino.

That was definitely a woman that he _wouldn't_ touch with a ten foot pole.

He briefly instructed his pilot about where to leave his helicopter and when to contact him for further details, thanking him for not crushing him into the ocean and got off, with the sole intention of finding the closes taxi station, grab the first cab that looked decent enough and drive home to Sakura.

After the package of nerves that his father brought along with his ridiculous proposal and emphasized by the Yamanakas` horrible presence, Sasuke could find only one reliable source of comfort, and that was his bed, where he would hopefully find Sakura sleeping or reading or watching TV, pin her down, make love to her until he cleansed his mind of all the evil things that were running through his brain, mostly how to dispose of his father, Inoichi and Ino, in silence, without anyone to notice their absence, get her out somewhere to dinner, then come back home and rack his brain for a genius solution to counter that buffoon's demented presence on the stocks market, namely _Mr. Nagato_. The mere presence –not to mention his appearance- was making Sasuke laugh like crazy.

But of course, it just had to be SOMEONE there ruining his train of thoughts, just when he had a hand on the taxi`s door, preparing to enter, making him snap his neck in the process of whirling his head backwards, in the direction of the sultry banshee voice and the muffled sound of heels clicking on the concrete, like chalk on the blackboard, approaching him. _"Sasuke!"_

_Oh God, please no…_

Obsidian livid orbs narrowed into slits when they clashed with light azurite, as his low baritone voice rung like the engine of a locomotive. "Have you stalked me?"

He cursed his father to the Seven Pits of Hell, wishing him to burn into those endless steaming rivers of lava for pulling such a stunt on him, that ridiculous clown puppet bastard. The fool has given that Yamanaka diva slut his private jet to catch up to him.

Fugaku was being played by Yamanaka corp. and wasn't even aware of it and that angered and annoyed Sasuke even worse than his commending attitude. But Sasuke was no fool.

He glared at the platinum approaching blonde as she flipped her hair over her shoulder swaying her hips towards him, like a siren, drowning in salty water, strolling like she was cat walking for any stupid fashion presentation, making males swoon and fantasize at her curves, eyes which were mimicking sensuality, all set on his gorgeous features.

He felt all the he drinks he had coming whirling back on his throat, barely containing his puke. What a disgustingly fake woman. Probably, she would have been a pretty decent lay before, but after Sakura has shown him what a REAL woman should look like and behave, those types of glitter plastic divas were merely ridiculous, with their wannabe attitude.

"Jeez, stop making it sound like I am stalking you besides, you were such in a hurry to leave Tokyo and didn't wait for me." She totally spoke on a casual tone that was making Sasuke`s fingertips itch with the need to curl around her neck and choke her for claiming his presence so easily, like she possessed him.

So he merely spat back to her, turning to show her his lean back, intending to slip into the taxi and get his ass away of that place and her presence. "This is because i have no obligation regarding you."

But Ino wasn't having any of it. _No _man has ever turned her back on her, and she won't be humiliated, so she boldly grabbed his arm, preventing him to get inside. "Look, I am not content with our set up marriage either. But it doesn't mean I don't find the predicament convenient."

The Uchiha was well aware of all the paparazzi hiding in choice laughable places, reporters and the ogling people, who started to recognized them, having their eyes set on them, so he did his best to calm the fuck down and not create a scene, turning to look at her, as if he was listening to whatever she had to say, his gestures studied and collect and his pose elegant.

Although, the glare she took from him was enough to send both shivers of pleasure and pure dread down her spine. But then again, Ino was not just ANY other normal brainless top model, who was used to whirl men around her pinky, so she came closer to the hotness of his body, taking advantage of his inability to snap at her in public and him and placed a finger o his chest, purring seductively.

"If I get to personally reach to the_ man_ you are _underneath_, then us getting married is something we did on our own free will. You don't like to be played out and commended right? Neither do I. I prefer independency in my life."

Sasuke felt her touch stabbing him like a katana, so he gripped her wrist, and removed he finger from him, not too gently, but not fiercely enough to cause suspicious glares either, and make him look like he was being disrespectful towards women.

"You are seeking it in the wrong way. I am neither available nor willing to get to start anything with you. I suggest you chose wiser what you do in your spare time. You say you don't want to obey your father, but you followed me and played along instead of expressing your disagreement from the very first time, you remained silent. So don't try to serve me this lame excuses when in reality you are willing to kiss anyone's ass, just to get the chance to get close to me since you cannot do that on your own, even my father."

He turned to walk away to another taxi, since the one he attempted to take hasn't waited for him to make up his mind, having another client, but Ino wasn't having it. Unfortunately for him, she was on a very important mission and stubborn as Hell. Plus, that Uchiha Sasuke was one man_ worth_ fighting for, she knew it.

Every woman from the exclusivist society of billionaires, models, actresses and famous rich people were having his name on their rouged lips, fantasizing about spending time with that man, who was, not surprisingly, still single.

_Or so they thought._

So, upon seeing the reporters who were stalking her every step, since she was so famous, she fructified the chance to corner him and push him into the edge. She placed a hand on his shoulder and made him turn to her only half, as words flew from his lips before Sasuke had the chance to stop them, but he was growing visibly annoyed. "I warned you to-"

"And consider this as my own approach, since you don't want to behave." Ino didn't let him finish whatever he had to say to shove her off, giving him no room to react.

She caught him halfway turning, totally not expecting her to be that blunt, as the golden haired Yamanaka heiress brought her hands into his hair and tucked his head down to slam their lips together, there, under everyone`s gasping scrutinizing gazes.

She kissed him hard, wet and spectacular, like they were filming a fulminant climax of a romance/tragedy movie.

Reporters, flashing cameras everywhere, their greediness and hunger for money meddling with their avid thirst for hot gossip and that was definitely something to make the headlines by the next day.

Ino on the other hand, lost the track of time and the place she was at, the moment she felt Sasuke`s lips –unresponsive- under her own, so soft, smooth, silk and moist and unconsciously, her body sought for _more_ of him, more of his feel, taste, scent and hotness, so she forced her tongue inside his own, catching him out of guard, pressing fully into his chest.

_Once_

_Twice_

_Thrice!_

Her lips were stroking his own, urging him to _respond_, react, move along, play along and taste her back, and the moment Sasuke realized what exactly she was doing, his mind had a shutdown, while his hands roughly gripped her forearms, detaching her from him, but keeping her close enough to spit the words into her flushed face and widened orbs. "What the _fuck _do you think you're doing?"

_That slut hasn't just kissed him, did she?_

_Oh no…_

_Oh __HELL NO!_

_He would…he would…_

"Shhh. Don't talk. Just play along." She whispered to him, totally enjoying that FIRE in his eyes and even though she knew he was livid and barely preventing himself from murdering her –she knew he had it in him, judging by the way his smooth alto rich voice was slightly quivering with rage, but he had to cling on his public image- it was a major turn on that _no _sane woman could resist.

"That, if you don't want me to say about her." Good, if Sasuke wanted to play hard to get, then Ino had her own weapons and tricks under her sleeve. Ones that not even her father or Fugaku knew about, but she did.

She didn't miss the way Sasuke`s onyx orbs narrowed ever so slightly, confirming her the suspicion she needed to know, to get him on the palm of her hand and bent him to _her _commend.

That pink haired ugly spunky tomboy woe, which had the audacity to embarrass her once. _That_ woman was the one Sasuke loved. And she needed to promptly and rapidly DIE. Ino totally fructified the opportunity she caused with her unexpected trump card, coiling a hand around his own, flipping her blond luscious ponytail over her shoulder, scoffing her nose and spinning around to gasp dramatically. "Is there any available cab in here?"

She looked around like a diva in the blitzes of the cameras, like posing for a cover magazine or a bikini pictorial, while Sasuke sighed and racked a hand through his disheveled hair, allowing that harlot to lead him towards the closest cab, while very bad things were running through his mind.

No need to fuel the gossip of the people and appear as a violent man in the public`s eye. He would find the opportunity to get rid of that rabid fangirl as soon as they got in to a damn cab. There were enough dark alleys to drop a skank like her and pretend they never met. Then he could go home and-

…looked in_ front_ of him, as if on cue, as a taxi parked close enough to where they were, and the Uchiha...

_Froze._

_Forest greet eyes_ lost the life within as they dropped to the ground, while her fingers benumbed on the door of _his_ own car, as she seemed to have been forgotten how to breathe, exist, blink or stand.

**Sakura **has just arrived to the airport, after finding an available parking lot, just in time to see Sasuke kissing Ino Yamanaka, with a pathos that made her innards churn with an amalgamation of negative disgusting feelings, the same wench she threw off his office amidst a mass of reporters flying around taking pictures.

She felt like someone _stabbed _her in the_ heart_ and suddenly she hasped for air. She could think walk blink exist, her chest clenched and tears started to build up like the pain bubbling inside.

She felt strangled, suffocated, there was a bulled on her temples and her knees threatened to give away. Luckily for the door, either ways, she would have fell on her bare knees. She was paralyzed and unable to peel her orbs off the pair.

"Sa-su-ke?" She knew that even if she was slightly far from him, Sasuke could hear her, see her and understand **everything **about her. She couldn't believe that the man that she...has **fallen in love with**...was kissing **another** woman in the middle of an airport, full of people to see the spectacle.

Her world has shattered like fine porcelain in a heartbeat and the ground flied from under her feet. It was solely for her grip on the car's door the fact that her jittery knees didn't give away but her heart has stopped infusing life within her.

And the first thing that run through her mind was "Why?" she has whispered those words to him, to the skies above, to God and to...love.

And suddenly, her Papa's words have rung through her ears, like a sudden epiphany she had about the beautiful package of an empty gift, void of the happiness she expected to find inside.

_"__Trust__ is the only luxury that one cannot be bought with money and that is the reason why __the richer__ you are, the __less likely__ to be__ committed__ you are, since it doesn't come to you along with the sum in your bank account."_

She had absolutely zero idea of what to do, her entire being stood frozen and locked within the radius of is equally stunned state -he was probably not expecting her to be there- unable to respond, to breath, to exist.

And a good part of her heart, the one she played her heart in his palm, has cut her into pieces and throw her into the realm of the sea, forever gone.

Never in her life has Sakura experienced such a tremendous level of pain, not even in her CIA trainee days. Her body jerked automatically, she slide into the driver's seat, turned the ignition and slammed the gas to the floor, black silver tires scratching, leaving a sinuous imprint in her way as she speeded down cutting the lines and taking the fastest route towards Sasuke`s home.

It was pure practice to self-restraint and assassin honed reflexes the reason why she held her ground and not drop on her knees and break into crocodile tears before him and the test.

She was way past crying. She was dead and rotting on the inside. She made it back home in record time, stopping the car and flee right inside and up into the room she shared with Sasuke and the first thing that slapped her face the moment she three the door open was their combined scent and the smell of hot sex lingering all around the room. And suddenly she **felt cheap, used and dirty**.

It was then when her tears began to overflow. Sobbing and cursing him for the fine mastery of the way he toyed wig her, she brought her luggage from her room getting into the adjacent closet room packing her stuff.

"Forgive me, Papa..." Sakura couldn't stay there anymore. No matter how much her mission would come first, it became unthinkable. That woman was _Ino _Yamanaka, the one she threw from Sasuke's room and now she sees the damned woman in the embrace of the man she thought he _loved _her.

She knew what her mission was and yet she has bound herself to the greatest sin and broke an elementary text book agent rule: she has become **romantically **attached to her client and she has gotten herself into one hell of a problem, namely jeopardize her mission and broke her heart.

She didn't have to live with him to protect him and Sasuke was definitely not the first person she had to protect, and definitely not the last one, but it was the first she felt any form of attachment towards.

The way she felt in that moment was an indescribable mixture of her most horrendous form of pain and suffering, equivalent to being drenched of life energy and tears. Heck she couldn't even cry because she had run out of tears on her way back, tears speeding down her damp cheeks.

She was pouring lava from her stinging eyes. Everything burned and ached into her body. The most awful sensation since Isaribi died and left her completely alone.

It took her two minutes flat to gather her belongings and tousle them into her bag, when her phone beeped frenetically. The ID of the caller had her suffocate and she felt the urge to throw it on the window, eyes filling with coils.

_'Incoming call: Sasuke'_

She flipped the phone open, declined his call, then removed the battery of the phone, tossing it into her bag, in between her lingerie and jumped with her butt on the bag pulling on the zipper. Why was he calking her? What for? Explaining? Explain what? That it was an accident?

She knew it from the books, Karin, Tsunade and the movies what kind of dumb excuses men had and no, she_ wasn't_ having the nerve to listen to that shit. He couldn't possibly be serious.

The blame was on _her_, the fact that she foolishly deluded herself into thinking that opening up her heart would automatically imply that happiness and love would interlace their hands with her.

The biggest mistake ever. Karin has been right to stay away from commitment, every time. She had her heart entombed in a casket of marble and cement and refused to share more than a bed and a condom with other men. That was why she was shielded from heartbroken.

She on the other hand, has put the bet on the biggest fish and lost, by burning her heart mind and soul. And the worst part was that he left her broken beyond repair. Oh, how life could flip from **everything **to **nothing **in the span of a heartbeat.

On her way down, she used the home phone to call for a cab and by the time she place the keys of the house under a pot of white roses, where Sasuke advised her to, she took once last peek through saline tears behind her before she threw herself on the back seat while the taxi driver placed her bag on the trunk, eying her in a funny way.

He probably thought that she was a _tramp_ being chased away by a rich snob, judging from the famous neighborhood.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke's neighbors -the ones she drove insane and have witnessed glimpses of their love- eying her worried and pointing their fingers towards her, probably questioning about her sudden unforeseen decision.

"Imperial Hotel Tokyo, _made onegaishimasu_." It was not the fact that Sakura was just another rich snob, but it was the first hotel name that came to her mind through her tears, because Orochimaru checked him in whenever he went to Japan.

"Hai." Thanks God that the driver was polite and hasn't tried to engage her in any form of awkward conversations. So she could just focus on the feelings resurfacing slowly but steadily, trying to determine the chronological order from the journey of her feelings for Sasuke.

At first she hated the idea of being near to him.

Then she tolerated his presence getting more and more fascinated but the person he was.

Then she fell ardently for him.

Then she hated him.

Basically, she has been trapped into a Sisific circle of hate. She ended up in the same place as before.

The ride was tumultuous, the traffic was inferno but the people were polite. Had she been in Italy, she would probably go nuts with all the zealous cheerful people around.

_Thanks God._

She couldn't have been anymore relieved the moment the taxi pulled in front of the hotel. Good think she has -ironically and foolishly- dressed up nicely to welcome Sasuke at the airport so that the guards didn't need to throw her ass outside even before she got the chance to shove her unlimited credit card from a Swiss bank account, under their scoffing noses.

She felt so goddamn imbecile. How could she think that Sasuke loved her? Every single thing he has disclosed about his past was probably a fine lie, and since no one knew, not even the CIA, she had no way to check on him and see if he told the truth.

Sakura stomped to the elevator, right after the blonde woman with a plastic grin gave her the key to the 8th floor. Sakura tried to ignore the lecherous winks she got from the libidinous fat rich men who were trying to hook up high class prostitutes, and slammed on third button, closing the doors before such a specimen cornered her inside.

And beating -or impaling- a pig into a luxury hotel's elevator was definitely not on her _'go unnoticed'_ list. And trust her instincts, the way her fists were jittering with unadulterated rage as tears were shimmering along her eyelashes, promised permanent damage. Sakura was in to kill someone and in a very painful way.

She got out of the elevator, slipping past the other guests -was some fancy snobbish party or social event that she had no idea of or something- she slid the pass card into the lock and when the doors opened, she discarded the bag on the hall and ignoring the glossy mouthwatering suit's charm she threw on the king sized bed and cried like she didn't remember to do before only discarding her heels on a corner when she head dipped flat on the luscious mattress.

_God help her!_

In her dazed grieving mind, Sakura didn't even realize that she has been dialed Karin`s number, doing on out on pure reflex, and Sakura was praying for her best friend to answer on her call because she needed a good advice. She needed someone to talk to and fast, either way, she was going to lose it.

Karin answered on her first call, of course. "R-Rin..."

_"Cherry? What is wrong? Oh, mio Dio, cara mia, what happened? Are you held prisoner? Are you sick? Did Armani announce his retirement? What's wrong? Who do I need to brutally murder?"_ The immediate alert tone of Karin brought a new round of fresh tears cascading down Sakura`s cheeks, but she felt a gratitude like providence for hearing the red headed woman`s voice.

"H-He...Rin...he w-was...k-kissing her...a-after we...I r-run away of his home! I don't k-know what to do! Help...me! I f-feel so a-alone..."

Through her course of mumbles, sobs and stifling whimpers, Sakura had no idea if Karin understood her or talked gibberish, but all her coherence was diffusing into the mass of scattered pictures with her and Sasuke together.

It hurt so damn bad, that Sakura was positive that something might break into her heart.

_"WHAT?!"_ Karin all but shrieked from the other part of the world, and Sakura had to unglue her ear from the phone, so that she won't go deaf.

Karin continued to roar profanities, being already in _killing-bitches-who-fucked-with-my-friends_ mode engaged. _"Oh my fucking Christ, I will bloody kill him, chop off his balls and feed him with them with Italian sauce! Who does he think he is to mess with my sister?! Boy, I'm riled up!"_

"What do I do now, Rin?! I can't abandon my mission but I can't face him either, not now, I have fifty missed calls from him but I don't...I can't...it hurts so bad...I want to die Karin!"

Seriously, for the first time since she has joined CIA, Sakura was at loss of what to do and what her next steps should be, since the only tangible thing she had, was the dread of going back and see him. See THEM.

An icicle has stabbed Karin in the back when she heard exactly the reason why her self-proclaimed sister was crying with crocodile tears, making her sadness percolate on her own skin, through the phone. Her tone immediately grew steel, softer and more serious_. "Where are you now?"_

"Imperial Hotel Tokyo."

_"Don't move, I'm coming to you."_ Having said that, Karin`s part of the line went silent as a grave, leaving a totally confused Sakura behind to gasp at the beeping steadily phone, emerald orbs luscious and bathed in tears.

"Wait- what? Rin? Rin- OMG."

.

.

.

* * *

**::Ravenna, Italy, Karin`s personal villa::**

* * *

It took Karin two minutes flat to pack her stuff, shove then into the first bag that came her way, dragging it from under the bed, take her personal belongings and, being this bundle of rampage nerves, she jumped three stairs at time, already calling for one of their available pilots, Orochimaru and CIA be _damned._

She would do it. If Sakura was so down, Karin knew that her old fragile inner self might resurface and, she won't abandon her friend and leave her to go through another round of immensurable pain, without having support.

It was a mistake to send Sakura alone in Tokyo and if has been her biggest sin to fall in love with her _'mission'_, get personal and consequently, have her heart broken.

.

.

.

* * *

**::Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo::**

* * *

She couldn't possibly be found dead in her hotel room, drown in tears because that would not only be utter humiliating, but it only brought more tears and made her heart weep with blood tears, so Sakura tried another approach in order to alleviate those livid images from ricocheting and bouncing back to her mind, following Tsunade`s example and praying for her _'cure'_ to work in her case as well.

So that was why a Sakura, with bare feet, a ridiculously expensive dress cupping her limp body, a face flushed by angry burning tears and a face turning heads and stealing gasps, found herself down into the famous hotel`s_ Casino_, avoiding lecherous lustful glares of the single and not only males of all ages, with a sole purpose on her mind: drink to oblivion, knock herself into an alcoholic comatose then wake up and drink more, until she became one with the numbness.

"Fuck, my friend is crazy!" Sakura couldn't believe that Karin has hung up on her, rambling such idiocies, but somehow, that made the emerald woman feel safer and slightly better.

At least, if she died of drinking too much alcohol, Karin would be there to pick up her cadaver and not leave her rot in her suite. Plus, she knew that if her Uzumaki friend with guts told her she would come, Karin would do that. "I need a goddamn drink."

She only took her phone and credit card and discarded the golden shoes going bare feet, but that unrestrained and ungracious savage attitude, which looked torn between succumbing into being heartbroken or punch the living daylights out of everything that moved, she rode the elevator down, avoiding the lustful thirsty open glances she took from a pig in a smoking, stopping only when she propelled herself on a stool to the bar.

Immediately the bartender was in front of her, singing. "And what would such a _fine blossom _like_ you_ like to drink for starters?" he even winked at her, trying to engage her into a conversation.

Sakura threw him a death _glare_ that made him freeze. Heartbroken or not, she was still _Athena _of the Sound. **Top **CIA agent and she ain`t in the mood to take shit from anyone.

"One _Rémy Martin _and whip that flirting grin or I_ will_ cut down your face." She went straight for the cognac, avoiding wine, sake, beer or anything that might remind her of him.

She opted for _Oro`s_ favorite cognac. He was the only one she trusted, beside Karin, Anko and Tsunade. She didn't want to see anyone that might have knotted with Sasuke`s threads of lies.

She totally ignored the glass and went for the bottle emptying half of it, her throat burning like the mind and the tears prickling along her curled rimmeled eyelashes, all the bitterness of the memory washing from her system, going down to her stomach along with the poisonous expensive fine liquor. She let her forehead drop on the counter, while the bartender worriedly told her. "You should take it easier with that, Miss."

"And when I will be in need of a damn _priest,_ I will seek you out. Now piss off, do your damn job and stop acting like you fucking _care_."

In fact, she was having a very personal inner monologue with _Sasuke._ Sakura stopped trusting _anyone_, and for that particular reason, the feeling of alienation and desperation churning into the pits of her core, like an unleashed beastly hurricane, making her innards rip of her casket, along with her heart, a pure lust for_ blood_ possessed her dizzy mind and filled the emptiness that Sasuke`s thorn from her thoughts presence, with an untamed thirst for murder.

When she almost drank the entire bottle, Sakura wasn't even aware that she was crying her eyes out, sobbing, shoulders trembling, make up completely wasted, leaking down her flushed porcelain face in cascades of hurt, pain shame, agony and disbelief, swaying between that world and the realm of drunkards, being almost completely wasted.

She wanted to drink until she blinded the images of Sasuke_ kissing _another woman –the same woman that she has thrown up from his office and consequently from his life- stopped ricocheting back on her retina, embed into her damn intoxicated mind and she cursed every deity known and karma for making her go through a suffering that was on par with the merciless sadistic cruel Death.

"Isn't it always such a pitiful sight to see such a fine lady grieving for no particular reason?" Vaguely she registered a fake low annoying voice breathing painfully close to her bare shoulder and ear and she removed her forehead from the bar to peek at the owner of a pair of coffee noir eyes, a large Fedora hat and a belly so fat, that it cascaded past the dark Versace pants that the men wore.

She vaguely realized that it was the same man from the elevator, whose salivating desperate and sultry wicked grin and meaningful wink, have been tailing her down into the Casino.

And Sakura did what she always did when facing creeps who tried to make their way under her skin and coax her into coming into their beds. The man was looking for a good lay and she was looking for someone to vent out all her frustration on.

Unfortunately for him, he landed on the wrong woman to try and seduce and picked on the wrong lady, because if anything, a helpless little caged lamb was something that Haruno Sakura was clearly _not._

_Oh, heck no!_ She had her ivory delicate hands, which were currently curling around the almost empty gleaming bottle of cognac, like it was a lifesaver –it was, in a deep, metaphorical way- stained with the rivulets of dark blood of the people he has reduced to silence and murdered, under the name of the Sound, as a memento of who she could always trust.

The only one that would never betray her and produce a pain that no ocean hurricane would be able to wash away, like pulverizing solitary cliffs and make sinking ships crumble under the terrific menacing monster that the infinite abysses of the waters were, and that was the _assassin_ in her.

The ruthless, merciless, astonishingly beautiful and Godlike CIA assassin, who killed with the same casualty as the wind was dancing through the cherry blossom trees in April and had the nonchalance to bear Athena`s chimerical grace and Olympian wisdom and skill, in a way that placed her among the most fearsome and most indomitable righteous woman, was the only one she could rely on, either ways, Sakura was surely she would totally lose her sanity and end up in an Insane Asylum.

"Piss off." She slurred to the man beside her, bringing the bottle to her lips, already feeling like she has touched the chamber of numbness, when her moist luscious lips made contact with the glossy cold surface, letting the fine cognac overflow her mouth, as if she was trying to wash away Sasuke`s taste from her entire being and get exorcised.

She wasn't stupid. Even if she would have tried to succumb into the world of alcoholics, Sakura would _never_ be able to erase the breathtaking presence of the man with the color of ebony sewed into the grace of his raven hair from her life, even if she was to slash her chest, rip off her poor shattered heart and break the pieces into stardust, letting it fly on the wings of the wind and dissipate to the azurite horizon, turning into nothingness and aligning herself with infinity.

In that moment, the sole chance she got in deleting her mind and alleviating the pain that Sasuke has caused, was to become nothing.

Stop existing, stop living, stop breathing, stop feeling, consequently, stop _loving._

Stop loving him like she did, ardently, passionately like the sizzling fire of the ancient Greek sacred temples, a **fire **that she has ingrained within her, stirred by the sparkles of his touches and confession and nurtured by his presence in her life.

But all that crumbled away, walls crushing under the weight of horror and livid nightmares, making her fall on her knees, like an old decaying building of hope, and suddenly, there was no color to paint the rainbows on her sky, there was no taste of peaches heavenly ambrosia to melt into her mouth, there were no melodic poetical hymns of love and harps to play into the Heaven that has opened up inside her chest by the power of his kiss on her lips, and world has turned into a pile of ashes, as a melancholic dead wind has turned the painting of lights and iridescent colors, into a sepia portrait.

Never in her life has Sakura prayed inside for _dead_ to come and swallow her into nothingness as a sole savior she could see under her lucent shimmering teary eyelids, than in that moment.

But apparently, someone didn't catch the meaning that she was half out of that world, than living. A hand went boldly under the sinuous lace hem of her knee length dress, latching on her porcelain creamy bare thigh and that electrical jolt of apprehension shot through her, making her intoxicated drunk senses go livid and grow alert, assassin instincts kicking in in the span of a heartbeat.

"No need to be so negativist,_ babe_, I can be a good _listener,_ you know?"

Immediately, her right hand, the one that has left the bottle, went flying on the man`s wrist, curling around his fat hand, right under the expensive Rolex decorating it and gripped it so hard that it prevented him from advancing along her toned leg, making him hiss once, not expecting a such a_ drunk_ delicate flower to be that strong and precise, pulse pumping down her palm, but Sakura only applied even more pressure when he wanted to retract his hand, almost feeling the bone crack under the mass of fat around his wrist.

"If you still want this filthy hand still attached on your disgusting body, stop touching me and fuck. off." She more than spat the word to him, not exactly conscious enough to bet on the coherence of them, but she didn't care.

Sakura hoped that the look in her eyes was enough to convey the threat behind her message, but unfortunately for her, a suave delicate swan looking young lady in her twenties, alone in a top luxury Casino, being dead drunk and helpless, wasn't the most menacing sinister thing in the world not even her firm grip, so there was no wonder than a deeply insulted filthy rich egoistical man, surrounded by his two loyal bulky bodyguards, viewed her more as insolent and sexy, than dangerous.

"You should watch that pretty mouth of yours darling, or some very _bad_ things might happen to it."

He leaned almost entirely on her, before Sakura had the chance to straighten her pose, trapping her between his corpulent body and the bar, licking the shell of her ear, whispering, until her spine filled with cold shivers of disgust, adrenaline washing away the effect of the alcohol. "I hate it when _woes_ disobey me. It makes me want to punish their pretty ass even more."

_Did that man has just called her a __slut?_

_Did that man –any other man- has__ touched __her in places that only…__one man__ was allowed to place his lips and hands on?_

Before her mind conjured the reason and the judgment, her body has been quicker than a quiver of a rotten crimson lips in the wind blow, because next thing that Sakura registered in her intoxicating violent murderous state, was her right hand going under his chin, fist connecting with his maxillaries and a vicious calloused punch caught him with his guard dropped, successfully removing his body from hers and Sakura allowed him no time to adjust his pose and come out of his stupor, because her left hand thrust forward, carving into his nose, applying so much force that the fine bone cracked right away, blood spurting down his nostrils as the stranger went flying backwards, almost hitting a pair that was making out on the next high stool, landing on his back, arms cupped over his nose, rolling on his back and cursing viciously.

"And I hate it when…men take me for granted." She spit him in between his eyes, while a flicker of his hand had his two prominent robust guards help him up, then come to stand in front of Sakura, who didn't even manage to slide of the stool, feeling ten times dizzier, because she spun on the chair too fast.

Half clouded crystalline chartreuse orbs peeped to the two Gorillas before them, clad entirely in black luscious expensive suits, both having their heads shaved and dark Police sunglasses on their noses, looking imposing, tall and strong.

She snorted audibly, cursing them both viciously, not believing it how much have the tables turn in the span of few hours, her life swaying from a fairytale, to a cheap lascivious nightmare, before she had the chance to question the misery of her heart beating faster and faster with each passing day, for the man she…

**Loved. Deeply.** Every single drop of the velvet strong liquor had his imprint into the exquisite taste and had **his name** written on it, strengthening her convictions.

Sakura loved Sasuke so bad, that she didn't even think it was humanly possible to touch the swell of such a feeling without having her wings burned by flying too close to the sun, but it happened before she had the chance to draw a fine line between the mission and her feelings.

She got emotionally involved, she transgressed all the morals and the CIA codes by being romantically attached to her target, thus she was paying the ultimate price, namely she had to trade with the devil and sell her soul for atonement. She felt as empty as the bottle rolling down the counter, falling on the polished marble floor and shattering in billion pieces and, although there were deafening sexual music blasting through the stereos, going smoothly with the strong liquor and the rabid hormones, she heard it loud and clear, because it mirrored the shattering of her own heart. Sakura wasn't even sure that she was sane or judgmental anymore.

"Take this slut and bring her to my room!" The inebriated suffering laughing CIA agent vaguely caught the amusing command of the pig who had the audacity to mistaken her for a slut, barked to his clown bodyguards, her inquisitive sharp and trained emerald orbs never once leaving them, so when they tried to be menacing and take her by surprise, by darting their hands to impale her and grab her lean small shoulders, they moved in slow motion for her eye, so the jade eyed woman reacted accordingly.

"The only place that we will ever meet again, you motherfucking son of a bitch," Before any of the two men in black had the chance to register what was happening, Sakura gripped the edge of the bar with her hands for leverage and upshot her hips, legs stretching acrobatically like she was a gymnast, kicking both of the bodyguards in their chests with her bare heel, cursing the fact that she discarded her heels, because she would put two nice holes down their chests, but her kick has been strong and firm enough to send them both stumbling two steps backwards, gripping their ribs. "Is HELL!"

Because without Sasuke, there was no way she would be able to soar ever again. That was it. The ultimate blow that brought her to her knees, gripping her messy short chocolate light hair and laugh in desperation, defeated, empty and forfeiting in front of that void and sadness, being the nail in the coffin, was Sasuke`s betrayal.

She has survived the orphanage`s torture, she has grown to accept Isaribi`s death, she survived growing on the streets and finish high school, she came victorious in the battle of her inner and metamorphose into a fine eloquent lady of the highest society and a notorious assassin and CIA agent, but she would never be able to walk past Sasuke`s lying about his feelings.

Never, it was too _much_, too bad, she felt her mind losing the contact with sanity, the lifesaver was slipping from its desperate fluttering hands, leaving her in the middle of the storm to sink along with all the ration, she was so lost, that it was amazing she was still be able to stand let alone fight in that condition.

_**Madness**_

_**Insanity**_

_**Delirium**_

_**Hysteria!**_

There was not much that she remembered and Sakura was acting out of pure reflex, but she was aware of two very painful universal truths in the moment she literarily whipped the floor with three people who were thrice her size, weight and height, namely: she was laughing like a hurt beast, hard and loud, in the most sinister way, and her lustrous shimmering jadeite eyes have been seeping crocodile tears, crystal drops whirling around her spinning body, sewing into her soft hair, like sparkling diamonds.

If she wasn't looking like Chucky the killing doll, with her delicate bell flower body bending, contorting and stretching in those impossible, mind blowing and artistic insane ninja moves, then her graceful thin porcelain frame, the shining dress in the passionate color of expensive sparkling red wine cupping her siren curves, whirling like a rose`s petals whenever she landed a kick of a punch, following the speed of her flawless moves like a shadow sticking close to the light, would have make her look ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful.

But since Sakura was howling like a madwoman in her last supreme moment to let her insanity shine, before the curtain fell on her memory and name, with all the expensive makeup staining her ivory sinister grinning face as if it was a carbon copy of her grieving soul, mourning for the once swarm of butterflies that her heart was and leaking around her swollen crying eyes and the rim of her heart shaped lips, her overall outline was grotesque and gothic.

Once under the influence of the absurd chimerical power of the two demons, namely alcohol and heartbreak, Sakura clicked on the assassin that she thought she has tempered as her feelings for Sasuke was bringing to the light the gentle fragile woman inside her and let its undying insatiable lust for blood take over.

The three men, who were more like trying to run away for their lives than engage her into a pointless fight, didn't know what hit them.

Her bare, long, thin, creamy legs were flying, thrusting and round kicking in midair, her body defied gravity, gaining amplitude like a crane, her moves were striking like a Cobra`s, she was dancing on the air, her thrusts were coming from everywhere, her CIA moves shining in all their splendor.

Sakura _impaled_ the two bodyguards, who had the nerves to even entertain the idea of comparing to the mighty Athena of the Sound, with two flying roundhouse kicks that left the spectators who were gasping at the scene before them, mouth agape and totally blown away in shock, sending them flying over the sickening green billiard table behind, billiard balls scattering in all possible directions.

"W-W-Who are y-you-" As for the man that touched her in a way that no one was allowed to do –no one, but one single person- jade orbs pinned him with a gaze that made his blood freeze into his veins, body bent slightly forward, shoulders stiff and rising with every harsh breath she took, fists dropped on her sides and her hair falling down her temples and forehead, like a curtain of pure malice, concealing her face from him, but he could see she was burning his skull with the intensity of her stare, as his stammering lips were mirroring the apprehension in his widened small olive dark eyes.

Sakura gave him no chance to question her identity –something he should have done prior to his lame flirt if he was smart, which he totally wasn't- for the next thing they both knew, she side stepped so as to have him in her field of view, lowered her stance, dropping almost all her weight on the leg in front, spread her hands in the air, like a Phoenix spreading its majestic wings to help her rotation gain the necessary speed, gyrated on her heel and unglued her heels from the ground, using her signature flying roundhouse kick to double hit him once in his chest, breaking his ribs and once in his jaw, making four teeth spring off his mouth, blood spraying of his mouth, while his head snapped over his shoulder, hair splashing over his face as he went flying over the bar, making all the bottles drop down and scatter.

_The music stopped. _

Her heart was racing like a horse, galloping down her chest while her emerald orbs spat venom around, glancing at anyone who had the audacity –or the suicidal thoughts- of coming to stop her, detain her or ogle her.

Knowing the procedures all too well since that wasn't definitely her first nor the most glorious display of her striking personality and skill, Sakura dug her quivering hand into her lace red Victoria`s Secret bra, stunned orbs following the heart shaped contour of her full delicious cleavage and the milky breast, as she extracted her pink wallet, taking out a thick pile of cash, throwing it in front of a gulping unresponsive and rooted in place pale bartender, muttering a _'keep the change'_ to him, clearly paying for the damage as well, dragging her stumbling body back to the front stairs –she didn't want to risk another similar episode, so she didn't take the elevator- stepping on the broken glass, with her bleeding scratched bare legs, feeling the adrenaline rush starting to rush off her system.

But the pain was back, bouncing into the tomb of her chest like a cursed boomerang, as more tears were pooling into her bottomless abysses of jade, as her hand was tucked into the corset of her dress, feeling a pang on bare chest, resembling a shower crossed by electricity, stabbing her heart, making her go numb and blind with pain.

She had no idea of how in the world she managed to step on each stair, up to her floor, she had no breaths to inhale to keep her heart pumping life through her system, there was a constricting throbbing pain in ever fiber and cell of her sweating body, her toes were scraped, fine lines of blood were adorning her heels and feet, yet Sakura was benumbed to any physical pain, because the bleeding injuries of her heart were life consuming.

Her inner spirit was howling and rolling in agony and suddenly, there was no viable option that she saw but to kick the door of her suite, after fumbling with sliding the card into the lock, go to the bathroom, break the huge crystal mirror hanging above the golden marble sink and stab her chest, to rip off her heart and _stop _that pain.

All she had managed to do after hearing the click of the door locking her inside, was to squirm to the mini bar she failed to notice from the first time, break the glass with her fist, grab the first Bacardi bottle that came her way, fall on her knees absolutely dejected and broken, pop it open and drag her to her quivering lips, taking a gulp, chocking on it.

"Fuck…FUCK! FUCK YOU, UCHIHA SASUKE!" The once rose haired CIA agent roared at the top of her lungs, cursing **the very same man she had to protect, the man she loathed with burning passion but couldn't help to fall in love with**, adoring him from the bottom of her very being and even beyond physical perception, while she drowned the falling traitorous animated livid tears into the alcohol that filled her throat, like gasoline, burning the pits of her stomach, as she tried to burn his memory from her mind. "CURSE YOU FOR MAKING ME FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU! DAMN YOU FOR BREAKING MY HEART, YOU LOWLIFE SON OF A BITCH! FUCK _YOU_ AND YOUR _SLUT_!"

It might have been hours passing her by, but time has lost all its value when she lost herself in the tumult of his deceiving utopian love, the clock on the wall was ticking a meaningless tempo that she couldn't comprehend, empty bottles were rolling on the fluffy carpet, surrounding her limp sprawled body, while her emerald blood shot orbs were following the remains of the drops leaking on their crystal edges as the last tears fell of her system, percolating down her crimson cheeks, but Sakura was anesthetized.

Her system and the body`s natural defense mechanism has kicked in, making her mind shut in a desperate ultimate futile attempt to block away the pain and the harm, pumping endorphins through her, and suddenly, there was a _calmness _and a _tranquility,_ devoid of any feelings and perceptions enveloping her beyond drunk and almost unconscious self and Sakura found the power to _smile._

Even if she tried to drink away her sadness and pray for dead to come and pick her up bridal style and lead her to the boat that crossed the Styx river of the lost souls, the last image she was willing to take in her _journey to forever…_

Was _his_ beautiful face.

_Sa-Su-Ke._

She could _still feel_ the syllables of his velvet name rolling on her burning finger tips, she felt the cashmere delicacy of his alabaster sweaty skin rippling under the ardor of her embrace when he loved her, and the craving came to her like an indefinite tango.

She wanted to _touch _him again, she yearned to _kiss _him again, she desired to intertwine her fingers into his raven locks as they kiss and, on the top of all, she wanted to_ sleep_ beside him, into the nest of his muscular arms, where she felt **needed, loved, protected, cared for**, understood and SAFE.

Sasuke was the only thing in the world that was making her feel **alive **and touching Paradise at the same time, he brought virtue and value to her world, he made her conscious and opened her eyes up to the wonderful magic of being a woman in love and in the arms of a man, he taught her about love, about blind trust, he played the passionate nocturnal hymn of adoration, on the strings for her heart and his sole touch had the power to make her body vibrate with the finesse of his kiss.

He gave her life a **meaning,** he touched her _lifeless core_ and ingrained the seed of hope back into her chest, he nourished her body with the endless nights of passion and lust, until she was able to pronounce one single** name** and that was HIS.

How…how was she supposed to peel off his touch, his smell, his intoxicating butterfly touch off her persona, without skinning herself alive?

She _couldn't_. It was not humanly possible. It was either she had him, or died. There was not possible to move over and forget him, never.

He got closer to her than anyone, they were one for so much time, she could still feel him pulsate inside her, hard, fast, calloused yet soft and gentle, filling her, complete her missing pieces, pumping pleasure and reassurance inside her womb and mind, her tears have found a fresh pool to drain and rolled freely on her cheek and the carpet, as her vision was clouded, covered in a thick fog and dancing golden dots, she was unable to see anything, but she heard her mouth sobbing, weeping and crying.

After God only knew how many hours of cursing it out loud in the most vicious colorful ways possible, wishing him to rot in hell, she cried for his name and implored him to come back into her arms, because she couldn't go any single more moment without him.

Love…was such a funny mysterious things, for it had an unique way of evoking so many contradictions within a person. She** hated** and **desired **for him, at the same time.

When the first rays of the morning brushed past the velvet curtains, hanging on the huge windows, a dreamless slumber fell on Sakura`s eyelids, and she wished that she would never wake up anymore.

Never and nothing without **him.**

_Sasuke…I still __**love**__ you._

.

.

.

* * *

**::Japan, Tokyo streets::**

* * *

Full plum bright fuchsia lips were fluttering on the beat of the hot radio song blasting through her stereos, while auburn rimmeled orbs were jolly taking in the exquisite tall buildings enfolding before her amused stare, taking the pulse of the never sleeping busy jolly city and the twinkling lights of the sky scrapers and colorful panels.

She had this rented luscious silver Mercedes convert to open-air mode, while the rustling gentle wind was blowing through the curled retro curls as they brushed past her bare lean porcelain shoulders and collarbone, a red dotted silk scarf wrapped around her neck, half covering her head.

It has been quite a long time since Uzumaki _Karin_ has been delighted with the fascination of driving through the streets of the sumptuous _Tokyo_, star lights twinkling into her orbs, behind the dark tinted Guess sunglasses. Eyes were staring, mouths were gasping, men were drooling over the rich fancy stunning young woman, her flirty feminine alluring being an eye magnet.

She knew and she didn't care. Yes, the beautiful Sound seductress was there on a _mission _–a really important vital mission- but it didn't mean that she could get upbeat, before stomping into one certain Uchiha hottie`s doorstep and _pummel_ him into the next century for breaking Sakura`s heart. She had to get in the mood of beating up heartthrobs for messing with her self-proclaimed sister.

**SLAM!**

It happened so fast that she didn't even have the time to blink, when the airbag snapped in her face, making her body jerk and the force of the impact, but the seat belt that she miraculously decided to wear kept her in place.

The luxury convertible`s powerful engine came to an abrupt halt, while the sound of screeching wheels on the road blazed through her ears.

A vicious curse graced her glossy lips and she swore she would slit the throat of whoever idiot dared to crash on her glamorous rented car!

Karin quickly unbuckled her seat belt, not bothering to check if every bone was in its rightful place of if she was hurt in anyway –she failed to sense the fine line of crimson blood trailing down her temple- threw the bent door open and stormed in the direction of the car that hit her, said vehicle fuming from the engine. The force of the impact threw the rather suspicious dark tinted _Jaguar_ few meters away from her car.

Her high leopard printed high heel kicked the door not so gently while she all but roared to the invisible driver: "You damn blind annoying fucker! Get your ass out here and admire your work, you moron!"

It could have been some sort of mafia monster or a gangster or a really bulky professional boxer, but Karin didn't give a damn. She would give him –her female intuition assured her it was a _male_ driving that rather fancy car- a piece of her mind that he won`t forget. Heck, she was a CIA agent!

And the door cracked open. It was in that moment when her jaw virtually hit the floor, because the agent in her took her temper on a leash and she had a well-practiced stoic impenetrable façade, even though her insides squirmed in hotness and delight has pooled in the pits of her stomach.

It _was_ a male all right. "Heh…touchy, aren't we?"

"What the heck…who is the idiot that gave you the driving license? That if you have one."

"I would advise you to keep your insults on a leash, love. _Accidents_ can happen."

His smirk only deepen when he took in the woman before him in all the splendor of her mouthwatering curves and the fire in her eyes that made his pants tighten. He leaned in and breathed in her face. "Chance _meetings _as well."

"Give me your car insurance, so I can get the heck out of here, you shark faced moron."

Suigetsu couldn't help but grin wider in his own arrogant flirtatious way, revealing his distinctive sharp canine at the starting to get very pissed of red headed woman before him.

She was hot as the very scorching fire of Hell, and the Interpol agent vaguely wondered whether how much would she burn him if he were to-

"Na-ah. I wouldn't be so hasty, since you are the one to blame. See that STOP sign over there? It means you have to wait for _me_ to pass."

"See that STOP on your side too, you asshole? It means priority to the right. Do I have to make a diagram for you to understand?"

"The traffic light was working and it was on the red color. Just like your _hair_."

Fury started to bubble inside Karin. He was mocking her big times and for a moment, she overlooked the hotness of that guy before her, succumbing into the hate for his smugness. "Say that again and your face is going to bright a darker shade for red than that broken traffic light."

"I wouldn't go as far as to threaten people like this, Miss."

"How would you know I am not a Mrs.? And there you were talking shit about politeness."

"Why, you ask? Because your eyes…wouldn't stop watching me hungrily."

"If you don't want to pay me, I am calling the Police." She grounded, well aware of the mini camera attached to the car. She was right and she knew it. That hateful person, with a God`s body and face, and with the attitude of a demented high and drunk donkey was probably some filthy rich scumbag, who thought that his father has bought him a street just for him to drive his ass on.

And she has left _without informing_ Orochimaru…

Suigetsu`s smirk only widened. In his mind, that chick –really sexy ,totally his type- was probably a spoiled rich sole daughter of a rich businessman or a drug dealer who thought she was entitled to always have right and never pay for anything in her life.

Her attitude both pissed him off and excited him. "I totally advise you to do so." Working for the Interpol had its advantages. She would only make a fool of herself. He was sure he was right.

"Oh, don't misunderstand it, sugar, it is not for me, it is for you, because after I finish chopping you off to pieces and throw your cadaver into a lake, they will need the special troops to locate you."

"Careful to who you are flaunting those threats, love. It might become your worst enemy."

"I usually don't let my enemies _alive,_ shark boy. But thank you for the sweet reminder. Now I have to make sure that I don't get into a sugar high." She felt him placing handcuffs the cold metal strangling her wrists but what fazed Suigetsu was the fact that the hot vixen before him didn't dropped down the wicked smirk.

"How about you accompany me to the Police station for threatening a police_ officer_ and explain that to them?" He hauled her into the back of his car and she didn't protest, not even if people were watching. She was already slipping a pin from under her wristwatch.

Oh God, she long lost the count of the handcuff situations she escaped from. The old cliché. Last time she has been in a similar situation was the mafia of drugs in Brazil. That weirdo shark looking sexy said police officer didn't know who he was dealing with.

"You are so unoriginal. Usually in the movies, police cars have bars."

"Don't get the wrong ideas. You will not get to pull a good one on me, love."

"Too bad, because in less than an hour, you will be in your knees, crawling at my feel and begging me for mercy." She hotly whispered down his ears and Suigetsu viciously cursed his dick from almost jumping out of his leather pants.

She was doing it so well, teasing and stirring him like she was a high class prostitute who knew exactly how to get under his skin and he had a soft spot for natural red haired women like her.

No matter how he looked at her, that mysterious stranger woman was a killer with her model flawless body, the striking siren ample curves, the swell of her breasts pressed on the back sit of his fucking leather chair, the insanity whirling into her crimson blood chocolate irises and the wicked smirk who never once ceased down, were making his blood boil and amass in dangerous anatomic places, which he would have rather keep cool.

"Careful, your list of penal offences is growing, love. And it is too bad for someone like you to spend her precious little time in a cold dirty cell, isn't it?"

"Are you going to _cage_ me officer?" Oh the way she basically groaned those words hotly into his face almost had Suigetsu jump her.

Karin was mentally rolling on her tummy laughing her ass out loud. The reason why she wasn't escaping from that loathsome car and had that man beaten up to a bloody pulp, was because toying with him brought her a sadistic pleasure.

She had to kill a fat ass slick pig right in the moment she finished giving him his last mind blowing hand job, coaxing him into telling her where was he hiding his cocaine supplies and what and where was his next shipment before slitting his throat with her kunai, leaving him spray blood form his jugular, like a sacrificed pig on Christmas, jumping from his hotel room window, before his men burst inside to find their indomitable terrific Boss spilling blood like the fountains in Vegas.

So she deserved a little fun for such a successful mission.

He yanked her out of his car and she rolled her crimson orbs when she read the Tokyo Police Station, already snorting and imagining the face of Orochimaru when he would find out that another one of his demented agents has blown up his identity in front of the police and have him get her the heck out of there, before something very bad would l happen to someone and that someone was definitely _not_ Karin.

He kicked the doors open with his feet making the other cops and prosecutors around whip their heads and take a double look, as Suigetsu stormed inside with a handcuffed hot as Hell woman with the hair like the sizzling Hell fire and a plastered bat shit sinful grin spread across her red wine blood rouged full lips, going down the halls.

"How manly. I wonder if your ego is just as big as your _dick_ is, but you know what they say: Men act pompous to compensate for other.._.lacks_."

She licked her lips and but the inside of her cheek when she heard him growl deep into his throat at the obvious insult, pushing her intertwined fists more on the swell of her back, visibly annoyed by the insult, but Karin only found his growl to be insanely sexy and something about him just coaxed the woman in her into hauling like a she wolf at the fool moon, before showing her claws and jump him.

Whoever that low excuse of a police officer was, the mysterious man, with lilac frozen eyes and sharky appearance, was _gorgeous _and incredible sexy. She wouldn't mind riding him into oblivion, before she impaled him for the guts to pick on **Karin of the Sound**, the '**bloody** **Seductress', **as her nickname suggested.

"Woman, you are pushing limits I don't have."

"Whatever happened to _love_? Job made you touchy, hm? I might come up with some _ways _to alleviate the tension in your shoulders-"

Suigetsu cut her short, feeling his temples throb and explode, mentally cursing that damn _interrogation room_ for being so fucking far from the main entrance. When the familiar sign came into his field of view, he mentally signed in relief.

That woman was pressing buttons that screamed danger and she knew exactly how to turn him on and badly.

When the familiar green painted door came into her field of view, Karin promptly burst out laughing, letting her head fall backwards to collide with his shoulder and it was in that moment when insanity took over her wild bloody nature, has Suigetsu been exposed to the intoxicating pungent floral scent of her perfume and her sweet shampoo, oozing from her rebel long curled locks, which were brushing over his jaw and tickling the lobe of his ears, a place he was extremely sensitive.

He froze for a moment, not expecting his body to react like that to her, before he pushed the door open and barked at two of his colleagues who were busy torturing an underage teen who were charged for smoking weed in the school grounds. "Out! Now!"

They looked at them through shocked hazel stares, before Suigetsu narrowed his dangerous lethal pearl eyes, making them scurry out of there, dragging the teen along and Karin had to hand it to him.

For a _mere_ Tokyo Police Officer, he was _good._ And he has just gained two more points for being sexy. "You love power, don't you _shark boy_?"

He pushed her not so gently through the door of the interrogation room, with the familiar single bulb hanging over a table, shoving her into one of the chairs, before he took the other one, locking the door behind. "Smooth."

He put down his identification card and she couldn't help but smirk wider when her crimson wine orbs stroll over the words _**'Tokyo**__** Interpol**__** Identification Card'**_ and his _name 'Hozuki Suigetsu'_.

So he wasn't _just_ an unimportant impotent police officer, huh? The Interpol? He was the bigger fish out of the tank, apparently. For some odd sick reason, it only turned Karin on even more. "Water moon?" She translated his name from Japanese, finding the resemblance of water and the celestial planet with his appearance funny. "Let me guess: your eyes?"

"Cut the crap. I can clearly see it that you are _not _a regular woman and you don't seem fazed to be approached by the police. So _love,_ this is your only chance to talk and I advise you to not hide anything for me, because believe it or not, I will see right through it."

It was his turn to show her his sharp canine pressed down his lower lip and Karin swore it was the sexiest thing she has ever seen, eyeing her from head to the ample delicious cleavage popping up from the fine branded Armani blouse she wore.

That woman could as well as be part of a criminal organization, judging from her arrogant playful unfazed demeanor, luxury goods and sexual attitude. "Even if I have to _peel_ every single layer all by myself."

"Now, now, shark boy," She started, squeezing her eyes shut defiantly, shaking her head slowly at him, pouting like a three years old, while she leaned further into her seat. "grown up men shouldn't hide behind their identity cards to prove themselves, don't they?"

When the familiar click has reached her ears, Karin couldn't help but lick her lips and grin at the man before her, before her crimson glossy orbs flew open again, eying him in a way that made Suigetsu almost lose it.

There was a fire blazing within the ring around her irises which he couldn't pinpoint, but before he got the chance to respond, she lunged forward like a Cobra, catching him totally out of guard, and in two seconds flat, she had him handcuffed by the leg of the back of his chair, slid on his lap, straddling his waist, pressing her bosom into the swell of his chiseled pectorals and had an identification card of her own shoved down his lilac pearl widened orbs, the grin of the century sprawled all over her lips.

"I am sorry to break it up to you, but you are definitely_ not_ the only one with tricks up his sleeves."

Lavender eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman before him, but there was also suspicion dancing over those incredibly fire cracking orbs of his as he pinned her with a glare of his own, before growling back to her. "What the _fuck,_ woman? Unlock me right away, or else bad things are going to happen to you."

Karin faked a shocked offended expression, slipping her **Identification Card** from under her lace bra, giving him a peek on her bloody red lingerie, mentally holding her sides out of laughter.

The man called Suigetsu looked like torn between fucking snapping her throat and fucking her brains, lust and desperation gleaming into his eyes. Oh, he was so fucking gorgeous looking. It was exactly Karin`s type.

"Now now…what kind of man would threaten helpless innocent ladies? I might as well sue you for abusing me while detaining me."

"The fact that you have a _fake_ **CIA Identification Card** doesn't mean shit to me." It was Karin`s turn to raise an eyebrow at him, not quite expecting him to _not_ believe her.

Of course, that was understandable since she looked more like part of the _mafia_ than the CIA, but she was used to that by now.

Truly, the **Sound agents** were anything but regular agents. Like those horrendous Akatsuki, for example. They were **elite cruel stone hearted assassins**, dancing on the peaks of glory and taking on the bloodiest and most lethal world criminal organizations.

"Fake, you say? I should be offended you know?"

"I hardly find it out how a woman like_ you_ can be offended…or _innocent."_ He stole her breath away with a deadly gorgeous grin, before she heard the familiar_ click_ of cuffs coming loose before she found herself pinned down the table, with Suigetsu hovering over her, inches away from her face, breathing to her in a way that made her panties wet with desire and her innards to throb. "And you are definitely _not _going to teach this old shark new tricks…Uzumaki _Karin_."

He wasn't going to lie and admit it to himself that Suigetsu found the coincidence of the name to Naruto to be really funny and he was half tempted to ask her whether they were relatives, but found it pointless.

Though…there was a fragment of resemblance to Uzumaki Kushina in terms of the odd luscious –sensual and beautiful- long red rebel hair which triggered some questions down his shrewd mind but Suigetsu brushed it off for the moment.

"Still a non-believer, huh? You can always go and search for my file into the _Database_. That, if you are not a man enough to admit you were outsmarted."

She smirked and glued the tip of her nose to his own, mints fanning hotly into each other faces, before she took the chance to knee him in his groins making his grip on her hands come loose just enough to allow Karin to thrust her heel into his stomach and send him flying on the chair, then landing straight on his back, with a low thud echoing through the darkened small room.

She was atop of him in a nanosecond, like a lioness straddling her prey, fisting her hands into the rim of his collar, bringing her face impossible close to his, snarling upon his lips, while her red hair created a blood waterfall around his face, making Suigetsu sink into a maze of red, unable to look back from her lustrous sinfully glamorous sexy eyes, while his hues glared into slits, turning a darker shade of violet.

He was bloody furious and was not refraining from showing it. She was dangerous and he would admit that she might have as well be an assassin, because her reflexes were not human. In fact, they were sharper than his!

She was fast and precise, like a Cobra. And definitely, stronger than she looked. "Then let us properly introduce each other, officer Hozuki." Her voice was no louder than a caressing of the wind, amassing all the dark sensuality of the most debauched dark desires, while she spat venom upon his lips.

"Uzumaki Karin, of the Sound. Nice to meet your pathetic ass, loser. And there they were, always praising the Interpol branch in Japan. Though I should have known that it was all _cheap_ bragging. No wonder you fuckards couldn`t properly handle the _Shiseido Ginza_ case and needed _us_ to come and clean the mess you couldn't handle."

He literarily froze on the spot and it was in the moment when Karin has finished her course of curses, the moment when Suigetsu came to realize that all the mocking, taunting, flirting smirking mood has wiped off her face and in turn, she had him pinned down with a star that he swore was coming straight from the core of the Devil`s realm.

She was deadly, lethal, striking, aggressive, strong, dominatrix and…fucking Jesus, she was damn sexy!

He flipped them over in an instant, being his turn to catch her out of guard and before Karin had the chance to kick him in choice sensitive places with her long creamy bare legs, as her back collided with the cold ground, Suigetsu pinned her hands down to rest on either sides of her head, getting comfortable in between her legs, successfully making her attempts to roll over futile and in less than a blink, his lips crushed over hers to meet in a feverous calloused kiss.

Holly damn, she was sweet like the finest Champagne, he felt desire bubbling into the hotness of her soft curvaceous body, her floral honey scent was conjuring the demon within him and he couldn't help but growl harshly when she bit on his lips, as he forced his tongue inside the caver of her mouth, where he ingrained his muscular organ, rolling it inside her, tracing her porcelain row of teeth, and battling her own tongue, which was swirling around his own.

She was responding to him.

Heavens, she was kissing him back with just as much ardor as he did, moaning when he suckled harshly on her lower lip, until the fine cashmere tissue of her mouth took a lighter shadow of his purple eyes.

She was wriggling and squirming under him, like a siren struggling to get free and take a dip into the ocean, rubbing and jerking her hips forward, making both moan at the sudden electrical discharge of their bodies. When the crimson haired CIA agent thrust her hips forward and rolled them under him, Suigetsu lost it completely.

Not so gently, he peeled her from the ground by slipping his hands under her shoulders, throwing her atop the desk, prying her legs open with a hand squeezing the inside of her exposed thigh under the electrical lemon mini skirt she wore, coming to rest in between her legs, as he hovered over her, lust and blazing passion bursting out of his intoxicating eyes.

Need and desire that mirrored her own, both panting harshly and not backing down from their gazes. Not even when his hand slid from her toned leg up to cup the front of her panties, feeling himself grow hard and hot at the wetness his hand has met.

He used his thumb to press against her core and she had to bit her lower lip to prevent a moan of pleasure at the contact. "Uzumaki…_Karin."_ He growled her name in a way that almost had her come right on the sop before he leaned in and stole another passionate kiss from her and Karin couldn't help herself, as she indulged in the pleasure which was overwhelming her.

She winded her hands around his shoulders, fingers intertwining into his soft grey sex hair, pulling it backwards, as he deepened their maddening kiss, tongues meeting in a fit of fury, burning desire and rapturous carnal pleasure, suckling and exploring the catacombs of each other`s opened mouths, faces molding together.

"Hozuki Suigetsu. _Mi piaci_." He swore that never in his life has the Hozuki Interpol officer been more aroused and charmed by a woman as he has been in that very moment when he heard Karin breath those words in a sensual Italian and it was then when realization dawned upon him, as his lips froze on her chin, while he peeled them from her mouth to allow them both to catch their breaths, but refusing to lose the contact of her vanilla scented skin.

His intelligent trained mind was fast as lightening into connecting the dots. "You are an **Italian **CIA Sound agent and a red haired." His aquamarine orbs, as lustful and unleashed as they were, bore into her own as his eyebrows were drawn together. "You _are Sakura`s_ bat shit crazy friend, aren't you?"

It was then when Karin realized that he was Sasuke`s friend from the Interpol that Sakura was talking about and even before she could stop herself, Karin threw her head backwards, arching her back, using his hold around his neck as a leverage and burst out in a maddening sinister laugh, finding the irony be at its epitome.

"No fucking way!" Destiny was a funny thing. "I swear that I don't believe in karma or shit, shark boy." She nodded once to him, as she straightened her pose, making her rebel disheveled long hair splash upon her face and shoulders in a hot sensual way. "But I might give the odds a chance and let it pass only for this time, since it is more than_ worth_ it."

"What the fuck are you-"

Even before Suigetsu had the chance to inquire what was probably pointless and not helping their case, Karin shoved her tongue back into the mouth that was getting even more and more addictive, kissing the very life out of him, getting familiar to the taste of his tongue and saliva on her own mouth, suckling greedily on his moist firm lips, as her expert digits worked on each button of his shirt, yanking it open to expose a mouthwatering chiseled broad chest, which gave another meaning to the word lust.

He stopped her with a firmly hold of her wrists when she was halfway in unbuckling the leather belt of his Jeans, eyes clashing with the need into her dark blood ones.

"_Love,_ this is not going into the rightful way." How could he have said that while calling her like that was beyond Karin but she swore that something snapped into the casket of her chest when he told her _'love'_ and it was both scary and ravishing.

Yes, she was damn aware that they were in the _interrogation room_ of the _Tokyo Interpol _and yes, she was aware that she was jumping an _Interpol officer`s ass_ into the very _same _freaking room, but the point was that Karin _didn't _give a flying fuck about that.

"Only if you miss your way _inside_ me, shark boy." That mischievous dark and alluring gleaming way in her widened dark wine eyes was something that no straight man with a functional dick would have been able to resist.

He was powerless in font of that and the way he basically invited him to feel free into screwing her against the table desk that he used to interrogate dangerous criminals, into the building of his working place –the Interpol`s building- was making his muscles charge with electricity and he lost it for good.

Suigetsu had his fair share of insanity and he has found himself a woman to add to it and create a dangerous ticking bomb of craziness, which had him nod once to him, grinning at her before his mouth latched to her arched neck, hands wandering to the outline of her siren waist, slipping his digits under the rim of the blouse she wore, rolling it up to her toned stomach as she stretched her limbs up to help him undress her.

"Hmm…you`re fucking good…" Kami, the way she was cursing at him while he suckled and grazed his canines all over the porcelain sweetness of her creamy newly exposed skin, left Suigetsu grow mad with need. He needed to be inside her before his mind would explode as his engorged member did inside his pants.

And Karin has boldly unzipped his Jeans and cupped him over the dark Calvin Klein boxers he wore underneath, rubbing him as he thrust his hips into her hand, rolling his tongue over the swell of her heart shaped cleavage, leaving a trace of hot saliva in between the apex of her full endowed breasts, getting hornier at the _bright red _lace bra she wore.

"Love, I am warning you…" He growled darkly into her earlobe, suckling on it while Karin squeezed her eyes shut, moaning softly at the sweet shivers running along her body, while he worked on the clasp of her bra, tossing it on the other side of the room. "I _won`t_ be gentle."

_When the heck did she begged for him to be?_

By any means, Karin was _not _the kind of woman to need candles and chaste kisses and unnecessary foreplay or romantic lines whispered down her ear. That was Sakura! No, she wanted him rough and wild.

"I will cut down your dick if you go anything than hard." She shot to him just as darkly and it was the last thing that Suigetsu needed before he yanked the mini skirt she wore, along with her panties, leaving her stripped and bare in all the luscious naked glory of her Goddess splendor, while she jumped off the table, pulling down his pants and the boxers along with them, as he stepped on them.

Before he had the chance to protest, Karin was already on her knees, looking at him through her rimmeled curled velvet eyelashes, throwing him a glance so seductive and sinful that only made him even wilder and turned down, as her fingers coiled around his dick, giving him a teasing squeeze as he muttered a vicious throaty _'fuck'_ while she started to pump him.

"I told you that you will be at _my _mercy, haven't I? I tend to keep my promises." With that, her lips latched on his dripping tip, as he thrust forward, interlacing his fingers into her soft silk hair, thrusting inside her mouth, feeling his eyes roll at the back of his head as she was viciously sucking him with a passion that almost had him come, the knot on the pits of his stomach boiling inside his abdomen, like lava.

She wasn't good, she was fucking amazing! Her mouth helped him reach Paradise, as his toes were curling and his blood was pumping adrenaline through his veins. He had to be inside her, he wanted to feel her clasp around him, taste her wetness and her warmth on his own skin and damn right he would fuck her like she wished.

Wordlessly, he removed himself from her mouth as his juices were glistening down her lips along her chin as he flipped her over, bending her over the table as she gripped on the edges, turning her head to look into his beastly fierce eyes, as his nails dug into her hips as he thrust forward and filled her in one hard fluid motion, cursing loudly when her walls clasped around him.

She was fucking _perfect,_ just as he imagined it.

"Ah! Fucking Hell Suigetsu!" She screamed at him when he started to fuck her ruthlessly against the table, making the pens roll down, and the wood was cracking and shaking as he rammed inside like a madman. Karin on the other hand was barely holding on her sanity, let alone the edge of the table.

She arched her back and brought her back into his sweating toned chest, curling her hands around his neck, while he attacked her neck, one hand massaging her breast and the other rubbing her dripping glistening core, as she started to meet his thrusts halfway, riding him.

Soon the room filled with their groans, screams and the sexual hot sweaty tension lingered like a thick fog.

And they were both oblivious to the pairs of _eyes watching_ them from the other side of the tinted window, from the other side of the wall.

.

.

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* * *

"What…the flying_…fuck_?!"

"Yeah, that is exactly the proper thing to say in this kind of situation, my friend."

_Naruto _Uzumaki was having his cerulean eyes popped out of their sockets, mouth cracked open while his jaw was busy hitting the ground. _Ten Ten_ beside him was looking totally unruffled and if he hasn't known her better, she looked like she was casually watching the evening boring news about lost pets and sunny weather forecast.

And he knew it that the reason why she was being so untouched by the horrendous things unfolding before his eyes, was the fact that she was just as equally insane. Both of them have arrived to the Tokyo Police HQ to seek for Suigetsu and ask his help on a very delicate problem, namely get their hands on the most skilled hacker they had to help them get a track of the live broadcasting of the station where fucking Pein, the leader of Lorane was having his delirious disgusting speech from, when they caught the sight of the very same man storming down the said building, having the one and only Uzumaki_ Karin_ –his freaking girl _cousin_ and the Sound agent- handcuffed and dragged along the halls to the interrogation room.

_What the heck?!_

As if that wasn't being enough to have both Ten Ten and Naruto exchange dumbfounded gazes, before they dashed in the same direction, sensing danger on a whole new other level arising, because nothing good could have come out of that situation, throwing the door open, just to find the very same people_ fucking_ their brains out in the same room, totally _oblivious_ of their presence.

What was even more sickening, was the fact that the_ microphones_ were turned on so they could _hear _every moan, curse, groan or sound that their animalistic sex or the dirty talk and that almost had Naruto faint right on the spot.

"Care to explain it to me what the heck is Karin doing here in Tokyo and why is she screwing Suigetsu?!"

Ten Ten on the other hand, was busy laughing at the irony and inwardly cheering at their guts to go at it in such a place. She knew that the Sound`s seductress had no boundaries, nor any shame, but she didn't know that Suigetsu was living up to his reputation of a total manwhore who wouldn't be able to restrain himself to jump her.

And what was with the show from earlier? Were they roleplaying? God she vaguely wondered if Sakura knew about her arrival and what was her friend doing…or rather…who she was doing.

She was glad for the fun she has come to see because ever since Neji was basically grieving over his company, she wasn't able to shut her eyes and have a proper sleep. She swore she was in the verge of drugging him just to have him stop complaining.

"How should I know? It is destiny bringing two sluts together to keep each other entertained."

The mocha eyed agent flipped her hair over her shoulder, leaning against the office door, looking at her fresh manicured fingers, while Naruto was being hysteric and flailing in front of the glass that separated the two rooms, looking like torn between peeping at his cousin and his best friend, fucking each other`s brains, riding each other like rabbits, or throw up right on the spot.

Honestly, that was the funniest shit ever and God help her, she had enough problems at home, with Lorane, the Summit in France and her fiancé's company, so she was grateful for Karin`s mysterious and suspicions unexpected Tokyo visit, because, heck…wherever the Sound was, there lied all the fun. They were always the ones to stand out from the crowd and do the craziest things.

"This is not funny, Ten Ten, this is a disaster! Why is my cousin here?! To cut my balls down like she promised last time I saw her, probably!"

The blonde idiot was pacing through the room, driving Ten Ten crazy. They would finish soon and when they would come out, the two Akatsuki could interrogate them properly. What was the rush anyways? Oh yeah…they were kinda supposed to meet Suigetsu and _discuss _the latest events.

And that fucker was busy being the dickhead he was, meeting with the Sound`s top _slut,_ making them wait. In all honesty, Ten Ten had no problem in barging inside, catching them in the act and give the Interpol manwhore a piece of her mind, for making a lady wait.

"Relax, you moron. She is either on a mission, or Sakura has called her here, for whatever reason they might have. My guesses are that she tries to hook them up. Which isn't such a bad idea. Suigetsu likes red haired women and he is totally her type."

"Well, shut that damn door at least. Last thing we need is someone to come here and catch their boss…_doing_ my cousin. God damn it! I will throttle that person with my bare hands. Sasuke-Teme claimed that job first, but I don't care. When Suigetsu gets out, I will personally kill his ass."

"Oh, will you shut up already? I get enough bitching with Neji. So stop giving me headaches, sit down because you're squirming around makes me freaking dizzy and enjoy the show…in silence."

.

.

.

* * *

"You are crazy, _bella_." Suigetsu smirked at the red haired Italian gorgeous woman that he has just fucked merciless, buttoning up his shirt, as he took her in, very dangerous things running through his perverted mind and, for a moment, he even considered taking her again, but he remembered among the lines, that he had to meet Ten Ten and Naruto.

The Sound agent was busy fixing her hair, in the color of vivacious sparkling flames, having a small heart shaped mirror in her left hand, while the other was brushing through her long fancy cut hair, making herself look presentable again, totally ignoring his lascivious stare. "Your accent sucks. You sound like a porn star."

Inwardly, she was fighting her best to ignore the fire he stirred within her with that stare alone. Damn, she even smirked like him, his scent was embed into her hair and tattooed on her skin and it drove her insane. Karin never ever met a man to smile like danger, fire, craziness and ocean altogether and she absolutely loved it.

He was undeniable _hot _and unlike the other men she has been with, he was the one who dominated, and not the one to be submissive, allowing her to pleasure him.

_Oh, definitely not!_ He was fierce, rough, his moves were calloused, unleashed, passionate and unrestrained, having no boundaries and that was setting her into fire. She was dying to have him again…and _she will._ Definitely!

True to her friend`s word, Suigetsu was definitely someone she would like to keep.

"I will take this as a compliment. Besides, you can play it hard to get, but I know you like me, love. And this amuses me. And turns me on." The cocky shark looking male was pinning her with as tare that was making Karin`s spine shiver in pleasure. Predatory, lustful, arrogant, daring and knowing.

_Not good…not good at all…_

"Keep your dick into your pants, shark boy. I am not a whore." She casually rolled a bloody red rouge, pouting and applying a fine layer, which was sensually clashing with the wine of her irises, aware that the man she was addressing, had his amethyst luscious eyes all on her.

And she smirked wickedly at him, letting one lock of hair fall tauntingly on her eye. "Usually, the males I grant the pleasure of having me, are one head shorter or drown in their own piss by now. So consider yourself lucky, shark boy."

She of course, emphasized her mission and the fact that she was an assassin, so she was playing men around her finger like a master puppeteer. But she had no idea of the sadistic side of Suigetsu and the fact that she has just earned herself a privileged place into his heart, but growling such threats to him.

His orbs were burning with the redness of her wyes, hair and lips. Everything about that woman was pure fire.

_Damn…_

He couldn't help himself, but to let his long legs stroll predatory towards her, planting his hands down the table, on each side of her, trapping her between the desk and his hard rock body, Ten Ten and Naruto be damned.

Like…what the fuck…they will have all the time in the world to freak out at the most recent news, but a woman like that would burn to ashes before he got to touch her once again, so he would take no risk.

"Feel free to use my body as you please, love, but don't you dare scream or cry when I am going to make you drop to your knees and _beg_ me."

The fact that Karin was able to flawlessly fake boredom and the fact that his charms had put no spell on her, was only because of her years of practice and experience, because either ways, that Interpol officer would have already been jumped on and properly ride by then.

But she merely cocked her head on her side, so that she won't be tempted to feel the warmth of his lips fan over her face and bit back to him. "Your dumb annoying friends are on the other room."

She totally smirked wide at the way Suigetsu`s orbs went ten shades lighter, whipping them over her shoulder, to look into the huge one-way mirror, who was reflecting his dumbfounded stupid looking expression and Suigetsu was reminded of the dumb comics that he and Naruto were addicts of, envisioning him as a donkey, wearing the word _'stupid'_ tattooed on his forehead.

"Stop staring, you are being too obvious, jeez."

"How would you know that? You are bluffing." Suigetsu narrowed his orbs at the smirking woman before him, who simply rolled her orbs at him, and crossing her arms upon her full rounded half naked chest, like she was talking to a mentally deranged patient, explaining obvious things.

"Like hell I am. Are you truly working for the Interpol, or have you skipped your first three years of training? Or are you simply that retarded and only worth of a good lay-"

"Karin…"

"I suppose you do know the principle of the one-way mirrors in interrogation rooms and if you don't, then be my guest to do research and find out, but there is a simple way to see through it and it is just a simple physics principle of refraction of the light."

To emphasize her words, Karin stretched her hand behind Suigetsu, holding her mirror, while urging him to turn around and watch. "If you look into that mirror through this special custom made mirror, you can see into the other room. Fancy, huh?"

_Oh no they didn't…_

True to her word, Ten Ten and Naruto were having their orbs glued to the mirror, probably having witnessed EVERYTHING they did, watching them bang each other, on that freaking room, like they were the audience of a pornographic show.

Those major creeps…were going to pay for the crime.

"Heh…if they recorded us as well, you will be famous love."

"If I kill you now and chop off your cadaver, then I am going to top among the bloodiest assassins around the world and this is a better predicament to me, shark boy."

Oh, Suigetsu definitely enjoyed teasing that woman…among other things he enjoyed to do with her.

He smirked to her, darting forward before allowing her any moment to react or punch him, to place a quick kiss on her pulse, making her froze momentarily at the contact, then detached from her, racking a hand through his silvery luscious hair, heading to the door. "Let`s get the heck out of here and bloody beat those fucking creeps to a bloody pulp."

Karin rolled her wine orbs at him when Suigetsu allowed her to exit first, muttering a "what a gentleman…" while coming to face Naruto and Ten Ten, casually raising an eyebrow at them, like she was being surprised to find them there.

"How is it going? Are you two waiting in line?" She totally mocked the two of them, mentally laughing at the looks on their faces. "You can go in now. It`s empty."

Ten Ten was the first to shot up from the wall beside her, barely getting a hold of herself and not punch the woman before her, knowing it all too well that, somehow, that witch Uzumaki Karin has been aware of the fact that she was being watched, but she just didn't give a damn, proving how much of a slut she was.

Seriously, how could that woman be friends with Haruno Sakura? That emerald eyed Sound agent was so opposite to Karin and she was definitely not a major skank, being totally modest and rather shy when it came to expose herself like that.

One wouldn't even guess that she was killing people ruthlessly and without pulling a single muscle, judging from the introvert and laid back personality.

So she did what Ten Ten knew it would piss Karin off really bad, namely ignoring her. She let her mocha coffee orbs travel to Suigetsu, growling to him. "You're fucking late. We have been waiting for thirty minutes."

Seriously, they went at IT for half an hour…Ten Ten felt her temples explode. And Naruto like the proud student of Jirayia the ultimate manwhore alive that he was, after stopping freaking out and ask the most imbecile rhetorical questions, glued his eyes on the mirror and watched the spectacle, like he has been following a baseball game, having all sorts of perverted comments, mostly about his friend`s weak performance…

Good God, Ten Ten even entertained the idea of punching him few times and throw him outside the interrogation room.

"Well good for you. You had enough time to try and get the signal of that fucker out there," Suigetsu pointed towards the small TV which was on mute, but kept on showering the audience with live streaming from the stocks markets from all around the world, as well as Pein`s imposing proud figure. "So that we can go and kill the rats in their own holes."

"Really now? And what have YOU been doing in the meantime?" The spunky mocha eyed agent spat back to him. "If I am not being too indiscrete."

Karin snorted at that, letting her wine orbs fly towards Naruto`s azurite ones, who were having conflicting emotions and thoughts playing inside and the most dominant one, was guilt. Of course, he has been watching them the whole time.

That made Karin mentally roll on the floor laughing. "_Interrogation."_ She spoke and three pairs of eyes widened at the way she could sound so innocent, even if she has done what she just did.

'_Is that how you call IT in the Sound, huh?'_ Ten Ten couldn't help but mentally strangle that woman before her, while she simply patted Naruto`s shoulder, making him snap out of his reverie.

"Why hello, my _dear_ cousin." Oh, the way she dripped venom from her wine lips has made Naruto`s spine crawl in dread.

She had a way to make that calloused husky rich voice sound robotically and fierce, pretty much like Tsunade Senju, and that made her freaking scary.

"It`s not that I won`t absolutely _love_ to catch up with the latest news from your miserable life, but I need to make myself useful in some other place. Be good, ok?"

Without giving Naruto the chance to reply, she spun on her heel and headed towards the door, whispering at Suigetsu as she passed him. "Take care of my car, it was rented, and don't forget my luggage. I am DEFINITELY going to see you around, shark boy." And left three gasping people behind her back.

The first one to talk, was Naruto. "W-Where is she going?"

"Sakura, obviously, where else?"

"Back from where she has come to haunt us: Hell." Suigetsu exited the room after her, urging Naruto and Ten Ten to follow. "C`mon, let`s go into my office. This place is too depressing."

What truly bothered Suigetsu, was the fact that it absolutely reeked like sex. Good –mind blowing incredible steaming hot- sex, but it somehow…pissed him off.

.

.

.

* * *

**::Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo, the lobby::**

* * *

"C`mon Cherry, answer the damn phone already…" Karin was tapping her feet in the reception hall, glaring at the passerby's, who whirled their stupid heads around to take a double look at the woman, with such exotic looks, posing like a diva in the middle of the room and clad in revealing clothes, which did nothing to hid her flawless body structure, and she fought the urge to give all of them the finger. She didn't have time for that, because she was busy panicking and getting pissed off with Sakura`s lack of feedback.

After five times during which she kept on getting the robot`s annoying voice, Karin gave up and went for a bolder approach, namely stomping to the reception, planting her elbow at the counter, to attract a young dude`s attention and, fighting the urge to gauge off his hungry gleaming eyes, she kept her head askew and hard and arrogant, demanding.

"Haruno Sakura, which floor?" The man before her blinked twice, not uttering a single word, looking like he hasn't understood her.

"Excuse _me?"_

Karin rolled her eyes slowly so as to let him know she was already pissed off and spelled each syllable like mentally addressing mentally retarded kids. "Haruno Sakura, what room does she have?"

"I am sorry, Miss, but I am afraid that this is personal information that I cannot disclo-" She shot her arms to the other side of the marble counter, to fist her fingers into his neat white collar and jerked him towards her, making half of his body leak on the counter, eyes blazing like shooting meteors.

"Where exactly do you see it on my fucking face that I give a _single damn_ about your stupid policies, hm? Tell. Me. The. Fucking. Room`s number, or _else_…"

The young receptionist, who couldn't be older than twenty two, gulped once visibly scared of that woman`s attitude but nodded twice, taking a large inhale of air after Karin freed him harshly, sending him back on his place, arms crossed upon her chest.

"O-Ok, Miss, let me check first." He quickly taped on his computer, while Karin was drumming her manicured fingers on the counter, letting him understand that she wasn't a patient woman. "I am afraid there is no one checked in her with this name, Miss."

"You are lying."

"I am afraid I do not, Miss. You can come and see for yourself." He turned the screen for her to have a look and Karin cursed under her breath. Sakura was not stupid. She didn't want him to follow her, not taking any chance. Truly an agent.

"Damn it. She has registered under _another _name."

"I am sorry Miss. I am afraid I cannot help you more." Karin fisted her hands down her auburn hair, prompting her elbows on the golden marble, scraping her scalp, thinking about her friend.

"Think Karin, think…a name…a_ name_…" she would go with something familiar, dear and personal for Sakura, and something that Sasuke probably didn't know about. Sakura was Italian, so… "Try Cherry. She has come here the day before yesterday. "

"There is one single lady with this name who has checked herself in two days ago. Cherry _Finelli Montesi - Olivero_."

The receptionist spelled in a fluent surprisingly good accent Italian and Karin fought the urge to slap herself. Of course! She cursed her lack of inspiration for not catching it the very first time. Her friend has chosen Orochimaru`s family name –the one that only few knew- for her cover. "It`s her all right! Which room?"

"Room number…103 A, 8th floor, Miss."

"Thank you!" She hollered towards the sweat dropping young receptionist, dashing to the elevator, as her heels were clicking on the lustrous floor.

"God damn it, Cherry. Just hang on ,_mia sorella_. Just hang on there and don't do anything stupid." She prayed to Heavens she didn't, because Karin knew all about Sakura, the tone of her voice and the fact that for the past two days, she had all her phones and laptop shut off.

"C`mon, c`mon, damn, can this machine go any slower than this?!" Karin was tapping her heel, arms crossed before her full chest, fighting the urge to bit her freshly manicured nails in anxiety, Pinot Noir orbs following the flashing numbers of the floors she was passing.

When the familiar _click, _following the halt of the lift made the doors slide, Karin didn't even wait for them to fully open, sprinting outside, almost hitting a couple who was waiting to take the ride in the process, crimson loose hair fluttering behind her back as she rushed to Sakura`s hotel room, stopping right in front of the door.

It was not broken yet, which was a good sign. "Oh well, here we go…" She was mentally bracing herself for a hurricane of amassed negative emotions to splash into her face and throw her on the wall behind, the moment she would open the door, so she knocked –banged- on it three times, no reply.

"Cherry? Cherry, it is me, Karin, are you in there?" Karin tried to keep her voice as low as possible, not wanting to create a ruckus in the middle of the day and alert the other guests or the security and have an unnecessary circus going on, because she was there with another noble purpose, it being supporting her friend who was probably fighting a mental break down and plot a torturous way to _dispose_ of Sasuke Uchiha, mission be damned.

Well, she has screw it up big times anyways, so what was worse that could have happened anyways?

She patiently waited for the housekeepers to pass her, trying to look like she was busy texting someone on her phone and then tried again, louder that time, bumping the door with her clenched fist.

"Cherry! Open up this door or so help me God I am going to break it! Cherry!" Though it wasn't the most fortunate outcome she has predicted, truth to be told, Karin started to panic a little inside.

She knew Sakura, she knew how emotionally unstable her friend could be and she knew how much she loved Sasuke and adding it to her barely healed wounds, it resulted in a lethal combination. She didn't want to start imagine the most horrendous scenarios for why wasn't Sakura answering her.

She knew that her friend with the emerald gleaming into her irises won`t push her back and not share her pain with the only person she viewed as her sister, not in the bit. Karin was her confident, she trusted her, that was why she has called her two days ago to confess.

And Karin also picked up another silent plea_: keep an eye on Sasuke for me_, _until I am able to do_, so that was exactly what Karin did, while she stormed to the CIA`s private airport and took one of Orochimaru`s exclusive jets to fly all the way, from Ravenna to Tokyo and make it as fast as possible.

She used the Sound`s special network and the link to their satellites to keep the tracks of the Uchiha heir –soon to be very dead- and pin-point his position. He was safe, probably trapped into a stale business meeting, because for two days straight, he _never_ left that building, not even to go home.

_Again, no reply. _

"Ok, time for more dramatic measures." Swaying her head over her shoulder, so as to make sure that no one was able to see what she was doing, Karin unzipped her Vuitton bag, fingered her wallet and took out a card –a normal looking one- who was had a high Nano technology chip, able to break the most common locks, sliding it casually into the lock of Sakura`s door, smirking when the green flashing light beamed _'access'_, unlocking the door.

She quickly grabbed the know, twisting it once and let herself inside, quietly stepping into the luxurious darkened suite, and the first thing that made her nose crunch was the heavy reek of alcohol, lingering around the spacious room, like a fog.

The other noticeable thing, was the fact that all the curtains were covering the windows, successfully blocking any attempts of the sun rays to sneak inside. Even though it was midday, inside however, it was midnight.

Probably resembling Sakura`s soul right in that moment…

"Oh my fucking- Cherry!" And there was her sworn sister, in all her _passed out_ glory, looking like a broken swan with bleeding wings, clad in an airy summer fine red dress, resting in the middle of the living room, on her side, with a hand snuck under her head and the other fallen on her tummy, encircled by more than seven bottles of strong liquor, looking _dead,_ unmoving.

In an instant, Karin threw her bag on the armchair and, avoiding stripping on any bottle, went flying to an unresponsive Sakura, dropping on her knees beside her, placing a careful hand on her shoulder, while the other was feeling her pulse.

It was faint as a deity snowflake strolling down the sky, but she was clearly alive. Karin inwardly exhaled for a moment, while, gently, so as to not disturb her, rolled Sakura on her back, wine orbs going wide as saucers. "_Mia sorella, va tutto bene_?" She shook her gently, her own wine orbs pricking with burning tears upon seeing the state of Sakura`s beautiful face.

"Cherry? Cherry, wake up dear." She bad her gently, placing a hand on the rosette`s damp forehead, brushing away her chocolate locks, sticking into her eyes and temples.

"Fuck…" There were visible dry contours of tears rivers carved along her cheeks, her ivory porcelain face was pale as a ghost`s, her full lips were swollen and lilac, as if Sakura has been staying outside to the North Pole, freezing, there were angry panda purple huge bags under her almond eyes and her breaths were ragged.

Sakura has been clearly crying for hours, non-stop. And she was smelling heavily of poisonous liquor, probably it being the reason why she has been knocked out, unconscious and dead to the world, but to Karin, it was the embodiment of another more acerb representation of ultimate pain: her best friend has tried to kill herself, by drowning into alcohol, unsuccessfully.

Karin was already on the verge of shooting her arm to her purse, grab her phone and call the ambulance, when a weak grown made her stop dead, returning her attention to Sakura. She was stirring up, meaning that she wasn't in a comatose state, like Karin has suspected.

The Uzumaki agent swore that a heavy iron curtain has been lifted from her clasped chest when her friend`s emerald orbs quivered lazily, trying to unglue her tears washed eyelashes, mumbling weakly. "S-sa-s-uke…?"

_Unbelievable!_ Blood rushed through Karin`s temples, making her head explode in fury, slipping a hand under Sakura`s head, placing it on her lap, not wanting to force her probably dizzy and sick friend up to stand and do more damage, while her right hand took the jadeite eyed sister`s left one, silently cursing at how cold and dry her skin felt, intertwining their fingers, usually commending hard voice being no loud than a caress.

Even after barely cheating on Death, Sakura was thinking about _Sasuke_. Her heart and mind were probably praying for it to have been a horrible _nightmare,_ waking her up to a sweeter reality, natural instincts of self-preserve and survival kicking in.

She viewed a savior and a protector in the sole man who she decided to entrust her heart and he has betrayed her.

_He shall pay dearly._

"Cherry, it is all right. I am here. You will be all right. Just…don't do this to you. Not again." Karin spoke softly, using an uncharacteristically suave tone, fighting back the betraying tears to spurt down her maroon orbs ,because that was definitely_ not_ the place to feel pity and be weak.

Sakura needed someone strong to support her, someone reliable and trustworthy, so she tightened her coil around Sakura`s hand, feeling the rosette reciprocating, meaning that she was starting to regain her consciousness.

Glossy chartreuse collided with worried soft wine red of her friend`s and Karin would never know the amount of relief that flooded Sakura`s system, like a crystal mountain spring infusing life onto the nature, when she felt the warmth of the one she considered a sister, so close to her. "R-Rin."

She wasn't able to voice her name out loud, because her bell nightingale voice was throaty, dry, hoarse and calloused for so many hours of crying and shouting, so that was no wonder. "You came."

"Of course I did. Did you really think that I will leave you alone in this? You are never alone Cherry, never! Not as long as I am still alive and breathing. Everything is going to be fine, we will go through this _together,_ fight and win, no matter what. I promise you." Confidence and steel resolve were rolling from Karin`s red lips, as she helped Sakura up, the rosette squeezing her orbs shut, probably fighting dizziness and the heaviness of her poisoned body.

A hand went flying on her temples. "Damn it…I feel like I have billion needless shoved down my fucking head-"

She didn't even have the time to stammer her vicious curse, because next thing she knew, her stomach has been hit by a violent wave of nausea, making her drop on her left elbow, having he back on Karin and emptying the content of her stomach, _throwing up_ on the uber expensive carpet, feeling all the drinks she had doming back to punish her.

She truly felt on the verge of dying, every fiber on her body hurt like a bitch, her feet were burning like her stomach, she couldn't keep her orbs open and her chest was clenching. A hand went to her hair, keeping the falling damp bangs back, while another went on her back, rubbing her spine gently.

"Don`t worry, it will be all right. Jeez, _cara mia_, just how much you drank? Take it easy, I will help you to the bathroom."

Sakura could only nod to her, not able to talk. She was limp and weak, wondering the same thing as Karin herself.

She had no idea how much she drank, all that she wanted was to stop feeling but karma was a bitch and one that had a dark sense of humor, because the more she drank, the more she would think on him. She forgot everything, but his name and his face.

When she was certain that she had nothing left on her system that needed to be evacuated, Sakura took the wet napkins that Karin has handed her, wiped her mouth and, using her crimson haired friend`s shoulder as support, she rose to her feet, fighting the harsh dizziness to regain balance, a hand going straight into her messy hair.

"If I am not dead, then it only means the alcohol was cheap. Fuck, I feel like I have been hit by a speeding train." Sakura groaned as Karin led her to the adjacent bathroom, turning the lights on.

"No, it only means that the reason why you want to die is not worth it."

"Just help me out of this." Ignoring her friend`s totally justifiable answer –that made no sense into her mind- Sakura gestured for Karin to unzip her dress, the beautiful tall red haired agent doing just as Sakura instructed, helping her out of the dress, turning the faucet of the shower on, as the jade eyed woman went under the hot stream, feeling her muscles tingle in delight at the contact. She was freezing.

"Do you need help?"

"No, _grazie._ Can you pass me the bathrobe, a towel and some clothes? Try into my bag, I think I have thrown it somewhere…"

"Sure thing." Karin lingered one more moment on the opened door to see if Sakura was able to stand, watching as she kept her back on her all the times, hiding her face and using half the bottle of shampoo to wash her hair, then spun on her heel to hunt for the bag, understanding that, in her rage and turmoil, Sakura had no idea where she has left her.

True to her friend`s word, it was tossed under the bed, so Karin dropped on her tummy, digging for it, bumping her head on the wooden rim.

"Fuck! Auch!" She dragged Sakura`s bag from under the bed, pulling on the zipper and when she opened it up, she felt her Pinot Noir orbs bleed at the messy clothes resting inside. "What the heck….is it even legal to wear something like _this_?" And to think that Sasuke Uchiha_ fell _for someone who was wearing such things…

But then again, he was good at _faking it_ and besides, he spent more time seeing her naked and fucking her, than seeing her dressed.

Oh, vile maleficent genius methods of torturous killing were showering Karin`s brain. No, if Sakura won`t plot her bloody _revenge,_ Karin would happily do that for her, mission be damned. Every time she kept her eyes on the flashing dots on the GPS, she was envisioning a game of Darts, with her throwing kunais into his head.

She found something that she deemed as wearable, namely a simple light grey T-Shirt and a pair of Jeans, mentally cursing herself for not taking her bag with her and borrow Sakura some of her clothes, turning around just on time to see her naked friend emerging from the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around her hair, dipping down to grab the underwear that Karin handed her, dropping her butt on the bed, starting the dryer on, her short bob hair fluttering around her head.

"Do you have pills on you?" Karin inquired, referring to the strong ones to alleviate the after effects of the hangover. Sakura simply pointed to a small pocket at the bottom of her bag.

She gave Sakura one and a glass of water that was resting on the nightstand. "Thanks." She threw it on her opened mouth, drinking all the water in one gulp, feeling the cold liquid wash away her throat and suddenly, she craved for a bucket of cold water.

"Rin…" She looked straight into Karin`s serious yet soft eyes, not knowing what should she say to her.

She didn't need to, because, wordlessly, Karin took a sit on the bed beside her friend, coiling her arms around her shoulder, pulling her into a tight _embrace,_ caressing her hair and Sakura immediately buried her face into the crook of her neck, returning it.

"I don't know what to…I am so glad you are here!" She broke again, nails digging into Karin`s bare forearms, said girl only tightening her embrace on her, letting her chin rest on the crown of her head.

"You don't have to say a word. I understand. I am not judging you Cherry, I will never. You know that no matter what you decide to do, you will always have my undying _support_. That until your Papa will kill me for taking _his_ new private jet_ without_ asking first."

She actually managed to both laugh and cry upon hearing Karin`s straightforward confession. She knew that her wine eyed friend was bat shit crazy –probably crazier than Anko Mitarashi herself- but to have someone to fly from the other side of the world when she was in trouble, was something that only a sister would do. But just imagining the rage of Orochimaru upon hearing that Karin chose to disobey the agents` conduct –again- and break ANOTHER rule, was something dead funny.

Sakura couldn't help the pang on her chest when everything came bouncing back to her as a result of her desperate behavior. "Two days…I have cut all the contacts with…_him_ for two fucking days, Karin." She whispered against her friend`s skin. "What am I going to tell to _Papa_? How can I face him and how can I call myself an agent? I _failed _everyone, Rin. Everyone."

"No. Stop it Cherry, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Agent or not, you are still human and people are not perfect. No one is blaming you for being human, for God`s sake. And heart cannot be commanded, no matter how much we delude ourselves that it can, because it doesn't." It didn't slip past Karin` s vigilance that Sakura clicked on her tongue just on time to not slip Sasuke`s name. It was that much it hurt her.

"Have you…did you do what I asked you to?"

"Yeah, of course. For the past two days I have kept my eyes on that Uchiha. He is at his company. In fact, he hasn't left that building ever since…" Ever since Sakura was gone and that didn't sit right with Karin.

_Something_ that came painfully close to her female intuition alerted her that the situation was much more c_omplicated_ that it appeared. Why would Sasuke _not_ return to his home if everything was just a charade?

Was it because he expected Sakura to be there? He wasn't a pussy and a coward to run away of a woman, going as far as to stay away from his own home, so that was out of question. Was it because he felt guilty? Remorseful?

"Ok…" What could Sakura say? She untangled from Karin`s arms, weeping her newly filled with glistening blood tears from her orbs, with the back of her hand, dragging the T-shirt on her body. She was done.

Done crying, grieving, sobbing, weeping, wailing and screaming for _him. _It was as good as pointless. If she failed to serve her purpose as a woman, she still had the agent in her who hasn't failed her, not even once.

"Cherry, what are you planning on doing now?"

"Nothing I haven't done before." Karin felt something stab her heart upon seeing how Sakura masterfully put her** mask** over her grieving face, soft features turning steel hard and emotionless, totally succumbing –seeking help- from the merciless **assassin** she was, her tone turning professional and neutral, as her lustrous orbs getting colder than an arctic storm, combing her hair with her fingertips, as the runaway Uzumaki orphan woman handed Sakura her own GPS system, to convince herself that she has kept her word.

"Are you going to stay here? In this hotel?"

"For the moment, yes. This is exactly what I plan on doing and before you ask, yes, I have used Papa Oro`s last name as a cover, because I will not take any chance in…Sasuke to seek me out. I don't need a damn explanation from him. Not now and not ever." It wasn't that she wouldn't like to hear him serving her a skillful smart excuse, no, it was the fact that Sakura wasn't trusting herself that she won't broke at the sight of him.

His face was carved into her mind, it won't go away, HE will never leave her, she was cursed to bear his name into her mind and wear his silhouette for the rest of her life, so she would better stay away from him.

Even if it was more inconvenient and hard to keep an eye on him from afar, Sakura would do it no problem. She would never step into his way, live in his house and see his face. Looking at a small beeping green dot on a screen wasn't hurting her as much as seeing him in persona would do.

"Cherry, what happened between the two of you exactly?" Normally, Karin wouldn't venture asking something so sensitive to her hurt friend, knowing that her tears were still fresh, but seeing that face of Sakura assured her that at the moment, nothing would touch her.

She was back to her _ruthless assassin,_ just like in her years of training, and consequently, golden viridian orbs shifted on her maroon ones, then flickered back on the coffee table, where the remote control was resting, turning the flat TV on.

Karin followed in horror and disbelief as Sakura has flipped the channels to the first gossip one she has found, where a huge paparazzi picture of Sasuke and a tall_ blonde_ woman with a long ponytail descending down her curved back was flashing before her eyes and Karin knew it was taken on the airport. "Uh-oh…"

She was unsure of what to say, because every single channel that Sakura was zipping through, pressing the buttons so hard that her sister was afraid it would crack under the pressure she was applying, was basically gossiping about the same thing:

'_**Uchiha Sasuke, one of the most wanted billionaire bachelors, has been caught by paparazzi while kissing the famous world model, Yamanaka Ino, right after he landed on Tokyo International airport, using his private helicopter, four days after he has been spotted in the company of a mysterious stunning woman at the annual charity Ball. Bad mouths and unreliable sources talk about the Uchiha being a double timer-'**_

"Anymore questions? I think it is pretty clear what is going on, Rin." Sakura didn't mean to be rude or harsh to her friend, but Karin would never hold her accountable for that, not in the bit, because she knew what fight was torturing her inner self and her heart.

Her red rose orbs simply held her friend`s intense knowing stare, allowing Karin to take a peek inside her consciousness and read every line embed inside.

For the past two days, the scandals were all revolving on that topic alone. If it was not related to the economic crisis and the sudden drop in the stocks` values of the biggest incorporations, Sasuke`s name was flashing everywhere.

Sakura even heard it on the halls, where women gossiped about the onyx eyed Uchiha and his player attitude, tarnishing his name and reputation, as he was dragged in another scandal involving women.

And, unfortunately for her, _Sakura _was one of them. Her stupid ironic luck was the fact that she wore a mask at the Ball, hence no one would be able to recognize her on the streets.

"Have you seen that Pein`s fucking ugly face on the TV?"

Sakura nodded once to her friend, being grateful that Karin dropped the subject –for the moment- understanding that she shouldn't scrape her wounds and make them bleed again. Who didn't?

"Yeah. Somehow, they hacked every channel, took control of all the satellites, disturbed the flow of the live streaming all over the world and held that disgusting speech."

"This is very bad Cherry but I am sure you don't need me to tell you this. Lorane _is moving,_ but this time, they decided to play funny games and come to the _light,_ stop hiding into the shadows or behind their lap dogs."

"I know and this new approach makes me edgy. It is more difficult to deal with them if they come into the public`s attention, without risking to jeopardize _our _own identities."

"Has it ever crossed your mind that all this nonsense with that slut and Uchiha, might be their set up to bring him down? You can see it yourself Cherry, he hasn't left the Mangekyou in two days. They can't kill him physically, but they can erase his presence _socially,_ by fucking up not only his private life, but his company as well?"

_It did cross Sakura`s mind, because what hasn't?_

First instinct was to _not _doubt Sasuke, she trusted him, he trusted his declaration of love, heck he _proved_ that he _loved _her so many times, so she tried to conjure all the possible explanations, but when the news filled her mind with the same pictures that she also took imprinted on her retina, before she left the airport, she lost it.

Pain_ won_ the battle with her reasoning.

"This changes nothing. That Yamanaka has sought him before and Sasuke went home, probably because his father wanted to talk about the Mangekyou. It is reasonable. A merger between the Mangekyou and Yamanaka corp. is beneficent to both of them. It matches. Sasuke and Ino have returned together in Tokyo. Sasuke probably left to meet her and her family and set up their…relationship."

"Is this what your heart tells you, Cherry? Why don't you call him, meet up and demand an explanation? Hear his own version of-"

"No. There is nothing to explain. In the end, he is responsible for that company`s well-being. If this is the safest way of saving it, then I don't want to be a bother."

There was a constricting lump down her throat while she let those words fly off her mouth, but Sakura had her hands tied up. She could do _nothing._

She has seen Sasuke sacrificing his sleep to rack his brain for a genius solution to save his company, and if she truly loved him –which she did- she wouldn't be an inconvenience to him.

If she loved him, she would **let him go.**

Karin shook her head, but said nothing because Sakura was right and she knew how her friend was.

The jade eyed agent was a straightforward independent woman who loathed the idea of getting in the others` way, just as she hated to be bothered by the others.

But she also knew that those pressed quivery syllables rolling off Sakura`s tongue, were fragments of her shattered heart, which were rolling on the floor, like rusty pearls.

And the muffled sound was eerie, sinister and melancholic.

"Have you eaten something? Anything?" Sakura would never fool Karin, no matter how much she tried to hide behind that pretty mask and that was the reason why she was there: to support her.

Karin was the first one to barge into Orochimaru`s office and give him the lecture of the century –she had Anko`s support and back for that, duh!- when she found out that Sakura has been handed that mission and she was going alone and demand to accompany her, but the serpent resembling Sound leader flat out refused, because he has sent his best Sound agent so there was no need for a whole platoon to tail behind her, because he was a man and a very narrow minded socially and emotionally retarded one.

It proved that she was right, in the end.

"Yeah, because while I was busy turning into my shishou, Tsunade-sama, another limb that I grew miraculously overnight, kept on feeding my drinking mouth, food, Karin." The emerald eyed agent spat ironically to her friend, smirking at how Karin`s eyebrows furrowed together.

Truth to be told, the Uzumaki agent kind of hoped for Sakura to have been cleansed from all the misery and the dirt in her life and reveal her gentle and sensible side in all its shining glory, but she understood Sakura`s need to be tough, even if it meant to kill the sun on her velvet sky and let the shadows carry her to the meandering paths of solitude, introvert and acid.

She didn't have to mean to be strong, she HAD to be, or else, everything she has accomplished so far, would perish along with the tattered dreams she put in the palm of Sasuke`s hand.

"No need to play it cool, honey, this is my damn job." Karin pulled herself up, running a hand through her shining crimson hair and lowered her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose, swaying her hips towards the door, smirking at her friend, who mirrored her stance. "I suppose you still like _Penne alla Bolognese_, isn't it?"

The first impulse that Sakura had was to storm back into the bathroom and throw up again, at the mere thought of putting anything into her mouth, because her stomach was a scorching volcano but she knew she had to force herself to eat something, plus, who else knew it better what her favorite dishes were, if not Orochimaru and Karin?

She would have loved to sulk in the misery for the rest of her days, she would have loved to never get her foot outside that hotel room or answer to any of her calls –where the heck was her phone- and she would have loved to just stop breathing, but Sakura knew she couldn't.

No matter how much was tearing her heart in two and dematerialized her spirit from her body, she HAD to get herself together and finish her mission.

It was her job, it was her duty, the world was declining, the Governments were fragile, the political scene has just welcomed new mind blowing actors, the economy was frail as a snowflake, companies were falling like domino pieces, one after another, famous rich business people were committing suicide because of bankruptcy, the CIA itself has become quite instable because of the tensions and the hidden conspiracies and underneath secrecy and spies and Lorane was gaining more and more control.

Sakura had to once again prove herself worth of her reputation.

She has ripped off half of herself and divided in two personas: one was the **breakable, lonely** self she left carved into the memories of Sasuke`s ones, the one that loved him dearly to her last drop of tear and the other one, was her current **tenacious**, **resolute Athena of the Sound**, wielder of the title of CIA`s currently **best agent**.

"Indeed. But Tiramisu is on you, _bella_." And God only knew that Sakura needed an entire cake of her favorite dessert, not only a spoon. Scratch that, what she truly needed was chocolate, ice cream, sad music and Sasuke by her side.

Karin grinned down at her smaller best friend, opening up the door, exiting the hotel suite, with Sakura locking the door, linking her arm with Karin`s, strolling down the long honey painted hall, like they used to back in Italy.

She couldn't have been anymore grateful to Karin, because the red haired Uzumaki has risked it all, her job included, to defy orders and come to her, all the way to Japan. "Ah, your eternal addiction!"

"Give me a break, you _Caffe latte Machiato_ freak!"

"Pfff, it is not my poor coffee that adds to the scales, _bella_." Karin was a tad surprised to see that Sakura has walked past the elevator, heading to the stairs.

"Why don't we ride the elevator?"

Instantly, images of herself kicking some pervert`s ass and his bodyguards kept flooding her mind. Sakura was that kind of helpless drunkard, who, no matter how much she has poisoned her liver the previous day, she was cursed to remember all, en detail.

"The fact that I beaten the crap out of a pig who tried to hook me up in the elevator yesterday, counts as a plausible excuse to you?"

Karin merely snorted, shaking her head, not in the bit fazed. Just how many times did Sakura, she and Anko, or occasionally Tsunade, when she tagged along, punched the living daylights off the creeps who tried to woo them in clubs and bars, anyways?

Like that was something new. They even made themselves quite the reputation on the underground nigh life, in Ravenna, much to Orochimaru`s horror, who had to clean up their mess and erase their traces. But that never stopped them!

_Oh, hell no!_

"Nope, but nice try. You have punched a dude in the elevator? Why didn't you wait until you got off and take the chance to throw his slutty ass in the lobby and save us from the horror of sweating all the way down to the restaurant?"

"Wait, you want me to eat in the hotel`s restaurant?" Sakura crept her eyebrows up to her auburn haired friend, stopping on the stairs, making two women who were walking behind them, almost collide with their backs, but not Karin nor Sakura gave a damn about anyone else. "As in, THIS hotel`s restaurant?"

"Nope. I want us to eat in this hotel`s **Casino **restaurant." Was Karin insane?

_Well, duh!_

"You want me to eat in the same Casino where I kicked asses yesterday? Karin, are you high again?"

"Wait a sec." It was then when everything fell into places for Karin and her beautiful face suddenly got illuminated. "You didn't beat that dude in the elevator. He chased your pretty ass down the Casino, where you were probably raiding the bar and got drunk, so he tried to grope you and hook you up, so you ever so politely vented your anger on his poor unfortunate ass, isn't it? And then his bodyguards came to the rescue and you put them into their places."

"Wow Rin, your intelligence never stops to amaze me." Sakura gasped dramatically, while Karin let out a full hearted cackle, not caring about the stares she got.

Seriously, it was in the moment she has seen Sakura playing the human carpet the moment when Karin realized just how damn much has she missed Sakura and their get-togethers and girls-night-outs.

Sakura on the other hand, was busy freaking out at the idea of screwing it up for creating a fuss into the Casino. How in the world didn't the security throw her outside, was a mystery to her. "Rin, I need to hack into the hotel`s system and erase the recording from the CCTV."

"Relax. Things like this happen everytime; this is the reason why no one paid it any mind. If you pay for the damage, they will totally overlook it. That, if the dude you punched doesn't sue you."

"Like I give a damn about that. I can always call it self-defense, for he tried to feel me up under my dress."

"Yuch! Disgusting. I would have ripped his limbs for that sin." As the two agents undercover were ready to enter the fancy restaurant, standing right in front of the golden and silver painted large front doors, one of the security stopped Sakura from stepping inside.

A furious fine eyebrow rose up to the guts of that man, while Karin muttered _a 'What the fuck' _to the said staring menacing dude, while she felt that Sakura has yanked her hand out of her own.

"I am sorry Miss, but this is a five stars restaurant, which has a certain _dress code_ for its customers."

Karin crossed her arms over her chest, while her full rounded breasts were ready to budge out of her silk white half opened shirt, snorting at that imbecile and his audacity to not let Sakura enter, because she didn't wear insanely expensive clothes. "No shit."

She got an angry stare from the poor dude who was only doing his job, trying to be intimidating, while said man diverted his eyes to bow respectfully and open up the door for a pair of middle age fancy people to step inside, but she whirled her head around, crimson locks splashing over her forehead, to glare daggers at the hag who muttered a totally impolite _'the standards of this place have lowered, since they allow all sorts of women of the streets to enter'_ wanting to punch her in the face, but instead, she winked suggestively at her husband, who was busy ogling her incredibly toned supple legs on that killer lime short skirt she wore, while her spouse slapped his nape.

_And they called themselves high society…_

"I will say it this one time so make sure you ram it into your brain." Sakura spoke low, dark, calm and pressed each syllable, making said man gulp once, even if she was shorter than him with two heads, not expecting that short woman to have so much confidence.

Karin mentally decided that she picked that way of talking from Sasuke, but she kept her mouth shut and let Sakura handle it.

"You _will_ open up this fucking door," She stretched her index, pointing to the fluttering honey and silver painted glass door. "_Apologize_ to me for being rude to the paying customers and for being as dumb as a roundworm,"

By that time, she glued her chest to that security guard`s broad one, placing a finger on his chest, tapping it, applying enough strength to let that man know that she wasn't a weakling nor a tramp. "And let me _pass_."

And, then, just as her voice resembled a deadly hurricane, washing away the entire coastline, her mood swung with the easiness of a skilled gifted actor, and she put up her most angelic smile, that did highlighted her obvious stunning features and hummed to him.

"Have you understood, or do you want me to spell it to you in a different language?" And heck, she knew seven of them.

"Ahm…" That man was clearly taken by surprise, much to Karin`s amusement, who had a hand plastered upon her freshly rouged magenta lips, finding it even funnier as the minutes went by, because another security guard immediately came marching towards them, seeing as his colleague had problems in handling two innocent women.

"Miss, if you do not obey, I am afraid I will be forced to take drastic _measures."_

"_Measures_ you say, huh?" The rosette grinned to the said man, totally feeling her assassin blood boil in fury and a sadistic irk to rip off his throat with the kunai she had concealed into her combat boots pooled inside her furious mind.

_You know how sadness works: after the tears and regret, there comes __hate._

"How about you say this once again," She spoke like velvet percolating on lave, much to the gulping man`s distress –he was getting a nasty vibe from that strange woman and her gleaming with wicked intent too bright emerald golden eyes- slipping a hand into her back pocket, revealing a simple black leather wallet, opened it wide open and shove it into the security`s nose, mocking him.

"To my _superiors_. But this time, use more pathos and stop acting like a fucking wet street scared rat. It gives this place a bad name. "

Karin was having serious troubles into containing her hysterical laughter at the way that dude`s color drained from his face. At first, she thought that Sakura would truly throw some bucks to him and bribe him, but no.

She was in for the kill, so her friend simply showed her the **CIA ID** card, and the man was so scared that he needed five minutes to come into his senses, read the name and the name of the _'job'_ written there and next thing the two agents undercover knew, he was bowing like a fountain sweep, opening up the doors, throwing all sorts of excuses and apologies, personally instructing a man in a polished dark suit, to accompany the two ladies to the _'best table'._

"This, _mia cara_, was too damn priceless. Though I admit I would have punched his face instead, but that totally worked out just fine."

No, Karin wasn't a modest woman. Heck no. she was working her ass off –literarily- to be as good as she could –and she was- in her profession, so she absolutely adored the power and the fright that simple luscious CIA ID did and the doors it opened.

"I am not in the mood to deal with such a thing. Normally, I would have paid them no mind. But not today." Because, normally, she would have been busy dining with Sasuke, in God only knew what places, having fun ,being airy as a school girl and happy as a sun flower.

_Normally…_

She fought back the repulsive acid coming down her throat and the knot constricting her windpipe, while the journey to a faraway table, placed strategically near the window to offer a panoramic view of the city and the outdoor swimming pool, reminded her of the time she dinned with Sasuke.

_Damn it, why was __everything __reminded her of __him?_

When the two menus were placed before them, Karin wasted no more time in ordering their favorite dishes and she has especially instructed the man to bring two large plates of Tiramisu.

The moment he vanished from their field of view, Karin leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table, while Sakura did the same. "When did you arrive to Tokyo?" Sakura opened up her mouth, cutting Karin off.

To make it safer and more convenient to them, Sakura and Karin had a silent agreement to converse in _Italian_, so as the waiters and the customers around –mostly Asian- wouldn't peek into their conversation.

Plus, it was a mutual consensus of a familiarity that the language brought between them and that made Sakura feel less abandoned and in suddenly hostile and unfamiliar environment, since Karin brought the Latin European touch and vibe with her solar presence.

"I landed to Narita International Airport at 7 a.m., this morning." Karin simply answered her, involuntarily using a formal professional language, carefully into giving Sakura all the details she wanted to know.

She smiled softly at the young waiter who brought the two ladies their coffee and for once, Sakura was thankful to Karin that she ordered something strong, with a lot of milk and whipped cream, to alleviate the effects of the hangover.

Her temples were pulsating, her mind was not working properly and she was still seeing flying dots before her eyes, but the worst part was the smell of alcohol. She reeked of liquor from a mile away, and the fact that she brushed her teeth three times and scrubbed her sensitive skin until it reddened like a tomato, did nothing to help her.

Her freaking memories were poisoned and encrusted with alcohol and…Sasuke. She shook her head, sipping from the coffee, to alleviate the thoughts of him, letting the information sink in. "It was 10 a.m. when you came into my room."

It was a statement and Karin gulped once, trying to be subtle but Sakura caught it immediately. She knew where she was going with that one… "What have you been doing for three hours?" To her surprise, the rosette was winking at her.

Was she THAT obvious? But Karin wouldn't be the woman to back off from challenges and by any means, NOTHING in the world could make her feel flustered and embarrassed. She has seen and done too many to be fazed by anything. "Do you want the long version or the short one?"

Sakura was precise that Karin has run into some kind of trouble, because that woman was a troublemaker and she was also crack nuts and that was never a GOOD combination. Especially, not in her case.

"Shock me with the short one, then I will have you sing the rest of the details, if they are not outrageous enough to make me sick again."

"Well, long story short," The red haired Uzumaki woman coiled her bright full lips around the pink straw, sipping her coffee, nonchalantly rewinding that day`s insane events. "After I landed, I went straight to the car rental that is near the Narita Airport, because you know you will never catch me dead riding cabs,"

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend`s horrified facial expression, knowing all too well about Karin`s aversion to taxis and they usually had something to do with the fact that she has once been kidnapped and nearly rapped by a fake taxi driver, who has been a wanted criminal in disguise and the fact that almost all of them tried to flirt with her kept on nourishing her dread.

"And rented this fancy sports car. As I was driving like a good polite driver, heading to you," Meaning that she was probably _speeding _on the fast line, driving like a _manic_. "This imbecile person has crashed my car."

"This sounds totally like something that would happen to you, Rin." Sakura let out a small giggle at her friend, already feeling better hearing about Karin`s adventures in Tokyo. That woman was so cheerful, vivacious and energetic, that she always managed to lift up her mood and the things coming out of her pretty mouth were something that Sakura only found in literature.

"Don't interrupt me, damn it! And so, this total asshole crashed my car and of course, I got off, marched to him to shout into his face to get his ass out of the car and pay for the damage, but he proved to be working for the Interpol,"

At that, Sakura almost spat and chocked on her coffee. "So he detained me under the pretense of verbally abusing a police officer, shoved me into the backseat of his car and drove to the Tokyo Police station. Then he not so gently dragged me to the interrogation room, demanding to know who I was. And, like the good civilian that I am, used a pin to free my hands, tied him off the chair, and told him I work for the CIA then we fucked like animals on the table, with those cretins from Akatsuki watching us through the tinted window."

Karin finished smoothly, flipping her auburn hair off her shoulder, finishing her coffee just in time to make place for the two waiters who came round the table to place the delicious smelling pasta before their eyes, thanking them, while Sakura was busy gasping like a fish out of the tank, blinking rapidly, not comprehending what she was hearing.

"Wha…WHAT?! Holly macaroni, Karin are you out of your mind?!" It took a lot of self-practiced control to not shout at her friend, because, seriously, Karin was…she didn't have words to describe her. What her friend has just disclosed to her was completely ridiculous.

"Are we here to state the obvious, or listen to my story? Want the detailed version of it?" She even winked at an astonished Sakura, who even managed to stop thinking of the damn hangover and Sasuke Uchiha, being too shocked to hear what Karin has just told her.

Was that the smell of mozzarella and hot pasta invading her nostrils? Emerald orbs widened at the huge plate of her favorite pasta leaving her mouth salivating.

Even her eyes were salivating. She shoved the fork inside, not giving a flying fuck about the manners, stuffing her face, while Karin was looking at her…with THAT stare.

"Oh, heck no, thank you, I already have enough reasons to be traumatized for life. Wait a minute,"

Truth to be told, another very disturbing thought crossed Sakura`s mind, but she had to be sure and it all started with the word _'Akatsuki' _triggering something own her alertness. "What was the NAME of this Interpol dude you have…become very personal with?

Ok, time to reveal the skeleton in the closet, Karin inwardly sighed, knowing that what was about to be disclosed, will not be something that would be on Sakura`s liking, but she would never hide something like that from her.

"Hōzuki_ Suigetsu_ or something funny like that." It was in that exact moment when Sakura spit the past straight on the pure white tablecloth, while her poor mind couldn't take the amount of ridiculous information.

"Smooth." Was Karin`s reply, who was enjoying her past, totally unfazed. Truth to be told, she expected a worse reaction from Sakura.

Yes, she knew it all too well that the guy she fucked was Sasuke`s _best _friend, Suigetsu, but damn…there was just something in the way his eyes were gleaming that was making Karin…notice him and actually take her time to study him better.

He was intriguing, playful, straightforward, not too gentle, but not too vulgar either and that attracted her.

Plus, Sakura has told her about him liking red haired women –heck, he even confessed that to her, while he was busy doing her- and she found it funny how they met and it was not Sakura the one to introduce them.

"So let me get this straight," Sakura was half screaming, half whispering to her friend, ignoring the disgusted glares she got, using her napkin to brush off the leftovers of the sauce off her lips, eying her friend with an indecipherable expression waltzing on her face.

"You crashed the car of a police officer, then he detained you and brought you to the Tokyo Police Force, then you had sex into the interrogation room and that person just happens to be Uchiha fucking Sasuke`s best friend?! And…did you say something about Akatsuki being present?" What the heck happened to the world in the two days she was dead to the world?

Seriously, she fought the urge to storm up to her room and stroll through the messages of her inbox, because some really deep shit was going on around and she wasn't aware of it.

"Don't make that face, because I had no idea of who he was when he not so politely escorted me to the station and yes, I know that normal police officers show their ID cards first, but I just wanted to take the motherfucker for embarrassing me in the middle of the street and then come to you. I have been late because I was busy laughing at my retarded younger cousin Naruto and that Ten Ten slut for their dropped jaws when we came out of the room, sweaty and satisfied. Then I came here. Simple as that."

"Simple? Rin, this is not simple, this is a DISASTER! Sasuke doesn't know that Suigetsu works for the Interpol!"

"I can imagine that." Really, it didn't take a genius to deduce that Hozuki was keeping his secret identity undercover, but it was funny how everyone was deceiving Sasuke and he basically knew nothing about the closest to him people.

That big ass _cheater _and the total player,_ was_ being _played _big times by everyone and he was so oblivious to all of that.

And that made Karin laugh inside like a loon. How ironical. And the Uchiha actually deluded himself into thinking that he was the one in control.

The top dog, when in reality, he lived in such a fake world, no wonder that he was deceiving as well. She was willing to give him a chance to prove himself, since he was making Sakura happy, but he lost all the respect and credibility in the moment he broke her.

"Really Cherry, relax, it is not like we are married or something. Besides, he even landed me his own car to drive here, but of course, I left it in front of Hilton hotel, which is two streets far from here, so I won't disclose your location."

"Karin…you do realize that he most certainly put a secret GPS inside, right?"

"Duh, what kind of agent do you think I am? I jammed the signal. Plus, that smartass arrogant sharky boy has slipped one into my bra, when he thought I wasn't paying attention to him,"

Because he was busy thrusting inside her from the behind, but Sakura seriously didn't need to hear that particular detail, "but I put it on a stray dog before driving to you so now I assume that he chases a hoard of dogs, down the dark side alleys."

Sakura actually laughed at her friend, but it was kind of sinister and forced. Her voice was still cracked from all the crying. "You my sister…are crazy. I can't even…this is a mess Rin. A total mess. Now they know you are here."

"So what? Are you worried about Oro? Do you really think that he doesn't know I am here? As if. That man knows the location of each bug on this planet, but he conveniently ignores it, just like he does now."

"Rin, Papa hasn't demanded your head yet because he is busy with other more important stuff. It is not the fact that I am not grateful to you that you are here, but I don't want to give him anymore troubles, because he already has enough."

"Cherry, the fact that Akatsuki can't handle their own shit and find a spy among them, doesn't mean that is Oro`s fault. Or ours."

"Don't be unreasonable Rin, this also concerns us. If there is a spy working against the CIA, then it is all of us problem, hence we must respond. Itachi is doing his best and so does Papa and Tsunade-shishou."

"Spy? Do you think there is a single one?" Karin challenged and Sakura shook her head, confirming her suspicion.

Of course there wasn't just one single person, diverting their attention, while scheming and plotting behind their backs. It was stupid to venture into thinking like that, because it took a lot of fine skill and experience to trick Akatsuki.

"Of course not. My suspicion is that they all work for Lorane, but unlike what the Akatsuki think, my guesses are that they are spread all over the CIA, starting with the **top**."

At that, Karin`s wine orbs went slightly wide, because Sakura was making some very grave affirmations, but she was not the type to spurt careless crazy things out of her mouth if she didn't have solid grounds. "Do you suspect the **Head of the CIA** to be involved?"

"Who else could orchestrate such a robbery, without leaving any trace and have all the passcodes and the exact map of Akatsuki`s secret weapons base, as well as Papa Oro`s most hidden classified files about past crazy experiments, if not the man who pulls all the strings and filters all the information in the CIA, namely the Head? Think about it."

Yes, Sakura knew what she was talking about and she was ready to confront her suspicion with Orochimaru` s logic, but for some unknown reason, she lost the signal with the Sound`s HQ in Ravenna, in the moment Pein popped on all the screens, then she only got his voice message.

So far, the Otokage of the Sound NEVER ignored Sakura`s calls. Not even when he was buried under a mass of files did he not answer his phone or pager.

Never. But she also knew that there was also a badly synchronized crucial even going on right when the two of them were chattering, namely the world`s famous G20 Summit, consisting in the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies, including the EU and, that year, it was taking place in _Évian_, France.

Practically, the most prominent **world leaders** would be present there and CIA was facing with the threat of Lorane, knocking on their door, because the security was insane there.

There were no less than 200 CIA, FBI and Interpol agents dispatched, grouped in platoons and spread all around the French city, from the airport to the building conference, covering the entire area.

Uchiha_ Itachi_ himself was among the elite platoons, which were securing the huge conference room, where the summit would take place, in the span of three days, as well as Tobirama.

Basically, they all knew that those important people being amassed in a single place, was making Lorane`s job too easy. Everything could go downhill from there, if something bad happened during the event.

Something inside Sakura`s spinning mind was telling her that it was indeed, an opportunity that won't escape Lorane.

It was a chance in a lifetime to get rid of all the heads of the Governments and grasp the sovereignty of the most prominent world countries, not to mention economies and banks.

So Sakura could quite understand Orochimaru`s choice of diverting his attention to the Summit, instead focusing on a sole heir, be it Uchiha or not and a tremendous role was hers, because Orochimaru trusted that his favorite Cherry blossom would flawlessly do her job and protect him.

Unfortunately, she had two days of flaw during which anything could have happened, even though Karin was keeping an eye on him, but what could she have done better than Sakura, except from alerting the Akatsuki gang in Tokyo?

"True, but don't forget, for the body to properly function, besides the head, limbs are also required. It is an entire intricate net and sadly, there are too many agents working for the CIA to tell the spies apart from the rest of the agents."

"Rin, I am adamant into stating that us, the Sound, _don't _have any spies among us. But I am not in the position to testify for the others, Akatsuki included, even though Papa Oro has been robbed as well."

"Those classified documents that are missing from your Papa`s office, were something that only him, Tsunade and the Head of the CIA know about, right?"

There was something that was constantly screaming and begging for Karin to turn her head around and give that tiny voice at the back of her sharp mind attention, but somehow, she was deaf to it.

Something wasn't right and didn't fall into places, but the red haired agent simply couldn't put her finger on it and sadly enough, Sakura couldn't either, though there were similar thoughts flooding her mind as well.

"Yeah, this is what Papa and Shishou told me, but I am afraid that things are much more complicated. Somehow, the information leaked to someone else and this is not all. I think that they are hiding the most crucial details from us, because I cannot stop the feeling that it has something to do with_ Sasuke`s _LSD experience."

"What are you talking about, Cherry?"

"Think about it Rin. What if someone stole the information about those experiments from Papa, disclosed it to Lorane and then they tried to test it on Sasuke, because he has a record of doing drugs when younger?"

Sakura couldn't help it, it was sending constant alarming bells down her head. SOMEONE was there, knowing every single detail about the entire agency and the people related to the CIA –past and present- and there was nothing else that she couldn`t think about, beside the Head of the organization or the people from his Staff.

They knew when to strike, how and where, and that was definitely not a coincidence, but there were too many offices and people who could be a suspect.

"Then it also mean that there has to be someone who is close to Sasuke, or at least, gives off the impression that is close to Sasuke and is able to access his database and have such information, but I don't get it Cherry, why do you insist that Oro`s experiments have something to do with Sasuke? I have personally tried LSD in my trainee days and I know the symptoms. They are almost the same to anyone."

"You don't understand it Rin, I also know how people who have LSD trips act, but I also know that Tsunade-shishou hasn't lied to me and those were not regular symptoms. Those patients weren't just crack nuts, _cara mia,_ they were acting entirely like different people! And so was Sasuke. I have seen his office walls myself Rin and Lorane even managed to trick me and erase everything because, miraculously, they knew about what happened to him, God only knows how. There were advanced formulas that you won't get from any library in the world!"

Even the most advanced book that she has found in an ancient geometry book, kept as a secret by Vatican, that CIA managed to get a copy of it, wasn't that detailed as Sasuke's formulas.

She couldn't decipher the hieroglyphs entirely and neither did Orochimaru, who has managed to translate thirty percent of the formulas, into modern equations, using complicated programs of astronomy, physics and advanced arithmetic and geometry.

"Sasuke doesn't know freaking hieroglyphs Rin, of that I am sure, yet he redecorated his office walls entirely! I haven't seen something scarier in my whole life."

"Don't try to convince me of the fact that Uchiha is having an outer body experience, because this is absurd. I know about Oro`s experiment, but that was a huge failure hence it has been jeopardized and let to fall among the rusty shelves of the CIA`s Archives. Those people were simply nuts and under the influence of heavy drugs. Of course they were starting to act like Napoleon, or King Arthur or Batman."

"Yeah, true, but then explain it to me how was that dude who was impersonating Napoleon himself, able to draw a _detailed_ map of one of his most famous fights, that you won't find in any of the history books or records?"

"If you cannot find it anywhere, then how do you know it is original and not something his insane drugged mind has made up?"

It was a smart question that Karin has thrown and Sakura asked Tsunade the very same thing, because, surely enough, the wine eyed woman had all the rights to doubt Sakura`s words, but a small smirk grew on her friend`s lips.

"Because after he told them where one of his most trusted men was buried, he told them about every single hidden rooms into his home and also, he disclosed that he has drawn his last battle plan for his successors to see, while being exiled on Elba, but no one has discovered it until then, because he buried the bamboo papyrus he made with the supplies he had at his disposal and buried it into a bottle and under a certain palm tree, for it to not be damaged by wild animals or time. Only CIA has access to that map and it is placed under maximum security and hidden somewhere that only Papa and the Head know, not even Tsunade-shishou, because no one is to see that, either ways, this world is as good as over."

Sakura was basically breathing the words to Karin, while her friend looked ready to catch flies on her spread opened wide mouth.

What was Sakura telling her, was supposed to be a secret, but Karin was a Sound sister and she sworn secrecy, with her life. "Shit, Cherry, this is too fucked up."

"I know, this is what worries me. But now everything is twice as complicated, since I am not able to stand beside…him and dig into the story more to find a connection. The **missing link.** Something to lead me towards the light and make it all clear."

There was a sudden sadness washing through Sakura`s whispering voice and her jade orbs averted into her half empty plate when the realization that she won't be able to live with Sasuke, sleep into his arms and wake up with the serenity of his face gracing her view, slapped her cheek.

"All I can do now, is make sure that he stays safe. I cannot say the same about his company. Business is not my domain, but I trust him."

"What are you going to do next Cherry? I will help you with all I can but I must know what you have on mind."

"Nothing else than what I have done so far…as an agent. I will keep an eye on him, while I will help Papa and the Akatsuki. I will try to personally track Lorane`s steps, following the prints of the weak signal we managed to catch on the satellite, from Shiseido Ginza, our mountain trip and now this live broadcasting. Plus, I don't know if I told you Rin, but I have managed or at least, I think I managed to connect the missing dots from their previous stunt and they all lead to this certain area in Egypt, near the _Grand Pyramids_."

"Where the last massive attack was, where more CIA agents have been brutally murdered? This is no coincidence, someone has planned it carefully and caught us out of guard."

"I know. Plus…there is also something you must know and it involves Sasuke again." God, it hurt her tongue to roll his name, but Sakura found herself quite engulfed into the conversation with her friend, plus it was easier to put the pieces together if Karin was beside her, because the Uzumaki woman`s instincts and reason were flawless ad she knew more than the Akatsuki gang.

Some were secret information that belonged to the Sound, and she couldn't simply disclose them to Naruto or Suigetsu. "There is…I keep on feeling that he is much _more_ than just a business man Rin, but I don't know what to make from this."

"What do you mean by more than a businessman? And a total player, don't forget this because it is important."

And by that, Karin wasn't simply referring to his passion of collecting hearts, breaking them and then feeding white sharks, but she smartly pin pointed of the fact that he came in contact to many people.

"Rin, I am pretty sure that Sasuke was the one to kill the two Lorane lap dogs that robbed his home and this is the reason why the special agent that Akatsuki has sent to investigate and help with the research, found nothing."

Karin already started to have troubles in following her friend, because those were serious accusations and one couldn't simply put those horrible crime –they went through all the CIA`s offices- past a certain someone, without solid evidence, especially after the culprit simply erased all the traces.

"What did they rob him off exactly?"

"I don't know it for sure, but I think there were the formulas he has copied down from the walls among his other things."

"You have no proof of that."

"You are right, I don't, but my instincts tell me it was HIM the one who did it. At least, I am pretty sure he has the ability to do it."

"You do realize that they were Lorane`s henchmen, right?" Both Karin knew that Lorane only trained the **best of the best**, in terms of handling weapons, fighting and brain, so her friend let Sakura know that one had to possess astonishing skills to outsmart them and take them all alone, and the jade eyed woman knew it as well.

"I know, but I have also seen him fight. Rin, I am going to be honest with you. If I were to engage Sasuke into a hand-to-hand combat now,"

Dead serious chartreuse orbs crashed with widened auburn ones. "I will lose. Badly. And not only that, but his aim is more accurate than mine. There are four people that I have seen in my life to shot like him and they are Naruto, his brother Itachi, Tobirama and papa Oro."

"No fucking way! Is he_ that_ good?"

Karin felt her temples burn. That was utterly ridiculous. They were not talking about amateurs or people who were practicing karate on their spare time.

Sakura was talking about insane fine skills and years of practice, because the aforementioned people were topping the all times CIA charts, each being a master and a jewel in their expertise.

To think that a single man was embodying all those qualities was ridiculous, but then again, Sakura wouldn't lie about such a thing.

The rosette will never forget the way Sasuke defended them from the bikers, when they had their short trip to the mountains.

"Good? That is hardly something that would come close to how fucking_ amazing_ he is. Those moves Rin…I myself have troubles in performing those mind blowing kicks, but he did it so naturally…like he has been doing it for years-"

A sudden striking thought has surged through bot Karin and Sakura`s minds, as they allowed themselves the necessary time for the craziness to sink in. "Holly damn…" Karin cursed softly, speaking no louder than a whisper.

"You don't think that-"

"No. No, never! This is _ridiculous_, Rin, c`mon, this is too unlikely to be taking into account, even by people like us."

"No, admit it Cherry, the _same_ fucking thought is crossing through your mind as well, and don't deny it because I can see it in your own eyes!"

No, Karin would not let something like that pass, even if Sakura was the one to be in denial, but that was because she was emotionally attached.

"Rin," The rosette felt the entire space constrict and she placed a hand down her forehead, letting her emerald orbs squeeze shut. "Sasuke Uchiha….is **not** _working _for Lorane." She absolutely refused to think of something like that.

"He is not using us to get into our system and steal the information. No way, I would have realized it by now. His friends would have, remember, they are Akatsuki and the Interpol we are talking about-"

"Well duh! And all of them are swarming around him like buzzes, basically serving him the information he need! Cherry, this guy has the Sound, namely you, the Akatsuki, by befriending Naruto, Hyuga and Ten Ten and the Interpol, by being buddies with Suigetsu Hozuki, wrapped around his finger, while he** plays** this genius boring business man! He **played** everyone, Cherry! The Lorane has _faked_ everything and they did it so freaking masterfully that he pulverized all our guards!"

"Stop it, please I-"

"No! Cherry, this is **huge**, you have to get a hold of yourself before he does more damage-"

"No!" Sakura shot up to her seat, making her chair fall backwards with a loud thud, attracting all the eyes on her, but her emerald orbs went more intense and scorching than the sun itself. "I will _not_ believe it! This is ridiculous, don't put something like that into my damn mind!"

"_Per l'amor di Dio,_ Cherry, calm your tits and sit the fuck down." Karin hissed at a totally dumbfounded enraged emerald eyed friend of hers, seeing that her small outburst of shooting up and planting her hands down the table, making the cutlery and the glasses quiver hasn't been well received by the other customers, plus they already created havoc at the entrance, but she was also that kind of forthright woman, who didn't like to take the long way, abruptly letting her honest thoughts slant down her tongue.

She did, grabbing the fork and the knife and gripping them like she was refraining from throwing them at her friend, gritting her teeth, narrowing her jade orbs to slits.

"Then don't say such shit and stir me up. Yes, Sasuke has a dark past that no one is aware of and yes, I can't find his record from that period in any CIA database, but I suspect that he used his connections to erase his drugs trips because he has been in some_ rehab_ and cleansed himself, before coming back to take over his father`s company. If it leaks into the media that the Mangekyou's CEO used to be a drugs addict and a gangster, imagine what it would do to the _prestige _of the company. Don't be stupid, this is not a child`s play."

"Forget it, Cherry. Something is fishy here and deep down, you know I am right even if you try to deny it because you have feelings for him, but for your sake and because I love you, I will drop the subject."

With that, Karin resumed her eating, while Sakura…simply let her darkened forest green orbs stroll to the window, looking at the rushing cars and wandering people, her mind fogged.

_What if Karin has been right?_

What if her guts –that never fooled her so far- were right?

What if Sasuke…

_**No. **_

_**Never.**_ He had too many alibis playing in his favor, Sasuke wasn't part of the Lorane, no way.

But then again, a tiny part of her couldn't help but take Karin`s wild guess into account, because there were indeed many details that seemed to lead in that direction…

Then another thought hit her. She whipped her head over her shoulder, taking Karin by surprise, with her light caramel locks scattering over her forehead, emerald orbs illuminated with an iridescent golden beam, like she has just discovered another formula for the expansion of the universe.

"Rin, what have you told me earlier about it being someone from Sasuke`s entourage, the one who could be one of the spies that knows every single move he does?"

Karin shot a fine eyebrow up at her, sipping from her sparkling mineral water, letting her mind rewind their earlier conversation.

"I told you that if Lorane has such sensitive information about Sasuke, then it must be who is close to him, or at least, it appears to be close enough to him, in order to be able to access his hidden files. The ones that you don't have access too."

"Who could this person be? Or…whatever…people? Because I hardly doubt is just one single person behind these machinations."

"Are we counting his closest friends out?" Karin has seen and experienced many during her career as a secret agent, and it wouldn't be the first and definitely not the last time when she saw friends stabbing each other`s backs.

Heck, she even saw family members taking each other`s throats, without remorse, and she never trusted the Akatsuki, so she wouldn't exclude Naruto, Ten Ten, Neji Hyuga or that Suigetsu piece of meat yet.

"Definitely, yes. They aren't working for the Lorane, they have all been injured by them and almost in the verge of death, plus, they were with me at Shiseido Ginza and Suigetsu helped us out a lot lately. Of that I am sure. I asked Papa Oro to check for their record in his database and they are clean."

"Family members?"

It was Sakura`s turn to snort at that, as they made a short pause in their speech, to welcome the dessert, immediately emerald orbs turned in the shape of hearts, upon seeing the mouthwatering dessert.

"Pfff, yeah sure, I am positive that Mikoto-san is a Lorane assassin undercover and has tricked us all with her angelic smile. And Fugaku is a dog that barks, but doesn't bite. I checked on all of them and found nothing suspicious."

"What about Uchiha Itachi? He was the one to run away from home and join the CIA. He has the traits."

"Nah, he is one of the most devoted people, plus he wouldn't have been able to go unnoticed or hide something from Papa. It is _not_ his family, either."

"Then who? His ex-sluts?"

Sakura mentally cringed at that thought, because no matter how much she tried to get engulfed and overwhelmed by her work, she couldn't get past the scars he left.

Those incredible steaming moments together were getting to her, knocking at the gates of her chest, to coax her into opening them up and let them get to her heart, where they belonged. She already missed him like crazy, she was going insane with every passing moment.

And Karin noticed the short stiffen of her shoulders and the way she dug the fork too dip into the Tiramisu cake, hitting the plate instead.

"Yeah, sure, now we only have to check on half of the damn female population and see who has a Lorane tattoo and likes to play the villain in disguise. Get serious Rin, Sasuke never stayed more than a week with a woman, he just fooled around with them, that`s all."

_He also tricked __me…_

"Plus, you saw_ them_. They were all actress, rich women from his social circle, family friends, singers, models, you name it."

Karin bit the inside of her check to prevent a _'you'_ to escape her lips, seeing how much was Sakura fighting with her inner self, for the battle of sanity. Of course she was talking to her about Lorane, since it was the only grave topic she had beside Sasuke, able to make her thoughts drift away and she felt so sorry for her friend. When Sakura seemed to have found happiness, it has been stolen away from her.

"So, who is it then? Because Cherry, you do realize that whoever that or those people are, they are good in deceiving and playing us all. Usually, it is the one you least expect it. The most innocent lamb. Or the dumber. This is why I am thinking about my cousin, Naruto."

"Get over that hate of yours, _mia sorella_, because Naruto is a good guy and he is a good friend. It`s not his friends and definitely not Naruto. My suspicion is that is someone who has been squirming around him recently-"

Viridian orbs widened in the same manner as Karin`s blood wine ones shot open like plates, both telepathically reaching the very same conclusion, a bulb in their brains turning on and both letting out a silent mirrored scream. "Yamanaka!"

"Holly shit! Yamanaka Inoichi`s company is among the few ones, beside Lorane`s, who doesn't seem to be affected by this soon to be economy crises, in fact, the value of their stocks have grown with 23% in the last five days and they are a serious threat to the Mangekyou, who lost 6% in the last week!"

No one who wasn't close to Karin was aware of the fact that the sultry CIA seductress was in fact, brilliant in economy and she has kept a close eye on the stocks markets all around the globe, as her resourceful astute mind absorbed every single information like a sponge, putting the pieces together, so she had no trouble in following the fulminant growth of the Yamanaka Inc. on the market.

"I know for a fact that Inoichi has personally sought Sasuke two weeks ago, at his company to propose a merger, but Sasuke flat out refused him because he said that his company would be in real disadvantage, even though Yamanaka stated that they would be equals. But Rin, if Sasuke refused his offer, then what other subtle method would Inoichi have to corner the heir of the Mangekyou into- oh, my GOD!"

"Exactly."

"His** daughter**! Ino Yamanaka…that slut!" Comprehension has awaken into Sakura`s mind, as that blonde`s face has popped up inside her mind, and, trying her best to ignore the scene of Ino kissing Sasuke, that was sticking to her retina like a photograph that she won't forget, Sakura slowly let the puzzles fall into places. "His father is using her to **set** Sasuke **up**. This is what you want to say, right, Rin?"

"I am not a hundred percent sure, _bella,_ but I won't exclude this possibility. The fact that Sasuke is looking for a desperate fortunate merger to save his company doesn't mean we shall show clemency to his slutty attitude, but there is a heavy possibility of him being use, without realizing it."

"This is exactly the thing that doesn't click inside my head_, mia amica_. If you would know Sasuke," Like Sakura did –or at least, she thought she did- and that was making her even more puzzled, because if the jade eyed agent carried on with her guesses, she would get to the same point where she and Karin started arguing, realizing that maybe…just maybe there was a faint chance for her auburn friend to have been right.

"You would know immediately that he is _not _the man to be played by the others. Sasuke will predict your next ten steps accurately, even before you would be aware of it yourself."

Of course, her brisk friend hasn't shown amnesty to Sakura`s slip and her pointed it right away. "And this brings us one step closer to my first predicament, Cherry. **Sasuke is working hand in hand with Lorane,** just like Inoichi and that harlot. Although, my guesses are that the oblivious puppet who is in the shadow, in that equation, is Ino Yamanaka. She, is the one that _doesn't_ know she is being used."

"This is even more unlikely than your first impulse, Rin."

"It's your mission, Cherry, so I will stay out of it. But you now know my opinion." Karin turned around to call for the waiter, not wanting to keep on arguing with Sakura, since she knew that, no matter how much she tried, her friend couldn't get completely detached and see the things more objectively, since she was involved on a more personal level.

Since Sakura loved Sasuke like she did, she would never doubt him, but for Karin, it made perfect sense.

"I will keep a close eye on Inoichi because I am sure we have found something that could lead us to Lorane. Where are you going?"

"Where are WE going, _mia sorella_, because like hell I am leaving you spend one more second dressed in those…rags. Seriously Cherry, to think that you are forbidden to enter restaurants because of your clothes…this is a sin."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend, smiling nonetheless, while Karin paid for the bill, true to her word, strolling to the exit, flatly refusing to take Suigetsu`s car, because she missed the days when she and Karin would venture to the crowded jolly streets, slipping past the people and going into every single shop they wanted.

"Rin, I think I should have gone upstairs and take my phone. Maybe Papa has tried to contact me and I wasn't there to answer."

"Just relax, if something would have happened he would have found another way to get to you. He hasn't contacted me either."

"Yeah, because he is busy working on your punishment. I think that this time, sister, he is going to send you to Siberia. For real."

"Don't even say that! They don't have a single mall in there, or a hair salon!" Sakura threw her head back and laughed at her friend, while snatching the phone out of her hands, to see the GPS signal showing Sasuke`s location, and, indeed, he was trapped somewhere on the third floor, in what looked like a giant conference room, probably being in the middle of a meeting, because there seemed to be more people around him.

"I told you, he is still there, probably plotting world domination, along with that blonde Yamanaka freak."

"Rin…"

"Ok, ok, Jeez, no need to glare at me like that. Is it something you have picked on from him among…_other _things?" Seriously, no matter how much Sakura loved Karin, the way she blazed lasers from her narrowed emerald orbs, let Karin know that her friend was ready to rip off her throat for that statement.

"But seriously, Cherry, aren't you going to…I dunno….talk to him? You really plan on not seeing him again? You can't just…vanish from his sight like that. If he is so resourceful, he would try to locate you and let`s face it, it is not that difficult to come to you. Sure, you did well in choosing a top hotel, since it is probably the last place he would seek for you, but sooner or later, he WILL find you." It was not that Karin tried to scare her friend, but it didn't sit right to her, the way Sakura simply run away, disappearing without a trace, not even if she has confessed that the onyx eyed Uchiha has told her some very personal secrets.

If Sasuke worked for the Lorane, like Karin suspected, then the one to be in danger, ironically enough, by a twisted reverse of the ridiculous situation, was _Sakura_ and _not_ the man she had to keep an eye of.

What if that was the plan from the very beginning and somehow, someone has fooled Orochimaru into sending his best agent and the most dangerous assassin, who was a pain in the ass for the Lorane, straight into the cluster of the enemy, so as to weaken their striking power?

It was a thought that Karin just couldn't brush away and she suddenly felt lucky to have met Suigetsu, because if that Interpol hot officer was a close friend, then she could get some more information and have a more solid ground for her affirmations.

.

.

.

* * *

**::Tokyo, Japan, Mangekyou`s HQ, C.E.O Office::**

* * *

_Sasuke_ felt like every fiber of his brain was on the verge of collapsing and part of it was because of the zombie pale eyed man before him, who seemed to be trapped and lost in a world full of colors, harmonies and unicorns, being more like death than alive.

The Mangekyou's CEO fought against the impulse of throwing his tablet on his head to make him snap out of his imbecile stupor. He didn't have time for that, nor the patience. "Hyuga, for fuck`s sake, stop wasting my goddamn time and focus."

"What do you think I have been doing for the past few days? Plucking daisies? Drawing my own Manga?"

"Being sarcastic won`t bring the shareholders back, but it might help you lose the few ones you have left." Sasuke was slowly and surely losing it for real and Neji wasn't helping.

Two days. For two fucking days he has been committed as a prisoner in his own damn company –the one he wished to _burn_ down from the very foundation- working nonstop, without resting his eyes for a single minute, working on caffeine just like the Hyuga- trying his best to get Sakura out of her mind.

Those eyes…**green green eyes** full of **pain** were crucified inside his mind, haunting and plaguing him, like a constant torture. For two days he tried to reach her in vain, she was gone from that world. "Check this out." Sasuke threw a file at Neji who didn't even bother to dodge it.

"What the hell is this?" For two days, Neji has been Sasuke's companion, in challenging the world`s record for the most workaholic men alive, racking his brain for a solution to save his company, without success.

Tons of torturous business meetings, full of greedy merciless men who wanted to skin him alive and banks which were demanding their money back, all leading to his downfall.

"Latest statistics from Saudi Arabia? Why would I be interested in the _Saudi Arabia`_s local market? It is _not _like I am going to invest in there."

"No, of course you will not make any _investment _there." Sasuke told him simply, drinking from his coffee, blinking rapidly to fight back the dancing luminous dots dancing under his eyelids, feeling his temples explode.

It was a miracle that they were still standing, let alone brainstorming. "You are going to _move_ your HQ in there." The man with the onyx entrapped in his eyes told Neji casually, while the said Hyuga descendant almost choked on his energy drink.

"What?! Have you lost your mind, Sasuke?!"

"As much as I would like us to debate my mental sanity, Hyuga, you are still bound to take your toys and move your business to a country where the corporation taxes are zero. And if you don't like Saudi Arabia, which is what I would personally _recommend,_ then you can always chose between _Sark, _ Normandy, or Kuwait. The corporation taxes there are also zero for the foreign investors."

"This is fucked up. I can't just put a lock on our factory in New York and move to…" He threw a glance to the list of the lowest corporation taxes in the world, shaking his head in disbelief. Sasuke couldn't possibly be talking serious, could he? Maybe he truly lost his brilliant mind and went insane. "I have no idea where half of these cities are."

"The let the Uchiha corp. buy sixty percent of your remaining shares and save you from bankruptcy, but after I pay your debts, you will practically be swallowed by the Mangekyou and disappear from the stocks market. We are going to control the Byakugan entirely, which is a scenario that I presume you don't want to imagine for the future of your business, Hyuga."

As far as Sasuke was concerned, he had no idea what was so hard for Neji to understand. That Hyuga who should get his hair pruned already, or at least, go home and get a damn shower, was worse than Naruto in terms of grasping simple concepts.

At least, they made sense to him. Neji looked even more lost than two days ago when he stepped into his office, looking as bad as in that moment.

"Stop bragging, you_ don't_ have _that_ much money to merge with a company that is already in insolvency. I have seen the statistics of the stock's price fluctuations. Your shares have lowered by 6% in three days. I don't know how you managed to keep their value so high in comparison to the other rivals, but whatever you do, is not going to keep your company run on the long term."

Sasuke brought his fish under his chin, looking to the pad before him, leaning further into his leather chair to stun the Hyuga once more, with his next line. "I kept on pumping money into the Mangekyou's stocks from one of my private bank accounts from Switzerland."

Neji dropped his jaw in shock, not even bothering to maintain any tranquil collected façade, since he and Sasuke have been friends for a long time ago, and in a very delicate situation.

They weren't talking about some cash there, they were talking about huge amounts of money. "Now stop catching flies and cooperate. It has been two days since I am pulling night standers to solve this mess." He threw the tab to his friend, hitting him square in his face, the Hyuga barely catching it and that time, it hurt.

"Are you nuts?! We are talking about a ridiculous sum of money here, you _don't_ have this much, do you?"

"Apparently I do, but just like you have just said, it is only a desperate temporary solution that I could come up with."

"Well unlike you, _I _don't have so much money and three of my main shareholders have left. I lost five major contracts in Europe, China and Argentina and now I have four banks demanding for my head, expecting me to pay the debts."

Was that Uchiha so damn insane, or simply trolling him? Sasuke wasn't _that _rich and Neji was positive about it.

Yes, was there, fighting for the top of the Forbes list of billionaires, but heck, not even_ he_ could sustain an international mammoth company like the Mangekyou, for so long, in the top of the stocks market, by simply syphoning it with his own money and still be so rich. That was mind blowing.

It was simply **impossible**. Yet…there wasn't any fragment of hesitation in Sasuke`s eyes, nor any sign that he wasn't being serious.

"Then I would suggest you call your girlfriend and have her pack your stuff. Hurry up, the next plane to Riyadh takes off from Narita in three hours. I suggest you take sun screen lotion and cotton breathable clothes, until you get used to the climate."

"Is this funny to you?"

"What?" The Uchiha actually smirked at him as Neji felt the urge to splash his drink all over his arrogant smartass figure. "Have you chosen Normandy instead?"

"Fuck you, Sasuke! And fuck this economic shit!" He threw the pen on Sasuke`s office desk, but the Uchiha didn't even flinch, simply watching and studying ever reaction of Neji and see how a person lost his mind, step by step.

Because Neji was on the verge of insanity, it was just so visible. And that somehow, amused Sasuke. Maybe because he was looking like functioning on pills too. "I absolutely run out of any ideas. My family is moving to our home in _Monte Carlo._ They are leaving in two days with my uncle`s private jet."

He was serious, dejected and for the first time since they have first met, looking like on the verge of giving up and simply watching his precious ship sink.

Sasuke felt _sorry _for Neji, he looked even more horrible, he hasn't showered in a week, he was sweaty, smelly, his white shirt was somewhat a darker shade, three button unbuttoned, messy loose hair soaked in clay, huge purple bags under his lilac bloodshot eyes, he hasn't eaten in two days, he only drunk working on coffee –that Sasuke bought for him because money was not exactly Neji`s forte then- he hasn't left the Mangekyou and the shareholders almost eaten him alive if not for the Uchiha to back him up, silencing them, but he risked his own reputation and credibility, plus, Sasuke was still affected by the stunt from the Charity Ball and even if the money have miraculously appeared on the bank account, invoking a crack in the system, people were still whispering that Sasuke used the company`s money to cover for the loss, but it was gossip since they had no solid evidence, because Mangekyou's financial report hasn't shown any major loss, on the contrary, they were among the most stable on the market, so he was legally covered.

Neji thanked all the heavens for his savings and no one but his friends knew that he was living on his CIA salary.

"Do you need me to do anything?"

"No, thanks. Uncle Hiashi has already prepared everything. But I am here to deal with the Byakugan in his place." Not many knew that Hiashi was only the CEO honorific, because Neji was handling the corporation.

Sasuke knew as well that Hiashi was cardiac and had two infarcts. A third one would be lethal, so his family was moving far away from the stress and the pressure of the media, for his own good.

"Then don't lose your head now, Hyuga. Many depend on you." Just like they depended on the Mangekyou.

Plus, both have seen that character Nagato popping up on the TV and buying forty percent of the stocks, but he stood away from the Mangekyou and Sasuke knew it was not a coincidence, basically, someone wanted to take monopoly and hence, bury Sasuke`s rivals and form a coalition against him and he would be alone in front of a **super corporation.**

"Who is that fucker anyways? Where did he come from/? And where does he have those money from? Drugs? Prostitution? Weapons? Black market?"

"Probably all of the aforementioned. Remember, we don't actually know who has the majority of the stocks in the companies we trade with. There is no transparency in this field anymore."

"True. He didn't buy any of _your_ stocks, but almost all of your main competitors` ones. He is clearly targeting _you_, Sasuke."

"I know. But I have taken _countermeasures_ if it comes to that point where I would be forced to sell or trade with him, which is something that is unavoidable, seeing how things are rapidly degenerating."

"What countermeasures?"

"I will personally throw the Mangekyou into a **virtual insolvency**, so that he won`t get his hands on this corporation, or any Uchiha Inc."

Neji would have fainted if he didn't know how demented and wild Sasuke was, in both personal life and business, but he knew that whatever the heck had he planned, the Uchiha knew what he was doing.

"What the-" forget what I have said earlier Sasuke. Now I know that you have gone completely insane! Have you lost it for real?! You cannot fake a bankruptcy, because you are going to lose all the shareholders, hence you will indeed face a REAL insolvency! IT`s basically like winning the battle, but losing the war."

"At this, you are wrong my friend." Sasuke brought his hands over his head, stretching and straightening his spine, feeling every bone and joint in his body crack.

"Because I will be losing ALL the shareholders, hence lose ALL the battles, but in the end," A wicked smirk was playing on his lips, while Neji was fixing him with an indecipherable expression on his face. "I will be the winner of the **war."**

The Hyuga got enlightened, because somehow, he was able to read the gleam into Sasuke`s onyx orbs and hence, read what was on his mind. Lilac orbs nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Y-You want to…bloody hell, you want to fake an insolvency, make all of your shareholders take back their invested money and the shares, while you will virtually keep on showering your OWN money into the stocks to keep it running on the market, even if it would look like you lost all the investors, then after you declare the insolvency abruptly and make it vanish from Wall Street, this Nagato character will not be able to buy any of your shares, hence get his claws on parts of the Mangekyou! You basically want to retract from the_ main_ stocks market, temporary, pack your toys," he made the quotation mark in the air. "and _move_ your HQ in a country with the corporation tax zero and start producing there, at ridiculously low prices to make up for the loss of the shareholders, by keeping your selling prices high, hence gain more than you do now!"

"Inspiration finally strike you, Neji. Yeah, this is the main idea, though you are well aware that things are not this simple."

Neji went silent for good five minutes, while his brilliant mind put the pieces together, imagining the future virtual scenario. He softly muttered.

"This is _genius_! You _are_ a freaking genius!"

He was, and it was then when Neji truly realized Sasuke`s brilliance, not only did he have the craziness to personally bring his empire down, then building something even more astonishing from the ashes, because one had to be crazy to try something like that, but his mind was something bout of that world. He was truly what the others praised him for: a **genius.**

There were probably a handful of people in the world who could come up with something so good, giving the context, and Sasuke was one of them. "But then again…what would you do when _Mr_. Nagato will come and try to buy stocks form you in whatever country you chose to move your HQ?"

Sasuke gave him a dumbfounded stare like he couldn't believe that Hyuga thought he didn't think about that too, rising an eyebrow at him. Then he let a sinister wicked smirk grace his handsome tired features, cocking his head to let his bangs fall on his jet orbs.

"By the time he does that, I will already be controlling most of the entire stocks market of that country, so I cannot wait for him to try and outsmart me."

Neji truly doubted that there was someone alive to be able to outsmart Sasuke.

"This is insane, man. Pure insane. You are not sane, you know that, do you?"

"_Business_ is not about being scrupulous or sober." Dark sapphire orbs were taking in the way Neji was scrubbing his blood shoot eyes with the back of his palms, stating bluntly. "You look like shit." It wasn't a retort meant to come as arrogant, but one which was conveying a very clear message: _'take it easy'._

The Hyuga heir actually found the strength to snort at him. "When was the last time _you _looked into a mirror?"

"You hungry?"

"No. I am dieting, because I plan on taking on modeling after I fail as a businessman." Truth to be told, Sasuke hasn't seen Neji touching food in the last three days, and he was probably filling his stomach with caffeine.

He himself hasn't eaten anything since yesterday and his mean consisted in two burgers he got from the vending machine that he hasn't touched in years.

Sasuke mentally cringed at the word _'model'_ and he felt that sudden irk to go and strangle Ino Yamanaka but he won`t be caught dead touching women. That is why he pressed the speed dial on the phone of his office. "Juugo, I want you to-"

Said man came barging inside his office, looking just as bad as the two CEOs before him, panting and having a pile of files, with sheets of papers flying from his hands.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Mr. Uchiha, but I am afraid there is something you have to see. "This has been spread into the media all over the world." He threw a newspaper on his desk with him and Ino and a smaller one with him and Sakura. Onyx orbs popped out of their sockets.

_Shit!_

"What is that?" Curious as in what could have made Sasuke react like…react, period, Neji stretched his hand and snatched the newspaper from his desk, margarite orbs flying over the poor quality paper, fixing on the huge photo on the middle and the suggestive message printed in sick yellow flashing words. "Damn, this doesn't look too good."

Inwardly, Neji has just felt his eyes pop out of their sockets. _What the fuck was he looking at?!_ Of course, he played it cool and not let it see that he was being shocked to the core.

"You don't say?" Sasuke snarled at the Hyuga, after he threw the newspaper on his desk like it was filth –which it was- and barked at his secretary. "Handle this shit."

"We already did, Sir. It has been removed from the press, but we cannot stop the Internet."

"This nonsense is all my father`s doing." He racked a hand through his hair, muttering more to himself, than to anyone in particular, but knew that Juugo and Neji could hear him.

His head was spinning like a furious diesel engine and his heart was immerging into salty waters._ Sakura_ was somewhere there, hiding from him and reading all that shit, foolishly mistaken that he cheated on her, but that was all his own gaffe.

He should have not allowed Ino to go that far, manners and public image be damned. It couldn't have been worse than that.

Neji remained silent. He didn't know about that huge scandal either, because he worked with Sasuke for the past two days and was engulfed in other problems than gossip. "And bring us something to eat."

"Yes Mr. Uchiha. Excuse me." Juugo left the office, as Sasuke let his head fall down, hands supporting his body weight leaning on the desk, looking like an emperor who was witnessing his own empire fell prey to the enemies.

And Neji felt bad for both Sasuke and Sakura. He quickly understood the predicament of their relationship and his silent wonder about Sasuke`s odd choice to not contact Sakura for the past days or vice versa.

They were separated. Sure, the Hyuga also knew that Sakura was still keeping a close eye on him, since she had to carry on with her mission, but she wasn't staying by his side anymore. So that was the reason for Sasuke`s denseness and sharper tone?

_It was Sakura._

He currently lost her.

"Have you talked to _her_?" Neji asked cautiously not wanting to anno Sasuke even more. He too would have been outraged in his place, but he was also an old family friend, consequently, his voice was softer and more familiar than usual.

"No." Sasuke answered simply, then made a short pause, during which he turned around to his office and friend, encircled his office desk and went to the panoramic huge window, planting his elbow on it.

"For the past two days, I have tried to call her without success. She has disappeared, without leaving a trace."

_She left __me._

Neji doubted it was the case he was already tapping on his phone, being as discreet as possible, to his fiancé, because he was certain that Sakura was somewhere were Akatsuki knew.

Last time he remembered Sakura angry, it consisted in a gang that was involved with the mafia for guns trafficking, which was crushed down in the span of five minutes, by her alone. She has outgunned and outsmarted all of them, without breaking a sweat ad she had no scratch on her body. None.

"_**Big scandal involving Uchiha and Yamanaka. What about Sakura?"**_

Ten Ten`s reply came short after and Neji knew she was being sick worried for him, but his friends were sinking into their own problems.

"_**It`s complicated. We need to meet up. Get your ass here."**_ As if. He didn't need to hear about romance, his corporation was important because Neji cared about his family, unlike Sasuke who was at war, not only with Lorane, but his father as well.

"And? What will you do about that? You are not with this…what the hell is this Playboy Bunny`s name?"

"Ino Yamanaka. Of course not. She has chase-"

A loud **bang** slammed his door open and a furious unleashed Naruto looking like a lion with blonde rebel hair stormed inside Sasuke`s very office, as an unleashed hurricane washing away rooftops and pulling trees from their roots.

"TEME! STOP HIDING YOUR SORRY ASS AND COME AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN, YOU LOWLIFE SON OF A-"

"Finish that sentence dobe and it is going to be your _last _statement, before you will leave this world in a brutal way." Sasuke locked gazes half turning around to roll his eyes at Naruto, who had a piece of the newspaper ruffled into his hand and a murderous expression.

"What are you waiting for? Shut that damn door and stop screaming in my company, you idiot. People are busy here, unlike others."

"Wha- are you shitting me?!" Naruto marched towards his raven haired friend and slammed his hand with the picture thorn from the paper on his desk. Olive dark orbs shifted from the table to Naruto's dead azurite ones, slightly surprised to see such a fierce blazing furious look on his usually solar and goofy friend.

"Is this what you are_ busying_ yourself with, lately?! Being a total manwhore and embarrass us all with your behavior and play Sakura-chan for a fool?!"

An electrical impulse shot through the column of his silhouette when Naruto dropped her name in such a name, as if it Naruto was making him know that she was forever out of his reach, and that was just a result of his own miscalculation.

He didn't need to take that shit from his friend, not then, not when his mind was going crazy and he was barely clinging on his sanity.

"Have you come all the way here to lecture me, Naruto?" Sasuke peeled his tired onyx orbs from his friend to let his gaze fly on the window, leaving Naruto to greet his teeth while looking at his profile. "Get out. You are wasting your time."

"Don't fuck with me Teme because I am in the mood to do some permanent damage on someone and that scum just happen to be you."

The Uzumaki was barely containing fury teeth clattering like jingling bells and maxillaries clench like a white shark`s, while feeding from its prey. "Look into my eyes and tell me once and for all."

The Uchiha didn't pull a muscle to look in his general direction, ignoring him and that only pissed off Naruto more. "Is this shit true? Are you engaged with this slut like everyone say?!"

_What the fuck were they saying?!_

The intense impulses and thirst for blood grew feral within Sasuke`s system. His left hand curled into a livid fist and he would have gladly punch the goddamn window he was gazing through, if he didn't know that the bitch was bulletproof and would only crack his knuckles in vain.

_No answer._ Sasuke was disappointed, to be honest, because _no one_ believed in his honesty, not even the woman who claimed to have fallen in love with him.

Actually he was a fool for never telling her how much he **loved her**, but next time he got the chance –because he WILL find her, even if it meant to flip the word upside down and search for her on the bottom of the sea, he will find her mermaid- she would be showered with his most sincere feelings for her.

He HAD the power to look for her, he HAD the resources and the connections to find anyone and everywhere, no matter under what rocks they hid and Hell might swallow him first before he let her escape him, but he was also trapped into his company`s mess.

Naruto`s orbs went wide as UFOs, when he misinterpreted his friend`s sharp silence as a positive answer. "Holly fucking shit, is it true! Is it?! Teme! Answer my question you cheating bastard-"

"What the fuck do you want to hear from me, Naruto?!" Sasuke whirled his head around making his raven locks flutter like a veil, growling at his friend, making both Naruto and Neji flinch, not used to see Sasuke losing control and shout –howl like a beast- in the way he did then, letting them see fragments of his fury and take a peek into his heart.

"Do you really know so little about me to think that I would ever entangle into something that my father would_ force_ on me-"

The TV was working on mute because they were keeping an eye on the _Financial news_, but Neji has suddenly zapped to another channel, letting his elbow accidentally fall on the remote control, to a gossip TV channel and he saw a picture with him and Ino getting into a cab, and they did the photographs from tricky angles so as to make them appear as smiling to each other, plus the one where she came to his office first time.

Naruto and Neji too looked and even if it was on mute, pictures spoke more and cut than words. "Ahm..." Neji tucked on Naruto`s sleeve, trying futilely to steal a reaction of some sort, with no success, because his azurite orbs were impossibly wide and petrified in front of the screen. "I think you should turn that off before-"

_**SLAM**_

Both their eyes went on Sasuke who threw his phone straight on the flat huge LCD screen making _it shatter_ and they were scared shitless. He was bent forward, raven locks splashed all over his face, concealed his eyes.

The pieces were detaching from the broken screen falling down. Each falling piece was like a bomb thrown in the middle of the huge see through office room, no one spoke for good five minutes, only Sasuke's ragged breaths were showing.

There were three times when anyone has seen Sasuke that angry. And the first two were in the moment when Itachi left home, giving up to his title and the other in high school, when he started to separate from the others.

"Where," His voice was beyond a whisper but it came as a trumpet in that dead grave silence. He sounded so broken that something ripped off Naruto and Neji`s hearts while the blonde got his answer.

"is _she_?" He asked the blonde and even though he couldn't see his face because of the hair that started to grow longer and messier, but Naruto knew that those eyes were piercing him.

He gulped once, his Adam apple bobbling once, while his mouth went dry.

He knew_ where_ she was from Karin, but the red headed Uzumaki cousin made him –threatened him with pulling out his tongue, cutting it with her sharpest kunai and shove it down his ass- swear that he won't say a word to Sasuke ,or Hell would broke loose and honestly, Naruto was torn between_ what _to do.

Karin scared him –she scared anyone- shitless, because she was sadistic, strong, and cunning and totally bat shit insane, but Sasuke promised a more agonizing bloody torture, so he had no idea of what to do. Cerulean orbs flickered to Neji who fought the urge to slap his forehead at his imbecility but was beyond too tired for love wars.

If Sasuke saw- and he did- the way they were silently communicating he would realize they were both involved, consequently the Hyuga would be dragged into the mood and he preferred to stay clean, thank you very much.

"_Answer_ me."

"Frankly, she hasn't contacted any of us, so I have no idea of whe-"

"Frankly," The Uchiha cut him short, but didn't move from that position. He was breathing laboriously like he was fighting himself for not strangling them right then with his bare hands. "You are flat out _lying_."

"Teme, I swear to you that I don't-"

**SLAM**

Before the Uzumaki had the chance to commit a sin and lie to his friend the door slammed on the wall beside ,almost flying of his hinges, at the force of the impact, while three pairs of eyes travelled to the newcomer and Naruto already felt the virtual thick rope enveloped around his neck.

_Uh-Oh!_

**Uzumaki Karin** , his beloved cousin has just stormed inside Sasuke`s office, like an unleashed ablaze volcano ready to burst in the flames of Hell, clicking on his polished floor with her heels digging into the ground, so bad, that she sounded like she were army boots, marching inside, eyes intertwined with Sasuke`s ones, who had troubles in comprehending _who_ the fuck was that strange woman who had the guts to barge into HIS office with _that_ attitude, begging to be _murdered._

Though she had something utterly _familiar _that was clicking into his mind, while the sound of her five inch heels were reverberating through their minds, like pebbles thrown on the glassy surface of a lake, hands crossed above her chest, while her signature neon mini skirt rippled over her bare thighs.

But her stance and the way her eyes were dripping lethal poison, was anything but flirty, even if her attire was expensive, obviously branded, and slightly sultry, but not entirely.

Naruto and Neji were having their eyeballs rolling down the floor, trailing behind Karin`s back, while she didn't even breathe in their general direction, both wandering whether she has lost her goddamn mind for real.

Well, it was not like any of the Sound`s members were _sane_ to begin with….

She stopped right in front of a statue rooted in place Uchiha Sasuke, until their chests were almost touching –at that Naruto and Neji fought the urge to shut their eyes, being certain that the Sound seductress was going to punch Sasuke in his jaw, but they simply stood petrified, holding their breaths in apprehension and anticipation- none speaking, breathing or backing of from their eye lock war and because Karin was already tall, adding her model like high to the heels she wore, brought her on the _same _eye level with Sasuke, playing in her favor.

The clock on the wall was counting down the dreading moments, ticking every breaths and prolonged anxious heartbeats of the four occupants of the room and, honestly, Naruto felt like suffocating inside.

_What the heck was Karin doing there, for Christ`s sake?!_ The way she was looking at Sasuke, like she was ready to bloody cut his neck or stab him with something, was barbarian, cruel, mind blowing, insane and not to mention, brave and gritty, because like hell would anyone have the guts to stand THAT Uchiha Sasuke in the way she did, but Karin wasn't even flinching, or blinking.

And neither did Sasuke. If he wouldn't have known his onyx eyed friend like he did, Naruto would have entertained the thought that they either died or have found a way to telepathically communicate in a parallel dimension. How was someone able to impersonate a statue for such a long time? They didn't blink, move, or anything.

Although…there were those nasty pure malice vibes oozing off from both Karin and Sasuke`s bodies and the electrifying tension was so bad and evil, that it knocked Naruto`s wind pipe, cutting down his air supply.

He didn't have the courage to look away and peek at Neji, to seek for his reaction. He would have found none, because the Hyuga was already in his alert mode –as alert and tenacious as a man who went bankrupt, hasn't slept in almost three days or ate in two, living on cheap coffee could be- to strike and separate Karin and Sasuke, if they would have engaged into a violent altercation.

"Name one good damn reason for me not to _kill _you right this instant." Oh SHIT, the way Sasuke breathed the words in Karin`s face, like velvet percolating on dark chocolate, smooth, almost melodically low, rich and lethal, was pulverizing and both Naruto and Neji felt like someone has electrocuted their spines, getting chills all over their bodies.

It was one thing to witness Sasuke losing his restraint and discipline, probably fed up with all the shit that the media wrote about him, trying to survive and make a lot of money by tarnishing his name, but it was another to hear him speak in a fake apparent image of tranquil and serenity. They both knew what that meant to a member of the Uchiha clan: he was livid.

But what was even more cataclysmic and mind boggling, was Karin`s attitude. Slowly, Sasuke straightened his stance, letting his shadow grow around Karin`s _almost _equally tale silhouette, like a demon incarnated into the body of a deity.

And that didn't faze the Sound agent in the bit. She was absolutely unmoving, unflinching, unfaltering, there wasn't a single pore in her body trembling, her skin was its normal ivory porcelain pale and smooth, and not covered in cold shivers and she did what almost no one would have done in her place.

She _smirked._

She was _amused,_ when in reality, anyone in her place would have fainted at the way the Uchiha let his threat roll off his tongue, with the easiness of a dream chaser fluttering in the wind, sounding serious, menacing and totally having the potency to keep his promise.

But not Karin. She wouldn't lie and admit that all the rumors were true: Uchiha Sasuke has touched the supremacy of a deadly demon, coming straight from the pits of Hell, but then again, Karin wasn't just ANYONE, either.

She was a _Sound _agent, trained to _kill_ without pulling a muscle and the number of times she has been threatened and on the verge of greeting the Grim Reaper, was higher than her shoes collection.

She merely trailed her tongue over her full rouged lips, and tapped a piece of paper that she held arrogantly in between her fingers, to his chest, spatting to him, while her usually obnoxious voice rung with a confidence that none of the three males present would lie and not admit that it wasn't very sexy.

"Right back to you, but I can't promise I will be this generous and offer you a chance to atone yourself."

She held the piece of _paper_ between them, until Sasuke broke their fierce sizzling eye clock, letting his onyx orbs fall on her manicured fingers and the small piece of paper she was holding, silently urging him to take her, all the while his stance and his chin remained high and proud, only his eyes were the ones to lower down.

"What the fuck is she thinking about?" Neji dragged the Uzumaki down to whisper into his ear, coming out of his daze, seeing that Karin didn't pull out any concealed gun –he was a hundred percent sure that she had one- to kill Sasuke, not quite understanding what the heck was going on there and what was Karin doing in Tokyo. "What`s with that paper?"

"A death sentence, maybe?" Naruto had a tiny idea of what might have been written on that paper, though he was busy sighing in relief that he didn't need to produce a plausible excuse and not give Sasuke Sakura`s address, though he would have do that and allow his friend to redeem himself.

No, Naruto wasn't an oblivious imbecile fool and when he wanted to, he could be quite wise and sharp, especially when it came to unravel people`s mind and read what was written underneath their facades and see the real faces behind velvet masks they wore.

Sasuke _wasn't _lying about his _feelings_ for Sakura and even though the circumstances were foster, his love was real and that was all that mattered to him.

He_ trusted_ Sasuke, even if the Uzumaki himself has been blinded by rage.

Onyx orbs narrowed at the words written on the blank sheet of paper, in a neat italic handwriting, travelling back to the wine sparkling ones of the spunky red haired woman before him, silently conveying the message that he didn't get the meaning of it, but Karin simply threw him another smirk and did another unexpected thing, namely whirled on her heels, with a perfect graceful balance, almost letting her auburn sizzling long locks splash his face, swaying her hips towards the exit, railing to him.

"Be the smart man that I know you are Uchiha and _don't_ screw this up, for it is the sole compromise I am willing to make, before I come and _hunt_ you _down_ and_ skin_ you alive."

"Your name." He didn't inquired for her identity, he commended her to state who she was, ordering and demanding it, because Uchiha Sasuke would never beseech for anything, from anyone, if that person didn't happen to be Sakura, though he got to hand it to that mystery red haired lady with her flaring chutzpa and heavy Latin accent.

Wasn't that man absolutely _ravishing_ with his possessive demanding fulminant ego and that fluctuating deep voice, which was percolating on every pore?

Karin got to hand it to him, the Uchiha was just as everyone was describing him: simply _irresistible,_ but she wasn't there to flirt with him ,because he was someone else` s property and that happened to be her friend. She was there to try and solve the mess between them, because if there was a form of torture that Karin simply couldn't stand –she being a self-proclaimed sadist- was her to witness the suffering of her friends.

_Never. _

"You are in no position to ask for anything from me." Oh, the way those indomitable livid onyx eyes seemed to have been set on fire, blazing like charcoals, simply betraying the fact that Uchiha Sasuke didn't simply take a _no_ for an answer, was making Karin inwardly roll on the floor, laughing her ass out loud. He was visibly thorn between being thanking her and murdering her.

Nonetheless, she had nothing to hide from him and if a name was what he wanted from her, she would give, so she kept her half naked flawless smooth back on him, lingering in the door frame for one more moment, breathing her name, using an amalgamation of seductiveness and a hard steel tone, that demanded respect and made men swoon at her feet, all around the world.

"But if you must know, _Uzumaki _Karin. _She_ told you about _me_."

Of course that Karin knew, because Sakura has personally called her –squealed on the other side of the line- that she and Sasuke conjured up past memories and talked about their friends, so she has told him about her best friend from Italy.

And left three men summoning silence, following her retracting back, until the reverberation of the sound of her heels clicking on the luscious marble floor reached to the elevator. Neji and Naruto already had their jaws dropped, not actually believing the guts that Karin had. Not only she flat out defied Sasuke, coming as victorious from a battle with his impenetrable lethal self, but she has seemed to throw him off completely, with a simple paper, who had God only knew what scribbled on it.

Naruto was the one to break the tension, while Neji was busy twisting his mind into finding the meaning of the_ tattoo_ she had on her lower back, not actually having an explanation to why was he thinking about that white snake-dragon embed into her porcelain skin.

Probably, she it was one of her ways to steal men`s minds and play them on her finger, then strip them of valuable information.

That Snake, the symbol of regeneration, wealth and prosperity, was indeed, the last thing they saw before she killed them.

And then his pale eyes widened in shock, a sudden dread washing through his system. Karin couldn't have possible given Sasuke a-

"Teme," Naruto shattered that silence, whispering to his unresponsive midnight haired friend, who kept on looking at the sheet of paper unfolded on his left hand. "What is that-"

"Out. Both of you."

"What?"

"Are you deaf? Get out of my office." He pressed every menacing syllable, as Neji and Naruto both suppressed a shudder, at the sinister touch of his low almost not human baritone voice. "Now."

He went to his office desk, throwing himself on the leather chair that has become his favorite brooding and sleeping spot for the past two days, tossing the paper under a thick file, opening it up and studying it, marking the rate of the growths of his rival companies on the market, in black permanent marker.

But his mind couldn't peel off the contents of the paper and what _was _written on it, by no other than Sakura`s friend, who has probably flied all the way from Italy to Tokyo, by the probably desperate call of her friend.

'_**Imperial Hotel Tokyo, room 103 A , 8th floor.'**_

That Uzumaki Karin has wrote him the name and the room of the hotel that _Sakura_ has checked herself in.

She was _still_ in Tokyo. And she has chosen the most luxurious hotel, paying for it for herself, because she left all the checks with the money that he has paid her, while she used to pretense to be his…_maid,_ on the nightstand of his room.

.

.

.

* * *

"Hello there, shark boy."

"_Who is tha-"_ Suigetsu`s voice grew instantly alert as he recognized the unmistakable husky low and seductive voice of the beautiful Italian cousin of Naruto_. "How did you get this number?"_

"From my magic phone book, of course. Besides, don't act like you are not excited to hear from me again."

"_What do you want?"_

"Nah, nah, don't be so harsh, or you will force me to reciprocate. Care to meet again?"

"_And why would I?"_

"Because I might make things more interesting this time. Aren't you up for a challenge?"

"_I don't have time to play games."_

"And I am not the woman to play…games."

"_I am busy, so find someone else to bitch at."_

"I feel offended, you know? I am not _that _type of woman."

She heard him snort on the other side of the line, but somehow, Karin couldn't find it in her to be offended at the whimsical tone into his sexy voice_. "Really now? Don't tell me you have decided to become a nun."_

"That if you want to be a Pope then we can role play…"

"_You are crazy."_

"You like it."

"_What goes through that mind of yours, bella?"_ Karin felt shivers doll down when he used that appellative.

"Why don't we meet and I might let you take a peek inside. Maybe even more. That if you behave."

"_Where are you now?"_

"I have just left the Mangekyou and I am currently passing Shiseido Ginza."

"_Why did you go to Sasuke`s company?"_

"That is not your business, shark boy. But it is one of the reasons why I _need _you…among _other_ things." She purred and heard him gulp once. She knew the reactions she had on men and mentally smirked. Karin still could steal those reactions from men. She didn't lose her touch.

"_Don't move. I will pick you up in ten."_

"Make it in seven, or I will be gone with the wind and you will never see me again."

"_That is exactly what I want you to do, bella."_

"Don't lie. I know that I am already stuck on your mind. _Ciao_!" She hung on him –because no male alive hung up on Karin of the Sound, smirking and snickering, while flipping her auburn locks over her shoulder, catching the eyes of the passerbyes, men especially.

And she smirked while throwing a glance at the _Longiness_ watch on her left wrist, the moment Suigetsu`s car wheels screeched on the road, leaving a thin layer of smoke behind, parking the car with effect.

He made it in _six,_ wheels scratching on the road, as he pulled in front of her, the car burning on the road as he stopped abruptly, window rolling down. She already felt invigorated by his smirk and the canine, imagining those teeth puling her skin while he pleasured her with that wicked mouth of his.

She smirked right back at him, head slightly askew, making her look even more tempting, in those airy clothes she wore. "You," he growled to her in that sexy way she loved it. "have just run into danger."

"Bring it on, shark boy." She slide into his car, as Suigetsu slammed on the gas, speeding down the street, cutting the line and passing all the cars in the meantime, while Karin never removed her eyes off him not peeled her smirk of her lips.

She could see rivulets of sweat rolling down his temple, strolling inside the collar of his neck, a manicured palm skimming from his knee up, along his thigh.

When she got really close to the visible going bulge inside his dark uniform pants, her smirk intensified as he gulped once, gripping the steering wheel like a lifesaver. "Nervous? You should relax while driving, _officer _Hozuki."

She mewled like a content cat, sprawling her paws along the velvet pillow, letting her nail run down the inside of his thigh, avoiding touching him _there_ on purpose, stirring him further.

Her soft touch was precise, heavily sexual, while the combination of her ravishing presence and the dark sensual tone of her voice, made Suigetsu go crazy.

When she let her palm slide upwards, boldly cupping him through his pants, Suigetsu hissed like a snake a vicious "Fuck!"

Feeling his mind explode, he harshly turned on the steering wheel, a hand coiling around her wrist, to make her froze midway, and stop touching him further, pulling his car on the parking lot of the first hotel that came their way –luckily enough, a _'Love Hotel'_-, killed the engine of his car, and, never removing his harsh grip on a smirking red headed Uzumaki Karin, he dragged her out of the car and, ignoring the stupid flashing panel with cats and pink hearts from the entrance, he went straight to the reception of the hotel, demanding for an available room.

When the woman handed him the keys, Suigetsu didn't bother to leave a name or any other contacts, beside a pile of money that he threw on the counter, then pulled Karin towards the elevator, slamming his fist on the red arrow, waiting for the doors to open.

"I like that attitude, shark boy. It makes you even more desirable. And _fuckable."_ The way she basically purred those words into his ear made all the temperature inside Suigetsu`s body rise to an alarming level and he cursed everything in that moment, her included.

He viciously damned her to all the seven pits of Hell where she came from –the little demon, dressed as a vixen, demanding for his poor soul- for being so fucking sexual, hot, daring and totally seductive and for whirling him on her pinky finger.

And when the damned doors slide open, Suigetsu twisted her wrist and threw her inside, as her naked back collided with the large mirror, making her shiver at the contact with the cold glossy surface and, not even waiting for the familiar _'ding'_ that signalized the closing of the door, Suigetsu lunged forward, pinned her hands above her head, intertwining their fingers, trapping her between his hard rock chiseled body and the mirror and plunged his tongue inside her mouth as she gladly opened up her mouth for him, happily entangling into his war of tongues, rolling over each other as their lips were suckling and pulling, tasting and fighting for dominance and alleviation.

He harshly bit on her lower lip, sucking greedily on it, as his hips grounded on hers, making Karin moan at the electrifying contact with the hardness and the radiating pleasure shooting along her spine and limbs, making her grow wet. "I am warning you, I will not be gentle with you, _bella_."

Like she ever begged him to be. The fire broiling into her claret vivid beautiful unique eyes, depicting every coffee brown line into the myriad of red wine around the ring of her irises, as a curtain of mist has dragged over her glossy eyes, made Suigetsu understand that Karin was exactly the woman to answer to the conjure of the beast within him.

"If you go anything but hard, fast and rough, shark boy," She lunged forward to bit down his lips, kissing him in a bruising way that stirred a bubbling mini pool of lave within the pits of their stomach, moaning upon his lips. "I will personally cut off your balls and mix them into my favorite Pasta."

She let the double meaning sink down into Suigetsu`s brain as his amethyst orbs burned into her coral crimson ones a wicked huge smirk that promised dirty things and a lot of pleasure crept upon his kissable slightly bruised lips.

"Feel free to put that pretty mouth of yours _anywhere _you want, on me." He growled darkly to her as Suigetsu`s lips went straight to her collarbone, nipping her with his canine and suckling on her skin, dragging his teeth and lips down the swell of her full round breast, as her nails dug into his scalp, pulling her hair, moaning loudly at the feeling.

"And I promise to _fuck _you so hard, that you won't be able to walk straight for a month, or dirty talk me like this."

When the elevator brought them to the fourth floor, where their room was, they were already half naked, stumbling and rolling their backs on the walls beside, kissing and groping each other, feeling and tasting skin, while Suigetsu fumbled with the key on the lock.

The rest could have been translated into an immixture between feral lustful touches, hard thrusts and slammed against each other`s bodies, cried in pure bliss names leaving their mouths, hungry kisses and blown up minds.

.

.

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* * *

**::Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo. Sakura`s Suite::**

* * *

Sakura was panicking, pacing into her living room, eying the sun shaped clock hanging on the wall through the eerie dim illuminated spacious room, every ten seconds, while she fought the urge to snatch it from the wall and throw that ticking device on the window, feeling it ram inside her mind.

It was 10 p.m. and Karin was _nowhere_ to be found and she got her damn voice mail ten times, before her battery went off.

"I am going to_ kill_ her." She kept on chanting, fisting her hands down her light chocolate and rose pink locks, messing her freshly washed hair, feeling her mind explode. "I am going to throttle her, using her red hair as a rope and hang her over this freaking chandelier-"

_**Knock knock **_

She stopped frozen in her tracks, when she heard someone softly knocking on the door, she immediately grew alert because she only told Karin her address.

Then she relaxed because she knew that her friend didn't have a spare access card, so she tiptoed to the door, already having a taunting smirk plastered all over her face, which froze midways when she opened up the door, ready to give her friend a piece of her mind.

Only…

Instead of colliding with wine _red_ apologetically orbs…

She crashed with **deep onyx.**

**Everything** in her body felt like her every cell has been pulverized and someone has knocked the wind out of her lungs. It was not possible, it was a cruel joke, a chimera, and the skies were laughing at her, throwing mood on her pitiful state, while she was already dropped on her knees, crushed on the ground, while blood drops of rain were percolating down her shoulder.

Her hand froze on the knob and words refused to get out of her parted luscious lips.

"What…" Sakura couldn't even recognize her own strangled voice, amidst the amalgamation of broken stunned murmurs which were sliding past her widened lips.

"Are _you."_ She couldn't look anywhere but into his eyes –those eyes which were roaring like a blizzard, animated, spirited and energized with his peculiar dominating radiating power- eyes she loved, eyes she longed and cried for, eyes that she couldn't forget or hate…eyes that have broken her heart. "Doing _here?"_

"I came for you, Sakura." The way he said her name made her heart sink and all the strength she was summoning was leaving her system ant the sound of his tongue rolling down words she longed to hear.

"Get…go away. I have nothing to tell you. Nothing at all. There is…" She had to look down so that the prickling tears won't sell the pain she was feeling, to the only man she has entrusted her heart and soul to, because Sakura refused to cry and be weak in front of him. "No words that come to my mind at the moment. Just…leave."

_Go to __her._

"I know you are hurt, but I didn't come here to watch you run away from me again. I am here to stay." Slowly, gently as if testing the sea with his toes, afraid she would perish, Sasuke placed his hand on the knob above hers, as he felt her flinch and shot her emerald orbs up at the electrical contact, immediately reacting in a way he expected it –but hurt him nonetheless- her palm away from his, making Sakura back away into the room as he pushed his shadow inside, shutting the door behind him, locking it, so as to successfully trapping both of them inside.

She won't escape him again, after he finally –and luckily- found her after three fucking days of absence, heck no!

"Of course, because everything you set your eyes on must be yours and everyone has to bent to your will and play by your rules, isn't it? You just don't know when to give up. You are so greedy…so fucking selfish, arrogant, chauvinistic, pompous and egoistical. I was a fool how fell for your stupid well placed lies!"

The acid tone she used was dripping acrimony and of course, she was hurt –her eyes that once sparkled like the finest jewels, child of pure emerald, filled with resentment, harshness, loneliness and disdain- it was just visible from her general aura, but she wouldn't know how bad was paining _him_ to see that reaction from her, when Sasuke wanted nothing more than to kiss her and collect her into his arms and melt by her hotness.

"Sakura, you have to trust me, whatever is that you have seen there, is a completely fals-"

"I have _not_ been entirely honest with you." She started on another bitter-pungent tone she never used before, with a touch of mocking and irony into it and she shocked him with being void of any emotion.

A glass doll she was and her words were sincere harsh and cut them like shattered glass puncturing his skin. "So it is just fair that I cannot get _more_ than I have given."

He wanted to touch her, say something –anything- but her blazing emerald orbs had Sasuke pinned down and at loss of what was the best approach.

He just listened to her, trying his best to be calm and collected and not stir the already bubbling turbulent waters and mirror the churning emotions whirlpooling inside his heart. "But I would have never imagined that words I kept hidden in a golden chest down my heart..."

She lifted her jadeite eyes, locking gazes with him and allowing him to see another face o her that Sakura was keeping concealed, it being the other side of her –Athena of the Sound and her indomitable steel emerald orbs. "...would only mean so much for you to toss them aside...like _garbage."_

It stung him like a bees` needle and the numbing sensation of his chest decaying and peeling from his very life made Sasuke react before his Uchiha terrific self-control took over and words flew off his lips like white pearls sewed on lace. "You are mistaken. I would never-"

His tone has brought traitorous burning tears prickling at the corner of her eyes and she hated herself for the weakness displayed, but more like it she hated Sasuke for the way he made his voice even lower, bringing the silk tune to a honey coated murmur and she hates the fusing magnetizing effect he had on her heart.

Another lie from his was similar to pouring salt on the open bleeding wound. She won't be able to face another blow from the wielder of hear heart and happiness.

"No, just...don't serve me another _lie_. I thought that we had a _deeper connection._ You have said that there is something about of this world that makes us have a history together and part of me truly clings to those promises. They even do that now and fuck if I don't want them gone and away of my mind, but I cannot."

"You know that those are _not_ empty feelings or empty words. You know because you have felt it too."

The obsidian Uchiha heir made a step towards her, damning that distance existing between them, for not permitting him to feel the honesty of his words veiling his fingertips as he would slide them along her skin, but Sakura kept on backing away from him, like he was something that disgusted her.

"You can feel them now as well." Bodies were only separated by small steps, but their hearts were million miles away.

"No. Do not say that you want to condone the feelings you have for me because I will not allow it."

Sakura was slowly but surely losing it. Even she could see the sincerity of his words, and taste the sweetness of the REAL nectar he was serving her –but she refused his cup- smell and touch the regret and the longing in his eyes, but her mind was blocking him to penetrate inside. She couldn't be fooled once again. Why was he seeking her again?

Why was he making it to be so complicated?

Why couldn't she just back away or throw him outside?

Why were tears amassing at the corners of her eyes?

"This isn't about what _you_ want, Sasuke." First time she says his name and it comes out so astringent that it made his heart cringe. Sakura wasn't allowed so vinegary. She had to be sweet like honey not acerbic like she wanted to make him perish off her lips.

Lips he burned to kiss. To capture those soft petals which seemed to hold dudgeon and displeasure for him like never before. "And you have been quite clear in your intentions when _she_ kissed you."

"Have you seen me kissing her _back?"_ Sasuke threw it back at her, racking a hand through his raven locks, a signature familiar gesture he did whenever he grew insecure or on the verge of losing his self, and only the closest to him people have observed it –Sakura included.

"Do you think I had endured to witness the scene for all it lasted? My feet had something that I didn't want and that was power to decide for myself taking me the hell out of a place I didn't want to be at. Heh, how little you know me Sasuke. You could have rather chop off my heart, rip it from my chest and then feed the white sharks than making me go through all this pain and abasement."

"I have _never_ flirted with the idea of_ toying_ with your feelings, Sakura." He didn't hold back anymore, simply because he couldn't, so his hand has softly, almost tentatively elevated towards her face and caressed her cheek, while Sakura was mentally committing suicide by fighting with her inner to slap his hand away.

She didn't respond to his touch –so soft, so gentle, so deceiving- even if her heart was trashing and fought to open the prison bars of her chest's cell and run to his expectant lifted warm hand.

"I find it hard to believe your words now Sasuke. They don't have the same resonance as before."

She knew she was lying to him and her and the heavens above which were witnessing their sudden break apart because his candor was streaming from his thin pulpy luscious lips and there was nothing else that Sakura wanted to do but to lean forward and capture every unspoken word from those lips, from his tongue and embed them into her heart which was withering and shriveling without his essence, in agony, torment and fever.

He was losing her like the solitary high oak trees were being slayed of the terracotta and golden decayed leaves of late October and the bricks of the thick impenetrable walls he had built around his heart crumbled and collapsed from their very foundation, at the desperation, desolation and the carnal torment that her stinging words were bringing with every line she was separating herself from him.

And desperation came over when Sasuke did voluntarily succumbed to his denied urge to speak what was on his mind and drop the velvet curtain of the perfect stoicism fall off his face when he came out as clean and told her the _truth._

"_Everything _that you have seen transpiring between me and that woman has been orchestrated by my father and that rapacious for power and wealth imbecile of her father."

Sakura flinched and the shock of the newfound information hasn't escaped Sasuke's vigilant onyx orbs -eyes which never once filched from her emerald ones- and her lips created an almost inaudible broken murmur. "Y-You're lying. There is only deceiving into your words."

"Look into my eyes like you did before I have left, and see for yourself, whether I am telling you the truth or not."

She did and the moment their stares collided so where her feelings for him. She has found herself to peel her eyes from that lock of hearts and eyes, but she couldn't. They were candid, warm, gleaming, **radiating love and passion**, as well as desperation to be trusted, to believe his words and him and her heart knew exactly how to react.

The falls and rises of her chest were increasing, blood pumping, beating and making her dizzy, and her longing to touch him, feel him under the palm of her hand and taste him grew lupine.

"You are the finest liar. Maybe this is why your words cut deeper than swords. This world has only failed me so far… "

He knew it. Even before she has told him about her past, Sakura knew that the man she grew to know as the embodiment of perfection in the cherub face of a concealed Uchiha demon has always read through her loneliness and offered her, not a scar tissue, but a new perspective over life.

He gave her a heart to take care off, while he mended her torn own, in the meantime.

"Then don't believe anything from this reality. But believe this: **I love you** and this is the only reality that I will acknowledge."

Sasuke didn't talk beyond a susurration level, yet the words rumbled down her ears like thunder hitting the firm trunks of the trees. His frankness has stunned her more than the genuineness glitzing into his obsidian eyes.

"Please..." Sasuke NEVER used those words, but pleading with Sakura was natural and almost instinctual. She had to trust him because there was no way that Sasuke could find the calm within the hurricane without her in his life.

Eyes that were talking with more ardor than his lips, were looking at her in a way that made Sakura weak and feather like, floating like a spirit above her and watch them from above the clouds.

Eyes...she couldn't resist or turn her head away from. "Don't walk away again." She didn't flinch eschew from his tender touch when Sasuke cupped her cheeks, she didn't back away from his forehead when he leaned forward to repress upon hers, only her own lips quivered as soft sobs were escaping when he angled his chin and kissed her.

His aphrodisiac taste had invaded her mouth along with his tongue parting her rosy petals gently but steadily, and she let him kiss her with the same thirst and lust for him, like his own for her.

She welcomed him inside her hot cavern but he was delicate as a butterfly's wing touching the daisies in bloom, his muscular slick warm tongue felt like honey and he she was suckling his lip and the tip of his tongue freely, like she was satiating from rich nectar drinking from a golden goblet until the very last drop of his amrita taste entered her system.

Sakura still had to stay beside him, he was still her mission to carry on and she was in a loophole that she couldn't escape.

The problem was what her role would be in his life? A maid was a good trick to start with but was out of question.

_Friends_ was not an option since the passion of their tongues whisking and twirling upon one another ever so feverously was the perfect contradiction with platonic and she needed to be with him like she needed oxygen.

"S-Sasuke-"

"I would_ never_ lie to you about my feelings, Sakura. You are far _too precious_ for me to do so. I am a man of my words. What I give is truly yours and it is coming from my _heart._ Words I have never spilled to any woman before...they are all reserved _for you._ You can have all from me, but do not leave me void of your presence."

She broke like a crystal chandelier crushing on the luscious hard concrete and her feelings of disdain, mistrust, escalading sorrow and grief shattered along, at his sudden unanticipated confession. If anything, he was not toying with her.

His kiss, the image of his feelings whirling like comets around his silvery irises, the candid deep glassy black pearl eyes, they were all genuine. He was talking turkey and there was no way not to-

"C-Can I really _trust_ you?"

"Yes." He brought her face closer than his, never once letting go of her cheeks and brushed his lips over hers lovingly, dearly just like a lover would do, and her heart busted out of her chest.

"No matter how much my father will try to take control over my life, I will allow nothing and no one to take you_ away_ from me. No matter what, I _will_ find a way."

She started to get light headed, the bulbs or ration and control of her mind were slowly shutting down, as the world of senses and quintessence opened up for her to explore.

They were safe into each other's embrace, yet they were in so much trouble.

She openly let tears fall from her eyes, as her hands wrapped around his wrists, not allowing him to remove his hands from her face, getting inspirited by his warmth.

"I missed you like crazy, Sasuke. I don't know how to live without you anymore. I am afraid to be alone again."

"Every single second since you have been gone," Sasuke breathed to her in a way that she never heard before, as she couldn't recognize his voice.

He sounded so broken, so lonely and so much like her that it was scary. He was visibly exhausted, probably not sleeping just like she didn't either. "My mind wouldn't stop thinking about you, Sakura. Where you are, what you do, how will you react in front of all this bullshit they show everywhere and if you ever think of me. One more moment without you and I will have lost my mind entirely, _love_."

"Don't...leave me." She couldn't help it. The moment Sasuke dropped that word of endearment, Sakura threw her hands around his chest, embracing him and burying her face into the crook of his neck as his hands encircled her waist, possessively, placing a suave kiss on the crown of her head. It was her time to plead with him.

"Don't go! I don't want to be alone again! If it's not you...I don't want someone else."

"Say you want me to stay Sakura."

"Stay. Please, Sasuke."

"And say that you trust me."

"You know I do. Even if my mind doubted you, my heart has always trusted you." If only she would have the courage to trust that poor pumping organ more, they wouldn't have been in such a predicament.

For two days she felt worse than being dead, and look at her now, Sakura felt like ready to slide on the rainbow and succumb into a pool of chocolate.

"...say you love me." Sakura would never know but it was such an interesting alien concept to hear those words reverberating through his eardrums, escaping his own mouth, but he knew when a man should be a real man and admit his feelings.

Loving someone, taking care and wanting to protect the one he loved, has _never_ been a weakness.

It was a gift of strength.

It was in that way when all those cliché idioms have come to fruition and unravel their meaning: feelings and bonds –unlike estrangement- made him stronger. It was the only feeling that empowered someone, because it provided a solid reason to want to fight for.

"...**I love you**. You know I do. I have always loved-" Sasuke didn't leave her finish, because the moment her confession flew from her lips and percolated on his skin, his smirk grew wide, almost turning into a full hearted smile and his body acted instinctual, when his finger found its way under her chin and brought her head up for him to kiss her.

And he only pulled apart when the need to breathe has burned their lungs, and Sasuke totally fructified the moment to let his obsidian orbs travel along her body, feeling his mind burn to ashes at the sight presented to him in all its grace.

Sakura was enveloped by a navy blue Chinese silk fine woman yukata, clashing with the porcelain of her skin, creating a breathtaking celestial view of her beauty.

His hand latched to the inside of her toned leg, tracing her thigh as he dragged his warm fingertips up under the folds of her short cloth, to palm the valley between her legs.

She lolled her head back biting her lower lip, moaning when his mouth glued to her long arched neck. She smelled his intoxicating scent and the spicy strong masculine fragrance was reminiscent to the golden autumn rich days in October. The scent of red sweet wine and honey golden apples was intoxicating her like the most forbidden sinfully addicting poisonous venom and she indulged.

He let his moist lips trail her pulse up to her jaw suckling and biting and kissing her skin, while his hand was stroking her pearl glistening erect clit, under the lace thong.

Sakura`s breath became sharp and erratic while Sasuke`s name was softly leaving her quivering lips touching him like lace on trembling sweaty skin.

A firm muscular hand wrapped around her slim waist pressing the curb of her lower spine bringing her flush into his chest and their worlds collided, while their breaths fused in a passionate kiss of pure lust, lips tasting enrapture and tongues playing the symphony of desire, in perfect rhythm and harmony.

Colors were bursting under Sakura's long curly eyelashes while Sasuke's mouth was writing their forbidden love story on her own hot cavern with his slick moist muscular organ rolling and tapping upon her own, changing rhythm, saliva and psassion.

Her fingers wandered through his hair, as she tucked him down to mold their features in harmony, adoring the feel of his wild disheveled rich silk raven hair, similar to the pamper of a rich mane pureblood Yemen horse, running freely towards the velvet blazing crimson dawn bleeding over the hot desert and his low feral growl broken at the back of his throat when she spread her unoccupied small warm palm over his chiseled marble lower abdomen letting it drag down slipping past his waist was reminding her of an imposing lion, roaring with the graceful royal wildness of the king of nature.

Her skin was fire under his lips, she was breathing for dear life, her plump lips were sensually bruised and partly opened, to welcome the much needed oxygen, emerald glass covered shimmering orbs were half opened watching him from behind the long rimmeled eyelashes, like an Egyptian cat standing on a golden sewed cushion beside the pharaoh, sweet crystal dew drops of sweat were slowly rolling along her slim swan neck on the valley between her full plump breasts, rising with every breath she took.

There was something in the out of that world sensuality and lure sexual divine moment that told Sasuke to take it baby steps and do not rush.

Take her _slow_, but hard, letting her feel everything -feel all of him and even more- over and over again until she wouldn't be able to scream his name to Heavens in ecstasy.

He was placing her among the sacred temple of his devotion, where the deepest delicate genuine emotions were kept hidden in the chest of his heart.

A long precise lazy finger came to press on her lips and the beautiful angel took the tip of his digit in between her pearl white teeth, suckling on it with sloppy slow moves like enjoying a candy, suckling on it and that small gesture was pure erotic.

He got instantly hard imagining those lips enfolded around his throbbing member while she would suck him until he saw stars, pleasuring him with that sweet hot mouth of hers. He removed his finger from her mouth, dragging it down her lower lip, throat and chest, sneaking under her kimono and taking the expensive silk material down her shoulder, uncovering a perfectly full round breast.

A perked up cotton looking proud nipple, in the color of timid pink rose, was begging for attention.

Sakura simply stared at the Uchiha before her, dancing on the edge of reality, lust and euphoria, as the sexy raven haired male leaned forward and brought his intoxicating wicked mouth upon her rosy bud, blowing on it and the warm breeze made the soft sensitive of her areola tingle and she shivered.

An eager tongue darted outside to embrace the erect bud, but he was so gentle that his feather like touch was like a cool snowflake dancing in the wind and she went crazy. Sasuke was teasing her but, he did it so well, that she wanted to kill somebody of both pleasure and pain.

His skilled hand was kneading and massaging the inside of her thigh and groins while his lips were planting soft kisses along the side of her breast.

The rhythmic clench of her inner muscles were making Sakura cry out in need. God, she _wanted_ him so bad that it hurt physically, the front of her thong, that did nothing to hide her secret treasure and velvet porcelain skin, was sticking to her soaked dripping core while slick milky nectar was leaking from her body.

She was beyond wet with arousal and the need to feel him firmly planted inside her grew feral. The emerald eyed CIA agent wanted nothing more than to rip off the remaining clothes he wore, pin him down -on the floor, on the coffee table or the sofa, whichever came first- and push her hips on his own until they broke the laws of physics and they got united as one.

Man and woman. Adam and Eve riding their road from Paradise to insanity together. Like primal human beings indulging into the first pure instincts, waltzing on the wings of pure pleasure until their hot skins burned down like flaming charcoals and she would die with him planted inside her as far as he body would take him and even more.

"F-Fuck...me-h." She breathed to him between cat like prolonged soft mewls and she purred into his arms when Sasuke massaged her round firm mound with the palm of his hand, rolling it over her hardened nipple until it stood hard as translucent pearl while his tongue licked her shoulder and collarbone, unaffected by the way she melted like hot caramel into his arms.

She was begging him to take her and he knew she was barely standing, hence her sharp inhales and the fact that her hands went around his neck pressing her nails down his shoulder blades, grazing and leaving red nails marks on his marble skin.

"Touch me." He whispered huskily with his low alto sensual voice, down her ear while his naughty teeth were nibbling her ear shell and she almost jerked because of the electrical jolts shooting through her at the speed of lightening.

Sakura didn't need an invitation because her hands had strings attached to his lips as her eager slim small digits obediently and automatically followed the puppeteer's command, running along the ample planes of his lean perfectly sculpted protruding muscles, feeling his hard inhales and lupine thirsty growls whenever she hit a sensitive spot, feeling his body`s energy infusing her own body, through the fine clothes he wore.

Her mouth -that hung open forming a perfect o because of his ministrations- went dry when she felt those delicious hard rock muscles adorning Sasuke`s body and she wanted nothing more than to lick his Godlike body, every inch of it.

Sakura wasn't even ashamed to ask for it or do it, because that Uchiha was the textbook definition of masculinity, and the mother nature's epitome of seductive virility and rapturous manhood, him being handsome beyond human imagination.

He was just like the marble statue of a Roman deity or the most aesthetic representation of the proud Julius Caesar in the splendor of all his glory.

_Perfection_ was at its apogee with every sharp, line and angle of that man's contour and his silhouette was a maddening combination of slim, slender details and luscious muscles glistening with sweat flowing like a mountain river washing the rocky solitary cliffs passing the bulky muscles of his broad chest and perfectly sculpted eight pack, down to his navel where a defined fibers were coming together in a mouthwatering defined V shape, starting from his strong hip bones.

"Heavens, you are k-killing me." She couldn't think straight, her eyes were sticky and clouded, her judgment was reeling in ecstasy just like her body and she saw stars twinkling before her snapped open jadeite orbs when he unexpectedly pressed his warm palm on her damp core, sneaking under her panties and the skin on skin contact left her breathless. "Oh!"

"How much?" He taunted her in a way so dark and sinful, that tugged on Sakura`s soul, stealing it from Heaven and brining it down to burn.

"I like it the best when you _scream _it." Sakura on the other hand, was being absolutely unable to mutter a single word to him.

The loose silk black belt that was keeping her kimono attached to her body and conceal her modesty, fell sensually along the glass wine of her slim curvy hips, unwrapping the ample folds of her night robe and leaving her naked before Sasuke`s eyes, hanging low on her shoulders.

The only thing that preserved her modesty, was her lace dark lingerie, but it only emphasized the porcelain of her snow white skin, two opposite colors clashing with each other, creating a perfect hymn of innocence and sensuality.

"Your…turn." Sakura`s gleaming emerald eyes became murk and full of need, as her digits interlaced into the hem of his shirt, hauling it off his pants, quickly unzipping every button, revealing the splendid view of his hard carved upper torso.

Her mind was spinning like a windmill, while her hands fastened into the luscious fabric, dragging him down to attach her lips to his own, kissing him hungrily and sloppy.

His hands were meandering along the curves of her body, his fingertips winded like sinuous rivers glistening into the sun, cooling and burning her altogether, touching her passionately and running over her neck, lacing into their hair, massaging her shoulders, dancing along the swell of her breasts, kneading her, then sliding down to her supple stomach, slipping past the elastic of her panties and seeking for the steaming pool within her core, rubbing her with the back of his palm.

"God, Sakura, you have no idea how much I _want _you."

If his touch alone wasn't enough to cause a rupture into her mewling voice, then his hot velvet voice and the promise behind did the trick.

She let her head loll backwards, to rest on the wall behind her, hips following the motion of his digits, as he was tickling her rose petals and the short puff of hair enveloping her lower lips, refraining from sliding inside, on purpose.

Her own hands have covered every fingerbreadth of his chiseled chest and those mouthwatering muscles embellishing his abdomen, fingering his belt, until it went untied. The metallic sound of a zipper yanked down immixed with their ragged breaths and the high temperature escalading into the room. "The feeling is m-mutual, Sasuke…"

Her attitude only made Sasuke smirk more, because even though his thumb and index were torturing her glistening clit, tantalizing it by pressing, rubbing and rolling the bundle of nerves, knowing that it was driving her crazy, but she was still ferocious and in control enough to fist her hands into the waistband of his pants and drag them down to his knees and ankles, while the Uchiha stepped on them, kicking them somewhere in a corner.

Sakura swore she was on the verge of having a standing orgasm, and it was not entirely because Sasuke knew exactly how to touch and where, freely massaging her navel and taunt her hot core, leaving her eager for more, but because the sight of him, being adorned with only a pair of black and navy blue boxers, was so _sexy,_ that it was easily to slip to dementia and delirium.

How was it even possible for a businessman, who was working 25 hours per day and barely had time to breathe or eat or sleep, let alone train, to look like _that_ was transcending Sakura`s humble understanding.

Sasuke was nowhere a bulky type of man, oh heck no! He was that kind of ridiculously tall and athletic type, with a slender delicate, yet sharp and masculine bone structure and long fibers, molding and rippling over his body in all the right angles.

His muscles were deep, hard, strong, defined, precise and sculpted, his entire constitution was slim, but at the same time, it only made him look even more imposing, striking, fast and definitely _powerful._

Everything about that Uchiha Sasuke was masculine and oozed an indescribable irresistible virility that Sakura hasn't found in any man before. There was no curb to refine his body and make him effeminate him. He was cut in only sharp angles, and depicted by precise lines.

And those thighs protruding from under the short boxers he wore were doing funny things to Sakura, because, even though she wasn't adventurous and daring when being intimate to a man, she finding herself on the conservative and romantic type, Sakura couldn't help but feel dirty things fill up her mind to the hilt.

"Enjoying the view, Sakura?" Oh, that totally arrogant and brazen attitude was both annoying and her and turn her on even more.

Whoever thought that Sasuke wasn't being aware of his beauty and sexiness, was one big laughable fool.

That one Uchiha knew exactly _who_ he was, _what_ he was and what_ effect _he had on the others and only used it in his advantage to twist their minds, without them realizing it, playing the game of inception like a pro, skillfully throwing all his weapons into the battle, along with his ager shrewd cunning mind.

_That jerk._

A hot mouthwatering jerk, that was.

"Not more than you." She smirked at him, but it only took Sasuke a nanosecond to back her up against the wall behind –God only knew how they made it to one- and fully slam his body on hers, kissing her breathless, as he rolled his hips on hers, allowing her to feel the sparkles and electricity that their bodies were summoning.

He muffled a loud moan from her, when his hardened protruding bulkiness pressed against her core, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

He was already so ready for her, just as she was ready to welcome him inside her, physically and spiritually.

Surprisingly enough, it was Sakura the one to broke up from their lip lock as her jade eyes dipped down to where her right hand were curling into the elastic of his boxers. "I missed you this morning, Sasuke."

His onyx orbs narrowed for a bit, while trying to understand what was she talking about, since Sakura was nowhere the woman to sputter nonsense, but then they widened for a bit when he quickly caught it.

He cupped her cheeks and placed a kiss on each side of her faint blush, letting his lips trail along her racing pulse, softly and gently, returning the meaning behind.

Somehow, poetically and metaphorically, Sakura has made it sound like those two days during they haven't seen each other, have NEVER happened and they were back to the point of he was just visiting his parents, than come back to sleep beside her awaiting for him form, into his bed ad into his house, not a hotel room and clearing a grave misunderstanding.

Sasuke couldn't agree more. It wasn't like it didn't cross his mind to **erase everything** that physically and not only metaphorically, annoyed the hell out of him during those days, but he knew he couldn't.

_Unfortunately._

"I promise to _make it up_ for my absence." Sasuke breathed against her iridescent warm soft skin, planting showering her chest with kisses, softer than snowflakes. "Take everything you want from me tonight, Sakura."

He meant every single word of it, literarily. The midnight haired Uchiha had absolutely no problem in allowing her to do whatever she wanted.

As long as it was within his power, she shall have it all. Because it was exactly those dreadful days that let Sasuke realize that he might have the world, but it meant_ nothing_ without Sakura.

She would held him accountable for that, Sakura decided in her drunken mind, when she boldly let her palms slide under his boxers and kneed down in front of him, taking them down with her, itching to see _him _in all his splendor and discard the unnecessary barriers between them.

Sasuke swore that he almost lost it completely when, without even attempting to arouse him, during her dripping down to personally help him out of his last remaining clothes, her hot breath fanned over his sprung free from its bindings member, and, for only a moment, he truly thought that she was about to-

She interrupted his dangerous train of thoughts, but she slide up, winding her body like a snake, coiling her hands around his neck, and, bringing herself flush into his chest, she kissed him deeply, biting and licking his thin lips, at the content of her heart.

He would admit, it was even more sensual than what he had on mind. "I know _what_ you want Sasuke, but I can't wait anymore." The tone she used was apologetically, innocent and extremely sexual. How she was able to bind all those personalities in a single soul was beyond Sasuke, but that represented her charm.

"All I want now, Sakura," He hoisted her up, with her back supported by the wall, ankles locked behind his back, dragging her panties along the valley of her thighs, tossing it behind him, aimlessly, as their hips aligned deliciously close together, whispering into her ear.

"Is to be_ inside _you." And filled her in a single fluid motion, both moaning at the sizzling feeling of being one again.

"Sasuke…" Words have been knocked out of her throat, before she had the chance to utter them, the moment Sasuke pulled back just to slam her up to the hilt, until she swore she would fly, if not for his enclosure around her thighs.

"Scream it and plead with me..." He was growling against the opaline lucent skin of her chest and pulse, where he dug his teeth to leave small bite marks and nip on his, leaving her breathless.

"To take you_ harder..."_ To emphasize his point, Sasuke speeded up his pace, muffling her weak mewls of pleasure with his husky dirty words, as she dug her nails into his hair and back, holding tight, enjoying the warmth of his body against and inside her. "Faster and higher."

"Please…f-faster…I need…want…" What exactly, Sakura didn't know, because that moment was something she has fantasized about for the past few days. His electrical touches, the way he slide inside her, the feeling of him joined with her, as one single enamored soul, was just too perfect. He was perfect.

"But I want to give you _more_ than that." He stopped her mindless rambling, when he brought his lips from her erect nipple that was caressing with his tongue, to fan upon her parted lips, words flying from his mouth like butterflies. "I will give you wings to _fly."_

"Fly? W-Where-hmm!" Sakura was barely keeping coherence, he was freely thrusting inside her, sneaking a hand around her waist to bring her further into his promising embrace so as to not let her delicate back slam and rub against the wall and hurt her, while he was maneuvering him firmly inside her, like a beast.

"Back into_ my_ arms." She leaned her head on the junction of his neck and shoulder, inhaling the scent of their love making and his unique spicy scent, which gave her so much comfort, gazing at him through murky fluttering eyelashes, listening and feeling everything. "You are the first and the only one I am giving my _hear_t to, _love."_

For some reasons, lucent tears were pooling within her eyes like pearls, because his words were so candid, so profound and so suave, that she couldn't believe she was hearing them from Sasuke. She couldn't cry, but she couldn't contain all those emotions enraptured into her chest, either. It was _too_ much.

"Never forget it..." He was sneaking into her heart, not only into her womb, where he was so deliciously reaching each time he pierced her deeply, swinging her, until the knot that was constricting the pits of her lower abdomen, as a swift impaling snake, steaming ablaze, immixed with adrenaline, chemistry and blood, exploded in a cosmic iridescent orgasm that sent her through the shooting stars, in Paradise.

"Sasuke!" She embed his name into the silent witnessing walls, on her mind and heart, into her steaming dripping body, while he ingrained his seed into her, finding his own release short after her, while her body was possessively wrapping around him, so as to keep him where he belonged forever, screaming at the top of her longs, mind spinning like a hurricane.

But there was no way that Sakura has missed the soft outspoken words whispered to her, beyond the frenetic electricity that their bodies were creating. Even if her mind and ears were deaf by pleasure, her heart has heard it sound and clear.

" I...have **fallen in love** with you." Sasuke embraced her fully, his palms were wrapped around her back and she pulled her on his chest, taking her into his arms and let them both slide down on the wall, lying on the carpet, still embracing her hovering atop of her, resting on his left knee aware not to knock the wind out of her lungs, but his strong arms never left her much smaller frames, mouths molding together lips trapped in a loving tango, hearts ticking like old pendulums running along the limbs of time to catch up with the present, pumping and ticking and she cried.

She was crying without realizing it, because that was splendid. The moment was too idyllic for her and it transcended every fairytale she has ever envisioned as a little child.

The mind blowing orgasm that washed through her system threw her in the core of a whirling hurricane and she was free falling, she forgot her name, the mission, the year they were in, the color of the sky and the name of the planet Earth, but she didn't forget to spell the three words in between the sweetest most Heavenly butterfly kisses he was giving her: **I love you. **

If he lied, he was the greatest sweetest and cruel pretender. But his heart wasn`t lying and neither were his eyes. Those orbs which have been watching her all the time, have stolen the most amazing gleam from the pure black sapphire and they were twinkling like shooting stars, fulfilling every wishes she threw in the starry night sky.

Sakura has never seen such intense emotion plating into Sasuke's eyes -or any other man before- and he was watching her like a prodigy sculptor admiring his most endearing seductive work of art.

His feelings were candid, pure, they were coming straight from his heart and she swore he stole her breath with how divine he looked like that.

He was washed by an ethereal unusual glow mirroring in the pale soft skin and his sensual raven hair and delicate eyes, in a way only the God's cherubs playing in the Eden Garden could be, he loved her.

There was no trace of mockery in the way he watched her. She froze on the spot watching that picture of him, with him firmly planted inside her, growing hard again trapped in between the pumping muscles of her slick hot passage, bathed in their mixed juices, not even realizing that he hasn't pull back and she couldn't blink or move.

He was too _beautiful_. The emotions he brought were too divine and never would have Sakura imagined how amazing it would feel to hear those words from a man.

A man who loved her. _Her!_ A cold orphan CIA assassin who hasn't even been kissed before meeting him was having Uchiha Sasuke confessing that he loved her and love he did.

"You…love _me_?" It was not only her mouth asking him, it was her eyes.

Jade hues that sparkled with the intensity of billion gleaming gemstones, into the pits of the earth, shimmering with emotions, as he nodded and _smiled_ to her in a way that made her heart burst out in euphoria.

"Yes. I _love _you. This is why I am here. For you. Only for you."

"You are not lying, are you?"

"No." She lifted a hand to brush off some rebel wet locks of his onyx hair away off his eyes, to look into those black pearl orbs she loved so much, and found no hesitation, only emotion in them. They weren't indomitable and cold. They were warm and blitzing.

In her comfortable fulfilling post-orgasmic state, Sakura almost missed him gliding into her again, but she felt his warmth filling her again, like a bird returning to the nest.

She arched her back against him, to take him all inside her, while all her fibers were trembling in delight, eyes fluttering.

"I-I…ahh-l-love you…too, S-sasuke…" She loathed the weak way she confessed to him, again, but it wasn't like she had a choice. The pace that Sasuke has set, was even more breathless than the previous one.

His hips started to move slowly as he led her into a soft waltz, not pounding or thrusting. He was dancing and rolling over her own, like delicate small waves rolling lazily over the calm sea, brushing past the shoreline and she gasped letting out an inaudible ah at the pace he set.

Slowly, he pumped her, his lean deliciously engorged throbbing length was gently penetrating her small core, pushing himself inside her to the hilt filling her while his rosy heart shaped tip was hitting her womb like an arrow, but he was so delicate and his moves were so intense that she couldn't stop sobbing. She was crying of emotion, she was weeping at how _heavenly _it felt whatever he was doing.

He took her right hand into his left one, letting their palms join together intertwining their fingers, holding her tight and placed their hands upon his chest on his maddening thumping heart and he beckoned her to open her eyes and watch him.

And she did. She was lucid, she was living the experience at its fullest she was seeing what was happening and it was too much.

That was the most sacred definition of _making love_ to someone, just like the mother of time has blessed the human beings with the most sacred gift of being united so intimately in a sacred ancient waltz, which was as old as the beginning of history.

" I don't know when exactly you stepped into my heart, but I am going insane without seeing your smile everyday. Don't go. I gave you nothing in return, yet I am selfish. I want you to stay by my side. If there is anything you can take from me, you are free to do so. Just don't walk away again."

He whispered in a way that made her weak. She, Athena of the Sound, the best CIA agent, was weak for him and him only. "I will run from a world without your warm embrace."

The aureate shadows embroidered around the aquamarine jadeite myriad of her irises were twinkling like the fine crystals of luscious sand, bathed into the oasis of the gentle sun rays at dawn. Her skin was brocade under his fingertips and smooth as translucent pearls entombing the rare pearls in the abysses of the sea's core.

She was so exotic, so avant-garde, her sylph ethereal appearance was exotic and esoteric; an arcane fusion of evergreen femineity, solar joviality and intricate ineffable. Sasuke was convinced that she has entombed her cerulean appearance into the sepulture of his chest, waltzing on the limbs of his tickling madly heart in a symphony of undying devotion and yearn.

His finger was lazily twirling strands of her dripping wet cinnamon and honey cafe noir disheveled cashmere hair, lulling her to nest her temples into the grace of his touch, while she was eagerly responding to the grounds of his hips, swaying and rippling along, creating a superb friction between their rocking bodies, unhurried, lazily and very meaningful.

She was enveloping him with her glossy essences, leaking down from her core, making it easy for him to claim her slick abrasive inner passageway, over and over again.

But his gleaming onyx orbs never broke from hers, not even once. He was letting her know that he was fully conscious of their **love making**, the passion and the feelings, _**enjoying **_them, seeking and getting enraptured by them and her, and she did the same, clinging to him and playing into his hair.

That night, she was _his_ and his only. There was no past, no present, no future, no impossible father and no economic crisis. The world consisted in only them. He had her in every ways he could and she let him love her with all the passion he concocted inside him and he was a wild lion.

Somehow, Sasuke managed to collect them from the carpet and bring them both to the king sized bed, which was resting solitarily before the huge window, which was reflecting the moon rays so scintillating and warm, loving her and entering her from all the angles and positions he could think of, and, for the first time in what seemed like ages, Sasuke allowed himself the privilege of not thinking, or reasoning. He was just _feeling._

Feeling her.

Them united as one.

_Us._

They had no boundaries and the only limit was Elysium. The place he kept on showing her whenever she came. Every orgasm sent her skyrocketing to the twinkling stars as she exploded like a supernova colliding.

She kept on milking him like a meteor shower, she cried out his name, she moaned the way he was making her feel, her hoarse guttural broken voice shouted to the skies above that she lost her mind because, and how much she loved him.

He was blind and deaf to anything. Heck, Sasuke didn't even think he could see her anymore, nor did he was aware of what he was doing. He forsaken any lucidity and self-control he possessed, in favor of beatitude, yearning and desire for her.

Sometimes, he would allow them time to catch their breathes, moving inside her unperturbed and slow, then he would get her surged by electric jolts, having a stamina that shocked her, and picked up his pace, fucking her senseless, merciless, hard, raw and with a savage that he only had when smelt the scent of blood on his stained hands, as he killed people.

Cadence heart was swaying like a clock in the caressing limbs of newfound feelings of amour and devotion. His scorching passion was ravaging her insides, his name on her lips and the touch of her fingertips all over his body, was a suave dance for amour.

In the light of the candelabra, her jade eyes grew veiled into the mystifying sensual dance of the moon waltzing on the glassy water surface.

One was the demon maneuvering the shadows nesting within the bottoms of my staggering long forgotten desires, entrapping them into the my abyss of his onyx eyes. The other was the angelic embodiment of my hearts most suave innocent emotion.

The threads of desire lust and carnal yearning have always tugged her on Sasuke's crafty irresistible hands as Sakura`s drunken desire for a man like him satiated from the idyllic image that her imaginative childish mind has depicted.

"_**I am tired of dancing the eternal illusory moons tango. I need a ray of light into my life.**_

_**You don't reflect the light of the sun, you swallow it."**_

Their heartbeats fused into a celestial symphony of ardent embraces of Paradise, breaths spanning upon their enclosing lips and ticking the staccato rhythm of their pulse.

Electricity like trumpets of a choir of cherubs echoed through Sakura's eardrums as a scorching passion made her mind sway in the span of the moment.

Inside the hollow of her chest there were intimate feelings conjuring perfection and the love for him.

Sasuke himself was framed by a savage sheer beauty, evoking the sublime virility of a vigorous man, conjuring husky sinful desires inside Sakura's mind.

Her breath was fluttering wanton desire to palpate the sublime contour of his manhood as his calloused palm slid under her own, fingers laced together as in a sinuous entrapping lustful exotic tango, meant to be danced together, leading her to the path of exploring both her own womanhood and unravel yearn to succumb into her body's dearest endeavors.

The tangible sexual sparkles whirlpooled into the pits of her lower abdomen where unlocked scorching sensations amassed to send tingling jolts of electricity sensually along her lower back, rippling through her every fiber all the way to her curled toes.

He tried to remain unfazed by the nature's most suave display of delicacy but his heart fluttered and soared.

He beautified the nymph Olympian image of her to the most sublime form of grace.

The lucid realization that the cruel life would one day manage to tear him away from her made Sakura's actions grow more frenzied and more carnal. She was wilder, her kisses, her touches and her passion and feelings flew unrestricted from the way she was diving into the infinite thick velvet ink bottomless ocean like orbs of Sasuke, drowning into his equally lupine ministrations.

Her soft throaty moans turned into low feral growls of a hurt lioness and unbeknownst to her, she was throwing coals on Sasuke's smoldering blazing fire urging him to lose tact, finesse, delicacy and precision, and touch her in a way that was leaving her skin tremble in delight, euphoria, beatitude, madness and agony and it was the level of ecstasy escalading to insanity the thing that made her cried break down her throat every time she writhe under him, like Nirvana has taken over her every fiber possessing her mind, body and soul.

The level of pleasure was translated into colliding supernovas and bursting into stardust fire ice and gave life to one single word that sin her lips and that was Sasuke.

She forgot the name of spring, she lost the subtle embrace of the time's flow, she had no other perception of any color of the rainbow, and she emptied her mind of anything besides Sasuke's face and the feel of his touch.

Every harsh fall of his broad slick cheat, each feral guttural growl whenever she kissed him or left deep nail scratchings down his back, or each time she arched her back and rocked her hips against his own were playing the most candid, erotic and sublime melody on her ears and Sakura swore that she has been dematerialized.

If there was such a thing as being high and fly on the sky it was Sasuke who put a pair of wide pristine wings behind her back and made it the angel of his Paradise.

She was floating on Heaven even if the bed they were occupying was burning with untamed flames.

Just like million ancient red and green Chinese dragons with red rubies sparkling in their eyes sockets, puffing their hot breaths over the skies the mattress burned her skin, the pillows were blazing like the sun in July and the silky bed sheets were boiling lava.

Everything was on fire and her mind was on fire too. She felt nothing because the intensity of the ecstasy spread from her core and the boiling puddle under her belly button to her brain, tongue, fingers and toes. It was beyond too much.

What she was feeling was an out body perception and desperation to never let go of the only wielder of her heartstrings and just like a helpless glass doll, she threw her hands around his damp neck, buried her fingers into those incredible cotton like pampering smoldering midnight locks and pulled him down for a maddening unity of their lips, kissing him with a ferocity she was discovering for the first time.

For the man she was supposed to protect. Uchiha Sasuke was the reason why she smiled heartedly for the first time in forever.

His kisses were sloppy, erratic and clumsily, he simply couldn't keep his mouth in one place, he had to taste her, breath her very being, and imprint her taste into his lips, mind, heart and soul, as his very spirit has memorized her imprint and the floral cherry blossom fruity feminine scent, like the paved path that has unfolded before him, the sinner, to Paradise.

Her body was the temple he grew thirsty to explore, his hands skimmed along her sides, sliding above her ribs, ticking her and burning her cashmere skin with the finesse of his fingertips, palms gliding over the swell of her plump supple mounds, making her arch like a swan into his touch, her breath turning blazing like a falling meteor, descending from the sky.

He curled his hand around her shoulders, like a swift serpent, locking her into his arms, her mouth seeking for her shoulders and the column of her pulse, as their intertwined joined hips were rhythmically dancing together, rolling, pounding and mirroring the frenzy of their hearts, he sanctified the nymph image he had on her writing and moaning into his arms, setting her body into an ethereal fire, lighting up all her senses and making her burn like a torch, with the pleasure he infused into her.

Every touch of his calloused palms against her sizzling sweating creamy opaline skin evoked indescribable pleasure, reaching the swell of pure beatitude everytime she felt his lips latch everywhere he could reach, in the same unsaturated manner as his engorged member was spanning along her slick tunnel, filling her up with the very quintessence of euphoria, each time he thursted forward, hitting spots inside her that she could only fantasize about, while her mind was shutting down from that world, to welcome the realm of bliss to awaken inside her.

The traces of her beatitude were fluttering along the rims of her delicate curled long eyelashes, while the color of emerald, shining from under her half shut intoxicated orbs, has been wrapped in a lustrous fog, being swallowed by the pure golden myriads of threads around the ring of her irises.

Her skin was elegant, delicate and lucent like fine polished diamond, and Sasuke swore that the taste of divine peaches nectar has never been so satiating.

He had to cover her entirely with his mark, until no one could differentiate his scent from hers, get united to her in the most primal and intimate way, make her feel the supremacy of his every word and feel his honesty, and have her in ways that no one did before, not in the past, present or future.

That was why, during their frenetic magnetizing dance of bodies and hearts, Sasuke allowed his emerald eyed lover switch positions, having her toned thighs straddle his waist as her body perfectly portrayed the sensual tango of the rippling foamy waves of the sea, above him, riding him ardently and savagely, following the same familiar sexual lustful motion, up and down, bobbling against his erect member, wrapping him in their combined sticky fluids, surging from her clasping core, while her palms span across his abdomen, petting those delicious rippling muscles, imprinting every protruding fiber on her fingertips.

She was his. His and only his. And he would damn right make her realize that she belonged to him and he could only breathe while she was around. Not Ino Yamanaka, not any other woman, no one, but her.

He didn't give a damn about _who_ she really was and who was the person hiding under her mask, because, to him, she would forever be his Sakura, the woman to bring the colors of the rainbow back into his grey sky.

She was the **ray of light** that opened up his eyes to welcome the sun in his life again. And he could feel it in the way Sakura was pressing herself into his arms, like yearning to become even more laced together, assured the Uchiha that she was thinking in the same manner.

In fact, the CIA agent thought she would go insane if she didn't feel him on her mouth and that was the reason why she cupped his face with her quivering hands and forced his lips off the peak of her full breast to bring his head up and slam her lips on his own, moaning and suckling greedily on his succulent lips, like a thirsty man in the dessert.

Kissing Sasuke, all the while their naked bodies were rocking against each other, playing the lullaby of the sensual nocturne fantasy entrapping them into the realm of desire and sheer passion, was the most amazing thing and it brought tears of emotion playing and shimmering at the corners of her eyes.

Sensing the whimpers that oozed off the woman caged into his arms, as her lips were trembling while pulling at his own, Sasuke broke their kiss, furrowing his eyebrows, as he breathed against her face, onyx orbs boring into her viridian incandescent glaze ones, seeing that they were bathing in crystalline tears, which were slowly descending from the rim of her eyelashes, along the outline of her fine cheeks.

"What`s wrong, love?" He couldn't have been too rough and hurt her, was he?

He brought his palms from massaging her shoulder blades, to gently cup her cheeks, while the tip of his thumbs were weeping away her tears as she shook her head, looking deeply into his eyes, while she took him aback with the multitude of emotions that were bathing into her polished shimmering beautiful green eyes.

"N-Nothing I…I am so…so happy." Her voice was a stolen whisper from a bell flower, dancing into the wind, while she let her forehead lean on his own. "I don't know what happens, but I can't stop myself."

He flipped them so as he gently pressed her back against the silk bed sheets, slowly and carefully pressed on her left thigh, to spread her open, aligning himself with her glistening slick core and lowered himself inside her, while his left hand tucked a strand of her chocolate damp hair, behind her ear, pressing his lips against hers, kissing her with the delicacy of a butterfly, letting his lips tap on each of her own lips, massaging and licking her lips with the tip of his tongue.

His gentleness, the emotions he summoned inside her while he behaved like that, the grace of his touch and the meaning behind that delicacy only made her want to cry more. Her tears were flowing untamed as she arched her back, elevating her hips to take him all inside, her leg curling around his waist as her arms stroll from his back, to entangle into his rebel raven hair.

And she kissed him back with the same loving fluttering of his lips, tasting each other slowly, deeply and elegantly, like the first time they kissed, rediscovering the essence of the passion connecting them.

There were meandering bubbles of tingles migrating to the pits of her simmering stomach, her skin was trembling in delight at the feel of his carved valleys and peaks of divine body rippling above her own and her heart was soaring to intangible peaks of Nirvana, bathing into the love he was syphoning her with.

"A-AH!" She curbed like a siren, letting out an explosive erotic prolonged moan, when Sasuke slant inside her slowly, but deeply, changing the angle of his penetration, going further to tantalize a certain sweet spot inside her inner walls, that made every pore in her body jitter in raw bliss and tremble under him.

He connected them like a bridge over the time, conjoining their lives together, forming an intimate beautiful bond, which seemed to have defeated the rules of time and allowed them to come into each other`s worlds, finding solace in each other`s embrace, for once again.

His fingers were combing her hair, massaging her temple, while his lips were brushing over hers, being the dream lover of any woman.

He was soft, and then she realized the reason why she was crying and whimpering under his every touch: it was the way he was truly and beautiful **making love** to her. It was exactly that particular emotion.

That was not just a simple fuck between people who have made their bodies prisoners of lust and physical pleasure, no, it was the calling of two hearts seeking for synchronize of their beats and sing in canon, the same celestial melody, from the beginning of time.

And it was beautiful beyond words. The natural, simple, unadulterated and intimate moment, was showering the peak of sensuality, with unrestrained open ardent emotions.

Words that Sakura couldn't translate into words, were flooding Sasuke`s mind and heart, while they built up trust and love between them, from the very foundation, brick by brick, until they built their own temple of love. "You are so beautiful like this, love. So beautiful." His voice reverberated like the sweetest most musical nocturne symphony, caressing her eardrums.

The way he was moving inside her, like his every lunge against her, rinsed in their essences core were telling a story of their own, like she meant the world to him and he wanted to make sure he ingrained him with his quintessence, the power of his intoxicating kiss and the shimmering look into his silvery-obsidian gleaming diamond orbs, seemed like it was the last night she spent into his arms and that only made her tighten her embrace on him and whisper upon his lips. "This is not the last time…is it?"

And not surprisingly, Sasuke understood what she meant but no, he didn't come there to tell her goodbye because he chose to sway away from her, forever, no, he was not that much of a sadist and a hypocrite. He came there with a single thought in mind: to stay forever.

"Why makes you think like this?"

She let her head lean into his touch, feeling dizzy with everything that Sasuke represented, kissing the inside of his palm.

"You are being so gentle with me." He felt the tears that were embellishing her cheeks imprint on his hand and surprisingly, that moment felt even more intimate to Sasuke, than him sliding inside her passage.

"Sakura, I am not _making love _to you because I plan on leaving you afterwards. I am doing this because I _love _you."

It has been so long since Sasuke said those words to someone –and that person was his mother, but, of course, they were not romantic- and somehow, they rolled naturally and easily off his tongue, and admitting those feelings he had for Sakura was not making Sasuke feel week, on the contrary, he felt **stronger.**

Sakura`s presence was accompanied by a confidence and an invigorating new élan that Sasuke never felt before.

If she was by his side, he was positive and daring into presuming that he could **do everything** and anything, and nothing could be denied to him. She was amazing and so were the warm feelings that were tickling the casket of his chest.

Sakura…she was a soft happy melody that Sasuke would love sing forever. "Tomorrow, when you are going to wake up, you will have me by your side."

His knuckles brushed over the contour of her jaw, as his index was seeping past her lips and he actually smiled to her, a soft small smile that made him even more beautiful than he was.

"I love you, Sasuke."

"I know. This is why I am here. For you." Just like her, Sasuke was barely fighting off the dizziness and tiredness that washed through his system, not conscious of how much time has found them loving each other, but he couldn't brush away the guilt of hurting her like he did. "I am sorry. For hurting you."

"I`m sorry for leaving without giving you the chance to explain. I should have trusted you." Damn you Karin for making her doubt him, ingraining her with stupid nonsensical outrageous untruths.

He smirked at her, somehow trusting her that she won't refuse him, even if the facts were presenting a distorted image of him. "You did trust me, love. You didn't kick me outside like I have deserved." It would have been even more exciting for her to try…

"Wait a sec…how did you find me?" It was only then when it dawned to Sakura that Sasuke has managed to finally come to her, but she didn't see exactly how he did it.

Sasuke didn't know the name she used and he would have never guessed it, simply because he didn't know Orochimaru or her connection to him.

"You have quite interesting _friends_." Had it been in another context, with him not firmly pressing into her, lulling her core into giving up that building tension, rocking her, Sasuke would have laughed at the way her face turned from flushed, sweating and exuberant, to murderous.

At least, she tried to be, because the pout that bloomed on her lips, made him dip down and kiss her shortly. She mewled when he pulled back.

"Rin." Sakura frowned but she was so cute, because she was trying her best not to cry as he moved inside her, tightening her grip of his hair, very bad things running through that tiny portion of her mind –the one which was not engulfed into Sasuke and him alone.

"I will kill her." No kidding, that blabbermouth friend of hers was too much. How dare she give her away to Sasuke?

But then again, it was her the one to bring them _back together_ and allow them to solve the little misunderstanding.

Ok, maybe not dispose of her…just beat her to a bloody pulp.

_Where was that red haired volcanic crazy woman anyways?_

She heard Sasuke chuckle darkly, as he was occupied with planting kisses down her throat and the crevice of her breasts, as she arched against him to give him more space.

"This is what I told her too after she stepped into my office uninvited and she has threatened me back. She is as crazy as the dobe."

No kidding, Sasuke would never admit it out loud, but Karin was scary as fuck. And that coming from him, was saying a lot. "But…she helped me find you, love. So the fact that she nearly broke my office door and cursed me is pardonable, because I know she cares deeply for you." Just like Naruto did for him.

"Mmm…she d-does…" He slide a hand under her ass, squeezing her and carry her closer to the much expecting release, as he speeded up, since the pace was killing him and her altogether. "Sas-uke…"

She saw stars when he piqued a steady faster pace, while his tongue was whirling around a perked up diamond hard nipple, lips taunting and massaging it, suckling like a newborn from her mother`s warmth.

"Hm?"

"Kiss me." She was close, she knew it. The knot tightening into an amassed ball of fire, electricity and adrenaline, was bubbling in effervescence into the pits of her abdomen, and she knew she wouldn't last longer, so she wanted to taste him when she screamed his name against his lips, sending each syllable of ecstasy deep into his mind and heart.

He smiled softly at her –something he found himself doing more and more often in her presence- and breathed against her lips.

"Always." And melted the air between them into a deep soft kiss that broke the darkness inside her heart in shattering pieces of light.

That night she belonged to him and they belonged to each other, to the night and the shining moon above.

The walls were embed with the desperate broken screams, whimpers, growls moans and cries of each other's ecstasy, the floor was burning with the passion of their intense lovemaking, the wooden slats of the bed cracked under their pressure fierce pumps, thrusts and shakes, unable to contain the unleashed display of need and savage want, while their names from their bruised trembling lips filled the emptiness of the luxurious room with the claim of their lover's heart, body and soul.

"Damn…" Sakura wasn't even sure of where she was, because every part of her body was dripping with his fragrance, his taste, his essences, his very soul and she loved every part of it. Even if she was beyond exhausted, feeling every inch of her muscles ache, there was immensurable warmth adding to the touch of fulfillment she felt and it was perfect.

Sasuke, who was barely keeping himself up to shadow her and keep her close, having only his forehead buried into the valley of her breasts, upon her heart, was just as exhausted, and she felt every hot pants fanning over her skin as he inhaled sharply.

She cupped his face with the hands, which she had entangled through his damp rebel locks, and brought it up to look at his face, brushing off the shorter strands of his raven hair, stuck into his obsidian eyes, frowning.

"You look tired." She felt truly sorry for him. Not only had he worried and tortured about her whereabouts, but he has been intently working, never leaving his office. She knew it from Karin`s tracking device.

The bags under his eyes and the pallor of his alabaster skin were solid proofs of that. She ventured into thinking that he hasn't eaten or slept in days, either.

Nonetheless, Sasuke still managed to smirk softly at her, not wanting to dwell on depressing things, since he finally found her, after going crazy counting the hours she has been gone from his life.

"Sleeping on your office desk does that to you." He didn't add the fact that Neji Hyuga`s nocturnal rambles about how he hated everyone –including Sasuke and their common friends- and snorts prevented him from stealing some hours of sleeping, since the desperate idiot has been with him, brainstorming for a genius solution to save the Byakugan. "I wasn't able to find you."

"Did you look for me?" For the past two days he has tried to reach her? Sakura was shocked to hear he did that despite the tons of work he had. She suddenly felt so stupid for making him do that since she knew how worried he was.

"Of course." He nodded once to her, as he pulled back from her, both missing that warmth their conjoined bodies produced, rolling on his side, taking her waist in the process with him, making her lie her back on his chest.

"You used a fake name to hide." Of course she did, he was sure that Sakura wouldn't use her own name –that wasn't even real to begin with- to hide from him. But nonetheless, he was curious.

"Yes."

"Does it mean anything to you?"

She didn't even blink when she muttered to him, while feeling her eyelids start to give off under the heaviness of tiredness, but she was telling him the truth. Papa Oro meant so much to her that it was impossible to Sakura to put it into words just how significant his paternal role in her life was. "A lot. That person is someone I care deeply for."

Sasuke grew really curious as in who that person might be, but he won't be dwelling on that fact right that moment. Sakura was his number one priority and so was the radiating warmth her body produced, engulfing him into her feminine scent and softness, and inviting him into a deep sweet slumber, beside her.

"I`m sorry. I added to your problems."

Sakura entangled their legs together, both exhausted and tried to go on another round, seeing that the moon has sunk in, and the damp morning air was blowing through the half opened window, while Sasuke tucked the blanket over them, as Sakura got comfortable into his chest.

He slipped a hand around her shoulders, brushing his fingertips over her shoulder.

"You are never a problem." He kissed her forehead softly, but the sneaky Sakura has been faster, lifting her chin to catch his lips midway and steal a kiss from him.

"Liar." She yawned and sprawled her hands upon his chest, like a cat, purring and nuzzling into him, letting her eyes close. She was exhausted and so was he, but that time, in a good way, since they have been having sex for hours.

In the brisk first glint of the sunrays of the velvet sunshine, she collapsed onto the embrace of her last boomerang bubbling orgasm, blasting within the core of her pleasure, making all her muscle convulse and her world to shatter in billions irradiating rainbows and stars, falling into slumber, in the secure cocoon of his strong herculean arms and ripped chest.

The words _'i love you'_ were sealed on her content smiling lips, when she tapped them on the column of his throat, falling asleep, with Sasuke gathering her into his arms, joining her in the realm of dreams.

Unbeknownst to her, he unconsciously breathed the very same words to her. Precious words that he kept bestowed within the den of his chest, sprung free for her to learn of their existence.

She didn't need to only heart them. He let her feel their meaning for as long as the night sealed their insane lovemaking over and over again like the chorus of the sweetest midnight symphony.

That was the home in the definition of his ontology. That was the place he would ever return to with the same passion no matter how much time he missed. She was the woman he wanted, no one else, but her. Just her.

And Hell might swallow him first, before Sasuke would let her go away from him. Why let the nightingale spread free from its golden cage, when the bars were the very barriers of his own heart? Why spread her wings when liberty and fulfillment where beside the captor of her voice and the wielder of her heart?

.

.

.

* * *

**::Japan, Tokyo, random Love Hotel::**

* * *

Red wine orbs squeezed and fluttered, while a throaty groan escaped her lips, as the first rays of morning sun were blazing through the window of the living room. _Karin _felt like she has been hit by a speeding truck, all her muscles were sore, she felt stingy down _there_, her temples were pounding and her throat was dry and burning her.

"…_per l'amor di Dio..."_ she mumbled in Italian, speaking more gibberish than Italian while she got up but couldn't because something was keeping her down.

She looked at the hand curled around her waist. _Suigetsu_ was having his head buried into her right breast and she rolled her eyes at him.

"What a major pervert." She kicked his leg not so gently, trying to have him stir. "Oi! Wake up, you snorting shark faced idiot!"

She kicked him again harder, while his amethyst orbs unglued as his grip around her waist tightened bringing her down.

"Hmnnnttoo…early…scream….stop." She rolled her eyes again at him, trying to pry his hand off her with no success.

"Suigetsu, I am going to stab you with something if you don't let me go." The worst part was that both knew she wasn't joking.

"Whatever happened to _shark boy_?" Karin turned to look at him. He was half awake and had that stupid mischievous –ridiculously sexy- grin and those eyes…gleaming, lusting, luscious and lavender aquamarine…Karin gulped once, feeling her mouth going dry. That was never a good sign.

"Get your ass up, I want to get a damn shower."

"Why in such a hurry?"

"I smell." She sniffled and crunched her nose in disgust. "And you reek like dead fish."

"Am I really now?" Suigetsu`s smirk grew wider, taking her all in as her opaline skin was shimmering into the morning light, not wasting time in rolling over and went above her pinning her hands down when she attempted to punch his face.

"So early in the morning, yet so violent." He taunted, pressing his equally naked body into her own, fanning over her lips. "You know I like it when you play hard to get."

He dropped the tip of his nose on hers and he actually managed to make her blush a little! There was just s_omething_ about him…

She hissed in his face like a Python, firmly holding his stare. "You have three seconds to get off, you Moby Dick doppelganger, before I kick you in places that you will surely miss and make you one inch shorter."

"C`mon now, _bella_, we know that this is_ hardly_ the case." Suigetsu yanked the blanket between them slamming his hips into her own and let her feel him. Damn, he was already so hard and rubbing on her.

Not good. Definitely not good at all. "I didn't hear you complain when you were screaming me to take you hard or screaming my name as you came. How many times?" he rubbed his chin, aquamarine lavender orbs glancing sideways, faked like he was deep in thoughts. "Seven? Eight? Nine-"

Karin promptly leaned forward and thrust her forehead down his nose as he instinctively gripped his nose and she used the chance to swap positions and roll over, escaping from his clutch.

"I warned you, shark boy!" She bolted to the shower, giggling like a school girl and speeding down the hall of their hotel room, auburn untangled locks fluttering behind her naked back, brushing past her crevice of her toned ass.

However, before she had the chance to shut the door behind, Suigetsu was fast on her heel, sliding inside, slamming it shut and locking it.

"Hey, what are you-" Wine eyes widened in horror as Suigetsu locked the door and threw the key outside on the small round opened window.

"You demented shark faced asshole, you have just _locked _us in here, you maggot!" She hollered to him, as her wine orbs narrowed into slits, looking at the tiny window, taunting her as the metallic click of the key falling on the balcony rung through her eardrums.

He on the other hand, had a wicked smirk and predatory cut the distance, grabbing both her hands, turning her around and bending her over the sink, keeping her hands pinned on her back, on a grip he used to immobilize drug dealers or armed criminals.

"Good. Now you have one hell of an excuse to stop pretending to hate me and run. Not that I wouldn't find it sexy."

Suigetsu growled into her ear as he rubbed his engorged member against her ass, while he used his knee to part her legs, making Karin tremble in anticipation with the things he would soon do to her.

And mind telling you, Suigetsu was unleashed in the bed, having no pardon, shame or restrain.

She thanked her CIA training and high flexibility, because either ways, Karin was sure that, by the ways he bent her the night before, while he fucked her merciless, she wouldn't be able to walk without a cane.

She only smirked feeling hers leg growing more aroused at his attitude. That was crazy and new, she didn't stay with a man to sleep and definitely she was out in the morning but Suigetsu was…something else. "I have to text Cherry and tell her not to _worry _about me."

He briefly frowned at her choice of words, but realized that Cherry was Sakura. Inwardly, Suigetsu found their friendship between girls cute for two ruthless Sound assassins. "That…you don't know yet."

He licked her spine and nape, finding that sensitive spot behind her shoulder blades as she tried to arch against him, but he kept her straddled down on the sink, cursing the fact that he didn't have anything at his disposal to tie her hands.

"Mnnn…shark boy…" She mewled when his wicked tongue rolled over her nape, descending down the column of her shoulders, nipping and biting her soft skin. She had a natural vanilla and caramel scent that drove Suigetsu insane.

"That`s more like it, but you know when you are the sexiest,_ bella_? When you _scream _it."

Not wasting time, he impaled himself inside her, making her break a scream, thrusting into her already aroused sipping core, ramming inside her passageway, hard, fast and ruthlessly, filling her up to the hilt. She had to bit her lip to stop screaming, but failing miserably.

"Fuck…you!" She cursed him between her moans as he only smirked, dipping his head down to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples, riding her hard against the bathtub, as he licked her throat and ear`s hell.

"Yeah, this is exactly what we are going to do, love…for the next few hours." The fact that they were locked inside and the hot steam from the shower was adding to their arousal.

Getting out wasn't to be a problem for a CIA and an Interpol agent, and maybe that was the reason why they found himself probing every single inch of the bathroom and satiate their growing thirst for each other, not giving a damn about anything else, but their locked slick mouths and their interlaced hips.

.

.

.

* * *

**::Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo, Sakura`s Suite::**

* * *

Sakura waked up with a familiar musk ocean strong masculine scent filling her nostrils and, unlike the past two days, she smiled widely at the warmth enveloping her.

For a moment…just a moment…her heart got scared that it would have been all a cruel humorless joke and a sweet dream that would perish with the first rays of the morning.

But that voice she adored so much, was definitely as real as his hard rock naked body pressed against her. "Morning." She squealed to him and she wanted to slap herself at how she sounded, but that only amused Sasuke more and made him chuckle.

Sasuke had one hand curled around her shoulders, keeping her on his chest, while the other was holding some files he was keeping close to his onyx eyes. "Not quite, but you are close." He was probably studying the latest company related business.

"What`s the time?"

"11: 25 a.m. Hungry?"

A deep rumble of her stomach and a blush, she buried her face under the blanket, getting lower to rest her head on his hard rock abdomen, making him chuckle.

She was tickling him with her hair - a funny thing she discovered in between the lines. "We should go down and eat. Then we can leave this place."

She popped from under the blanket grinning down at him, finding the prospect really inviting. "Where are we going?"

"Okinawa." He simply told her. "My grandparents live in _Miyako_ Island. You will just love those beaches."

It was probably the double meaning behind his words and the small wicked smirk growing on his delicious lips the ones to sprawl a cute blush of red roses upon her cheeks, making her smile like an idiot.

Vaguely, Sakura wondered why would he want them to get there but she didn't care. As long as she was with him, they could go to the North Pole or the Jungle. "Are we starring in Blue Lagoon?"

He placed the files on the nightstand, sneaking his hands around her waist, pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. "You just say the name of the island, then I will buy it and we can live like shipwrecked people, without technology, till the end of our days."

"We`ll die of an infection in less than a month. Those movies are hardly realistic, but nice try."

The jade eyed woman rolled over her tummy, shivering as the cold air hit her naked skin, heading to the wardrobe, not bothering to hide from him.

Sasuke has already seen everything she had to conceal, minus her CIA identity, so why bother? She didn't feel as shy as before anymore, because he has given her a confidence in her womanhood like Sakura never had. "Should we call for room service?"

"No." But Hell might swallow her first, before she gave up the mouthwatering view she had, when she briefly turned around too looked at his toned naked ass, as he slide the pants over his toned legs.

"This hotel`s** Casino** restaurant has the best beef steak in Japan. We should give it a try."

Sasuke had absolutely zero idea of the reason why Sakura had an indecipherable expression on her face. Then she let her back loll backwards, as she burst out laughing. "You`re crazy, you know that?"

Sakura couldn't wait to pop in there again, after yesterday`s stunt, but that time, dressed flawlessly and in the company of Uchiha Sasuke, who has just hit the headlines with his latest scandal involving a rich model woman.

"So? When does our plane take off?"

"Who said something about _planes_?" The sexy Uchiha turned around to face her, buttoning up his shirt, as she couldn't help but stare at his chest.

Damn, Armani never looked better on someone that it fit on every peak and aperture of his ripped body.

He quickly dials a number on his phone, all the while smirking knowingly at the way her emerald orbs drooled over his body, lust present all over around the golden crown around her irises. "Juugo. I want the _helicopter_ to be at Imperial Hotel Tokyo in an hour."

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. Leave it to Sasuke to act like a total…Uchiha. High class to the end. "I assume you don't want to have dinner naked, though I know I wouldn't mind, but I would be troubled by the other men who would stare at what is mine."

"Yeah, well it`s your fault for distracting me." Sakura threw back to his possessive –she loved **loved loved** it- retort, dipping down to knee before her shopping bags, digging into them. She didn't have time to unpack. Karin was like a fortune teller for taking her to a round of raiding fancy shops.

The emerald eyed Sound agent quickly embellished her naked glorious siren curves with a silk long bright red skirt and a matching cute feminine chiffon white blouse, decorated with a red ribbon, fancily cupping her ghost of a tantalizing cleavage.

She combed her bob hair which started to grow and brush over her shoulders and tucked her left part around her ear, the other falling on her temple, in a sexy elegant way.

And of course, a pair of _Jimmy Choo`s_ high heels molded perfectly around her feet, complementing the killer luxurious and refined image of her breathtaking _killer_ view. So much for the tramp undercover, welcome the stylish filthy_ rich_ Athena of the Sound. Sasuke kept his eyes on her all the time and Sakura felt extremely proud for catching him openly ogle her, like she did to him seconds ago.

"See something you like?" She winked at him, while applying light pink pastel lipstick. The Uchiha was fast to cut the distance between them, coming to rest inches away from her, slowly encircling her petite waist, clashing her into his chest and kissed her hard and passionate, tasting the peaches lipstick she was busy applying, making her moan into his kiss.

"You were watching me as well."

"You were imagining it."

"Shall we go?" She nodded eagerly to him, as she took the access card out of her purse, to lock the door behind them, quickly curling her hand around his bent arm, strolling to the to the elevator.

She couldn't believe what was happening, being positive that she was still dreaming. Yesterday, Sakura has been complaining to Karin about Sasuke, and there she was, walking hand in hand with _him._

There was no one inside the stuffed space when they walked in, but on the next floor, the elevator stopped to adjust the three men who stepped inside, while Sakura felt her mind explode.

"Mr. Uchiha, what a surprise!" The most prominent corpulent man greeted the Uchiha beside her, clearly not seeing the much smaller once rose haired woman and she was thankful he didn't.

"Mr. Nishiko." The Uchiha flatly saluted back, clearly not enjoying that man`s company too much, having his indomitable steel façade already dragged when in the public`s eyes, demanding respect and restraint from the others.

_And fear!_

That thought alone made Sakura laugh inside like her crazy bat shit insane friends Hidan and Anko, because she knew that people were scared shitless of Sasuke.

"Did you see the latest financial news about the sudden drop in the electronic-" He stopped ranting as the doors were closing with a click and it was too late to get off when his eyes landed on Sakura.

He was the man she _punched _when she went to the Casino to drink her liver into oblivion…accompanied by bodyguards, who both had bruises and stiches attached to their gasping stupid faces and he looked like he had problems breathing and standing. Of course, some broken ribs could do that for ya...

All stuffed into that tiny place with no escape route. No one talked for a good three seconds. Sasuke rose an eyebrow at Sakura, looking at the man whose stare froze on her –a stupid business partner an unimportant one- and his bodyguards…_ogling _Sakura.

He felt the need to punch their faces so hard, that they would be made human posters to decorate each side of the elevator, for their sin.

"Y-You?"

"You." Sakura simply stated, at the same time, but she was steady and unfaltering, unlike the sweating pig, who looked like on the verge of peeing on his pants.

It was pretty bad that he had to withstand the overwhelming presence of Sasuke Uchiha in such a tiny space, but he was accompanied –what the freaking HELL?!- by a killer ninja woman, who could slit their throats in a heartbeat and she was…smirking knowingly at him.

He gulped once and his bodyguards coughed awkwardly.

"Ahm…" he started to sweat seeing how she pressed into the Uchiha before him, while he curled a hand around her shoulders, silently letting them know that she was_ his_ company.

"A-Are y-you t-t-t-toghethe-" he asked the Uchiha before him, but the stare he got from Sasuke was enough to make him swallow his words and spit. Damn was that ride TOO slow for his liking. His bodyguards were scurrying on the farthest corner of the lift, far far _far_ away from Sakura and her punches.

"Are you not feeling good,_ Sir_?" Sakura faked a cat like purring worried tone, while on the inside she was laughing like a demented woman. "I think there is_ something_ on your upper lip. Is that a bruise?"

She remembered clearly kicking him there and she had so much fun when remembering the scene, minus the reason behind it. He had a stich on his nose, that, although it was transparent, it was still clearly visible.

"_Car _accident, maybe?" She mocked him while he sweat dropped, tugging on the collar of his white shirt, awkwardly, clearly bothered.

Sasuke remained silent all the times and confused as in why Sakura knew his business partners, but he knew that Sakura would fill him in pretty soon.

Somehow, he enjoyed and felt prideful at how Sakura managed to make three men, which were all shadowing her with their weight and height, scurry like rats.

"…" The man didn't know what to say, or how to react, he wanted to sue her for being violent and harming them, but seeing how she was accompanied by_ Uchiha _Sasuke from all the people….words froze on his lips, along with all his plans to make her pay for meddling with him. He mumbled some gibberish, but no one actually managed to make out what the heck was he saying, though he was funny to see.

"I-I…y-you…yesterday…" as he was busy fluttering his finger in her direction, he got those nasty vibes from Sasuke, clearly sending him one precise message: _'Mess with my woman and you will soon be begging for dead to come and pick you up faster.'_

He tucked on the collar of his shirt and when the ride stopped, he was the first to scurry outside, mumbling a _"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Uchiha"_ and vanished from their sight of view.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked Sakura, as they made their way through the hall, into the direction of the Casino Restaurant, getting heads whipped their way, clearly everybody finding out about that scandal with him and Ino and now he was being seen with _another _woman, which was even more stunning than the blonde.

"Let`s just say that I got a little…angry at you and that blonde chick," the tone of her voice assured Sasuke that she had a breakdown and he knew she was being depressive. His heart pang suddenly and his chest clasped painfully.

"and I went to drink something to the Casino`s bar. This duded that seems to know you simply tried to hook me up and flirted with me, but I didn't give him attention. He tried to feel me up under the dress and I…kind of_ kicked_ his sorry ass and beat up his bodyguards, when they tried to restrain me."

Sasuke snorted at that, totally imagining the scene, although it was nothing funny. "I think he wants to sue me, but got scared of you."

They made it to the entrance and the face of the guard who recognized the CIA agent from yesterday in the company of Sasuke gasped at them and froze. Sasuke glared at him, while Sakura gave him a small innocent –knowing suggestive- smile.

"What are you waiting for? Open this door." Sasuke growled at him while said man trembled and threw the door open.

"Thank you." She sang to him and Sasuke caught that fake taunting gesture too, creeping a fine eyebrow up at her. Just what the hell has Sakura do in those two days to get every single person in that hotel scared of her shitless?

"Hn. He is just a wannabe businessman, with no brain and a lot of money he got from having most of his stocks invested in Nano-technology and medical equipment. Do I want to know about the guard?"

"Let`s just say that Rin and I have been here yesterday and they demanded dress code." Sasuke could picture this and both snorted and she giggled at that.

The Uchiha has seen Karin and he imagined that Sakura wasn't at her finest there, either. They took the farthest table at the first floor and Sasuke took the lead into ordering for them, like a real gentleman, even before the menus have been placed on their tables.

The waiter answered him in Japanese, saying his name after bowing once, disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

"Do you come here often?" Sakura inquired, as she let her stare drool to the sexy man before her, not bothered to look around and see the whispering and gossiping people. It was bad enough that she could hear them.

Ah, the need to kill something was growing feral into her assassin blood, that she had to keep on a leash and not expose her identity.

Sasuke simply shrugged, leaning further into the chair, like he owned the place, totally unfazed by the others around, focusing on the charming woman before his onyx eyes.

"Most of the international business related meetings and receptions are held in here." Meaning that he was a regular, but that was understandable. Sasuke was a millionaire, so it was only normal that he would fancy such exclusive places.

"Show off." She taunted, while seeping from the wine that was placed on their table, by a pretty young blonde waiter, enjoying the sweetness of the beverage. Liquor was so delicious when tasting in such a perfect context….and quantity.

"I do not intend to evoke unpleasant memories, because I know that what I did was unpardonable," Sasuke across her started and she got surprised by his remorseful serious tone. "But what is the deal with your friend?"

Sakura laughed softly at that one. Of course he would ask her about Karin, but judging about her totally distinctive, unique and blazing personality, who wouldn't?

"I called her after I checked myself in here and she took the first plane to Tokyo. Next thing I know, she is at my door, banging and dragging me to shopping."

In a way, because, first, she had to help her get a hold of herself and fight the killing hangover, but Sasuke didn't need to know that. He was probably imagining it anyways.

Sasuke found that information to be a little bit suspicious because of the great distance from Italy to Japan, and his sharp mind did few quick simple sums, taking into the account the time zone and adding it to the fact that he knew most of the planes` schedules, since he travelled a lot, but brushed it off for the moment, because he didn't want to ruin the moment with his paranoia and overanalyzing personality.

"She is an Uzumaki. Is she related to the _dobe_?" The food came to them and both shut up so as to not give anything away to the waiters to gossip about, letting the tasty aroma fill their hungry nostrils.

"Yes, they are_ cousins_. But truth to be told, Rin doesn't get along with the rest of the family." Sakura took a bit of the beef and Sasuke was right, it was mouthwatering. She went on, not wanting to hide from him anymore.

"She is also an orphan, but instead of helping her, her relatives turned their back on her, took away most of her fortune and the only one to offer her a hand, was Naruto-kun`s mother, Kushina."

Involuntarily, she told Sasuke more than he had to know, but she couldn't take it back. The look in his eyes let her know that he did the right math: Sakura knew Naruto beforehand, or at least, she was acquainted to the Uzumaki family, hence the fact that she got to him wasn't just a fortunate coincidence, but it wasn't the place to inquire.

Truth to be told, Sakura was getting fed up with the net of lies around them and as soon as her mission was over, she has made up her mind last night when Sasuke confessed he loved her: she would tell him the truth.

All of it, starting with her real identity. If he was willing to accept her tainted past, then he wouldn't have any problems in accepting her as a CIA agent. It was not like she was a commoner selling donuts in front of Elementary schools.

She was someone who had a prodigious career–minus the assassination missions- just like him, was also rich and belonged into the same social circle as him, being, in a nutshell, _fitted _to be his girlfriend.

"So, you and the idiot knew each other from before."

"Actually, no." God, it was a lie, but not entirely. When she befriended Karin she didn't know any of the Akatsuki members, so from that point of view, she wasn't lying to him.

"She hardly speaks about them. To put it simply, she hates the Uzumaki family and cut all the connections. She doesn't like to talk about that, either."

Explains why she ignored Naruto entirely when she stomped into his office room, but still supported her friend. That woman was _amazing._

And _Suigetsu`s_ type, Sasuke mentally smirked. He wondered what would happen if they met, though knowing their personalities…

"That is quite the story. Dobe never told me he had a cousin, either."

"He doesn't hate her like she does and Mrs. Kushina Uzumaki tends to call her on holidays and her birthdays to check on her. She even flied to Italy a few times to see her and invite her to come and live with the rest of the family. Naruto-kun tried to get close to her many times before, but she pushed them all aside, though she is polite with her aunt, because she is honest and didn't try to steal from her or trick her."

"So? Where is she now?" He meant she wasn't living with her so he supposed she stayed at Naruto`s place.

"Frankly, I have no idea. She was supposed to come back to the hotel, but I see she didn't. I sent her a message, but I got no reply." And that started to worry her. Where in the name of Lord was Karin?!

A waiter came to their table bowed to Sakura and both she and Sasuke looked up. "Excuse me, Miss…Cherry Finelli Montesi – Olivero?" Sasuke shot an eyebrow up, looking at Sakura, who in turn, smiled softly to the woman before her and nodded once.

"Yes."

"There is a telegram for you." The woman gave her a white envelope with a magenta line on it, placing it on Sakura`s hand.

"A telegram…for _me_?" There was a cold chilling sensation bubbling into the pits of her stomach that Sakura simply couldn't brush off, when her hands touched the inanimate light object. "From _who_?"

Her eyebrows drew together ever so softly, but she tried to play it cool and be naturally surprised, not naturally inquisitive and edgy.

"I am afraid I do not know, Miss. Someone has left it to the reception earlier and I have been instructed to deliver it to the owner, which would be you, Miss. If you will excuse me..." She bowed again and left the surprised pair to look at the telegram.

"Strange." Sakura mumbled and a sudden queasiness in her chest rose inside her. She got a bad feeling like a premonition about that, studying the telegram. No name, no address, only her name written in a handwriting she didn't recognize.

"Your friend?" Sasuke inquired as he intently studied Sakura`s reaction like a hawk.

"I don't know." She opened it up and pulled the small note up, slowly, dragging it up to let her eyes travel on what was written inside. She has tapped it trying to feel if anything suspicious, but she was discrete so Sasuke won't notice. But when her jade orbs sucked every single word written on the luscious white paper, the CIA agent fought the urge to slam it on the table and march towards the reception and promptly murder a certain someone, having the wind knocked out of her lungs, as the words were making her brain`s wheels crack and gyrate.

_**~ Enjoy yourself while you still can, but know that we are watching you both, Athena of the Sound. P. E. I. N ~**_

PEIN…Lorane`s freaking leader! She felt suffocated and suddenly she couldn't help but wonder whether the food was poisoned. "Is everything all right?" Sasuke asked mildly surprised by her attitude, but she shook her head taking her phone out, forcing out a smile.

"Yes, it is…_Karin._ She thinks she is being funny, by playing hide-and-seek and make me worried." She looked at him apologetically, and he bought it because she was honest, but not because of Karin. Her FEAR was sincere. Pein…was somewhere near and _watching _them!

"About us…" she tapped intently on the screen, as she sharpened her senses, because her intuition has never wronged her. Something was off, she just knew it, felt it, tasted it and heard it. "I will send her a message and tell her I am eating and I cannot come to pay her back…yet. Excuse me."

"Take your time." Sasuke on the other hand didn't buy it like she thought he did, and his onyx orbs quickly scanned the surroundings. Something was off. They were being _watched _and probably targeted.

Obsidian orbs narrowed to a small _gleam_ he caught on the window somewhere in the distance, refracting into his crystal glass, as he casually –faking it- bought it to his lips, sipping from it, senses high alert.

'_**Rin, I need help, Lorane is somewhere close. I got a message from Pein and they threated Sasuke and I. We are flying to Miyako Island. Check the CCTV and find out who delivered this message. HURRY! Tell Akatsuki as well. Cherry.' **_

Her heart was pumping like a drum, every bell into her brain was on high alert, Pein was there, the leader of the Lorane himself has personally threatened her into killing them both, she had to do something, they had to get out of the-

**BAM!**

"AAAAHHHHH!" The huge windows glasses shattered in billions of pieces as a rain of bullets pierced through them. Somebody was _shooting _inside, using an automatic rifle!

It took Sasuke and Sakura a heartbeat to jump off their chairs and fly down the floor and under the table, as a coverture of bullets enveloped the inside of the restaurant.

All the customers were screaming and hollering, and a waiter has been killed while he was serving a duck stew, flying onto the table, blood surging from his chest. An older woman fainted; there was a pregnant one who was screaming for help, while her husband was sheltering her.

"Sasuke, this is bad, we have to get out of he-" She was already pressed the CIA`s emergency button, spreading the signal to Akatsuki and the Sound, knowing that they would immediately interfere.

She was at loss of what to do, Pein did it on purpose to force her to expose her identity and take his agents down –she hardly believed that he would personally come- and if she shown Sasuke who she was in that moment, the shock would separate them, make them lose focus and get emotional and easily to be killed.

Her hand was on her thigh, where she had the Bo Staff concealed and she also had a gun into her purse, but that was resting on the fucking table. Before she debated what to do, Sasuke has staggered her once again, placing his hand above her own, preventing her from taking away her own gun. What was going on? Lorane_ didn't _use firearms, so logically, Pein shouldn't either.

"Hold me tight and don't let go."

"Wha-" Next thing she knew, Sasuke rose from under the table pulling her up with him and, into the maze of bullets he sprinted to a side wall that was closer to them. She didn't even had time to blink. "Wait!"

Then she saw it. A man dressed entirely in a leather black lacquerer and silver assassin attire, had a gun –Akatsuki`s type of guns- pointed towards _her_ head.

In the span of those milliseconds, her widened emerald orbs saw everything: the gleam of the gun pointing to her forehead, the way his finger pulled the trigger, the curbed trajectory of the bullet, aimed at her head, the lucent menacing crimson flicker of the Death`s eye, when she saw her life slipping past her fingers-

Her heart frozen and stopped beating for a moment. For a moment…she heard the gun discharge.

Stopping abruptly and making Sasuke halt and jerk as well.

She held in her breath-

_**BAM!**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**BAM!**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Emerald orbs widened in shock as a bullet impaled into the masked _men`s _forehead and another went into his shoulder, where she knew that his bulletproof vest wouldn't protect him, sending him flying through the window, in the yard of the hotel.

_Dead._

She whirled her head around to look at _Sasuke,_ but he wasn't facing her. She looked in absolute horror as his perfectly stretched free left hand was gripping a _handgun _–where did that come from- firing two _bullets_ at Lorane`s assassin, killing him without blinking, _perfectly _aiming in places that any respectable _agent_ knew would instantly impale, but was absolutely difficult to aim that good.

His onyx orbs were set and blazing more than the arm, his stance was lean and sharp, ready to strike anytime, he…

_Has SAVED her life! _

"Come." Abruptly, he tucked her wrist and pulled her with him to a smaller door, behind a curtain that she hasn't observed. It wrote _'kitchen'_ in golden letter.

Without further notice, he slammed the door open and dragged her with him, running and slipping past the scared cooks, who were all scurrying under the table, no one paying attention to them.

"Where are we going?" She asked, already cursing her heels for preventing her to run. She was the damn CIA agent and Sasuke was the one to save her? What in the world was going on in there? How did Pein find her? How did he know the name she gave-

_Eyes widened in realization. __Shit!_

Her phone was beeping, but she couldn't risk and answer. It was probably Karin or the Akatsuki, she only tapped the screen two times, which was a secret code to _'I can't speak'_ for them to understand. The phone stopped buzzing.

Without turning to her, Sasuke informed her. "The rooftop."

"Why there? Sasuke, if there is someone in here that wants to kill us, we should find a way out of here. We are going to be cornered if we run to the roof-"

"My helicopter is already there."

_Perfect timing!_

Did he plan all of that? Sakura felt her mind explode. What in the name of Lord was happening in there? She could already hear the alarms ringing and the electricity went off. "Shit!"

At least, the lack of electricity would make it difficult for them to shoot in the darkness, and Akatsuki`s riffles, which were having X ray sensors and could aim accurately incomplete blackout, were_ too_ big to be used in such narrow spaces like spiral stairs, because they were harder to maneuver.

"Keep running." Sasuke bad her, gently but firmly as they were ascending to the stairs. She did. They were flying. Then she felt a sudden shift into the air and the hair on her nape stood erect, all the assassin senses running high alert.

Without further notice, she yanked her hand out of Sasuke`s one as she let reflexes take control over her moves and she whirled around, balancing on her front leg, the one which was already stepping on the next stair and landed a strong fast kick, thrusting her heel straight into the mysterious man that snuck behind her back, aiming for his neck, breaking his windpipe and sending him rolling on the stairs. She also blasted a punch, gaining momentum and force by pushing her hip forward, catching him in mid flying, without allowing him the chance to land any kick on her. "_Shannaro!"_

Then she felt another one trying to jump on the railing, and she caught the gleam and the metallic sound of a dragged short sharp sword, but Sakura was faster than him, because she slipped a hand under her skirt, which was split on her leg, dragged a concealed kunai and threw it accurately on his chest, hearing his muffled scream and his body falling down, crashing on the floor. The sinister sound of bones smashing on the marble whirled into their ears.

"Sakura!" Sasuke`s rich voice blasted through her ears, while his hand was seeking for her own in the darkness, and she immediately grasped his fingers, intertwining their hands, holding him tight and darting upstairs.

"I`m fine, let`s go!" Sakura thanked all the Heavens for whoever cut down the electricity, because Sasuke hasn't seen her pulling ninja object from under her clothes and kill assassins. THAT, would have been quite the scene to explain to him and come up with a plausible explanation.

They run up until Sasuke kicked the door open, squeezing their eyes shut when the wind and the sun blinded them for a moment. "Fuck!"

The sound of whirling helicopter rotor blades was piercing the air around and was deafening. They run to it while looking all around to make sure that no one followed them and_ jumped_ inside the helicopter. "Go!" Sasuke barked at the pilot, who took off immediately, not even stopping the engine.

Sakura had her heart spinning like the propellers of the taking off machine. She almost lost her life –again- because she knew that they weren't targeting _Sasuke_. They wanted **HER **dead. And that made her understand a thing: Lorane never _truly_ aimed to kill Sasuke.

Karin`s words came bouncing down her head: _what if Sasuke__ works __for the Lorane?_

She could see the amassed police cars in surrounding the hotel. The _Interpol _cars. Suigetsu. They moved fast, she got to hand it to him. Sasuke`s voice has brought her out of her stupor.

He slipped a hand under her chin and made her turn her head over her shoulder and face him as he fisted his hands into her hair, cupping her jaw, obsidian orbs clashing with surprised emerald.

"Sakura, I am going to ask you this one time, please be honest with me."

She blinked once, foreseeing what he would have to ask, but she was just as confused as in why the heck was he so…so not panicked or fazed about what has just happened, like any other NORMAL man would have been in his place?!

_How did he know what to do?_ Was his sudden trip something spontaneous? Was it something he had planned beforehand because he knew there were people wanting to kill him? "Sasuke-"

"You now have the evidence that staying by my side is not a _safe_ place to be. There are people out there who want me _dead _and you have seen what they are capable off." Like that wasn't obvious.

So Sasuke knew that he was being targeted, she knew he did, judging by his past actions and suddenly, the scene and her suspicion with the people who robbed him by the writings on his wall, being killed by him, came ricocheting back to her.

Those eyes…his beautiful eyes…

…Were deceiving.

"I must know, Sakura. Do you _still _want to be with _me,_ yes or no? I am giving you the opportunity to _leave._ I can tell the pilot to take you anywhere, even back to Italy, if your desires are so. I don't care about whatever might happen to me, but if something happens to _you,_ then I will never forgive myself for that."

Seeing that his lips were parted and her emerald orbs were taking in the lustrous gleam into his silver iridescent irises, she got drown.

The reason why she wasn't answering was because she was busy seeking for answers that were torturing her, into his eyes.

"Answer me. Will you stay, or leave? I swear to God and on my mother`s soul that I will not judge you, nor will I hold a grudge if you run away from me. Just say the words, and you are free."

There was a heartbreaking silent plea within his black eyes and she felt like crying at his words. Even in that situation, he was thinking about _her_, instead of worrying about his own safety_. _How could he think that she would _leave_ him?

_Because any other NORMAL woman would have long done it…_

That was the reason why Ino Yamanaka got close to him: because the jade eyed CIA agent has just figured out his traitorous father`s cheap scheme. Sakura was mentally plotting to corner those two and give them to the CIA. She already wrote a message and sent it to Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

Blinking twice, she fisted her hands into his shirt and crushed her lips on his own, pulling back short after, not allowing him to deepen their kiss, vivid sparkling luscious jadeite eyes boring into his onyx ones.

"I am _truly_ free…only when I am in_ your_ arms, Sasuke. I have told you before and I will keep on repeating it to you, until you will start to believe me. I. will. never. leave. you." She emphasized every syllable and he could see the way gold was mixing into her eyes, honesty springing with every word that left her mouth.

"As long as you don't want me to leave, I _will _stay by your side. I _want_ to be with you and I _don't _care about anything else, or anyone who might want to harm you. I invite them to try, because if someone wants to lay a finger on you, they will first have to take _me_ on."

There was a sudden change into her tone as her forest green eyes gotten two shades darker but they sparkled more with a confidence that took him by surprise, because he never seen or heard her talking like _that._

"This is why I am _staying_ right here, with you. Because I_ love_ you."

She didn't allow him to talk, because she aimed for his lips again, this time winding her hands around his neck, taking a hold of his hair, as his own hands went around her shoulders pulling her into his arms, until they run out of breaths.

"I don't know who you really are, _Cherry_," He spoke against her lips, letting their foreheads rest on each other as he placed another, breathing on each other`s faces.

The way he was rolling that name was sending shivers down her spine. And very personal, because only Papa Oro, Karin and Tsunade were calling her by that nickname. "But God has sent you to me."

_Eh, not exactly God, but…_

She kissed him again, letting her head fall on his shoulder, as she rolled over and got comfortable in his arms, knowing that they had an hour of flight. She wasn't exactly a fan of helicopters, but that time, she hoped she didn't have to jump off that as well, without using a parachute. Of course. "This is what I would call flying on the first class. Now I only need Champagne."

He smirked at her, letting their fingers intertwine and rest on her flat tummy. "I will make it up for the inconvenient flight." She fought the urge to purr into his arms. He smelled so divine and that danger they faced has conjured and howled for her assassin blood, making adrenaline pump through her muscles and get her aroused.

Seriously, if that pilot wouldn't have been there to witness too much of their sparkling affection…Sakura would have_ jumped_ him. She was sure he was thinking about that too.

"What about…that _woman_?" She asked as her emerald orbs were looking at the blue sky and the line of the horizon. She felt him stiffen shortly, but then relaxed. "She looks like the persistent type."

"Will you throw her outside again, if she seeks for me, like you did before?" He smirked at that. He saw the CCTV countless times and it was priceless.

"You bet I will." Oh, she would personally be the one to do the_ 'interrogation' _after she would get detained by the CIA, using the Sound`s methods of_…convincing_ their prisoners to talk, namely _torturing_ them brutally if they refused to talk, and fuck if she wouldn't be so _pleased._

Even if she had to fight Hidan for that privilege, it would be worth it.

"Then we have settled this." She knew he was mocking, but she was certain that Sasuke had a plan. He always seemed to have one.

"What about the company? I might not be a businesswoman and economy has never been my favorite subject, but I have a pair of functional eyes and watch the news, you know? And that character…Nagato or what`s his name…"

_Fucking __**PEIN!**_

"Leave that to me."

"You do have a plan, don't you?" She lifter her eyes to look into his onyx eyes, as raven bangs fell on his face and caught a small smirk.

"Of course."

"It has to do with the fact that we are visiting your relatives, or that is solely for safety reasons?"

"Safety yes…among _other_ things."

"As in?" She tilted her head to look at him, placing soft kisses along his jawline.

He captured her lips as she was busy trailing them along his chin, in a chaste kiss, simply telling her.

"Spending time with _you_." She was taking by surprise by that. "You do not want all the media on our heads, after the scandal with the Yamanaka`s daughter, do you? Plus, my home in Tokyo is not a safe place anymore."

She knew that much. No matter how much security did she planted inside, Lorane was able to sneak inside, no problem. "Sounds reasonable. Wait, did you plan all of this even before talking to me? Thinking that I will immediately accept?" She raised an eyebrow at his amused face. What an arrogant man. That jerk. He was precise she _would_ forgive him.

And he actually smirked to her. "Love, I had no doubt that you _will_ come with me. I would have never left without you."

"You`re so full of yourself."

"True. But," His orbs became predatory as his hand went under the skirt that was sliding high on her ivory silk leg, advancing upwards, brushing over her thigh, as he dropped his chocolate rich voice dangerously low.

"You still love me." And boldly stole her breath away when he cupped her through the lace lingerie she wore underneath and she had to bit her lip to prevent a moan to escape her lips.

"S-Sasuke, the pilot-"

"Can`t hear a thing." True, he was busy with making sure they won't crush into the ocean and talking to the Tower, plus he wore a helmet.

So, the Uchiha simply pressed a button that she failed to notice above his head, as a separating screen slide down, separating the cockpit from the rest of the plane, giving them privacy. "Now you just have to relax and…_enjoy_."

He whispered hotly into her ear, while nipping the shell of her ear, trailing kisses on the back of her neck, as he slipped his fingers into her panties, spreading her open while his unoccupied hand was massaging her breast.

"Aahhh…" She let her head roll on his shoulder, tingles pricking all over her body, feeling a knot form into the pits of her lower abdomen as he slide two fingers inside her, massaging the back of her inner muscles, going as deep as he could, pumping her.

Her breaths became ragged and she thrust her hips up to meet his pumps. He used his teeth to drag her blouse down her shoulder, while he grazed his teeth along her exposed porcelain shoulder.

"S-Sasuke…" She wanted something from him, though she couldn't voice it, her mind going blank and foggy as pleasure was nesting within her womb, making her muscles bubble with adrenaline.

But he seemed to know, because he let her slide from his arms, coming to lie on his side, while her back hit the white leather small sofa, sliding three fingers inside her, lazily pumping her at a slower pace, rubbing his inner slick passage, as his thumb was flickering over her clit, hungrily taking in the way her emerald orbs went wide and bathed in a curtain of fog, lust written all over her face, while her chest was rising and falling rapidly.

He discovered that Sakura particularly enjoyed to be fingered_ slow_ and_ deep_, unlike the way he was inside her, when she wanted him to go fast and hard and that fascinating him, because Sasuke hardly pleasured women before, but she was another story.

He actually…_enjoyed_ playing with her, having her under his _possession,_ at his _mercy, _so _vulnerable _and exposed and that only made him want her more, painting her into _his_ colors, bringing her pleasure, and that was making him…happy.

Plus, the way her face was gleaming and sparkling with the drops of sweats puncturing her skin, stealing the sun rays that crept through the windows and her full heart shaped rouged lips curled and muttering _his _name, were all adding to her beauty. She was so beautiful. "You like it when I go slower, don't you, love?"

When he pressed his thumb hard against her glistening bud, her hot soft body rewarded him with slick milky juices leaking down his wrist and she arched against him, emerald orbs squeezing shut, her hand curling into his shirt, tugging on it. "AH!"

She felt her muscles thump against his digits and damn if Sasuke wouldn't like to unzip his pants and slam inside her, but he knew that they didn't have so much time and Sakura wasn't the woman he would have liked to have _quickies _with.

No, if he took her, he damn right do it_ long_ and meaningful. After all, it was _not just_ sex between them.

But he couldn't stop himself from dipping his head down and let his tongue lower inside her mouth, kissing her just as slow and passionate as his fingers moving inside her, and she immediately responded, moaning freely into his kiss, probably mentally feeling better like that, not being willing to scream in pleasure when there was anyone else in the plane, fisting her hand into his silk hair, pulling at it.

He could hear the sound of their slick tongues slide along their lips, rolling over one another, exchanging fire, unspoken words of passion and saliva, tasting each other.

"Sas-Sasuke I will…" God, he knew exactly where and _how_ to touch her and it was almost incredible how deep could he read her body language and how it responded to his touch like having a mind of its own, waiting for him to come, touch and make that latent fire within her flame ablaze, for centuries.

_From another__ time__…_

"I know." But it wasn't like he would just let her come without _tasting_ her first. So he reluctantly detached their interlaced lips as he slide down, parting her thighs more, coming to rest in between her legs, as she opened up her clouded orbs, wanting to cry in frustration when she lost the contact with his fingers, peeping at the way he got comfortable in between her legs, dragging her skirt up to her waist, tracing his tongue along the inside of her toned thighs.

She let her head hit the sofa when he bit gently down the soft flesh, leaving a hickey, fisting her hands into his silk hair, to force his head in other throbbing places. And when his lips latched on her unfolded rose petals, her hips flied up like a rocket, electrical jolts of high voltages shot through her system, making her see stars. "OH!"

She heard him chuckle darkly, while his nose was buried into her inner lace moist folds, suckling and licking on her bundle of nerves, his slick tongue bringing her to places where she could walk on air and touch the sky in pure _bliss_. The tremble of his voice reverberated through all her body, making her grow limp.

"Sasuke, please…" Sakura lost it completely when she felt his slick abrasive tongue slide inside her, lips suckling her, jade orbs rolling inside her head at the feeling. She felt like floating over bubbles, there was electricity all around her and her body was trembling.

She had no control over her muscles, none. She couldn't even hear her heartbeats, anything, but his intoxicating touch.

That tongue which was curling and rolling inside her, tasting her and lapping the nectar seeping from her, like he was sipping sweet wine, growling deeply into his chest, enjoying her taste.

God, she went crazy! "AAHHH! Sasukeh!" She pulled so hard on his hair when a violent orgasm hit her spine, that Sakura was sure she ripped off his hair, feeling like washed by a hurricane, with all her muscles convulse.

And he drank all the quintessence that her pleased body praised him with, thirstily, lusting for the essence of her flower, feeling a feral beast howl inside him at how divine she was on his tongue.

Guess she couldn't quite keep silent after all, could she? The Uchiha felt so much pride bubble inside his chest, nourishing his ego at the way he could make her _scream_ his _name_, even under such circumstances.

He clearly took advantage of the surge of adrenaline, but it wasn't like he could stop himself. Not after she made it clear that she _stayed_ with him, even if they were on the verge of being killed, because she _fell in love_ with him.

"My…God, Sasuke…" Sakura felt like she has just run for the marathon, while he licked her dry, enjoying the hotness radiating from her delicate petals, percolating on his lips, finishing just in time to hear the pilot addressing him.

'_Mr. Uchiha, we will get to Miyako Airport in two minutes. Prepare for the landing."_

"Heard the pilot, love. We are here. Just in _time."_ Sasuke smirked at the flushed face of his favorite cherry blossom, as she mumbled a totally cute _'cocky jerk'_ to him, pulling her panties up on her legs, fixing her clothes and the hair, in the mirror above the two armchairs.

"This is all your fault. Now I look like I have jumped off the helicopter, not landed."

"Who cares?" he simply shrugged, watching her run her hands on her fancy stylish clothes and hair, fighting the urge to pin her against that armchair and help her out of them, but it was not the time…yet. "My grandma will adore you anyways. So will grandpa."

She frowned at the nonchalant tone of his voice, emerald orbs rolling at him.

"Rin was right, men are so _dumb. _I can't possibly meet your relatives, looking and smelling like I have just got laid." She couldn't believe how easy those words flew off his lips, plus, there was a certain pump that her heart did at the thought of meeting Sasuke`s grandparents.

She did not know why, but it felt so…familiar. Like he was introducing her to his world, step by step, after meeting his mother. "So what? It is nothing they haven't smelt or seen before. They are grown-ups, you know?" If only she could wipe off that arrogant –dead sexy- smirk off his lips…

He simply run a hand through his messy hair and the jade eyed agent fought against the need to brush her hands through those rich mane. Even when he wasn't trying, Uchiha Sasuke was such a lady _killer. _

They sat down, as the helicopter landed smoothly; waiting for the pilot to stop the engine and tell them it was ok to get off. He helped Sakura step on the two stairs, taking her waist and getting her into his arms as she giggled at him, aware of her high heels.

Inwardly, she was shaking her head, laughing as well. If only Sasuke would know that she used to _jump _off helicopters and land into greenhouses filled with cannabis and marijuana, on high heels, he wouldn't be so mindful, but he didn't need to know that.

He briefly instructed his pilot to go and sleep somewhere in the town, then he took Sakura`s hand taking, her with him.

She was stunned, it was a clear sunny day and she felt the breeze of the ocean calling her. There were couples, elders, families and people on vacation, dragging their bags on the airport. "Wow, Sasuke, this is so beautiful!" She couldn't help but smile when they took on the main street.

She wrapped both hands on his left one, clinging to him as her jade orbs were taking in the picturesque scenery. "I knew you will like it."

"Do your grandparents live far from here?"

"In the north, yes. They wanted a house far from the noise of the airport and close to the beach, but this island is not a big one. Fifteen minutes of walking."

He smirked at her while she was darting her head in all possible directions already pin pointing some fancy local shops with specialties and souvenirs.

Sakura has been to Japan before, but never in that region. Which was good, because she didn't have to fake her surprise and excitement in front of Sasuke, since she was there for the first time and new to the refreshing air and the solar energy. "I don't mind. I like this city."

_I like us walking like this._

It seemed so far from the troubles from Tokyo and it was like travelling in another time, because even though it has been an hour or so since the attack, it felt like an eternity. Coming there was definitely a good thing.

Lorane probably didn't see that coming either, and once again, Sasuke has _outsmarted _them, like he did back on the mountains.

She doubted that it was a mere coincidence. "Do you always carry a gun on you?" She couldn't help but ask. "Don`t answer this if you don't want. I was just very surprised to see you aim at that…_whoever_ that person was."

He didn't answer at first, but surprised her nonetheless. "I do."

"Who taught you to aim like that? Because, I might not be an expert, but even I can see that it was not that someone without training could do."

Sasuke debated whether to tell her or not. "I learned during high school and nailed my target ever since in the shooting range. I sometimes take the dobe or Suigetsu with me and practice together." If he were too look at her, Sasuke would have seen the disconcert look on Sakura`s face. Inside, she was laughing at the _irony_ of it.

So, Naruto and Suigetsu were having guys-nights-outs, shooting guns, without Sasuke to know that it was not JUST fun for them, but the funniest shit was that he was a_ better_ gunner than both of them.

Gosh, that world was just so….

"And? Are they good of something?" She knew that the Akatsuki were_ fine_ in handling fire arms and Naruto was among the best, probably on par with Itachi. She giggled to make it look like she had no idea, liking the fact that Sasuke was slowly opening up to her more.

Surprisingly, he snorted to that and cocked his head to smirk at her. "My grandmother`s aim is more accurate and she has diabetes and severe myopia, so to put it bluntly, they both _suck_." She didn't know what to make out from that. Should she be amused or worried that in Sasuke`s view his friends were _not _good gunmen, even though she knew they were really skilled?

Plus… "You taught your _grandmother_ how to fire a gun?"

"Grandpa did. He was ranked as an _Air marshal_ during the World War II in the _British Royal Air Force_." Seeing how her emerald orbs nearly popped out of their sockets Sasuke explained.

"My grandpa is Japanese, but his family has immigrated to the UK even before his birth. He is British. I learned how to fly the helicopter from_ him_." That would explain a lot. Sasuke`s family not only was it wealthy, but they had high ranked professions as well.

"Ok, now I am scared." Truly, a man who was part of the Royal Air Force was no joke. She envisioned a man like Tobirama and immediately she got chills down her spine.

They were Sasuke`s relatives so she kind of didn't want to embarrass him, but the Uchiha quickly picked on her distress, slipping a hand around her waist, bringing her closer into his chest as they crossed the zebra, heading closer to the ocean. She could already see the horizon melding with the ocean and it was beautiful.

"Don't be. He is one of the gentlest and friendliest people I have ever met. They will love you, of that I am positive." He tucked on her waist bringing her up to kiss her softly. "Like _I _do."

She wanted to melt right away. They looked so natural together. They WERE together. "You`re bluffing and now I am blushing. This is so impolite." He chuckled at her and she secretly loved that smooth voice of his when he laughed so heartedly.

"Whoa! _Cosi bello_!" There was a solar street with few small fancy villas, all traditional Japanese and other pure white like the sand and she could hear the ocean brushing the coastline.

Sasuke brought her along the street, up to the last one and she was stunned at how beautiful the house was. It was nothing flashy, just a one story villa, with a geometric modern and airy symmetry and a Japanese touch, embellished with subtle wooden decorations, painted in bright red and green and a large garden, with neatly cut lawn and exotic trees and a garden with interesting flowers in bloom, all making it look like a giant graceful dragonfly.

"We are here." He pressed on the ring bell. Two seconds after, two people appeared in the doorways and Sakura swore that those people didn't look in their sixties, in fact, she wouldn't have given them more than forty, they were so fit and young looking.

"Sasuke-kun!" A very solar woman, with a neat romantic bun, dark brown and golden hair and bright chocolate eyes run all the way from the house, to the front door as Sasuke pushed the door open, allowing Sakura to enter first, having one of the most radiating warm smiles she has ever seen.

It was the type of kind grandmother that kids fantasized to visit on Christmas Eve and place the presents under the Christmas tree, sweet as honey and graced by the noblesse of the passing years and wisdom, she was an _angel._

"Oh, my, who is this beautiful _blossom_?" Immediately her shining eyes, shimmering behind the lens of her glass, fell on Sakura and the emerald eyed woman couldn't contain her own smile, she was contagious.

Sasuke kissed her on the cheeks, as his grandma tiptoed to place a peck on his forehead, embracing him dearly. "Grandma, she is Sakura, the one I have_ told_ you about." Sakura didn't know what exactly has Sasuke told about her, but instantly the woman looked like ready to eat her alive.

"My, you were not exaggerating at all, honey, look at her," She took her in the arms and embraced the puzzled CIA agent like she was her own daughter, which Sakura returned just as heartedly, as she bowed respectfully to the older woman –who was just as tall and slim as her. "Aren`t you a sight for sore eyes! Oh, you are just as _gorgeous _like Sasuke-kun said!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Uchiha." Sakura replied respectfully, while the woman took both their arms, as they stroll back to the front door, where a tall imposing but smiling man was waiting for them to come and Sakura swore he looked like a former President, by the level of respect his imposing aura was demanding.

He was not cocky looking, nor arrogant and his own small smile was honest, but it was in the attitude and probably his job` s formation the thing that made his spine so straight and his shoulders so proud.

"Oh, dear, you can call me Naori." The woman beamed to her, while her chocolate eyes couldn't stop beaming and darting from Sasuke to Sakura.

"How was your flight? I am glad you chose this period of the year to come, when the air is not too hot and not too humid either, and the beach is crowded with youngsters like you!" She laughed at her choice of word and Sakura couldn't help but laugh along.

That woman was like walking alongside Paradise, all smiles and so kind hearted. Sasuke was smirking at the two women and mostly the way Sakura`s own features have been delighted by a mysterious glow.

She wouldn't know, but his grandmother wasn't so shiny with just _anyone _and was quite inquisitive about what type of people she met, but she seemed to have liked Sakura immediately.

Something flickered inside his chest, like the two women projected their warmth into him as well. A feeling he hasn't had in a long long time. He even forgot how it felt and he found it beside Sakura.

Happiness. Pure and unadulterated happiness.

"It is good to know that your nephews didn't forget about their old boring grandparents." Said man exchanged a brief embrace with Sasuke, patting his back and Sakura found that scene oddly funny and the family touch overwhelmed an _orphan _like her.

Sasuke`s grandpa was not only a very handsome man for his age, but just as tall and fit as him. Indeed, what a beautiful family. "Welcome home, nephew."

"Thank you, grandpa." The Uchiha replied and she could easily depict how Sasuke`s usually cold and unflappable voice, the one he polished especially for business, the one who was keeping people at a certain distance from him, changed dramatically into a light warmer and colloquial one.

Then the former pilot in the Royal Air Force turned to Sakura, took her hand and shake it softly, smirking at the force she has applied and introduced himself. "Uchiha Tekka."

"Haruno Sakura. It`s a pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"Heavens took pity on us the elders and let us see that our dear nephew here," He patted Sasuke`s shoulder in a way that elders do, though Sakura was certain that he applied quite the pressure, but of course, Sasuke didn't even flinch, he only smirked at his grandpa. "Has decided to find himself a woman to love and take care of him. God only knows this boy cannot cook to save his life or do house chores."

Sakura burst out laughter, along with Sasuke`s relatives, because, seriously, the face and the look he had was pure epicness and they were right, Sasuke would have rather _died_ than get into the kitchen or clean his house.

"Come, let`s get inside. I have prepared a lot of delicacies for you kids." They all got inside and Mrs. Naori lead them all into an adjacent dining room as they passed the living room, which had a panoramic view to the ocean. "Even my famous apple, honey and cinnamon special pie!"

"We have enough food to feed the entire island, for an entire month." They all sit down, with Sasuke staying beside Sasuke and the two elders in front.

"You shouldn't have bothered, grandma."

"Nonsense! How many times do we elders get visits from our nephews? Besides, I cooked your favorite beef with tomato sauce, honey!" She went to the kitchen as she brought plates and the food.

Sakura was stifling her giggles because she knew about his obsession. She whispered a _'tomato freak'_ to him and he smirked down at her. The grandpa followed their interaction smiling at them. That was one cute woman, unlike the ones from the scandal in the newspaper.

"Sakura-chan, I didn't know what would you like to have," the woman brought pasta, with chicken and parsley which smelled divine, taking a seat beside her. "but I hope you will find something here to have. My aren't you so thin?"

"Thank you, Naori-san, it looks appetizing. I will sure love it." Her stomach was grumbling, because she didn't have time to eat at the hotel.

Then she immediately panicked inside. Those people were amazing. She didn't want Lorane to come and destroy that Heaven

_**No!**_ She swore to herself she would die and protect them before something happened. Lorane has gone too far.

They mustn't have been left to win no matter what. It was only when the light cheerful conversation went among the Uchiha members has she realized how many_ lives_ like that and how many broken laughters would happen if Lorane would win that war.

_**No. **_

They had to stop that, no matter how and no matter the cost. They managed to somehow slip past her vigilance in the hotel, but no more. "So, honey," She has been brought from her reverie by Sasuke`s grandma`s hand on her. She turned her head and smiled at the woman. "Sasuke-kun tells me you are from Italy."

"Yes. I live in Ravenna."

"Wonderful city." Mr. Uchiha told her. "I had a very good friend and a comrade from Ravenna. And what an amazing pilot he was, though he didn't quite enjoy my jokes and all that he ate, was salami pizza." They all laughed at his pronunciation. Sakura tasted from the dishes, they were beyond amazing, that woman was skilled. She truly hoped she didn't look impolite, but she was taking from everything.

And that cake looked so… "Your family also from Italy?" Sasuke mentally cursed himself from not announcing his grandparents that Sakura was an orphan because he saw the way her mood and stance dropped abruptly, but she forced herself to smile like she tried to brush it off, bringing the fork to her lips, blowing on the hot pasta.

"Actually…I wouldn't know Mr. Uchiha. I am an orphan. I have never met my family, nor did I ever hear from them." An odd silence fell among the members, and Sakura mentally committed suicide because she ruined the mood.

"I am sorry to hear this." Naori squeezed her hand sympathetically. "Don't you have any relatives that you know of?"

"I am sorry, no. I have spent a good part of my teenage days in orphanage. I used to ask myself the same thing, but no relative has ever come to ask for me."

Even if the idea of not having a family like Sasuke`s has torn her apart, those days have been long gone and forgotten.

She was a grown up woman, with a lot of close friends and she had Orochimaru, Tsunade and Anko to act like a family, not to mention her crazy Sound colleagues, Hidan, Karin, Sasori or Kisame and recently, Akatsuki.

She had_ nothing _to regret and she even surprised anyone with never using her CIA connections to look for her family. She flatly refused to because, in her opinion, if they _abandoned_ her like that and let her rot in an orphanage ever since she was a baby, then they didn't _deserve_ her.

"Oh, poor thing, but now you don't have to worry anymore." The woman smiled to her in that way that reminded Sakura of the movies where Miss Clause saved the Christmas.

"You can consider all of us your _family_ and mind telling you, the Uchihas have been really prolific, since we are so many." She couldn't help but laugh along at the innuendo, and fought back the tears.

They knew nothing about her, yet they were sincerely and heartedly welcoming her into their exclusive circle. "Thank you for the kindness, Naori-san."

"Thank you dear for making my nephew so happy. You just look at him, it has been so long since he was a little child, and my, he was a cute pie, when he would come here with Miko-chan and run into the ocean or play with our cats, smiling like that."

"Grandma…" Sasuke`s visibly embarrassed tone, the awkward fake cough and the visibly red hints on his earlobe brought tears of laughter into Sakura`s eyes. Seriously, elders were clearly resourceful in the department of embarrassing gossip about their younger relatives.

"Why, dear, you were so cute and remember when you used to steal my hair curlers and try to use it?" She leaned to whisper to Sakura, who tried her best not to laugh like a loon and choke on the food.

"He had such a rebel long hair and always cried when we tried to give him a haircut. Such a rebel cute kid he was." She used that mush way that only elders had and the look on his face was something indecipherable

He looked like he was doing his best not to _snap._ Basically, Sakura has teamed up with his grandparents to make _fun _of him. She kind of felt pity for him though, but when she threw a glance at him, aiming for the olive sauce, the jerk was _smirking_ at her.

She gulped once, averting her eyes from him, because she was looking involuntarily at his hair since his grandmother has shared such an embarrassing secret, clearly remembering the way she was letting her fingers sink into that rebel unique patterned hair when they-

She got hot inside all of sudden. From there on out, only light conversation followed and Sakura was thankful for the wisdom of those people because they refrained from asking embarrassing questions, though she got troubles in coming up with a plausible excuse as in why was she in Tokyo and where was she working.

She told them she was in a short vacation, but she quickly stole their eyes when telling them about her dream to become a doctor.

And she was silently feeling her heart melt at all the warmth of those people. Sasuke`s grandfather shared his incredible stories from his days as a pilot and how they used to bombard enemy bases during the WW II, in that funny way that Sasuke told her about.

When they finished the delicious meal, Sasuke was the first one to talk. "We are going to the beach. I want to show her the cliffs."

"Oh, do that honey. Did you take any clothes with you?"

"No. We left in a hurry."

"Then come with me, Sakura-chan. Sasuke-kun, you can borrow something from your grandpa."

She leaned to whisper to Sakura. "God only knows how they have the same _size_." She laughed along, that woman was so open minded and so much like…she couldn't pin point what was that odd connection she felt, but they seemed to have known each other for much longer.

They got into her room and Naoki slide the door of her wardrobe, dipping inside, looking through her old fancy clothes.

"I am glad I didn't throw my old clothes from when I was of your age, though I am sure you will find them pretty retro."

She pulled out a soft white beach robe, embroidered with pink sea shells a pair of sandals embellished with flowers and a cute sun hat. Retro? Those clothes were totally modern, tasteful, expensive and feminine. _That grandma HAD style!_

"They are really beautiful, Naori-san." She took them from the lady, who cheerfully handed them to the girl, in that beaming way that elders did when youngsters paid them visits. Especially potential new relatives.

"I am sure they will look good on you, honey." She lingered one more moment before getting out and allow her some privacy to change. "Thank you."

Sakura placed the bathrobe on the bed, before turning to look at the woman. She had her back on her. "What for?"

"My nephew." She looked deep in thoughts. "It has been a while since I have seen him so…carefree. Light. Happy. He has a lot of_ problems _on his back and I am sure you know he doesn't get along with his father. And even since Itachi chose to leave Japan…"

A moment of silence. Sakura knew what she meant, for Sasuke explained it to her, plus, she knew about Itachi, they were colleagues after all. Everyone knew about the Uchiha brothers and the Uchiha scandal, but his CIA colleagues politely refrained from bringing that subject up. At least, in his presence, because they were intently gossiping about it behind his back, but those suppositions and assumptions never reached his ear.

"But when he looks at you, I see the old Sasuke who used to enjoy life." She turned and Sakura saw her candid beautiful smiling profile.

"And I know that Sasuke-kun doesn't easily let _anyone_ inside, but I see he has a special place in his heart reserved for _you_. Just don't hurt him."

"I will never. Thank you for…everything." For the TRUST.

She nodded at the rosette smiling at her softly. "Come on. Don't let him wait. You can catch the sunset together. They are the most beautiful here on Miyako." She left her, shutting the door behind.

Sakura sighed, placed a hand on her heart, overwhelmed and tapping to her friend, Karin. _**'Before you freak out, we flied to Miyako. Go to the hotel and grab my stuff and take care of my laptop. Got something for me? Check the receptionist as well. I think he works for the Lorane.'**_

An immediate reply from Karin as Sakura undress and enveloped herself into the bath robe, seeing how it fit on her underwear as she didn't have a swimming suit, but it was not that transparent so she looked very stylish and feminine, without being vulgar.

Her heart was fluttering and her insides were jiggling and jolly. She was wearing Sasuke`s grandma`s clothes and it was a…that family atmosphere…the closeness she felt with him, the anticipation of walking together on the beach, it was amazing.

_Surreal, even._

'_**Cherry, five people have been killed in the restaurant, one waiter and four important customers. The receptionist has disappeared and the CCTVS have all been erased before we hacked the system. **_

_**I went to your room, while Suigetsu and his colleagues have secured the hotel and your room has been devastated. **_

_**All your belongings have gone, your laptop included, but I have already erased everything from it. Just pray it hasn't been downloaded before I got the chance to do so. I tried to contact Orochimaru, but there is no signal. **_

_**Again, all the CIA lines are down. My dumb idiot cousin is in hysterics because he cannot get in touch with Itachi or their Hokage. We have no idea of what happens at the Summit in France at the moment.'**_

"Oh God…" Her laptop, she had files with names, a map with all Lorane`s tracks so far, the link to the CIA satellites and the paintings on Sasuke`s walls, along with his file, Orochimaru`s theory and his decrypts of the formulas, part of the files he lost with the secret experiment, the plans in his house and the Mangekyou's security system…it was a disaster. If Lorane gets his hands on that information….

But then again, they robbed Orochimaru and Akatsuki, so what more damage could it be, because everything she had stocked in there, the Otokage had it too and he sent it to Tobirama as well. Plus the Summit…all the world`s leaders were there and the system was jammed again.

She just had to trust the Akatsuki and she knew that Orochimaru has sent his Sound agents in a joined mission, to cooperate with the Akatsuki and the Interpol and secure the entire city and the location of the meeting.

She quickly texted her friend back, not wanting to let Sasuke wait and become suspicious. _**'Rin, I will try to hack the system myself, from my phone.**_

_**As soon as we get in touch with the HQ, I am going to contact Shikamaru and ask for his help. Meanwhile, try to catch the receptionist and the guy that Sasuke has killed.'**_

She was already out when Karin replied. Sakura mentally rubbed her hands knowing that she would pester her friend into telling her where she was for the entire night, but then she dropped Suigetsu`s name and she kind of had an idea.

'_**Sasuke has killed one of Lorane`s henchmen? Again?! What the fuck Cherry? And, no, there was no one in there when the Police got there. **_

_**You know that Lorane leaves no trace, he was probably taken by one of them who was waiting outside. **_

_**That zombie Hyuga dude has managed to get in touch with your lover`s brother. Everything is under control there and so far, there has been nothing suspicious and the first day of meeting is almost over. **_

_**All right. That shark faced friend of his has let me use the Interpol`s computers and Naruto is also with me, we are trying to hack into the CCTVs of the hotel and rewind the recording to see who cross-dressed as one of the personnel.'**_

Those were good news and she had for one more thing to ask Karin. _**'Good. You guys try to handle the mess there and Rin, please contact Papa for me. I couldn't get in touch with him and I am worried.'**_

She fought the urge to drool at Sasuke, who was waiting for her in the front alley, talking to his grandpa.

He was dressed so _casual_, with short navy pants and a simple white cotton beach shirt, which had the first three buttons loose, offering a generous view on his chiseled chest, making a fine contrast with his skin and navy blue sandals.

It was rare seeing him out of his formal flawless suits, but nonetheless, he looked incredibly _hot._

Like those surfers you drool for in Miami, being in a league of their own, with his rebel hair, as wild as the foamy ocean waves.

As soon as she got closer, feeling weird for barging into their conversation, both men side smirked -in the same way which was funny and odd- at the approaching young woman.

"If I didn't know that I am still able to cheat on Alzheimer, I would have sworn that I have been thrown thirty years back in the past."

Mr. Uchiha said with a generous laugh as she blushed coming to coil her hand around Sasuke`s. She could feel every inch of his hot skin through that soft shirt and it was quite cute how they borrowed Sasuke`s grandparents` old clothes, like they were their mini version from the future.

"You are just as beautiful as my wife when she was younger. Though I must say you have already surpassed her."

"Thank you." She truly blushed at the light compliment.

"Do you want to take the car?" Mr. Uchiha asked as Sasuke shook his head.

"No. We will take a walk. The beach is nearby. See you later."

"Don't be late for dinner, kids. Your grandma is cooking her special noodles."

Sakura laughed as she waved back at the man and his wife as Sasuke had an expression that he looked like stricken by lightning thinking about Naruto.

They got to the street, among the other tourists and couples. "Haha, your grandparents are so awesome and kind, Sasuke."

"I know."

"How much do you plan on staying here?"

"I don't know for sure. Tokyo is not a safe place anymore. I wouldn't forgive myself if another incident like today`s one would repeat itself."

He looked at her and she peeped at him, holding on her hat, because of the wind blow as her hair was fluttering above her shoulders and clothes. "I almost lost you _twice._ This is something I cannot accept."

She felt so miserable. He was worried for her while in reality she had to protect him but Sakura soon came to the realization that Sasuke _didn't _need protection to begin with. He seemed to be two steps in front of anyone, Lorane included. Even drugged and in a club, they still couldn't shoot him.

"Sasuke…" She was so overwhelmed. He was doing that for _her_?

"I know it might be uncomfortable, but my grandparents are very hospitable and they like you. You can call your friend and invite her over, so you won't be impolite since she has travelled all the way from Italy."

Though he would rather not have _another _person he would have to share with her, because Sasuke wasn't a very generous person and when it came to Sakura, he could be really possessive.

Sakura shook her head and glued her temple on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body, as they stroll alongside the street, already seeing the ocean. "It is all right, in fact, she won't mind it. Call it destiny or fate or a lucky coincidence but she has met your friend, Suigetsu."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her finding it indeed very coincidental. He knew his friend was in love with red haired women and Karin Uzumaki was his type and he wouldn't deny it, she was very hot. "No shit?"

"Hm." Sakura nodded once. "She rented a car from the airport because she has some unpleasant experiences with taxis, which she avoids like rabies, and they somehow crashed on each other`s cars in an intersection. She was supposed to come to the hotel yesterday but she called me today, saying that she was with him. I think they spent the night together." They both chuckled at that.

"Now that is some story. She is definitely his type of woman. I don't intend to be rude towards your friend."

"I know." She kissed his shoulder softly. "So don't worry about that. You don't have to_ share_ me with anyone."

She winked at him and Sasuke was stunned how could she look so innocent and sunny, while her smirk and darkened cat eyes were so seductive.

Their feet sunk into the crystal sand as he scooped her up as she let out a surprised cry, urging her to tiptoe and kissed her twice, playfully, his arm claiming her waist as she gripped the brim of her straw sun hat, giggling into his mouth.

"I don't want to share you with anyone else love, because you are _mine_." Her heart was rivaling the sunset`s glow at the way he growled the words to her.

"Possessive much, aren't we?"

"You have no idea…"

"If you want to_ claim_ me, you have to _catch _me first, _Mr_. Uchiha!" She sang to him already detaching from his arms, ,before he had the chance to grab her, taking off her shoes and running towards the inviting small rolling waves and when the crystal azurite sparkles of water rippled and brushed her ankles she threw her head backwards and let out a full hearted bell laughter.

She took off her heat, letting her hair, that was already reaching her shoulders, flutter in the wind. She felt like a child all over again. Lightheaded, happy and free.

Immediately a pair of strong arms brought her back to collide with a hard rock chest, as adrenaline made tingles surge all over her body. Sasuke lifted her up as she weighted nothing and spun her around as the water was splashing all around their feet. "AAH!"

He glued his lips on her ears hell whispering seductively. "I think I have just caught a mermaid. Can I _keep _her?"

She turned around into his arms, smiling to him in a way that made his heart soar with something he has never felt before for anyone, as her hands surrounded his neck. His hands slide around her waist, as she nuzzled into his arms.

"Thank you. For coming to look for me, Sasuke."

"Hn." He didn't smirk at her nor did he frowned, but instead leaned down, lacing his left hand into her hair and kissed her passionately, while the waves were caressing their love, making them float on the embrace of the lukewarm ocean water. "You were willing to let me explain myself. I should be the one to be grateful to you, Sakura."

She had a sadness into her eyes when the wind stirred and danced into their clothes and hair. "I was so sad when I saw the two of you. For two days…I couldn't even judge, think, breath, everything was so…much like before I met you."

_**Solitude.**_

She averted her eyes to the ocean, the waves were rolling and coming faster, there were surfers and jet skis and seagulls and the sun was setting. "I felt so empty. Like something was missing in my life…_everything_."

He let his head fell atop her head as she leaned her cheek on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as they stood embraced like that, not caring about the passerbyes, the other people, the laughters around, trapped into their own bubble.

She felt so _good_ in his arms, so safe and felicity was at its peak. She…him…they…it was perfect. "You thought I played you."

"I was a fool. It was like my mind was clouded. I felt this stabbing in my heart and I wasn't prepared for this. I have never been like this, Sasuke…in _love_."

"Me neither. _Who _am I to judge you?" _If only she knew…_

"I-" She turned around when she felt a brush on her ankle. A beach_ ball_ in the colors of the rainbow floated on their legs. "Oh?"

She followed to see that it was a small _boy,_ no older than six, flailing his hands and trying to approach them and get his ball back, but he seemed to be afraid of water.

He was shouting at them _"Boru_!" In Japanese, stretching his little hands and surprisingly enough, he was like a mini version of Sasuke. Same white skin, big olive eyes, but his were round and clear and thick short spiky raven hair.

"Is this yours?" Sakura took the ball, smiled to him and he nodded back to her.

"_Onegai shimasu_!"

"You want it back?" She approached the little boy understanding that the wind would prevent it from going back to him and Sasuke followed her suit. She threw it to him and he easily caught it in his small hands, covering his head.

"Here!" She was aware that he wouldn't speak English, but he seemed to be receptive. The main idea with kids was to openly communicate and be friendly, plus she was angelic, young and solar, so kids naturally liked her.

"_Arigatou gozaimashita_!" He told her as polite as he could, with his specific accent, since he wasn't having all his teeth in his mouth, but smiled to her.

She giggled at him and tried to make conversation, seeing that the boy wasn't playing with the other kids, who were swimming in the water or built sand castles.

"_Namae wa_?" She knew it wasn't probably correct, but then again, that kid wasn't a stylist of the Japanese language either.

"Inari-desu!" The boy replied and he was so cheerful and cute. It wasn't that Sakura was used to kids, but then again, she too found them adorable and the motherly instincts of any other woman weren't betraying her. "_Anata no namae wa_?"

She understood that he asked for it so she stretched her hand and sang to him. "_Watashi wa…Sakura-desu_."

Surprisingly, he carefully placed the ball under his armpit and took her hand and shook it cheerfully. Oh, that boy was too cute for his own good. "_Anata wa...totemo utsukushii desu_." Ok, he lost her there.

"Ahm…" She turned around to raise her eyebrows at Sasuke, who was having his hands slipped inside his pockets, looking at them and she silently let him know that she had _no_ idea of what he asked or told her.

"He told you that you are very_ beautiful_." Sasuke smirked to her, while the once rosette turned to look back to the boy.

"Arigatou!" She turned to the Uchiha again, who was looking past their shoulders, probably wondering the same thing as them. "Sasuke? Can you ask him why isn't he playing with the other children?"

The Uchiha shifted his gaze from her and surprisingly, came beside her, dipped down having his knee bent, probably not wanting to intimidate the kid who wasn't even reaching his waist and tried to be as gentle as possible with the tone he used. "_Naze ikenai anata wa hako no kodomotachi to asobimasu_?"

Sakura was too busy to look at the easy way Sasuke was interacting with a child so small, and studied that Sasuke, who was being outside the business sober environment of his office and not the one to talk to the richest people in the world.

It was so…_refreshing_ to know of that side of his, because in moments like that, he was more _human,_ he allowed himself to show more emotions. She had adjectives and metaphors to describe him that she wouldn't normally use.

Not elegant, not classy and stylish, not cold, calculated and intuitive and always on guard, not intimidating, frightening, royal and imposing and not harsh, ruthless, dominating and not the hot and sexy single billionaire.

He was being _just _Sasuke –one simple man talking to a sad child, trying to be gentle, delicate and step into his little world.

The boy turned his head to look at the kids who were swimming in the ocean and then he bowed his head dramatically at Sasuke, muttering a sad. _"Karakatte iru_…" Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at him.

"_Nande_?" Sasuke asked back and Sakura interfered sensing that something was wrong.

"Sasuke, what does he say?"

The Uchiha didn't turn to look at her but answer nonetheless. "The other kids are making fun of him for a reason I don't know…yet."

Instead of answering, the boy simply turned around and at that, Sakura`s emerald eyes flew open while Sasuke simply frowned at that. "Oh my God! She breathed to Sasuke. "What happened to him? Sasuke?" The boy had deep scars of burn marks along his small back.

"_Kore ga okotta no ka_?" Sasuke asked the boy.

He shrugged and turned back to them, looking into Sasuke`s eyes a more mature version of his onyx ones. Sakura was darting her eyes from one to another cursing herself from not talking Papa Oro into teaching her. She knew he was fluent in Japanese. "_Kasai…Mama to Papa_…_takai shimashita_."

Sasuke brushed a hand through his hair and told to an alert inquisitive expecting Sakura. "Apparently, there has been a fire and his parents died. He is the only survivor."

"He is an orphan?" Just like her. Sakura felt her heart tear for the boy. "This is why the kids won't play with him? Because of the scar and the fact that he doesn't have parents?"

She also had scars, some from the orphanage when she and Isaribi misbehaved, some from high school and street fights and some from missions. She understood him.

Wordlessly, Sakura took the ball from him, took two steps back and sang to the boy, trying to keep the sadness away of her face.

"Here! I am going to throw it! Catch!" She gently hit the ball and sent it back to the boy, whose eyes have widened and he used his both hands to throw it back to her. She easily caught it and passed it back. They kept on passing back and forth for five times.

Then the boy unexpectedly threw it back to Sasuke and for a moment Sakura was scared that he won't cooperate, since it was totally _not_ the way someone would picture Uchiha Sasuke, playing with an orphan kid on the beach, but he surprised her again, by easily hitting the ball with his left palm and passing it back to the kid, who in return, slapped it to Sakura.

And the jade eyed CIA assassin managed to trip on a small hole dug into the sand, which she failed to see, probably from a kid who built a sand fortress, and landed straight on her butt. The kid started to laugh at her and shout "_Bakka_!" The entire scene was pure comedy and Sasuke couldn't prevent his snorts, because she didn't understand that the kid was calling her _'stupid'._

They kept on playing with that kid for ten more minutes or so and Sakura fond that to be surreal.

Couple of hours ago, she and Sasuke were running from Lorane. And there they were, on the beach, playing with a child, like nothing ever happened, visiting his relatives.

But seeing that kid whose faith was so reminiscent to her own giggle at them, saying things that she couldn't comprehend –though Sasuke kept on smirking at him, then would smirk back to dumbfound lost expression, that jerk- was making her giggle like a child.

It was something so out of her character, that lazy nonchalance that only elders like Sasuke`s grandparents, who didn't have a care in the world could afford, a luxury that neither she or Sasuke could have so she enjoyed it for as long as it lasted.

"Inari-kun?" The voice of a woman made the three of them look in the direction of an elder, probably his grandmother, waiting for the kid, with a jacket in her hands.

"_Obasan_?" The boy shouted back to the smiling woman, then turned to them, bowed politely and then run to her.

But Sakura found herself following him as she helped her nephew into the warm clothes. Indeed, the sunset was close and the wind was colder.

She turned her head to look at Sasuke and he strolled to them, clearly understanding that she wanted him to translate.

The woman simply told her "_Arigatou gozaimashita_." And bowed humbly, but Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling stupid because that woman didn't have any reason to be so grateful after all, they did absolutely nothing to be of real help.

"I want to know what happened to the boy`s parents." She told Sasuke, who bowed to her curtly, but shortly and told her what Sakura wanted to know, letting her know that his company wasn't Japanese and she didn't speak the language.

Sakura waited patiently for the elder to tell him, while Sakura studied her deeply.

Her clothes were neat and clean, but old, simple and heavily traditional, her stance was very humble and introvert but her eyes were full of regret, love and kindness towards her nephew and she understood that they were probably very _poor._

It stabbed her in the heart to see how many people in her situation were on the world and suddenly she felt so _lucky _to have met Orochimaru.

Without him, she would have probably been dead.

And found out something interesting about Sasuke, from the way he was talking and interacting to that woman.

There was _no _trace of authoritarian_ superior_ tone that he usually had with the others, that might make the woman feel inferior, humiliated and servile towards him and if she didn't know better, he wouldn't have strike like the famous man he was, and that easiness in changing his attitude was incredible. He _was _incredible and Sakura found out that she was helpless _falling_ for him more and more, day by day.

Then he did something totallyunexpected that she didn't understand, because the woman`s eyes widened, the kid was looking in between them all, but Sakura was too lost in not understanding a thing, because the woman shook her head, then Sasuke left their group to approach a group of three young ladies who were gathering their stuff, dragging some clothes over their tanned bodies, and Sakura had no idea what did he asked for, but she instantly grew jealous and had a deep scowl and a glare when one of the girls was looking for something on her bag and the others were drooling and trying to be flirty to the hot man.

Oh, she so wanted to punch their faces and throw them on the ocean…she felt the small boy tug on her beach robe and she dipped her jade orbs to look at him.

Surprisingly, he was grinning at her, had his pinky raised and told her something that she clearly understood. "You _like_ him!" She couldn't believe that a kid made her blush furiously.

She saw Sasuke turning on his heel, leaving the women ogling him, having a sheet of paper and a pen in his hands.

She watched him scroll on his phone`s agenda, noting a number and a name on the paper –in Hiragana- handing it to the woman who started to bow deeply to him, muttering a lot of _'arigatou'_ but Sasuke did just what Sakura did before, namely placing a hand on her shoulder, saying something to her then patted the boy`s head smirking at him.

They bowed for once more and Sakura did the same, leaving, while the woman was explaining something to her nephew, embracing and kissing him.

"Ok, you own me a translation." She wrapped her hands around Sasuke`s arm as they resumed their walking along the shoreline, close enough to the oceanso as to have their toes touch the water. "What was that about? What did she tell you?"

"She is Inari`s grandmother. His parents died when he was three years old in a plane crash, on their way to Taipei. The plane has burst into flames and crashed into the mountains. Miraculously, Inari was the only survivor, but he has those burns. The doctors didn't think he would make it, but he survived somehow, though the scars remained. His grandmother is selling flowers, but she is old and she barely has money to raise him and pay for his studies, so she doesn't have the necessary money to pay for a surgery. So I gave her the number of the best plastic surgeon in Japan and one of the best in the world, who happens to be a family friend. She doesn't need to pay a single penny for his surgery. The woman is an _ikebana_ specialist, so I gave her the number of one of my grandma`s college friends who is an event planner, mostly weddings to help her find a high paid job."

She let her lips part, but no words came out of her mouth. He was so…she didn't have a word to describe him.

She knew that Sasuke and his mother –especially Mikoto- were involved in charity work, but they weren't the type to brag about it, though…seeing him do such a thing with her own eyes, was making those funny things with her _heart_ and _chest _and she couldn't help but stare at him, as Sasuke simply gazed faraway to the vast shoreline, as they were heading towards the rocky cliffs, in a more secluded part of the beach.

She let her hands slide down, to intertwine their fingers, cupping his hand with her both hands as he tilted his head towards her. "I wish you were able to show this side of you more often, Sasuke." She meant that out of his business world, which demanded other skills and they weren't most of the time moral or noble.

"There are so many _things_ that I could have done _better_." He cryptically told her while he had that indecipherable expression, not smiling, but not frowning or scowling either.

He was neutral, but his features were serene, he looked like smiling yet his lips were relaxed and drawn in a firm line, in that cryptically way that made many art critiques wonder about the mystery behind Mona Lisa`s mystique smile.

He was mystical, inviting her to throw a guess and understand what she wanted from there but Sakura couldn't think or try to decrypt him, because_ another_ feeling was overpowering her concerns and mistrusts and that was love.

The love she had for him blocked every insecurity she had. No matter how much her brain might have tried to shout at her that there was also the possibility for Sasuke to _not _be the charming prince she was making him be, instead of vacillation and skepticism, she got that tingling uplifting _energy_, which was making her spirit soar, whenever she would look into his deep onyx eyes.

She couldn't help but smile widely, biting her lower lip at the sight of the stunning man who was walking beside her, leisurely holding hands like two teens with an innocent romance. It was quite rare to see Sasuke so casually and simply dressed in a pair of short beach pants, a simple matching shirt with both the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons down, revealing a delicious tantalizing glimpse of his hard steel muscles.

His ruffled hair, which he didn't comb looked even messier and whimsically falling into his forehead temples and his onyx orbs, and he looked at least five years younger.

There was a youthful vigor surrounding his serene aura, there was not a single flinch of his muscles, his cherub like beautiful face was void of malice intent and anger and his strides were leisure, calm and almost airy.

His face was as serene as the sun caressing the luscious surface of the clear azure water and a gentle wind blew through his hair and soft clothes giving him an ethereal exotic touch. He didn't look like the stoic aloof hard steel businessman. He was just being the quiet Sasuke and he was a picture to_ die_ for.

"You seem to be enjoying the view quite a lot."

"I love the sight of the _sea_ so _calm_."

"Hn. Careful Sakura." He tugged her hand and brought her flush into his chest making her do half of a pirouette, and a devious smirk that made her skin crawl in delight graced his features.

He was dressed in the colors of the sea, his marble skin was the embodiment of the sea foam brushing over the crystal honey sand of the shore line, yet his gleaming silvery black sapphire orbs were swallowing the light, reflecting its life force.

"You can never know of its _force,_ until you get caught into the _tsunami_."

She stared at him in awe bring far enraptured by his glowing incredibly mesmerizing looks, her thoughts have metamorphosed into those of a skilled jeweler in front of his finest creation unaware of her parted sweet lips, curled in a cute_ 'o'_, all curtsy of the gorgeous man who held her hand the whole time from his grandparents` home.

Her thoughts have transformed into the love she felt for the man that she would never begin to comprehend and although their romance seemed to be built on a pyramid of _lies_, it wasn't the case, because the_ foundation_ of their relationship was based on mutual consensus, trust and ultimately, _love_.

When they found a more secluded place near some sharp tall and interesting cut sharp cliffs, Sasuke tugged her down to rest on his lap, lying on the soft crystal luscious sand, facing the rolling calm ocean waves, entangled into each other`s arms.

"Someone very dear to me has once told me that, beyond the horizon, every heart has a place within the_ sky's_ embrace, but first, we must spread our_ wings_ free to _fly _high and try to reach it, either ways we are bound to crawl on the _ground _forever." Sakura told her dreamily, remembering her _Papa`s_ words, finding the context to be fitted for such an advice.

"A very _wise _person indeed."

"I feel that_ this_ world doesn't want _us_ to be together." It didn't.

The context was foster to both of them, they had Lorane targeting both of them, there were lies and an unsolved puzzle between them and they could only entrust their love into the hands of the ardent feelings for each other. Love, had to be stronger than_ everything_ else, even the threat of _death _itself.

"I will find a way, for me and for you. Just don't leave my side again." Sasuke`s words were smooth, rich, promising and resolute. He took her hand into his own, following the outline of their intertwined palms shadowing the faraway sunset. "Do not leave _me_."

_Alone again._

Sakura turned her head over her shoulder to place a steady kiss on his neck, inhaling his perfume that she loved so much, breathing to him, in the same soft way that a gentle breeze played into their loose clothes and hair.

"I am half naked on a beach, sprawled atop of a sexy man, which soon enough is going to fill with horny surfers. I can hardly do this."

"It is time for the sirens to go back into their realms and wait for the moon to rise." Smirking widely, Sasuke rolled them over, making her press her back onto the sand, shadowing her giggling petite frame while her hands winded around his neck playing into his hair.

He had tiny sparkling crustal of golden honey sand sewed into his raven hair and it was beyond tempting and luxurious. She brushed them off leisurely, following how they twinkled like gemstones and he was wild and fabulous and exotic as an Arab Prince. Sasuke reminded her of the savage splendid black pure blood Yemen horses, marked with a star.

"You want to see me _drown_? Death isn't going to keep me away from you, you know? I promise to make it back from Hell and _haunt_ your pretty ass- mfhsnh-" Sasuke dipped down to kissed her passionately, muffling her rambling, making her giggle into their lip lock, as he licked her lips with the tip of his tongue.

"Two mistakes, first..." He let his thin lips drag down her throats collarbone, nipping on her skin, as her fingers sunk into his scalp, moaning softly. "...the realm of eternal _flames_ belong to _demons_, not _angels_..."

He encircled his tongue over her exposed shoulder, then sliding along her collarbone, tantalizing her with his slick organ pampering her skin, arms filling with shivers. "and the second mistake..."

Sakura had to suppress a moan when he suckled on her pulse, pressing his tongue over the turning purple hickey he left as a mark on her porcelain soft skin. "_I_ will defy anyone who attempts to take you _away_ from me..." he whispered down her ear hotly. "Even _death_." She shuddered at the serious way and the astonishing implication.

His words certainty made her truly believe that he _could_ do it. Fight his mortal condition and win the battle of time.

The aureate shadows embroidered around the aquamarine jadeite myriad of her irises were twinkling like the fine crystals of luscious sand, bathed into the oasis of the gentle sun rays at dawn.

Her skin was brocade under his fingertips and smooth as translucent shrills entombing the rare pearls in the abysses of the sea's core. She was so exotic, so avant-garde, her sylph ethereal appearance was exotic and esoteric; an arcane fusion of evergreen femineity, solar joviality and intricate ineffable.

Sasuke was convinced that Sakura has entombed her cerulean appearance into the sepulture of his chest, waltzing on the limbs of his tickling madly heart in a symphony of undying _devotion_ and yearn.

His finger was lazily twirling strands of her silk cinnamon and honey cafe noir disheveled cashmere hair, lulling her to nest her temples into the grace of his touch, not believing how beautiful that woman was.

He didn't even care about who she truly was because the fact that she loved him back was _everything _he needed from her.

When loving someone like he grew to love her, he could easily accept that person entirely, even her dark past secrets and take the risk of adoring someone who was carrying on a _secret_ that was probably unpleasant, but in the end, love was _triumphant._

"What is going to happen now?" She whispered to him, like not wanting to clash with the comfortable silence lingering between them and perturb the lulling sound of the waves rolling upon the ocean.

"I honestly don't know." Sasuke told her honestly. There were just so many things that he could control. The rest…were mysterious like the vast ocean`s bottom they couldn't reach with their stare. But he was certain about one thing: he_ won't_ give up on Sakura. Never.

"I know you will figure something out eventually. You are a smart man. The smartest I have known."

Sakura tucked a hand around his neck to bring him down for a long lazy chaste kiss, frowning childishly at him, taunting. "Don't let it get to your head though." God only knew that his _ego _was cosmically high and resolute.

"Hn. I am hardly the one to be flattered."

"You could have fooled me."

"I thought we were over this." She rolled her eyes at him and Sasuke caught the deeper meaning, but somehow, neither found it uncomfortable to talk about that.

Sasuke didn't love _Ino_, he _hated _her, just like he personally stated and the stare in his obsidian orbs when he talked about that blond, was speaking more than words did.

"Can _I _really..." She bit her lower lip, not knowing how to voice out what was crushing her heart from the inside, and refrain from dropping the words _'mission' _and _'end'_ to him. "...stay with you…like this? Won't it…affect you?"

He was combing her hair with his fingers, following the natural light chocolate roots, eyes lost deep in thoughts. "Do you want to stay?"

For a moment, Sakura had the feeling that Sasuke wasn't present there anymore, hence he was talking to her…but not her. It was both eerie and interesting, because she would never predict what things were running through his mind at the moment. Sasuke was impossible to read by nature, he was simply that intricate to decipher.

"Of course I do."

"Then there is no problem. Don't worry about anything else."

"I want to help you. Is there something I can do? Anything. Just...find a way for us." _Her _mission was _to protect_ him. _His_ mission was to protect their idyllic secret _romance._

"Sakura, you do realize that _no one_ can drag me down the aisle and force me to marry that woman against my will, right?"

For a moment, Sasuke mistook it and thought that Sakura was worried about Fugaku not accepting their relationship, without knowing that the things that truly frightened Sakura, was Lorane and her identity. "Needless to say that I will never consent to this."

"Yes I know, but your father and the company will-"

"-both be dealt with by me when the time comes." She didn't quite like how dealt with sounded, because, in a way, it felt like a cold breeze that announced an upcoming turbulent storm, mirroring into his tone.

It was darker, sharper and diverted to things that she felt she didn't have to know, even if Sasuke would have liked to mutter them.

She understood it then: it was linked to all the things he couldn't say. Just like her, he tried to convey a secret message, without voicing it out, hoping that she could understand and trust him, and she did. _Always._

"Trust me."

Ah that was a luxury in Sakura`s profession, where everyone lied to each other and the only ones she could rely on, where the people that filled the links of her missing family. "I do trust you, Sasuke."

Even more than she trusted herself, and that was because she loved him so much. The emerald eyed beautiful agent leaned further into his chest, feeling like Adam and Eve seeking shelter from Poseidon after being chased down from Eden. The forbidden apple never tasted like more like nectar, than in that moment.

"There are two _words_ in my mother language that I have never told to anyone." And that thought alone, made a dreamy Sakura`s hear jitter and tremble, in perfect harmony with the ripples of the ocean.

"Which would those be?"

"_**Amore mio**_." Seeing that Sasuke kept silent at her sudden burst, she suddenly grew worried and felt stupid.

The fact that he didn't react was because he wasn't _used_ to someone be so sincere with stating she _loved_ him, but of course, in her haste, Sakura has misinterpreted it for rejection, but lines she never told to anyone before just flew out of her lips without her consent. "Sorry, this was idiotic."

"No." Sasuke was submerged in the way it sounded and it was then when he realized just how _sensual_ and_ romantic_ the Italian language and her flawless_ Latin_ accent truly was, focused on the meaning and finding himself not responding.

In fact, he didn't admit it to anyone that he loved her before, either, so he was still getting used to the feeling. A pleasant one, but an alien one. "Haven't you ever been in love with someone before?"

She was blazing crimson red like dawn. "...n-no. Never." Sure, she has met really handsome men, and the CIA agents who were taking turns in flirting with her were very fine attractive males, but it never went more than physical attraction, so Sakura hasn't ventured in any relationship.

"This is the...first time I..." Oh, in the name of all the Lords of the Sea, it was still so a_wkward _to admit that she was _pure _when they met, but Sakura didn't know just how much if fused with Sasuke`s ego, the fact that she has given herself to _him_ and him only. "but you can probably see that I am just like a schoolgirl."

"Has anyone told you before that he loved you?" He tucked her hair around her ear to look at the eyes he loved so much .

That face which was stamped onto his retina, face he dreamed about, face he remembered, a woman he has met _before,_ someone from his past, someone who belonged to him because Heavens have destined her to him from the beginning of time, skin he could freely touch, lips he could kiss, a woman to make love to, someone so beautifully intimate, someone he could feel free to feel, someone who accepted him _unconditionally _and was interested in **everything **about **him,** and not his looks, name, money or a place in his bed.

"No, never." Sasuke was making her tremble in delight, while running his knuckles along her forearms, as the bathrobe has fallen from her unclad porcelain arms and she fought the urge to moan.

She was so beautiful, he breathed her in as the sun was setting behind her, she was glowing with blood red and pink behind, hair fluttering and emerald eyes were stunning, shimmering and writing a story inside of their own. She was gorgeous like a creature belonging to the sea, he felt the urge to collect her into his arms and give her back to the world of Gods where she belonged.

A nymph escaping from her sacred temple to meet him in secret.

"Sasuke..." She breathed like unsure whether to continue with her question or not, but the moment seemed appropriate for…_confessions._ It was knocking on the gates of her alertness for weeks and Sakura couldn't contain it anymore.

"...you are_…not_ a businessman, are you?" By that, she meant not JUST a simple skilled businessman, because the fact that, on the surface, Sasuke was being the CEO of the Mangekyou, remained untouched, but she meant scraping the surface and reaching the underneath.

It took him some time to respond, and, for a moment, seeing that his thin lips were sealed together and his onyx orbs were travelling far away, she thought that he won't answer to her question.

"No."

"I figured this much." She was truly surprised that Sasuke has just confessed to her that there was something ELSE he was, which he wouldn't confess.

And the natural question of _'then WHAT are you?'_ immediately rose, but Sakura didn't venture on the turbulent waters, nuzzling closer into his arms because of the chilling wind scraping her bare skin, as he encircled his arms around her waist.

"You are something _else,_ Sasuke. I always knew that you were _more_ than the others could see. Something special. I can even feel it now…"

_'Something I __love__.'_

"I am sorry. This wasn't fair to ask since I too..." she trailed, not knowing how to fix her mistake.

By then, Sakura was trading on thin ice, walking on a rope. She knew it wasn't fair to inquire more, but the feeling was there, gawking at her.

She couldn't help but stick to it. Sasuke was someone that the others feared, his general aura just screamed that he had a huge mind-blowing secret, and, somehow, she felt like she was close to the answer, but she just couldn't put a finger on it.

A soft salty marine breeze blew through their hair, bringing on a melancholic heavy tension.

"It's ok." Sasuke find himself telling her and Sakura released a breath that she wasn't aware that she was holding, for any mysterious reason –but Sasuke did felt the tension amassing into her shoulders.

He wasn't angry that she asked him such a thing. It didn't bother him at all, so she shouldn't be so reticent in openly asking him such things. "Because I know that you didn't lie about the fact that you do have me in your heart and this is the only certitude I need from you, love."

"But…it is something…dangerous?"

He took some time to reply so as if pondering whether he should let her know and risk to scare her, or hide it from her, for her own safety, opting to be honest to her. "Yes."

There was an electrical feeling surging through her system and it wasn't anything too pleasant. She was getting_ intrigued_ ad there was a tension she couldn't alleviate.

His eyes…she turned to look into those incredibly beautiful almond shaped onyx eyes, which flickered to her emerald ones, as his palms slide to her hips, while her short hair was fluttering around her temples.

"Is it hurting you? Has it ever?" The thought that something was torturing Sasuke, like his vision, flashbacks and the drugs did, was making her grow worried and scared, not for her, but for him and it was painful.

The mere idea that she was unable to protect him from something else than the ones targeting her, left Sakura feel so powerless, small, oblivious, naïve, fool and teary.

"Yes." She bit her lower lip as he would look at her intently, chanting it into her mind that she _won't_ cry for him or in front of him and show such a weakness, since Sasuke was telling her the _truth,_ entrusting her such secrets to somehow alleviate some of his pain, and not to have her feel_ pity_ for him. She brushed a hand through her hair, turning her head towards the ocean, muttering.

"Will it…hurt…_me_?"

Sasuke himself felt like an idiot for not having the right words to say to her, but he couldn't help it. He was a blunt man by nature and gentility couldn't overshadow the truth.

So he let actions speak in place of words he couldn't say –nor have- slipping his hand under her jaw, angling her head to face him and cupped her cheek, getting up to be on the same level as her.

"I will never hurt you, love. Never." To emphasize his point, he leaned forward to kiss her deeply, and she immediately kissed him back, letting her back fall back on the sand, as he flipped them over, coming to lie atop of her, deepening their kiss, tongues caressing and dancing together, as he let his body rest mostly on his side so as not to crush her.

Sakura`s nails were grazing his back and shoulder blades, slipping under the airy material of his shirt, stopping to nestle into his rich hair, bringing him closer to her body.

His lips trailed to the column of her throat, collarbone and shoulders, showering her skin with whimsical butterfly kisses that made her skin slither in delight.

She forgot how to breathe when his lips latched on the swell of her breast, offering him every pump of her erratic heartbeats.

But he didn't go farther than that, much to her dismay, he stopped descending and only came back to kiss her lips softly, smirking when she pouted at him, pulling his hair. "I want you, Sasuke."

Public places be damned, there was hardly anyone around, except for some surfers faraway, enjoying and riding the waves, but they were living in their own world, not sparing them a single glance.

The sunset was glowing a red and pink hue spanning over the sky, the sun was descending into the ocean, the water was glowing bright orange, laced with red, the wind was blowing yet her skin was fire and starlight, stealing the sleeping sun`s warmth.

The onyx eyed Uchiha let his eyes lock on his emerald orbs, following the resolute gleam into the luscious aureate irises, placing another kiss over her lips, soft, innocent and pulled on her lower lip, nipping on it.

"I know, love. But not here." It was not like Sasuke wouldn't have loved to do her on the beach, the idea being more than arousing and inviting, but he would rather not risk another public scandal.

They had plenty of time for that later on, when his grandparents would fall into slumber. The night unfolding before their eyes, in all its starry splendor, was long.

"Scared?" She challenged him, but he was steady in his resolve. As tempting as it was to fuck her on that beach, Sasuke was still cautious about his surroundings and that was an open space. If there were assassins on their tail, they would be fresh meat in the roaring of their riffles, as sure targets.

"Only that you will be too _vocal _in screaming my name." She grew hotter upon hearing his sexual baritone voice echo not beyond whisper level.

She brushed off the crystal of golden sand embroidered into his raven hair, seeing as the going down sun was glowing behind him.

She rose up to see the sunset, leaning her head on his shoulder as his hand curled around her waist. She felt like crying in happiness, it was so perfect and so meant to be. "You are so full of yourself, you know that?"

"Aa."

"I can't believe you actually admit it."

"Why hide something obvious? Denial and modesty are the honor of the _mediocre _ones."

They stood silent to see the sun sink into the ocean, being replaced by a golden blazing crescent big moon, shining above their heads.

"This is so beautiful, Sasuke. Thank you for bringing me here. I feel like _time _doesn't pass in here. And we can stay_ forever_ like this."

He has been hit by another violent sudden _memory,_ but he was getting used to it by then, since the occurrences were more frequent since Sakura`s arrival, and it didn't faze Sasuke anymore, because the overlapping memories were pleasant, soft and not intrusive.

'_**When we are together like this, I have the feeling that time stopped flowing. No past, no present and no future, but **__**us **__**and us only. And we can remain forever like this, trapped in our own version of eternity.'**_

"Nothing is impossible, Sakura. You just have to desire it." It was dusk in the realm of rolling foamy waves, seagulls and velvet horizon.

She saw some couples sneaking into the water in the distance or ones walking along the coastline, concealing their intimacy.

She instantly realized that she and Sasuke _were_ a couple like that. She had someone to love her and sleep beside her, he took away the **loneliness.**

"I do. And I am going to fight for it." She told him cryptically, cocking her head to look at him. Into that dim suave lilac light, he was gorgeous.

Wind was blowing into the fine material of his loose shirt into a playful taunting way, his body was chiseled like the sharp cliffs around them and exposed, his skin was glowing like fine marble, his hair and hair were so striking and flawless and his face was tranquil and serene and so breathtaking.

He smirked at her, dipping his head to pull her into a hard hot kiss, catching her admiring him like she was breathing in a beautiful painting.

"This is something we both agree on." Somehow, that statement swayed to another _deeper _meaning and that time, Sakura caught it as well.

There was something connecting that affirmation, something that brought them instantly together as one, but she couldn't place it. "My grandma is waiting us for dinner."

"She is an amazing cook. That was the best pasta I had in a while. Are they your grandparents on your mother`s side or father`s side?" Though she got an idea of whose side, but he stunned her again.

"My father`s. My mother`s parents have both passed away a long time ago. You are surprised of the difference."

He gave her a small smirk as she nodded and buried her face into his shoulder, ashamed she disregarded his father like that, but who wouldn't?

"Yeah…sorry. I am surprised because their personalities are very different."

"Indeed. They are also hurt because of the rupture in our family and they have tried many times to reconcile us, but father`s steady indoctrinated stubbornness makes it impossible to do so and they simply gave up trying, and instead, they teamed up with their nephews and my mother."

"If Mikoto-san and your grandma team up in the kitchen, I know I will never leave that place again." He chuckled as she giggled at her own blunt confession and Sasuke nodded at her. He knew how good they were.

"Who knows, maybe you_ will_ have this chance someday. Because I intend to keep you." She giggled as he pressed a surprise kiss on her pulse, tickling her soft sensitive skin. "Have you ever looked for your parents?" He asked her put of pure curiosity. She never talked about them.

She grew serious at that and he almost regretted asking her. "No. I have never." He was surprised because he has seen how hurt was she to be an orphan and also he knew she has suffered. She hasn't lied to his grandparents.

"They left no name, no number, no address and no message. Nothing."

"Aren't you intrigued by who they are or why did they leave you to the orphanage? Or if you have living relatives?"

She simply shook her head. "No, I am not. If they loved me so much to leave without a trace, then they never loved me. I suspect I was one of the thousand cases where my birth hasn't been something planned, maybe an accident and my mother tried to hide the shame by abandoning me. I don't want to find out something like this, because I know I will be hurt, so I would rather never find out." She looked to the sea, deep in thoughts.

Orochimaru, Karin, Anko, Tsunade and even Hidan offered to help her find her parents and with the help of the CIA`s connection, that would have been a breeze, but truth was that she was afraid.

Afraid to meet people who would say they don't recognize her or acknowledge her and nothing was worse than being bluntly _rejected_ by your family, so she would rather imagine them being dead, instead of being happy somewhere under the same sky, as she has suffered so much.

She was angry with them. Not hating, but hurt. Deeply _hurt._ She would never do that to her own kid.

"I, on the other hand, am grateful to your parents, whoever they might be." She stopped dead in her tracks, surprised to hear him saying something like that.

"Why- ah!" He scooped her up, bridal style as her hands immediately enfolded around his neck, smiling –not smirking- briefly to her, resuming his walking, marveling at how feather like she was. For him, it was like carrying a swan.

"Because if it wasn't for them giving birth to you, I would have _never_ met you." Oh Kami-sama, the way he said that made her fingers dig into his skin, fisting into his shirt, her heart pounding like a drum.

She didn't know what to do and how to respond, Sasuke was not the man to show_ affection _let alone say such things and it was so strange to hear him so _romantic,_ but not unwelcomed.

So she simply let her head rest under his chin, molding perfectly into the crook of his neck, running a palm on his half exposed chest as he carried her back home and for the first time in her life, Sakura was not minding the people watching the beautiful idealistic young pair.

He only put it down in front of the gate and first thing that welcomed her was a delicious scent of honey and apples.

"Sasuke, can I eat your share of whatever dessert your grandma cooked?" He chuckled at her, because she was cute and innocent like a child, while he kept on being fascinated by that duality of her character, which she slayed so naturally.

How could she make those cute pouts while looking like a model for women swim wear, was beyond him.

He leaned forward to whisper against her nape, hotly and darkly, making her hair stand erect. "You can _taste_ whatever you like." The double implication made her insides throb.

"Oh dear, you are back!" The grandma welcomed them cheerfully, already placing the cutlery on the table, while the grandpa was reading the newspaper.

"How did you enjoy the beach?" She asked the emerald eyed young woman, taking her head into her own, as the three of them headed into the kitchen and the first thing that came to Sakura along with a huge grin was. "It was _perfect,_ Naori-san." It was, indeed.

.

.

.

* * *

"Thank you for the meal, grandma. It was delicious, just like I remember." Sasuke told the woman, while Sakura was helping her clean the dishes.

"Oh, you are exaggerating. I kept your old room just the way you left it. Even your favorite Teddy Bear. Eh…"

Sakura laughed softly at that, while the woman didn't know how to voice out those things without sounding embarrassing. "Will you kids forgive us the elders for being so old fashioned…ahm…I assume you wouldn't like a _separate _room?" It was Sasuke`s turn to smirk at Sakura who turned ten shades of tomato red.

Mr. Uchiha came to envelop her shoulders placing a kiss on her cheeks. "Haha, it seems like a hundred years since I gain the courage to ask her out and she was already twenty two."

It didn't help at all because Sakura hasn't been with anyone before Sasuke either, much to the Uchiha`s amusement. And he didn't stop. "We only kissed on the third date." By then, she was beat red.

"Come dear, stop teasing the youngsters. Who knew you were so afraid of my father?" They all headed into the living room, laughing, parting ways on the head of the stairs. "You kids can enjoy the pool if you want. We had the water changed yesterday."

"Good night dear." Naori kissed Sasuke on his forehead then turned to do the same to Sakura. "I am glad to have you here, Sakura-chan. Welcome to our home."

"Thank you. Have a good rest, Naori-san. Mr. Uchiha." When the elders got into their respective room, Sakura turned to look at Sasuke who was stifling his snorts.

"Why are you laughing at, you jerk?" She taunted.

"Well, who would have known that you and my grandmother had so many things in _common_?" He did the exact sin that Karin committed, namely teasing her about being a _virgin _in anything that meant romance and intimacy and immediately her blush turned into an angry flush.

Without warning, a well-aimed punch attached to Sasuke`s shoulder, but that only made him chuckle more at her, that ridiculously strong asshole, though he would never admit, she _had_ strength.

"Don't you dare running away, Sasuke!" He was fast on the door before she got the chance to blink.

Fuming, she darted after him into the back yard, where the swimming pool was, throwing her shoes near a sun lounger, but when she saw him looking for her, having his back on her, she snuck behind his shadow –although she knew he could hear her- and jumped on his back, throwing her hands around his neck, lips latching to the shell of his ear, nipping on it.

His hands hooked around her thighs, trying to cock his head on his side because that little cherry blossom knew exactly how _sensitive _his ears were and she was doing it on purpose. "Gothcha!"

"Hn. Not quite." He spun on his heel as Sakura was crying and giggling, clinging to him so as she wouldn't fall, feeling like in a carousel ride. He slowly untangled his hands from around her legs letting her slide down with her tiptoes brushing the short grass, but Sakura let her hands rest around his chest and his cheek between his shoulder blades, looking at the stars above and the lights from the garden and pool.

The water was mirroring the sky and even though it didn't look deep, the swimming pool was taking almost the entire back yard and was quite big and L-shaped. It looked inviting and very appropriate for midnight _fantasies._

Same thoughts were running through Sasuke`s mind as well. "I don't have a swimwear." She whispered to him so as to not disturb the peaceful serene atmosphere.

"Then your only options are to either swim dressed or naked." Of course he had to press the syllables of her last option in that dark alluring way and make her insides turn to jelly.

She detached from him, going around to face him, hands on the hem of her bath robe, smirking in a sensual wild way that he rarely saw on her.

"Like back into the mountains?" She whispered to him while she dragged the light article up to her legs, waist and head, letting it slide along her arms, slowly as she was dancing for him, and she didn't know where that bold seductiveness was coming from, but something changed between that romantic atmosphere from earlier, getting hotter, feral, thirstier and daring.

And the smirk blooming on Sasuke`s lips and the peculiar unique way of briefly narrowing his almond shaped onyx eyes, looking like a feline, assured her that he understood what she meant by that: their _first time_ and the circumstances were somehow similar.

"Hn. Let`s make it _better_ than then." He let his own shirt fell along his arms and Sakura felt her mouth going dry at the sight of his carved upper body, stealing the light of the moon and the mild light was falling graciously on the ample planes of his body.

Biting her lower lip, she brought her hands back to unclasp the lace bra she wore, without breaking the eye contact with a smirking at her Sasuke. _Just what the heck were they doing, stripping off their clothes in the yard of his grandparents?_

She threw it on the same sun longer where she discarded her shoes, mindful to not decorate the yard with their clothes. God only knew when they would need to grab them and hide the _evidence…_

_The agent in her taught her that!_

The fire in his eyes when his onyx eyes fell on her bare chest was enough to ignite her own. Sakura could see how much he desired her, but she wanted him just as bad. She saw him getting off the pants he wore, remaining in a pair of a navy Armani boxers and she could barely keep her focus. He was so damn hot that it should be illegal!

What stunned Sakura at Sasuke`s amazing body was the hard deep muscles of his thighs and, she had no idea_ when_ was he working –she never saw him going to the gym- or what kind of exercises he did to gain_ such_ muscles, but she knew from _experience _that they were hard to keep in such a flawless shape, plus every single inch of him looked fast, strong and lethal.

But she didn't have time to dwell on that one because the cocky Uchiha, who knew it all too well who he was and how did he look like in the eye of a woman, crossed his arms on his chest and tilted his head to mock her.

And when he did that, every fiber from his carved arms and chiseled chest protruded like sharp mountain peaks, making her barely prevent a smile to raise on her lips. "What`s the matter, Sakura? Grew scared?" She knew he was trying to coax into taking off her matching lace panties first. It was a game of who was to see the other completely naked under the moon first.

She smirked at him, turned around, slid her fingers under the elastic band of her lingerie and slowly let the fine expensive material slide down her ankles, stepping on it, whirling her head around and threw it towards a smirking at her Uchiha, who caught it easily.

Then she stepped to the edge of the swimming pool as she gave him an ample view on her siren back, letting him admire the exquisite contour of her slim long legs and her violin waist, until she touched the water with her toe, feeling how lukewarm was, stretching her hands above her head, leaning forward and just like a water Goddess head dipped and disappeared under the water, reappearing on the other side, brushing her damp hair over her head, turning around to look at Sasuke.

Only…she didn't have the chance to see him in his lean proud Adam form, because he dived right after her, and the only trace she had on him, was the music of shattered glass and the spiral crystalline water drops fluttering around the ripples his body created, before sliding inside.

He stroked the water with swift precise moves, gracefully sliding through the water coming to resurface in front of her while Sakura's gaze strolled along his breathtaking dripping wet form.

The simple nonchalance way of him fighting the water's pressure and defying gravity like a smooth yet striking unpredictable and fascinating white shark seemed like a sophisticated high cut of a commercial on a branded men perfume and she couldn't help but feel her jade orbs get glassy and clouded in lust.

His rippling muscular Herculean arms chose to rest soundly on the edge of the pool while creating a tempting seductive shield in between her and the rest of the world, as he shadowed her with his chiseled upper body.

Lazy glistening crystal lukewarm dews of water were sensually dragging along his lean protruding sculpted fiber on his magnificent body, rolling down the ample valley of his chest and down his abdomen, tantalizingly disappearing under the water, in the same manner as the other half of him.

His impossibly gleaming blue-ish luscious raven hair was blending into the starry midnight scenery, sticking to his temples and cascading down to poke on his shoulder blades and neck, half coveting those smoldering sapphire orbs and his high aristocratic check bones.

An irresistible glamorous flirtatious smile rose on his moist thin smooth lips and Sakura swore that her heart stopped pumping life through her for a nanosecond.

The sight of him in all the splendor of the epitome of cosmopolitan and intricate manhood, ensnarled her into a spellbound so sweet and ravishing that she felt her own persona being turned into a simple atom, bursting at the speed of light around his magnetizing orbit, being entirely shot by electrical impulses making her every pore charged with vigor energy and blazing chemistry.

She cupped his cheeks, brushing away the damp locks of hair sticking glued to his eyes and temples, as he pressed his lips along her pulse, kissing her neck.

"Hmmm...S-Sasuke!" Unlike couple of minutes ago on the beach, he was more sensual, his caresses were hot and sexual, he was using his teeth and tongue to pleasure her skin and his hands were dancing along the contours and swells of her curves, freely exploring and possessing her, dominating and demanding.

Her moist lips gasped for an inhale that she has missed, as he felt his hand glide along the valley of her thighs, rubbing her folds with his fingertips, feeling how slick and ready she was, even with all the rinse of the water.

"You will have to be as quiet and subtle as possible, love." He growled against her skin, while his lips were encircling a hardened jewel nipple. "Someone might walk into us and realize what we are doing."

"I can't…ah!…promise…anything." Sakura`s voice was trembling like a jelly fish, her heart sent jolts along her veins, adrenaline was fusing with the lukewarm water and the sizzle of his touch, and her whole system felt invigorated like a spring.

She curled her legs around his hard waistline, rubbing her locked ankles on the peak of his toned ass, while two fingers snuck past her lace folds, inside the caverns of her body, pumping her.

"Aren't you one naughty seeker for danger in Eden's Gardens?" Sasuke`s own voice turned into a predatory low baritone key, vibrating with anticipation to spurt inside her and replace his fingers with his own engorged hardness. His tongue was writing verses on her shoulders and the heart shaped aperture of her supple mounds.

The moon was mirrored into the luscious water, highlighting the brightens of her emerald-aureate eyes, bringing in the elegant ivory color of her skin.

She was a mesmerizing amalgamation of pastel rose, ivory and porcelain, her entire being was a vibrant playful game of nude colors and exotic features.

Sasuke swore that he never went so crazy over something or someone, not even when his blood pumped to_ kill_ the ones who trespassed his property to steal from him, or when he shoot another men hours ago.

"I-It...ahhh...only makes me...even more eager to take the risk and get burned if you would be my fire."

"I remind you that there is no fire into Paradise." Sakura would gladly jump into the Underworld and burn her fingers, by the fire of his touch, if it meant to be united to him forever.

She felt her body bubble like Champagne, anticipation was killing her worse than the bundle of nerves amassed into the pits of her stomach, begging to be hit and taunted.

"It might be true but..." She brought her head to the level of his eyes, as their lips aligned together, in the same manner as their hips. Jade orbs rolled into their sockets as Sasuke`s already eager rock hard manhood poked its head where her soft lace lips met into a heart shape, entering her with two steady thrusts inside her and Sakura felt an electrical chill roll over her lower back as he impaled himself fully inside her, being welcomed with no restriction, while words of love flew like butterflies from her widened lips.

"To me, whenever you are, there is Paradise." Just as her heart, her body was clinging to his own, wrapping around him in all its lucent softness and hotness, firm and tight, just as it always taunted him.

His hands cupped her ass, squeezing her mounds, while keeping her steady for him to plunge freely inside her, over and over again, pounding into a throbbing expecting sweet spot inside her, his zeal growing with each passing grunt, caress, kiss and moan passing her lips. "Ohhhh…s-so good!"

It was literarily the most upbeat experience for Sakura to feel his hot body pulsating and pervading life inside her, it was like a lighter igniting the fire within her, the gasoline her body needed to scorch like a torch, her fingers were tiptoeing along the jittering planes of his back muscles, nails imprinting him with sinuous lines, while her hips were winding in a tango they were dancing together, meeting his thrusts halfway, squeezing her eyes shut when he slant from another angle, reached her deeper.

The sound of their bodies grinding together, caressed and concealed by the water around, as passion filled the cool air with electricity and stars, reached their ears and intoxicated their senses. "Kiss me."

She heard the unmistakable voice of the obsidian eyed man she was enamored with, and she did just as so, tightening her embrace on him.

She let her lips reach for his own, tongues sloping upon one another, into their mouths, tasting the love on their lips.

"S-Sasu-ke! T-This is...not e-enough!"

Sakura whimpered to him, while her helpless limp body was desperately awaiting for release and she would literally_ kill_ for that knot under her belly button to explode in those pleasurable bubbles of spark and energy and send her to the world of colors and symphonies where time and perception had no meaning.

Sasuke knew exactly what the pleading rosy haired woman was talking about but there were not so many available helpful options to explore in that situation. He had to fight the urge to milk her hot cavern like his pouncing heavy balls were threatening to do and rack his clouded mind for a quick solution.

Had it been his own swimming pool in the intimacy of his villa, he would have hauled the almost crying pleading jadeite eyed angel by her waist, pull her from the mild blue water, glue her small back on the edge of the pool and ram into her like an unleashed hurt savage beast until she embed his name in ecstasy on the moon and every star above but that was out of question since there were elders probably taking a nap on their room which was inconveniently _facing _the pool they were using to fuse their steaming imagination with the fascination of experience the adrenaline rush of being in the verge of getting caught in the act and their hormones.

"Fuck..." He growled to her, sensing how she was desperately roll her hips against his, taking as much of him inside as she could, like trying to swallow him entirely, her back arching like a rainbow against him, to find release.

"There is not enough friction with all this water." Sasuke let his forehead rest on her own, stopping pounding inside her, and Sakura had to bit her lip to prevent herself from crying at the way the ball into her lower abdomen was tightening her. "Turn around." He bad her gently, while she fluttered her jade orbs open in puzzlement.

"Why?"

She liked to face him when they made love, but Sakura allowed him to take both to the other side of the pool, on the farthest place from the house, spinning her around and leading her to grip the edge of the pool and hold tight.

And although he didn't like to be the dominant raw and wild animal who hammered his woman treating her like a sex slave who grew aroused by being used and abused, he didn't have a choice since Sasuke knew from experience that the position he chose to bend her into, could -and he would make damn sure it will- send her body within a cataclysmic orgasm so he had to be sure.

His left hand wrapped around her shoulders, while she half turned her head on her side slightly confused but she quickly caught the apologetically yet sexy tone of his warning when his hand brushed past her ear and covered her mouth, gently so as to prove his point that he was not trying to coax her into something she wouldn't consent to, yet his mild pressure was firm enough to block any lascivious and euphoric noise that might come.

"I assure you it is something I would never do if not absolutely necessary, love."

She nodded once while her twinkling golden and viridian orbs thanked him for the obvious loving care and respect he showed.

Deep inside, what he didn't know, was the fact that the idea of being possessed and by that ravishing man whose manhood has pushed the of sex to its apotheosis, was turning her on even more than the idea of not knowing what to expect next, since she wasn't facing him so she could only guess how was he going to_ fuck_ her senseless.

Plus, if he was willing not to have her moan his name in pleasure promised an amalgamation of ecstasy and beatitude to its finest and that thought alone made her inner walls fuel with hot blood pulsating and spilling juices in anticipation.

"Lift your body up and wrap your legs around my waist." In all honesty Sasuke wasn't sure that he has ever tried such acrobatic positions, simply because they claimed a flexibility over the average and that was something that the majority of the women he had simply didn't have.

But not Sakura. For whatever the hell that girl might have been to possess such unusual abilities, Sasuke could freely explore the sublime depths of sex in all its darkness.

She eagerly and easily enough did just as he instructed, clasping her fingers on the edge of the pool, holding it tight since it was slippery and brought her knees to rest on his hips, clasping him with her firm toned thighs and he would have never guessed that the view might have been able to make his lower abdomen explode instantly at the vista he has been gifted with.

He could see all the fine delicate yet precise muscles of her toned firm round ass, which was half above the crystal glassy surface and half sexily concealed by it as well as a taunting glimpse of the lean muscles of her legs ripple as she hold him tighter.

He couldn`t wait to pound her like an animal and keep his eyes glued to her back while he did that. He was sure it was going to be all worth it.

Sakura felt his ripped toned hot chest pressing on her back, as he made her lie onto him, resting her head on his shoulder, while his hand pressed on her mouth tighter, not enough to be brutal and uncomfortable, but enough to make her hornier at the idea of being impaled and prevent her from screaming, as her fingers curled around the pole of the edge, holding tight.

She felt every fiber of her body stretched and challenged to the maximum, thanking all the Heavens for all the training and her assassin elastic body structure and flexibility, because that position would have been pretty uncomfortable.

But she came to realize that the stance was offering Sasuke the maximum angle of penetration, because she was on the same level with him and his hand, the one that wasn't supporting her body by wrapping around her waist, slide along the band of her navel and cupped her swollen clit, rubbing and pinching it.

Her cries of pleasure at the sudden contact made the skin under Sasuke`s palm vibrate. "Look at me and shake your head if it hurts."

He whispered into her ear, as she turned to look into his eyes, her silent look was inquisitive about why would he warn her about how he took her, since it wasn't the first time he took her from behind, but when she felt him fill her passageway in one swift fluid motion, her eyes widened like plates and for two good seconds, she didn't breathe, or move.

She stood frozen as a new electrical wave of sheer _immensurable_ pleasure bolted along her body, discharging down her spine and soon enough, her cells were trembling in pleasure.

Sasuke was intently following the way her widened emerald orbs got veneered by a thick fog, making them ten shades darker, lust filling her body until it got saturated and overwhelmed.

Sakura didn't expect _that_ sensation, it resembled_ nothing_ like she felt before while having sex with him, it was something else, something so powerful that she grew alarmed and even scared of what it would feel when he _moved._

"I get it that you like this, hm?" Oh God, his delirious sexy voice was torn from that night`s aquatic fantasy, dripping with sensuality.

She didn't like that, she was **loving** it, lusting and begging for it as she went insane! And when he started to move inside her, he wasn't gentle.

He rammed inside her, while their bodies were grazing together, touching in all the _right _places, while he was doing his best to pull and flicker his thumb on her clit, pressing hard on it and Sakura was thankful that he had enough experience to cover her screams, because she knocked away all the air in her lungs at the way she was silently crying out in pure bliss.

Her entire body was jerking up like a rocket trying to reach the sky, while his firm hands and his spell were keeping her down to burn into the flames of passion, her bouncing breasts were breaking the glass surface of the water around her whenever he hit her hard, merciless, fast and indomitable, sending her body into a helpless tremble.

She even swore that her sanity was seeping from her, along with all the juices spraying from her body. It was _too _good, too amazing and too irresistible to be true.

She couldn't move, she couldn't fight with the pleasure spreading through her like ink, it was too much to handle such a level of painful pleasure, her entire body was paralyzed with an electrical euphoria, and Sakura had no control over herself, except from the helpless muffles cries that were escaping her lips.

The fact that her hands remained curled and frozen on the edge of the pool was a miracle. Sasuke on the other hand, was having just as many troubles into keeping his own feral growls at bay, letting his canines sink into her collarbone, and that made her grow even more aroused.

Adrenaline and endorphins were shooting like a drug towards her muscles and she swore she would explode like a meteorite.

She felt his hot slick flesh pounding inside her, sharing their juices and euphoria together like cosmic energy surging from the depths of an exploding supernova and so was her fogged intoxicated mind chanting his name in a sublime ecstasy.

Everytime he thrust into her ruthlessly, her inner muscles clenched, throbbed and pulsated violently.

Her squeezed eyelids were whimpering with every sharp thrust and she swore she has never felt the need to run from and withstand the torturous sweet enrapture at the same time. For her, Sasuke has always been _too_ much of anything: too much of a suave enigma, too well gifted to accommodate from the first try, too savage when he had her, too eager to jump into the fire and never afraid to get burned and there she was sharing that emerging insanity with him, not afraid to announce it to the starry skies above, the crescent blazing golden moon and the scintillating frenetic lights of the faraway city, his elegant name.

It never left her mind, it was tattooed on her tongue, it was sealed on her lips and Sasuke felt it cry out of her mouth under his hot soft palm, sending a wave of magnetizing vibrations through his limbs, spine and lower back, making him grow wild and hard like a beast, urging his fast light jerks.

Shimmering crystal tiny drips of clear water were splashing and dancing around them, while their united bodies were rocking on the limbs of Nirvana, hitting the water each time they were getting one single breathing body, sending ripples on the glassy luscious surface.

The sound of pumped water splashing the hot slick lusted skin was echoing through the mild warm airy night, filling both Sasuke's and Sakura's mind with naughty thoughts.

His delicious incredibly proud standing lean member was constantly and restlessly aiming a sweet hot key spot inside her womb, just under her belly button and it send violent electric jolts along her spine and dripping throbbing core, and her nails mechanically flew on his rippling Herculean arms, digging into his biceps for both leverage in a desperate attempt to persuade her mind to not leave her for good and leave her reel there in bliss, wrapped within his arms and hard stone carved chest.

She felt him everywhere and Sakura swore that she could only perceive one single breath like Sasuke has finally managed to fully and steadily connect them, with his magically masterful undulating moves, touches, thirsty lupine kisses and caresses.

It was solely the grace of his finesse to be a petal of rose fluttering into her hair or ribs, occasionally tickling her with his pampering touches, while his member worked inside her like a hammer, ramming inside her clamping pumping thin passage, all the way to where she was able to nourish life, losing her sanity each time into his incredibly stamina and speed.

Hot, sensual, dark, yet refined, that was how much of a seductive contradiction that black sapphire eyed man was and it was beyond her physical and mental power to resist that passion he radiated. It was too indescribable good to be put into sentences, no, the way Sasuke was making her vibrate with celestial energy was poetic by essence and only worth of being found among verses, rhymes, canvas, colors, brushes or melodies.

A savage lust was pumping through his veins, sending his engorged member into frenzy and he was barely holding himself from spilling his seed inside his rose café noir haired lover's womb, but he would be damned before he stole the orgasm from her, coming before she did.

Sasuke`s only regret was that he couldn't see the momentum when he nested within her hot cavern, but he sharpened all of his senses to listen to her body's mewls, moans and response.

The creamy smooth blushing skin of her lace like inner folds were brushing past his foreskin each time his throbbing manhood was filling her with his warmth and her quintessence's were rewarding his every hard long steady thrust with long glistening milky juices leaking down his length, adding to the rise their frames got from all the lukewarm water around.

The emerald eyed woman's fragile elastic inner walls were deliciously clasping him within her core and Sasuke swore he saw stars twinkling under his fluttering eyelashes at the friction their bodies created.

He kept on bucking up his hips harder and wilder, spreading her folds and passage way more for him to claim her, going as deeper as his wickedest thoughts could reach.

Sakura cocked her head leaning on his left shoulder unable to keep herself steady, when her escalading orgasm was slowly but surely growing from its foundation, inside her belly, and reaching to the stars, creeping along her spine.

Even if she was unable to see his bathed in arousal damp face or take a peek at him fucking her senseless, Sakura felt him all breathing his life inside her body.

The rosy heart shaped tip of his thick head was piercing her sweet G point like the tip of an arrow, sending rolling jolts of washing waves along her body, and her pulse went ecstatic while she felt him growing steadier and firmer inside her and having another life pulsate through her was fantastic by its nature.

His soft fingers slide up to her sculpted abdomen, to attach to her breast, rubbing her rosy perked up silk nipple occasionally pulling at it, massaging her mound gently but sensually, aware not to produce unnecessary pain and she melted like chocolate under the blessing of his touch. He was so skilled and his maneuvers told the story of his personality: not rushed, patient, precise, elegant, exquisite and incredibly attractive.

He did nothing on _vain_ and he was calculated and always in control even if he seemed to be just as loss into bliss and he was.

But Sasuke was also a _man_ and it was in _his _responsibility to take the lead to their passionate tango. Plus, the woman whimpering and squirming into his embrace was unable to even respond. He couldn't help but smirk even if she couldn't see him.

Of course, if anything, he knew he was_ good_ and he was arrogant enough to praise himself for it.

And to add to his amusement, Sasuke couldn't resist the urge to taunt her and feel her even closer. Impossibly close until he wouldn't be able to make out where one's skin started and where it ended.

So he wrapped his left hand around her waist, tugging her up into his chest, with her shoulder blades pressed into his chest, gluing his lips on the shell of her ear, whispering hotly and darkly. "You have no idea how bad would I love to hear you scream my name, love."

If his smooth chocolate addictive voice hasn't been the catalyst to her release, then the new angle to hit her surely did its job and almost sent her to the half crescent moon if not for his firm solid protective grip on her and the feel of his heart running like million miles per hour did the trick and she came as a hurricane hitting the ocean with the nature`s full force, making her shot up like a siren emerging from the realm of the ocean and detach her hands from the edge of the pool, to wind around his neck and pull on his damp raven hair, that was sticking at his nape, hard, making him come after two more thrusts, unable to contain his own need to fill her with his essences, because her inner walls constricted him violently, caging him inside, with no chance to escape or move.

"Fuck, Sakura!" He had to encircle his hands around her waist and somehow support both of them and fight the water, even if his muscles grew instantly limp, because Sakura had no control over herself. For one good minute, she was trembling and moaning into his arms.

Never in her life has Sakura felt an orgasm like that and she swore she never heard Karin –and that woman DID talk non-stop- experience something on _that_ level.

It was indescribable. Nothing that Sakura could put into words and before she knew, there were tears flowing from the corners of her eyes, while her heart was knocking on her chest, screaming to be set free and soar like a bird towards the sky.

The level of pleasure, intertwined with the connection she felt with him in that moment, while he gathered her greedily into his arms, breathing vicious words into her hair, kissing her neck, not pulling himself out of her, keeping them physically joined, was bringing _tears _into her eyes.

When he felt herself calm down he let his hand uncover her mouth and the first words that came in between her harsh pants and sobs, were "I-I love you so much, Sasuke."

She had no idea of what she was saying, her lips were translating words that her heart was whispering, but she couldn't help it. "_Ti amo tanto, amore mio_."

Even if she _should_ hear bells of _alertness_ in that moment, she didn't because she was being overwhelmed by his reply. Words he breathed into her ear, in fluent Italian_. "Sei tutta per me, amore mio._"

She turned on his arms and kissed him deeply, no other words spoken. There were crickets tickling their ears in a nocturne concerto all around the garden, creating a magical atmosphere.

The crescent shining moon above was flickering over their immersed bodies, making the water look like made of diamonds, gleaming and rippling around their molding silhouettes.

For the first time in forever, Sakura felt like having **everything **she has been looking for in her **life**. "It`s getting cold. Let`s go back inside."

"Ok." They swam back, getting out of the pool, both throwing weary glances around to see if someone has witnessed their intimate moments together, but the streets were empty, the beach became the realm of the waves and the stars above and there was no light turned on, inside the house.

"We sneak inside like teens with a secret affair." Sakura whispered to Sasuke, as they tiptoed towards the stairs, mindful not to wake the elders up and he smirked at her, even if she probably couldn't see him, because they were wandering into the darkness, tapping their hands on the wall and the railing, mindful not to trip on their own feet.

"Add it to the fact that we are also stark naked." Indeed, it hasn't crossed their thirsty minds that they should have at least gotten a towel to dry their dripping soaked bodies, before getting dressed, so they simply took their clothes and used them as towels, dressed in only their shoes –because what the fuck, they had THAT much of a DECENCY- and prayed to all the Heavens that Sasuke`s grandparents weren`t haunting the house, in the darkness, just to catch them in the act and laugh at them.

Because that would be utterly embarrassing and stupid. Sakura felt more scared than Lorane itself at the idea of being seen naked and sneaking inside his grandparents` home.

Good God, she felt like Karin! And that was never a compliment, if it involved sex. _Never! _

"Why thank you, Adam, for reminding me that we are trying to trespass into Paradise. At least, they had leaves to cover, unlike us, damn it!"

Sakura hissed to Sasuke, as the loving mind blowing exchange of romantic lines from moments ago, has been decades ago.

Inwardly, Sasuke was laughing like a madman, because, seriously, he could feel and hear Sakura tripping on every stair, and tugging on his arm, colliding with his back, mumbling Italian curses, mostly directed to him.

Seriously, she couldn't have been anymore funny than that. "Where is your room? You do know what room Naori-san has given you, right?"

He couldn't help himself. "No."

"What?!" She immediately grew alert. "And where are we going then?!"

"To _ask_ her, where else?" He barely stifled his laughter, while taking it to the left, after climbing the spiral stairs, to the first floor, where his old room was, at the end of the wall.

He didn't even need to slide his hand along the wall to remember every step. He had beautiful memories as a child from there.

And Sakura has just slapped his shoulder, but that only managed to arouse him again, though he just had her moments ago, two times. If she went on cursing and slapping him like that… "-and oh my GOD, this is all your damn fault for making me lose my mind and forget to take a damn towe-"

The Uchiha had her slammed against the wall, with his equally bare body pressed flush into her own, entrapping her mumbling lips into a bruising harsh kiss, as he was keeping her hands pinned on each side of her head, rolling his hips against her own, silencing her and leaving her breathless, not stopping suckling on her lips until he felt her stopping trashing and squirming to get free.

"If you don't stop testing me…I will make it damn sure you are going to wake the whole _island_ up with your screams…Sakura."

Sakura had no idea of why she shut up, gulped once and felt dizzy. It might have been his unique own masculine scent, the dark sexy threat, the implication behind it, the adrenaline rushing through her veins as the body was high alert not to be caught or his body pressed against hers, but she grew weak and hot.

"You know where to go, b-because you took the risk to turn around for three times and knew that there was a wall behind me."

She heard him chuckle darkly, reminding her of the horror movies where the lead actress was being chased by a demon, and he stole her lips for another quick hard kiss, making her moan hotly. "Clever, aren't we?"

He slide his palm under her own, intertwining their fingers as he lead her inside his room, pressing the knob and letting her enter first, while he fingered the switch on the wall, but she stopped his hand from turning the light on, while he locked the door behind.

"Don't."

"Is something the matter?" He uplifted an eyebrow at her choice to remain in the darkness, while she bit her lower lip and brushed her hair around her ear.

"No, no but…I find this to be quite…_romantic._ I want to keep this memory until morning." She immediately regretted what she has said, laughing awkwardly, rubbing her nape, while he briefly frowned at her, confused.

"Sorry, that was stupid." There was enough light coming from the outside to make out their features into the night.

He said nothing, but simply slide his hands around her waist and kissed her softly and tenderly, making her knees go weak. He could be so incredibly sweet when he actually wanted and the technique he had in rolling his tongue over her lips, was making her go crazy. "Add this to your grand finale, love."

He tucked on her waist, taking her to the king sized bed, both sliding under the satin sheets and Sakura wasted no time in scooping to his side of the bed, cuddling into his arms.

"Don't wake me up too early in the morning, Sasuke." She mewled to him as the Uchiha smirked at her, placing a soft kiss upon her lips, pulling her as close to him as possible, arms curled around her waist and shoulders, while her arm was straddling his chest and her head was resting on his chest, legs intertwined and _hearts_ beating in unison.

"I will not. Good night, love."

"`night." She was fast asleep, being lulled by the sound of his heartbeats, relishing into his warmth and his presence.

.

.

.

* * *

'_**On a night like this, having you by my side and sleeping so peacefully into my arms, I would like for us to stay like this forever.'**_

'_**Then don't dream of tomorrow and it would never come to take you away from me. And we can dream like this for the rest of the eternity.'**_

'_**Will you still be here when I wake up?'**_

'_**One day, my love…one day, you will see me again. Because if I have to come back, it is **__**you **__**I will be returning to.'**_

'_**And what am I supposed to do while you are gone? And what if you never get back to me again?'**_

'_**Then continue to **__**love **__**me like never has changed. As long as you have me in your heart, it will be like I have never been gone.'**_

'_**I wish that sometime in the future, I will have everything I want in my life. And that **__**everything,**__** it is you.'**_

.

.

.

* * *

Onyx orbs flew to the numbers glowing in blue on the digital clock. It flashed **2:45 a.m.** Sasuke was standing on the edge of the bed, looking at a sound asleep Sakura, following and imprinting on his retina, every inch of her skin, every rises and falls of her chest under the silk bed sheets in the color of violets, the shadows and the highlighted ivory hues of her porcelain skin, memorizing that celestial image of her _sleeping_ form.

He couldn't help but brush his knuckles along the rim of her cheek, while she unconsciously nuzzled into his touch, smiling into her slumber, burying her nose into_ his _pillow, trying to reach for his _missing _warmth.

The only woman that has been able to make his heart soft, was reaching for him through her slumber. It absolutely killed him inside to crush her heart by _not_ being there in few hours when she would wake up, without him.

_But he had no choice._

Things have went too far, the situation was degenerating right under his eyes and for the sake of everyone, he had to step in and stop that, before it was too late.

He couldn't ignore it anymore or try to find a desperate countermeasure, running in circles, until he would end up in the same place and realize he didn't have a place to return to, because everything has been turned into ashes.

He has been waiting for two hours for Sakura to fall asleep into his arms, and he embed the feelings of every second e felt her warmth combining with his own, because that mysterious woman ,with a mystery past, has been the one he entrusted his heart to.

He might have taken everything from her, leave without a trace, disappear into the horizon, be gone with the first rays of the morning, but his heart was _hers_ to keep.

And that day prior, he has tried his best to show it to her how much he loved her. Because he did, he didn't lie about his feelings.

Sasuke Uchiha has truly and **unconditionally fell in love** with Haruno Sakura, whoever she might be. The woman sleeping on his side of the bed, looking so angelic and ethereal. He leaned forward to press a ghost of a kiss upon her lips, feeling the pain of not being able to wake her up and make her respond.

"Wait for me, love." He stood up, not taking the risk of her waking up, because it was being impossible to explain everything to her right then.

One day, he would tell her everything. Every single truth about him, but not then. It was not the right time. He stood up, taking his pitch black leather jacket, slipping it over his fitting slim equally black shirt, veneered with shark skin and silver reflection, taking four more accessories with him, along with the last memory of the woman he loved, sleeping soundly, gently pressing on the knob, turning his head to take one more peek at her. "Goodbye…Sakura. _Arigatou_, for **everything**."

'_**For loving me like you do.' **_

And left, quietly shutting the door behind him, descending the stairs. In his hand, there were they keys of his grandpa`s Jaguar, jittering as he pressed on the button of the remote to open up the front gate, trying to be as silent as possible.

He only took his wallet, the keys of his helicopter, as he speeded up into the empty deserted night streets, towards the Miyako airport and his phone, dialing as he casually drove with one hand.

"Juugo." His secretary was as prompt as ever, answering on his first call. "There is something I need you to do for me, regarding the discussion we had in my office."

"_It is time already?"_

"Yes. My house in Tokyo…" Onyx orbs were narrowed as he was already having the flashing red lights of the airport in his field of view, looking for an empty parking spot, close to where his helicopter was.

There was no trace of love and _affection _written into that pitch black of his eyes, because he left all his emotions back to Sakura.

"…I want you to **burn. it. down**." He emphasized every syllable and word, without feeling any emotional attachment, his voice low and robotic, so as to leave his secretary no room for interpretation.

After all, Juugo wasn't just his secretary. He was his most trusted henchmen.

"_Of course, Sir. What about the company? Do we still stick to the original plan?"_

"Of course. Don't forget, tomorrow, on the first hour, when they will list the stocks on the market…" He left the words trailing, because he has already briefed Juugo about their plan, even going through two simulations so as to make sure that it is bulletproof.

An evil dark smirk appeared on the Uchiha`s lips, as he killed the engine of the car, heading to the airport, as the wind was playing into his midnight hair, and his equally dark leather clothes were blending into the night. _"Roger that. What do you want me to do next?"_

"After you make sure you handle everything in Tokyo, I want you to disappear. Go to your family in Johannesburg and erase any trace of you, so that you won't be bothered by anyone, especially my father. But I want you to keep a close eye on my family and my grandparents in Miyako."

He made a short pause, while trying to kill that heartbeat that threatened to crush his resolve already having his ice steel shield rising around his poor organ –the one that was screaming for Sakura`s warmth- . "And _her_."

"_I understand, Mr. Uchiha. Anything else?"_

"No." Quickly parking the car to a faraway parking lot, Sasuke stroll to his helicopter, slipping inside. He started the engine, already having his left hand on the collective, slowly and skillfully raising it. "You did well. I`m hanging up."

"_Good luck, Sir."_ It wasn't about luck, though he was grateful for his secretary`s years of devotion.

He could entrust anything to Juugo without being afraid that any information would leak and unlike the other imbecile business men who couldn't even pee without the help of the counselors who were almost always betraying them or change parties, to whoever paid most, Sasuke only had Juugo and no one else, because he handled everything alone.

And that was why he was a _dark horse_ among the other businessmen, always reading all their moves, but being impossible to predict by the others.

He hung up on his secretary, while adjusting the throttle so as to smoothly gain speed, already rising above the airport, leaving the island behind, while he aimed for the dark sky, using his headsets for his _next _call, as he couldn't use his phone, because he was busy operating the cycling control as it was very sensitive to the moves and keep the helicopter steady, listening to the beep on the other side of the line, as his thoughts drifted to Sakura, once again.

He knew she loved him dearly and he would be damned if he didn't love her back. When he _made love_ to her it was to most incredible thing he felt, to be _inside_ her for as deep as she could take him, fall asleep with him firmly planted inside her, have her in his arms, with her check pressed on his heart, legs intertwined, arms caressing and embracing, hair entangling in a myriad of translucent chocolate-pink and midnight brunette, breaths ticking like running Swiss clock's, in perfect harmony.

Sakura was the only woman who decided to love him unconditionally, accepting a past he couldn't reveal and he won't deny his attraction towards her own past. She was willing to open up her heart even with the possibility of having a gun targeting her temple without her being aware of it.

He could very well be a drug dealer and she still chose to abandon the concept of freedom and security in lieu to her abandoned love for him. Her devotion was amazing, his heart swayed like the lazy steady pendulum swings in the blaze of infinity and it was all because she got under his skin, stretched her palm towards the hollow of his chest and seeded her heart beside his petrified one, until the seeds of the most ethereal feelings of amour, fulfillment and commitment bloomed into timid buds of the love for her.

_He loved her. _

Sasuke had no idea of when and how it happened, but the attraction for the fascination of her ineffable twinkling viridian aureate irises beaming with emotion when she looked at him, the concealed refinement of her gestures and shenanigans, the sylph suave contours and planes of her siren body, the gentle jovial bell like piano voice when she sung his name in rapture and passion, the way she has always stepped on the borderline of unconventional to be there when he needed her, the stubbornness to remain by his dark side, not reflecting upon the possible dangers lurking from behind the intricate net of lies and secrets, and definitely her way of sheltering into his arms and refusing to let go.

She never ceased to amuse him with her cute pouts and outbursts.

She even got along with his mismatched imbecile lunatic best friends and they seem to like her back. His mother's words about her were coated in motherly honey approval and he trusted the Uchiha matriarch's sharp female intuition and sparkling wisdom.

The way his heart yearned to be free from the sepulture of his petrified entombed chest, like a caged majestic Phoenix bird, spreading its wings towards eternity, begging to fly high, has been the unyielding proof of his adoration towards her.

He couldn't lose the only woman he ever loved in the most intimate ways possible. He shared secrets with her that were supposed to be buried in the baskets of his mind, he saw him in his weakest moments and never once blinked in fear or repulsion, she let him know about the bleeding scars of her injured soul and when he saw the look she gave him in the hospital, something inside him made three walls of concrete around his heart shatter like English porcelain at the intensity of her burning lining tears.

For once in his life Sasuke was allowing himself to be selfish and put his best interest first, deciding to conduct his own research and rack his brilliant brain to find a genius solution to the financial crisis that was slowly enveloping all the multi-national companies around the globe. He wasn't stupid.

He knew the waters he was swimming into like the back of his hand. It was their doing and for that, Sasuke knew he would once again strip of the facade he was wearing in lieu of the one that revealed his true identity, the one that was keeping Sakura -and anyone else for - in the shadows of his past and pluck the Devil from the roots.

Time to play has come to an end, for he had to eradicate _those_ people once and for all. The entire world depended on it and for that single ultimate goal, he had to renew his alliance -that has never ceased away to begin with- with a not _so_ pleasant figure.

Those things were sinking down his mind where a myriad of ideas were passing though his judgment, while he dialed the number he recited from the memory, on _their _personal private dial up connection. His interlocutor answered on the **seventh** call and am agonizingly long beep. "Let's meet."

The Uchiha injected, while his dropped low dangerous baritone rung through the phone. Be it anyone else on the other side, that person would have probably felt his blood freeze like caught in the arctic storm that Sasuke's tone produced.

_"I am already on my way to Japan." _

"Tell me when and where?"

_"I am getting to Tokyo tomorrow at dawn. The __usual __place. I assume you still remember it."_

A short silence. "Yes. I will be there."

_"Make sure no one notices you, though I don't think that __you__ from all the people should be remembered about such trivia."_

"Don't insult me. Just don't make me wait."

_"Always in such a hurry, aren't you, Sasuke?"_

He hung up, not in the mood for cheap mockeries like they would meet at a glass of beer and a drunken chat. "Hn."

He hung up, letting his sharp mind develop a flawless plan, planning, plotting and connecting everything together, so as to make sure he won't be caught unprepared, while flying a helicopter was always making him calmer and helped him focus.

He wasn't as good as his grandpa, but he was not bad either and his reflexes were flawless, smooth and sharp.

The _person_ he would meet soon was having the information he missed and together, they will take rid of everyone that had the guts to come their way and claim the supremacy over their world, in such a bold way, thinking that they went soft.

He almost smirked at that. What a bunch of _idiots_. He could bet that they had no idea of WHO has been trolling them and _blocking_ them for so long.

Though he hated on the fact that he had to wait until dusk, but nonetheless, he could stay into the shadow, preparing for what would come, and watch the spectacle on the stocks market. It almost brought a sadistic satisfaction on his lips.

And he truly hoped that Neji Hyuga was smart enough to take his advice for granted and not be stupid, or else, he was going to sink like Titanic, along with the others and that would give him a good reason to freak out and become an alcoholic tramp.

_Let the __fun __begin._

.

.

.

* * *

**::Miyako Island, Japan, Uchiha villa, next day::**

* * *

A soft moan escaped her lips, as her hands sprawled along the plump material –probably a pillow- that was caressing her fingertips and she yawned and stretched like a content lazy cat, purring at the warmth creeping from the morning sun rays, which were sneaking inside the room, past the windows.

"Mmmmnnn…" Emerald orbs welcomed the rush of light, opening up slowly, expecting to find the handsome sleeping face of Sasuke, resting beside her –she knew he was fancying oversleeping when he was not pulling overnights working his ass for his company- almost trembling in anticipation of kissing him good morning, only…she was met by the nightstand, with the clock revealing an unholy hour of the day, his pillow and his side of the bed empty. "Wha-"

She rubbed her jade orbs with the back of her palm, sitting and gripping the bed sheet against her bare chest, looking around and scraping her nape, confused. Damn, Sakura felt like she has been running to the marathon the night before. In a way, she did…

"Sasuke?" She called for him, surprised to see that he was _nowhere _to be seen. A quick glance to the clock assured her that, true to his promise, Sasuke hasn't wakened her up. It was already 13 p.m. _What the heck?!_ She almost never slept that late, because her agent instincts were keeping her always alert.

No answer. "Sasuke, are you in the bathroom?" She let her tangled legs slip from under the sheets, lolling on the edge of the bed, as she took the bed sheet with her, wrapping her naked body with it, asking herself what the heck should she wear, until she spotted Sasuke`s –his grandfather`s- shirt neatly folded and placed on the armchair, like someone has _purposely_ left it there.

"Hm? What a selfish bastard." She mumbled as she clasped her bra behind her back, smiling nonetheless. "He wants to see me wearing his clothes. That creep."

She guessed that he couldn't stay too long in the bed, and probably went down to work on his company`s files, knowing how many problems he had and what a workaholic freak he was.

Slipping her hands into the flip flops, she took a look at her phone, to check for any upcoming calls, emerald orbs narrowed while looking at the inbox.

"I have…_56 _missed calls from Rin?! And 100 from Naruto-kun? What the heck?!" She grew immediately alert. How in the world didn't she hear those calls? Oh yeah, she was that _'intelligent' so _as to put her phone on _silent,_ because she didn't want to be bothered while having _fun_ with Sasuke.

Her heart started to pump faster and suddenly, she felt a wave of queasiness washing her off. Karin never ever call her so desperately for so many times, nor did Akatsuki.

Plus, Sasuke wasn't in the room… She quickly worked on the phone, scrolling for Karin`s contact, attempting to call. She felt like suffocating. Something _wasn't _right, she was feeling it, it was making a lump rest on her throat.

_**Knock knock**_

"_Sasuke-kun?"_ She whipped her head towards the voice behind the door, while she headed to the other side of the room, to answer to Sasuke`s grandmother.

Karin could wait for a moment. She opened the door to come face to face to a sick _worried _relative to his and Mrs. Uchiha has successfully transmitted her panicked state to Sakura, even before opening up her mouth to talk. "Sakura dear! Is Sasuke-kun inside?"

"No, Naori-san. I have just woken up and he was already missing. I checked the bathroom and the balcony, but he is nowhere to be seen." Naori-san let her mocha eyes fly on the clothes that Sakura wore, understanding the silent message. "Is something wrong, Naori-san?"

"I am afraid it is, honey. Come with me, there is something I want you to know." Wordlessly, Sakura has followed the woman down, not even bothering to cover her bare legs and Sasuke's grandmother was being too distracted by something she didn't know yet, to even bother of such a thing.

Something was off, it was ticking her off, it was making every instinct of the CIA agent in her go high alert, it was knocking on her reeling mind and setting every alarm bell on, ringing and pounding into her ears. "What is it? Where is Sasuke, Naori-san?"

"This is exactly what we want to know as well, dear." She came into the living room, where Mr. Uchiha, Sasuke`s grandfather was staying glued to the huge flat TV screen, sunk into the armchair, with the remote control in his left hand, absorbing every word that a very distress Japanese woman, was rambling in a heavy Japanese accent, the latest news from New York.

"What is going on here-" She stopped dead in her tracks, somehow mirroring the image that Mr. Tekka had, as she felt her soul leaving her body.

"Oh, _mio Dio_!" She couldn't help but bring her hands on her mouth, not believing the crazy _statistics_ and the words flashing on the screen on the news channel.

In fact, it was streaming_ live_ from all the important stock markets around the world, showing parallel smaller panels with different reporters, shouting and commenting, all having the same thing sealed on their lips.

'_**The entire Uchiha empire has c**__**ollapsed**__** overnight! The famous Mangekyou has gone**__** BANKRUPT**__**. The company has filled its bankruptcy at first hour in the morning. **_

_**All their stocks have been listed at **__**ZERO **__** value on the stocks markets.**_

_**The other companies are**__** falling **__**one by another, as the unexpected fall of the top company has officially thrown the entire business world into an **__**economic crises**__**. **_

_**Meanwhile, reporters are trying to get in touch with its representatives, but so far, there has been no communicate from the CEO, Uchiha Sasuke, who **__**is nowhere**__** to be found…'**_

What?! She couldn't believe what she was hearing; there was no way that could have happened, Mangekyou. Inc. was bankrupt?!

How was it possible, Sasuke assured her that he had a plan, he was still listed as the first on the stocks market yesterday, so how come was it possible for him to declare insolvency? Not insolvency per se, but bankruptcy, like he had _no_ more money all of sudden.

**Lorane.**

No!

Did they manage to bring him down in a single night? It couldn't be …she refused to believe it, she refused to acknowledge the shake of her body and the burning tears in her eyes, she trusted Sasuke, he won't be fooled and played like that…

_He was missing. _

And then it hit her like a hurricane: did Sasuke abruptly flied to Tokyo when he got the news to fix the mess…or has he been _kidnapped?_

_Oh GOD!_

She flew back to her room, ignoring the calls of Naoki-san, while her husband was flipping thought the channels, popping in two pills for his weakened heart. His nephew has went bankrupt…his phone was beeping on the coffee table.

He mechanically brought it to his ear, while being welcomed with a harsh voice that he hasn't heard scream like that in ages.

Uchiha _Fugaku _was delirious on the other side of the line.

"_Dad, where the fuck is my son?!"_

Mr. Tekka wished he knew, but the only trace of his nephew leaving the house has been his missing car, which he has found on the airport. Sasuke`s helicopter was missing as well, so he left Miyako.

Destination unknown.

"That, my dear son…I am afraid I don't know." He was honest. Basically, currently no one knew where Sasuke was.

Of course he wasn't answering to any of his calls.

He left that house, he left his grandparents, his girlfriend, the young woman he brought with him was just as lost about his whereabouts, Naoki, his wife, has called his friends and family friends and they didn't have any idea either, his parents were on the verge of losing it, the media didn't get in touch with them, his subordinates were clueless and…his secretary, his most trusted men…

_Was also gone. _

To put it bluntly, Sasuke has disappeared without leaving a trace. Uchiha Tekka has been a pilot in the Regal Air Force, so he had connections _everywhere._ But his helicopter wasn't appearing on any flight trackers.

And that was _impossible._ Sasuke _couldn't_ have flight without being tracked. He didn't have the_ secret _technology to make himself invisible to radars. No way.

Yet…he took off from Miyako airport, without being detected.

Upstairs, Sakura stormed back into her room, already feeling her skin trembling as she fisted her right hand down her hair, gluing her phone to her ear. She couldn't believe what was happening, no way. "Rin?! Rin, what the fuck is-"

"_Cherry!"_ An hysteric Uzumaki Karin has cut her short and judging from all the muffled sounds and buzzes around, she guessed she was somewhere in someone`s office. Probably Interpol`s. _"I nearly died when you didn't answer to any of my calls! Have you heard the news?! What the fuck is going on there, where is Sasuke?"_

"I don't know, Rin! He left somewhere during the night because no one saw him not me and not his grandparents! I have tried to track him using the software installed on his phone, the one from his laptop and helicopter, but nothing! Everything is jammed, hacked I don't know, I have no signal, it`s like there is nothing there! Rin, this is a disaster, the worst has happened, where is Papa? Have you got in touch with him?"

She was, for the first time in her CIA career, at loss of what to do. Sasuke was _gone_ and so was Mangekyou, meaning that she** failed** her mission, totally!

"_Cherry, Orochimaru is nowhere to be found, but I am afraid that this is not the only bad news. His entire office, including his main one from the HQ has been entirely destroyed! Every single document, file, computer and even his library and lab, have been burned to the ground!"_

"What?! This is impossible, what about Papa?! And Anko? And what about Tsunade-shishou?!" What was going on there? How was it possible for everything to degenerate so badly?

That was all Lorane`s doing, those criminal who hid behind their so called Freemasonry organization were responsible for that, it was too obvious, they strike like snakes right after their leader`s blunt and glorious appearance, but how come they caught them out of guard so bad?

"_Anko has been escorted to the hospital because she started to have bad cramps because of her pregnancy and she is dead worried, but she doesn't know a thing. She has called me earlier to ask about you and Orochimaru and Tsunade is missing as well. Jirayia said she hasn't returned home in five days. I called for Hidan and Sasori to come and join us. Cherry, this is a disaster, Suigetsu and I have been trying in vain to hack on the CCTVS from the hotel, as well as the ones from Shiseido Ginza and Shinjuku Granbell Hotel in Tokyo, but nothing! Everything is gone from the systems and some weird ass shit signal is blocking us constantly. In this moment, the Interpol`s lines are more efficient than ours! And this pisses me off-"_

"Sakura?" A feminine voice has made the rosette snap her head backwards to come face to face to Sasuke`s grandmother, who was looking at her with a new hard stare that she didn't know the woman possessed, having her hands crossed above her chest, one leg resting in front of the other, pinning her with an intense stare worth of her nephew`s appreciation…

And the door to the room shut and locked!

_Uh-oh…_

She left her hand fall on her side, while Karin was rambling God only knew atrocities on the other side of the line, but that was the last of her problems in that moment.

"S-Since when…h-have you been staying there…Naoki-san?" It couldn't get any worse. Sasuke`s grandpa has basically overheard her entire conversation and it was not some casual chat among friends.

She has dropped off some very hard names and strong words…she basically gave off her-

"You are working for the **CIA**, right?" The woman bluntly asked her and Sakura`s jade orbs got wide as saucers. Her tone lost any trace of sweetness and got reminiscent to Tsunade`s, in a very foul mood.

She had no way out. The woman has figured her out. What was next? Pull out a gun and shoot her? Denying it would make her look bad.

So Sakura simply did what any elite agent like her would do, namely getting a hold of herself, conjured all her reason and logic back to her, straightening her pose, pressing on the _'end call'_ of her phone, maintaining the eye contact with Mrs. Uchiha all the time, and pinned her with an even more ferocious intent stare, forest green gleaming intently. "Yes."

And the woman managed to stun her so bad, that Sakura almost dropped her jaw to the ground and fought against fainting limp on the bed behind her, smirking and simply telling her, while advancing towards the unmoving once rose haired woman, stopping right in front of her. "Sound or the Akatsuki?"

"H-How did you-"

"_I_ have worked for the CIA for thirteen years." It was in that moment when Sakura let her mouth spread wide and did nothing to conceal her shock.

For three good minutes, no one spoke a single word. One was smirking and one was busy catching flies.

That was impossible! That woman…Sasuke`s grandmother has been a WHAT?! An ex-CIA agent?! _What in the name of Lord was going on in there?_

Her mind was churning with puzzlement, and she felt like swimming in darkness. Suddenly, noting was tangible and nothing made sense anymore. The ground was shaking under her feet and she lost her touch.

"Naoki-san I-"

"You don't have to say a word, honey." Naoki`s hand stretched towards her, resting on her shoulder and gave it a little warm squeeze, like trying to silently offer support and encouragement "Are you here to _protect_ him? Is this your secret mission?"

Sakura understood everything from that smart question: the woman has figured her out from the very_ beginning_, connecting the dots from Sasuke`s story and phone call, when he talked about Sakura. The emerald eyed woman nodded once to her. "Yes. Does he know about you?"

"Does an agent ever reveal his identity under normal circumstances?" By that he meant _no._ He was oblivious. Her CIA senior has further explained to her.

"My husband is just as clueless. I could never get past the guilty feeling of having to lie to everyone about my secret job. In my friends` and family`s eyes, I have been working for the UN, in the Office of _Legal Affairs_. It was the perfect job to _cover_ for my missions, because it required a lot of traveling abroad, so no one would question my departures."

Amidst all that mess she found herself into, Sakura felt like someone has lifted a weight off her heart and she was more than grateful to have found an unexpected friend. She understood her! That woman understood the pain she was going through daily, for having to hide it from Sasuke.

"I have been lying to your nephew that I wanted a job as his maid. But he didn't buy it. He found me out from the very beginning, but somehow…" She diverted her eyes to a beautiful painting with the sunset, behind Naori-san not able to face her as she spoke softly.

"…he fell in love with me, without minding me hiding my past from him and accepted me. He is beyond smart, Naori-san. Sasuke is a _genius_. He does things that puzzle me, he seems to be conscious of_ everything_ that happens around him and I am stunned that he didn't figure me out yet."

The much older beautiful woman smiled softly at her, as she nodded in agreement. "I know dear. And I know it is hard for you. You are so young, yet you have managed to be so strong."

"I _failed_, Naori-san. Everyone used to tell that I am the _best_ CIA agent…_Sound_ agent." She explained as the woman smirked and winked knowingly to her, letting Sakura know that she knew what she was talking about.

"But I couldn't protect Sasuke. I lost the track of him, my friends have no idea of his whereabouts, I have no signal from him…I lost the man I…love."

"It`s not your fault, dear. Trust me, if anyone would have kidnapped Sasuke, they wouldn't have left without a trace, plus the secret alarms I have installed into this house would have alerted us about intruders. They work over the night as well but…if Sasuke truly left this house…he somehow _knew_ about them and deactivated everything. I have personally checked on them in the morning, as part of my routine and found the lock on place…but the system hacked with a virus I don't recognize and the CCTVs frozen at 2:45 a.m."

"Damn! That is the hour when Sasuke left but…how? How did he do that? How did he know about…" Suddenly, Sakura understood about the gravity of the situation and her mind started to work. The way her jade orbs narrowed, assured Mrs. Uchiha that she was starting to get the hang of whatever happened. "Naori-san…how _much_ do you _really_ know about your nephew?"

"Do you mean his high school years, his strange and surprising fighting abilities, the skill and talent on perfectly aiming or flying planes? His acknowledge of secret ancient languages, as Latin? The USA citizenship?"

Her tone dropped few octaves as the woman suddenly found it appropriate to whisper, probably mindful to her husband who was bound to come back to the realm of living and seek for them.

"His questionable paranormal abilities? Yes, I am aware of them, but judging from your reactions, dear, I am afraid I don't have additional information. No matter how much I have tried to dig into the problem, I wasn't able to find his old REAL records from that period."

Sakura brushed a nervous hand through her hair, feeling her mind spin like a watermill. She could then work with his grandmother and try to strip her of every precious information, plus, Naori Uchiha had the advantage of experience at her disposal. An ally…such a valuable unexpected ally has come her way. That was incredible.

"Naori-san, I am going to address you a question that you wouldn't like, which has been addressed to me by my best friend and agent, and I want to know your most honest opinion, because for the past two days, it has never left my brain and now it kills me on the inside, worse than ever."

"Of course, go ahead, honey."

"First of all, are you aware of the fact that Sasuke has _killed_ people, multiple times before?"

The woman before her didn't even blink, nor did she panic. "Yes. I am aware of that."

"Do you know about…_Lorane_?"

Naori narrowed her eyes, holding Sakura`s gaze for two seconds before nodding twice. "The Freemasonry`s most exclusive leading branch. This PEIN character that hides behind his impressive wealth and a fake name and plans to gain control over the economy, causing havoc on the stocks market, is their secret leader. Their plot has started even before I have become an agent, but now they stand out more than ever." So she knew.

"Then I have to address you this one question, Naori-san."

"Go ahead, dear."

"Do you really think that Sasuke…" Oh Kami-sama, she didn't know how should she ask such a thing, her heart was being at a tug of war with her mind, it was crazy and stupid, but the facts were flashing before her eyes. "…is entangled with Lorane? Do you think that he is…part of the Freemasonry?"

Her heart went into a cardiac arrest when the woman simply dropped her smile and held her gaze, which turned intense, boring into her very soul, not saying a single word. Not confirming and…not infirming either.

_No…_

_**NO!**_

_No! It wasn't possible!_

She brought a hand on her forehead, letting her emerald orbs drop to the floor. No! Her mind was screaming at her to open up her eyes and WATCH! Look at what was happening, while her heart was begging and crying at her to trust him. She felt thorn and dematerialized.

Sasuke told her that he did bad things, but assured her that he won't hurt her…that was why he brought her there! With his grandparents to…_protect_ her! **Only **her!

But his _company_ went bankrupt and took all the other under him down, like domino pieces!

"Sakura-chan, I-"

"No…No! I refuse to believe this, Naori-san! Sasuke is NOT a bad guy, he isn't…he is…" WHO he was? Who was he, exactly?

"What do you know about Sasuke-kun, honey? How much of what he told you are real? Did he tell you about those dark years that no one knows what he did? He is my nephew and I love him beyond words, I will never do anything to hurt him…but I will forever be a CIA, Sakura-chan. An Akatsuki, to be more precise. So I will forever think like an agent. You wanted my personal opinion, honey. And you now know my answer. YES, I DO think that Sasuke-kun…is part of the Freemasonry. Whether you believe it or not…is it your own free will-"

"_Wife! Wife! Sakura, are you ladies in there?!"_ Both the women snapped out of their traces, stepping outside of their bubble to whirl their heads towards the door, as Naori quickly opened the door to reveal a totally horrified looking husband of hers.

Uchiha Tekka has seen and lived the horrid and the nightmares of the WW II, yet…his figure was washed by panic and horror.

Never in her life has Naori seen her husband like that. He was sweating –he probably climbed the stairs like a bolt of lightning- and panting harshly. She came to encircle his waist, while her eyes filled with worry. "What is the matter, darling?"

Sakura was holding her breath for whatever more mind blowing news that man had to deliver.

_And bad news he did. _

"Sasuke…" The man barely found his voice, and it was so out of character, like there was someone else trapped into his body, talking in the place of the stoic ex-pilot in the army. "…my nephew`s…" He gripped his wife` shoulders, squeezing tight and shaking her, like he was on the verge of losing his damn mind.

"Darling, try to relax and tell us what-"

"…Sasuke`s home in Tokyo…" The terror was mixing with apprehension into his eyes as he darted his eyes between the two expecting women, shouting. "…his home is BURNING DOWN as we speak!"

"Oh, dear Kami-sama!" Naori`s hands flew on her mouth, her own heart thumping like a mad drum. And Sakura…the phone she was holding has slid from her hand, falling down…

While she let her own limp body drop on her knees, collapsing on the floor, a hand flying on the bed, like not even the ground was able to support her. She felt like someone has just kicked her in the chest, knocking the wind of her lungs.

That wasn't a just a disaster…

The only thing that has overcame the high pitched sound she heard in her roaring ears, was her own scream, which pierced through the walls of the room and tore her very self in half, beating any reaction of Naori, who was sobbing against her husband`s shirt, unable to contain herself.

It was the end.

The end of **everything.**

.

.

.

* * *

**::Police Force Tokyo, Interpol office, Japan::**

* * *

For the first time since he was working as an Interpol agent, _Suigetsu`s _office room from the Tokyo Police Force was packed of three sorts of people: people he has grown up with and knew for a lifetime, people he has just met and would have rather never met, but at the same time, lusting for them and people he hasn't seen in his fucking life.

His amethyst orbs were scouting every single one of them, peeping from between his spread wide legs, which were resting on his huge oak office desk, as his back was sunk into his leather chair, from the middle of the room, looking like a bored out of his mind king, trying to be intimidating to his subordinates, who were eying him intently.

He was anything _but._

His mind was filled with emotions and feelings that Hozuki Suigetsu didn't ever dreamed of having, but they were there, knocking on his freaking worn out mind, meddling with the tones of caffeine he filled his system with.

A quick look on the mismatched people before him assured Suigetsu that they were _all _sharing bits of his emotions, each on the intensity and levels of their personalities.

_Ten Ten,_ for instance, was trying to be the fanatic feminist she always was, fighting the alarm and revulsion rolling along her spine, and be rational.

_Uzumaki Naruto_ was being his normal hyperactive overreacting self and Suigetsu was sure that the blond was coping quite well with all the delirious news floating from the TV which were all looking at, powerless in front of the hurricanes coming from the reporters` mouths, because he has only destroyed half of his office.

The moment the news flashed live from Sasuke`s mansion in Tokyo, showing the amount of police and fire trucks amassed in front of his house, which was burning completely like a huge torch, Naruto simply took a random laptop –which conveniently enough, just happened to be Karin`s, which swore she would kill him- and _threw_ it on the window, but didn't put a single scratch on it, cos the bitch was bulletproof.

But the vase he threw, aiming at his head but missing him, and the punch into the smaller office desk before him, had the scouted effect.

Then he collapsed on the floor, muttering curses in a language that absolutely NO ONE understood, gripping his hair with both his hands, plucking his golden locks from his scalp, crying like a kid, who has been forgotten by Santa and no one dared to touch or address him.

That, until a very unexpected –shocking everyone- _visitor_ has popped inside Suigetsu`s office –her personally threatened anyone who dared to interrupt that meeting with firing them- and wordlessly kneed beside Naruto, embracing him and letting him cry against her shoulder.

_Hyuga HINATA_ knew about her friends` being CIA agents and when she heard the news, she was being among the FEW to keep her composure and provide support, driving straight to the Interpol, somehow guessing that it was Suigetsu the one she should look for and even offered them her own advice.

Soon after, _Kushina_ called but she didn't come to the Tokyo Police Force, because she has taken one of the most difficult jobs and that was, flying right to Sasuke`s parents and take care of her fainting and hospitalized best friend, _Uchiha MIKOTO._

When the sensitive Uchiha matriarch has heard about the company going bankrupt, Sasuke sending off Yamanaka Ino who tried to chase him to Tokyo, spent the night in a hotel with Sakura then flying with the same woman to his grandparents in Miyako, just to go MIA the next day, as his house burned down –no one knew what caused it- and the bomb with the Mangekyou going bankrupt, she had a myocardial _infarction_ and has been immediately put on nitroglycerin.

Kushina has called them from hospital and told them that the doctors were running tests and they would soon announce her if Mrs. Uchiha Mikoto needed surgery or not. As for _Fugaku,_ he left from the hospital right after he heard that his wife would make it somehow, he went straight to the airport, to his private jet. Kushina safely assumed that he was heading to Tokyo, because as soon as he heard about the Mangekyou, he looked like on the verge of having a heart attack himself.

_Yamanaka Inoichi_ has vanished from the surface of that planet. Absolutely NO ONE has managed to find him, he disappeared without a trace, along with his slutty daughter, just like Uchiha Sasuke and not shockingly, _Juugo._

There were also those Sound characters with very distinctive looks and overall appearances, namely _Sasori _and _Hidan_, from the Sound.

They were the first to fly to Japan, wasting no time into coming and help, understanding that there was nothing more they could do from Italy. All the mess was spreading from Japan to the entire world. Like a diseases that no one could stop. But it was an economic disease.

There was also _Uzumaki Karin_, the most puzzling character and woman that Suigetsu has ever met, because she hasn't even battled an eyelash when the horrifying news have started to leak, no, she was the first to slam her fist down the desk and shout at them to _'wake the fuck up, you fucked up ridiculous unresponsive clowns and fucking__ do__ something, instead of impersonating pieces of furniture'_, snatching his laptop and, trying in _vain_ to hack into the systems and track Lorane, but she lost their trace somewhere in Egypt.

But the WORST of all of them…was _Neji Hyuga_. Never in his life has Suigetsu see such a ghost of the hard collected men that the pale eyed Hyuga once was, sinking on the leather sofa, looking no better than Uzumaki Naruto, as his fiancé was stroking his back, getting tired of shouting at him to get a hold of himself.

He was a _mess_. The Byakugan was already on the verge of sinking and when the Mangekyou collapsed, he lost his only pillar and support, so he was free falling and declared insolvency. The Hyuga family was already travelling to their home in Monte Carlo, as Neji was using Suigetsu`s office to hid from the banks and reporters, since they were forbidden to enter the Police`s building without permission.

The shark looking man sighed heavily to cut on that dreading silence, raking a hand through his hair, while his canine was pressing into his lower lip. "If any of you has a damn genius idea, say it now, of forever shut the fuck up, be pathetic and cry more, because as you probably know, it ain`t gonna do shit."

"Uchiha _Sasuke_ is _working _for the Lorane." Seven pairs of eyes flew to the red haired Uzumaki Karin, who was leaning her back on Suigetsu`s office, facing everyone with a hard expression on her face, as if daring them to infirm what she has said.

She was fuming because Sakura, the equally dazzled Sound assassin has hung on her and never called back, for whatever the hell of a reason she might have.

Anyone feared that something _bad_ really happened in Miyako.

"What?! Are you fucking _serious_?!" Hidan spoke from the other side of the room, sinking into a chair he was occupying, playing with that weird ass huge scythe he always carried, snorting at her. For him, everything felt like a wicked challenging fucked up game, because, seriously, Hidan was crack _nuts_.

Insanely skilled and a hacker that rivaled Nara Shikamaru, but totally insane. Karin threw him a glare that was melting rocks, but he only gave her the finger.

"What _proofs_ do you have to accuse Sasuke of such a thing?" Suigetsu took the role of playing the _intermediate_ between the CIA`s offices.

Yes, he knew about their rivalry though everyone seemed to have come to _a mutual agreement_ and put their hate beside, to fight together for a better cause.

"Think about it. What do we know about Sasuke so far, according to what Cherry has told us about him?"

That was no time to hide anything and since it has become such a pressing problem, Karin has given him ALL the information that she had about Uchiha Sasuke and the Lorane.

"Dude has Marvel superpowers." Hidan grinned at them, dusting off his scythe, not bothering to look into their eyes. "He controls electromagnetic fields."

"How in the world is _that_ relevant?" Ten Ten shot back, finding that piece of information totally unlikely to be true.

"He can turn your brain to jelly, give you headaches and turn you into a zombie, like that crying fucker over there." He pointed to Naruto, was having his eyes concealed by his hand, not responding.

"Fuck off, you are fucked up. And this is bullshit. I won't believe it."

"What else?" Suigetsu shut Karin up, who was having a nasty retort prepared for Ten Ten and Hidan, whipping her head over her shoulder, to glare at him. Normally, that would have turned him on badly, but he had to keep his dick into his pants and put his mind to work.

"If Sakura`s suspicions are true, he killed the ones to rob him of this weird files containing the drawings he did on his walls...with Egyptian stuff or hieroglyphs or whatever, and took down a gang of bikers, which nearly killed me and her, not breaking a sweat, when they went to the mountains."

"_What _were they doing there?" Hidan smirked at Ten Ten, who in turned cursed him viciously for interrupting her, with perverted accusations. Like that mattered anymore!

"They did your _mom_, you dickhead! So stop damn interrupting me! I have known Sasuke for ten years, but I had no idea that his fighting skills are better than ours, or that the fact that he is able to fire guns like he takes a walk in the park!"

"Me," Suigetsu started, understanding where Ten Ten was heading with those statements. "The number one hyperactive crybaby over there," He pointed the pan he was playing with to Naruto, who was busy wetting Hinata`s blouse, clinging to her like she was being his life saver. "And Sasuke, used to go to practice shooting. With all the admiration that I have for myself, as a police officer and for you, as trained professional CIA agents, I have no problem in admitting it out loud that…he totally eclipses every single one of us." Suigetsu simply stated and the room froze for a second, all letting the information sinking in.

"Are you sure about this?" Sasori inquired, finding it absurd. He knew how skilled the Akatsuki were and his auburn orbs fell on the spiky haired Uzumaki who was trying to get on his nerves. "Uzumaki? You are the best gunner among us and probably top among the five gunners in the entire CIA, so tell us honestly. Is Uchiha_ better_ than you, yes or not?"

No one in the room was convinced that by the way Naruto was trembling and weeping, the Uzumaki would even heard his colleague`s question but he made their eyes go wider when he breathed to them.

"Damn right he _is_. Out of all the targets…he_ never_ missed a single one. Not even I, am able to aim that perfectly every time."

"Me neither." Ten Ten injected bluntly, and she was praised for being one of the masters in weapons and shooter in the CIA. She was even better than Sasori and equal to Naruto himself.

"Cherry told me that, taking the yesterday`s events into account, Sasuke has managed to perfectly kill in complete darkness in a club and be faster than Lorane`s men, also, he knew where to aim to avoid the bulletproof vests, so he is familiar with secret equipment." Karin completed, while the other people in the room nodded to her in understanding.

Slowly, their suspicions were starting to amass and meet halfway as the fact they were discussing started to make sense.

"We don't have any information about his past. To be more precise, what in the world happened in the States, during high school? What did Sasuke do all those years and how come he came back being this insanely skilled business man and took Itachi`s place?"

It was Karin the one to turn to Suigetsu and Naruto, waiting for an answer. It was a question that has tortured their minds for years.

"I have no idea. There is_ nothing_ on his record. Everything is clean." Suigetsu told her, while throwing his pen at Naruto, hitting his head, barely avoiding a startled Hinata. He was getting sick of having two mopey bitches –Hyuga and he- in his office, grieving like widows, when it was_ crucial _to stay level headed.

"Wake up you fucker and cooperate. You can mourn afterwards."

The Uzumaki shot his head up, rubbing his throbbing area and glared diggers to him, tightening his embrace around Hinata`s waist, howling at him.

"I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA, YOU ASSHOLE! Teme never talks about that and you know it as well Suigetsu, because you have fucking been THERE! You know he did drugs and Sakura-chan confirmed he used LSD and even cocaine, and they trigger this weird shit ass dreams, vision or whatever the HECK they are, but this is all we know!"

"So his past consisting in the fact that he was a _druggie_?" Hidan stopped grinning and smirking, because he was secretly a specialist in drugs. "You do realize that normal people don't just go around, get their asses high and them come back to run successfully top international companies, right?"

"No shit Sherlock! We are talking about _normal_ people there. What about Sasuke is normal?"

"The fact that he is a total manwhore." Hidan simply shrugged, while looking at Karin, who was shaking her head in disbelief. Was that funny to him?

"I will come and punch you in the face, I swear to God."

"I would rather _fuck_ you too, but I don't want to give this fuckers a free show." At that Suigetsu, felt his blood pump into his veins, not believing that Karin and Hidan were fuck buddies and he found out that it bothered him, but he only growled low on his chest, not wanting to argue with those people, since they were there to collaborate.

Karin gave him the finger and cursed him in Italian. "Are you sure he didn't find Sakura out?" Surprisingly, Neji found his voice again, taking one painkiller for his throbbing head, not bothering to drink water. He hasn't eaten for two days and he was constantly feeling like throwing up.

"No. She told me he didn't, though he knows she is not a maid, but somehow, he chose to trust her and even told her he doesn't care about who she is."

"Let me get this straight, Karin. Are Sakura and Sasuke together, as in…a_ couple_?"

"Yeah, they are. They spent the night together at the hotel, and left together to Miyako. I assume you don't think they played _chess_ in there or solved crosswords, don't you, Ten Ten?"

"Teme loves Sakura-chan. He trusts her because he_ loves_ her."

"Get real Uzumaki, there is much more into that. How many of you would accept a woman or a man as lovers, if you don't know _anything _about them and they would admit they can't disclose who they are to you, but they turn to be filthy rich? Sakura could have worked for the mafia and Sasuke wouldn't know. Question is: _why_ doesn't he care? Why isn't he worried?"

"Because when you love someone, you simply know these things?" Was Naruto delusional or the rage has washed away his brain? Ten Ten was blinking at him having a dumbfounded expression on her face, shaking her head like she wasn't comprehending what he was saying.

"Wha…are you fucking serious? This isn't a game of love nor a soap opera, for fuck`s sake!"

"What or who in the world has set his house on fire?"

Suigetsu was the one to answer, as they were looking at the news. "I have no idea. I keep on getting income calls from my colleagues and subordinates, but they found no trace of anyone who might barged inside, the lock isn't forced, the fire alarms didn't ring-"

"Meaning that someone has known the combination…"

"Yes, and there is no trace of oil or gasoline."

"How the fuck can you burn a house without anything to help you setting it on fire?"

"With a candle?"

"Shut up Hidan!"

"What about the Mangekyou? What do all the shareholders say? Neji, come on, you have been the last one who talked to him and has spent the week with him."

Ten Ten was so sorry for Neji and the state he was in, not even sleeping but spending the last two days on his side supporting him and his family. She knew he was barely focusing on their conversation.

Family was Neji`s _top_ priority, he loved and respected them and was ready to die for them. They were utterly bankrupt. But he stunned them with his next line.

"Sasuke has warned me to move the Byakugan`s HQ to Saudi Arabia."

For one good minute, there was silent in the office. "What the flying fuck?! Saudi Arabia? Was he high?"

"Suigetsu, if you were a successful top insanely rich businessmen –which he, ironically enough, was- in the verge of bankruptcy, why would you set your HQ there?" Ten Ten turned to Suigetsu, as every eye went on the said police officer.

"Cheaper labor?"

"Corporation tax is _zero_ there." Karin shot back, being totally updated with the subject economy. Not many people knew that she was good at it. Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at her. She also knew about business? _Damn…_

"And? What are you going to do next?"

"What do you think Ten Ten? It is not like I am going to pack my stuff and move there. This is insane."

"Wait a second…if he predicted such a thing, because that idea might seem suicidal, but shockingly brilliant," Karin locked gazes with the lavender eyed tired stressed Hyuga, as the others were following her. "Why didn't the do the same for his_ own_ company?"

"The bankruptcy was too sudden?"

"Pein managed to bring it down overnight?"

"You are making no sense, dear cousin."

"The worst has happened. Mangekyou is history now, in case you haven't observed."

"What if it is just a wicked twisted scheme to take over everyone, without making it look like Sasuke is involved? This way, he would look like a victim and come clean into the public`s eye, while in reality, he is staying with his butt on a chair, laughing at us from wherever he is, while this insanely sums of money which I can't even count, keep on flooding his bank accounts? Hm?"

Truth was, Karin was adamant and stubborn into accusing Sasuke, though the problem was not that there were still faithful people who were trusting him, but the fact that their counterarguments were weaker than hers.

And that was a real problem.

"You are wrong." Naruto sternly told her, looking like he was starting to get a hold of himself.

_FINALLY!_

"I know the Teme. He _isn't _working for Lorane. I don't care what you guys think about him, I know how this mess looks like and I know that if you think that he _is _working for the bad guys makes sense and would explain most of the weird shit that is happening but…remember this."

He let his azurite orbs travel to all the other occupants of the room, being bloody serious. "Always remember to read underneath the underneath. Because one`s reality…can be someone else`s illusion. Teme`s brother and Kakashi-sensei have taught us that, and damn right they proved to always be right. We miss _something_, we cannot see the **obvious** and consequently…we are wrong about everything."

"The situation is different." Neji interfered, seeing that Naruto was being delusional and helplessly optimistically, again.

"His company was doing good, unlike mine. They were nowhere near insolvency. Sasuke told me that he was secretly syphoning money from his OWN bank account, to keep the value of his shares as high as possible."

That information took everyone by surprise. Suigetsu narrowed his eyes at him, finding that extremely suspicious. He had a track of Sasuke`s bank accounts –most of them- and he had an idea of how much he had.

"Wait a second, we are talking about huge amounts of money there. Money that he, theoretically doesn't have. According to the data and the stats of his bank accounts, Sasuke`s wealth is estimated to $78.6 B dollars, in money and real estate and most of them are stocked into Swiss bank accounts."

There was a choir of whistles coming from Hidan and Ten Ten at the hear of how _rich_ Sasuke truly was. "So that would put him like where? Top three Forbes billionaires, right?"

"Second, to be more precise. He lost the first position by $1, 5 billion dollars, but remember, we don't know the REAL amount of money he has."

"This is still not enough to cover for the Mangekyou's loss for so long and still top the first five among the Forbes billionaires." Karin concluded and everyone knew she was right.

"What do you _really_ mean, Karin?"

"Someone is helping him." The red headed Uzumaki brushed a fallen lock from her temple, flipping it behind her shoulder, eying Ten Ten in the eyes. She was being dead serious. "Whatever is that he does, he is not doing it alone."

"I agree." Suigetsu nodded to her, accepting her explanation. It was very plausible.

"Good." Neji was also having same suspicions. "Who?"

She almost had half of the room bang their heads on the wall or the desks. "Lorane."

"Again with that shit…"

"Then tell me WHO is currently having so much money to help him with?"

"The ones who have always strived to bring him down?"

"How do you know that it was their REAL purpose? It is all just a well-planned smart act."

"Pfff, yeah, and he was generous enough to warn Neji beforehand. This is bullshit and you guys know it. If Sasuke is truly entangled with Lorane, then he wouldn't have warned Neji to move his HQ to a place it would be beneficent to him and save him. He would have tried to bring him down and follow their plan to dominate the world`s ecoomy!" While recovering from his shock, Naruto has been listening to the conversation floating around him and he felt the urge to bang his head on the walls.

The absurdity of the situation was making him go crazy, his best friend was somewhere that no one knew where, probably having a lot of trouble, or even worse, and they there were spitting such idiotic accusations about him.

"Teme doesn't work for the Freemasonry! Get that shit out of your damn heads and let`s do something more useful as trying to locate him."

"Huh…look who has decided to play the mighty boss and grow attitude, while he was being bawling his eyes for hours just minutes ago?" That was another strong reason for why Karin was loathing her relatives…and the Akatsuki in general.

They were so _idealistic_ and idyllic that it made her puke into her mouth. As if scenarios like that weren't happening every day around the world.

Of course, it seemed more unlikely when it was happening in their own yard, but clearly not _improbable._

So what was there to understand? Surprisingly, Suigetsu and Ten Ten were very level headed and more reasonable and she gave them credit for that.

"Then how do you explain the assassinations attempts?" Neji suggested, while getting up, detaching from his fiancé's hold, to pour himself some coffee and take some steps. His back muscles were killing him slowly.

"Murder attempts? Did they ever _succeed_? No, of course not, because he was never a _real_ target. Lorane never attempted to truly kill Sasuke."

"Athena was with him all the times. Of course they didn't succeed."

"Really now? Then what about this: Sasuke was plotting with Lorane to make it look like they were targeting _him,_ while in reality they were targeting my best friend, because they knew about who she was. Remember, Sasuke _never _believed she came to work as a maid and told her he doesn't care who she was. Moreover, no matter how good Cherry is as an assassin, she is hopeless as a woman, because she never had experience with men, so naturally his skills to play women and wrap them around his finger would trick her. He is even faking to be in love with her, if you are to ask me." Karin went on, and she could see it in the others` eyes that some were silently agreeing with her and the others kept on being skeptical.

In her mind, she had no doubt that Sasuke has tricked everyone, her sister included. So she didn't understand why they were wasting time instead of looking for him and consequently, get to Lorane.

"He brought her to his grandparents and didn't attempt to murder her. He could have done it while she was asleep, since she hasn't heard him leaving, but he didn't." Naruto smartly even her resolve, but Karin was being adamant in keeping her train of arguments rolling.

"Because his grandparents were also there. I don't think he wants to kill his entire family. He didn't even take down his father, who we all know he hates with burning passion. We know that the Masons are devoted to their families. They won't kill their family members unnecessarily."

"Of course not, because he needed a puppet to be tattered by the media and shareholders, when he brought Mangekyou down and vanished in thin air. The Mangekyou is Fugaku`s eye candy. His lifetime work. For him to have it going bankrupt is worse than being dead. His mother is on the hospital. What more do you want? And where the fuck are the Yamanakas? Cherry and I reached the conclusion that there is a connection between them and Lorane. See? They have all been working together the entire time. Ino and Sasuke are real. He only played his part as a repenting man who has made a mistake and came to atone to Cherry and she believed him, when in reality, they were plotting behind her back. Behind OUR backs and we have always ignored this possibility, because no one would suspect the men that looked like the number one target and victim."

"Sasuke-teme has saved our butts in the mountain trip."

"Yeah, and he also _refused _to enroll to the CIA`s trainee program and become part of the CIA, like the rest of us. I think the reason why he didn't is pretty clear: it was because he was already working for Lorane, hence the phantom records that no one can access. They have _erased_ every trace and every link between them. Sasuke has been working for the Lorane all the times."

"Exactly! If Teme was indeed working for those bastards, then him pretending to join the CIA would have been a perfect plan to plant a spy among the organization, which he didn't."

"That was because probably Lorane already had assassins planted inside, so there was no need for unnecessary additional accomplices to compromise their identities."

"No…? It was because Sasuke-Teme doesn't work for the Lorane, damn it!"

"My point still stands. Of course we can't fully understand everything he did, because we don't know about the details of their fucked up plan, but you have the solid evidence right before your eyes."

Karin crossed her arms over her chest, red wine clashing with sparkling azurite, locking gazes for a whole good minute, neither backing away. In fact, they were two opposing voices, each taking the lead of either supporting or accusing the Uchiha heir, like they were lawyers in the Court of Justice.

"Time to wrap it up. Who thinks that Sasuke works for the Lorane or at least, is affiliated to the Freemasonry and everything he did was just an act, raise your hands now." The red haired beautiful Uzumaki female in the room inquired, while the others were looking like debating whose part to take.

Ten Ten was the first to rise up her hand, stunning everyone.

"I do." Neji and Naruto whipped their eyes to her, silently asking her if she lost her damn mind, but she simply shrugged her shoulders at them, not caring. Being friends and engaged to them, didn't mean she had to be on the same page as them all the times.

Sasori followed her, sipping from his can of energizing drink. "So am I. No matter how much you want to deny it, there are strong facts pointing in his direction."

And everyone who worked in the CIA knew that no matter the situation and no matter how bad it was, Sasori was always keeping his cool and was rational, cold and a hardcore realist. Pretty much like Shikamaru Nara, but he was blunter.

"Good. Who is _against_ this predicament and thinks he is innocent?"

Naruto was quick in raising his hand, hissing through his clenched teeth. "I trust Sasuke-Teme with my _life_. He is my best friend and I consider him my brother. He ain`t a traitor."

Startlingly, _Hidan_ had a notable intervention, puzzling everyone by joining Naruto`s side, by grinning at them and cackling.

"I agree with this dude here. Uchiha`s only sin is that he is a freaking atheist, but he is not working for the Lorane. And I will be staying in the sidelines to watch you fuckers pay him your lame excuses and kiss his ass when you meet him again and prove it to you that he isn't a spy or a conspirator."

"What about the others? And…Hidan, that was _so_ lame dude." Ten Ten shook her head at the silver haired Hollywood looking actor, who in turn only smirked at her, shockingly giving Naruto a hy five. The chestnut haired woman meant the others who didn't take Sasuke`s part, nor did they accuse him.

"I abstain from voting." Neji simply said, seeping from the coffee which had the taste of sand mixed with coals, burning his throat. Damn he should eat soon or his stomach would eat itself from inside out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Suigetsu?"

"I prefer to remain impartial."

"Well how about you try to be useful and not a freaking coward?" Karin shot to the shark looking man, totally annoyed.

Was he afraid to take his friend`s side, just because they were best buddies? She would personally castrate him –even if it would be such a pity- if odds were so. He only glared back at her, saying nothing.

He had _nothing_ to say. In Suigetsu`s opinion, neither of them were right. He had the feeling that there was something MORE which they were overlooking.

But seeing that the others were somehow awaiting for his opinion like he was some kind of God, he let them know what he really thought. "My instincts tell me you are all _wrong_." Six pairs of eyes widened at him in surprise.

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Your assumptions are wrong from the _start_, because you are being biased. If you want my honest opinion, Sasuke is _neither_ bad, nor good. And this is me being objective, ignoring the fact that he is my friend."

A short silence cast upon the occupants of his office and Karin hasn't ventured to bring a counter argument.

She wasn't stupid or stubborn. She was just analytical and tad negativist. They let the information sink in because they had the unbiased opinion of the Interpol, which was not molded over the model of a regular CIA agent, who was viewing everything from another light and perspective.

"And where does this take us? This solves nothing. This isn't that kind of situation where one stays in the grey zone, especially not him."

Shockingly,_ Hinata_ opened up her mouth for the first time since she has entered Suigetsu`s office and, even if she wasn't part of the CIA or Interpol, hence not accredited to meddle with their work, she couldn't help herself, but her statement came as a blow.

"H-He means t-that maybe S-Sasuke tries t-to solve e-everything on h-his own, s-so this way, he isn't a b-bad guy, because h-he doesn't w-work for the s-secret criminal organization, b-but he isn't good either, s-since he does i-illegal things, l-like killing people."

_Silence._

That until Suigetsu started to clap his hands slowly. "How come no one has seen that _this _beautiful lady here is a natural talent? Such a waste for the CIA, YES people, THIS is what I am trying to say."

"Are you guys serious?!" Ten Ten shot up an eyebrow, beating Karin and Sasori into voicing out what has crossed their minds. "You truly believe that Sasuke has a split personality and thinks he is Batman of the Gotham or Superman? Are you high or read too much comics and manga?"

"This is ridiculous and highly improbable. Even if he wants to do this and find out about who is after his head, he can't do this _alone_." Sasori smartly interjected and all the eyes went on his auburn inquisitive ones.

"We have already established that he isn't working alone."

"He doesn't have the proper _technology_ to track Lorane. Even us, the CIA and the Interpol can't fully locate them and predict their next moves, so how could he do this?"

"Because that mysterious someone who is also helping him with his company`s stocks and secretly invested into the Mangekyou, is also helping him with Lorane."

"So there are two people now? People, we are straying from our conversation. This is leading from improbable to **absurd.** Be reasonable. If something was the matter, Cherry would have noticed it. She has connected her equipment to Sasuke's laptop, phones, cars, computers, tablets, security system, you name it."

"She also lost the track of him." Neji reminded her, feeling his temples explode. That entire situation was fucked up but what was ramming into his skull, was the fact that everything was flawlessly connected, even if it was intricate and highly absurd.

That was the reason why he took no one`s part. It was too early to throw such accusations. They lacked too much information.

"Because the entire CIA system is jammed. Remember, we cannot get in touch with the HQ ever since the Otokage`s office and the Hokage`s one have been destroyed."

"Wait a second…the two offices have been set on fire right? Just like the Teme`s home."

"Fuck me sideways," Hidan almost shot from his seat while hearing the surprisingly wise Uzumaki`s opinion. "How come we didn't notice this so far?"

"Maybe because we were busy being shocked about a possible kidnap of our Leader?"

"Yeah. Because a man like Orochimaru would be kidnapped from the Sound`s HQ, disappearing without a trace, without putting up at least a decent fight. Are you serious?"

Karin smartly shot to Neji, who shook his head, not finding the information and the comparison relevant.

Orochimaru hasn't been kidnapped, nor killed, period. He absolutely refused to believe it, he was among the best CIA agents all time, easily rivaling –and probably surpassing- Tobirama himself. That was ridiculous.

"Then where is he? And why hasn't he contacted us or his precious daughter until now?"

"Because he is busy tracking Lorane? Do you think that after what happens, Orochimaru would simply stay with his arms crossed on his sofa and watch the news or hide under the bed? Get real people, beside, he also keeps an eye on the Summit. What if he flied there to back you guys up?" Karin suggested, while Neji, Ten Ten, Naruto and Suigetsu let the information sink in.

"There are too many obscure things we don't know, so everything we have is just wild guesses and improbable assumptions. We need a link. Something to connect the dots we have."

"Orochimaru wouldn't have left to France without telling Tsunade-sama or his wife about that."

"How do you know he didn't do that, but he didn't tell us because he can't and because he suspects our line to have been hacked and listened to by Lorane? He wants to keep the element of surprise in his favor."

Sasori brought that fact before his small audience, while Naruto, Karin and Suigetsu nodded at him, agreeing.

"That is a high possibility. We have to get in touch with Teme`s brother and find out what the heck is going on to the Summit."

"I have been trying for the past half an hour, without success." Ten Ten shook her head, tapping on her tablet and phone, intently, while Suigetsu did the same, trying to connect to his Interpol and FBI colleagues present, but neither was answering to his call.

He recognized the pattern of the signal that was jamming their devices, hacking the satellite and making them _'blind'_: It was Lorane.

"Last time we talked to the Hokage, everything was going on smoothly and there has been no incident, but he is skeptical that things would remain the same till the end. Not with all that has been going on around."

"And that was like…when? Yesterday? We need to get in touch to him _now,_ damn it!" Naruto hollered to the people around him, fighting the urge to take the first jet to France and check it on by himself.

He was dead worried for Itachi and his Leader, he was sick worried about his friend and his guts was telling him that they were overlooking something crucial, knocking on the doors of his brains, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

It was _there_, screaming it on his damn face, slapping him against his cheek, yet he couldn't clearly see it. Like a blurred shadow appearing into his dream, in the form of a face he couldn't remember, because he couldn't see it clearly, but it was still there.

"We need Athena here." Sasori cut the Uzumaki`s outburst short, attracting everyone`s attention.

"_She_ is the one who knows Sasuke the best. Plus, she is the one who last saw Sasuke, has been there to witness his suspicious moves and she is the one who has figured it out that Lorane`s signal was coming from Egypt. We need to hear her opinion."

"Karin, call Sakura here. I can send a jet or a helicopter to bring her here or check if we have one available in Miyako." Suigetsu turned his amethyst orbs to the woman whose slim back was taunting him from the other side of his office desk. Sasori was right. They needed to hear what Sakura had to say.

"Impossible. Cherry has cut me short abruptly and hung up on me. She hasn't answered her damn phone after that. Something happened."

"What exactly?"

"I am not a fortune teller, so I have no fucking idea. Something serious probably, because she would have never stopped answering me. But I can see that she is still in Miyako, by the weak signal I have from her phone. This is the Sound`s secret line which Lorane can only weaken, but not neutralize and jam entirely."

"Wait a second…you guys DO have signal? Then why can't you contact the Otokage, exactly?"

"Because he is missing for whatever the fuck reason he has?" What was there that the Akatsuki weren't getting? Karin was at loss of what to say.

She was being just as confused, she was dead worried for Orochimaru and Sakura, and the only assumption that she had, was that Sasuke has betrayed everyone and managed to get close enough to them to incapacitate them. "Tsunade-sama is probably looking for him."

"Tsunade-baa-chan is probably in hospital with Anko-sensei."

"You don't know that."

"Guys we need to calm the fuck down and think this ove-"

"I have signal!" Naruto shot up from the floor he was occupying, startling Hinata by pulling her up with him, tapping on his phone intently.

"Redirect it to me." Suigetsu immediately instructed, while his fingers were flying on his computer, while the huge screen resting on the biggest wall, showing off the world`s map has turned into a mass of waves, flashing.

He was adjusting the signal that Naruto had, so that everyone could hear and ultimately see the exact location of Itachi.

"Leader, if you can hear me, answer this, this is urgent." Naruto tried, but he got no answer.

"Are you sure there_ is_ signal?"

"Itachi, give us a signal if you get this message." Neji tried and that time, the speaker filled with the Uchiha`s smooth voice.

Every eye went on the screen, like they were able to virtually see his face, while the blurred screen was slowly getting clearer and an amalgamation of differently colored flashing dots appeared on the map of the city where the Summit was taking place.

"_**Finally, I have been trying to contact you guys, but I had no signal. They jammed us again, didn't they? Everything is fine here, there has been no incident, nothing at all, no suspects and no killing attempts, but we have no idea of whatever happens outside. For some reason I don't know, they are keeping us trapped in a hermetic bubble. My suspicion is that something bad has happened there"**_ The older from the Uchiha brothers smartly deduced. _**"What is it?"**_

_How _could they start to explain it to him? It was the thing that crossed everyone`s mind. Suigetsu was the first to talk. "First, tell us if your Hokage is there with you, as well as the Otokage."

"_**Hokage-sama is inside the commanding room, keeping an eye on the entire region, but why would Orochimaru-sama be here as well? Last time we spoke, which was yesterday, he was in his office, in Ravenna."**_

"Because he is currently missing, the CIA`s HQ in Ravenna has been destroyed, your younger brother`s house has been burned down to its foundation, he disappeared without a trace and his company has went bankrupt. And your mom is in the hospital with a heart attack."

Everyone turned to dead pan at Ten Ten who bluntly told him everything he needed to know, shrugging once. What was there to hide? He was the team leader of the Akatsuki. It was not like one would tell Uchiha Itachi fairytales. That was the truth, the man just needed to know what happened.

She has seen her fiancé simply and promptly slapping his forehead.

"_**What?!"**_ He basically whispered to them, and they all know the reason why: _Sasuke._ When it came to his younger brother, Itachi was going crazy._** "What did you just sa-"**_

**BAM!**

**BAM!**

_**BLAST!**_

Their hearts stopped beating and the blood has frozen down everyone`s veins. Two loud piercing **gun **shoots echoing from the other side of the line, followed by a blasting **explosion **that almost got them all deaf.

The line went **dead **silent and the signal has been lost.

For five good minutes…no one talked, but kept their eyes on the dark screen before them.

No reply.

No signal.

And no other words from Itachi.

Nothing, but dead silence on the other side of the blank line and the same silence fell over Suigetsu`s office.

No one uttered a single word.

.

.

.

* * *

**::Japan, Tokyo, unknown location::**

* * *

Swift steps were molding towards the dim lighted empty corridors, as _his_ shadow was lurking and blending into the darkness around, but his aura was impregnated into the fading limbs of the unseen.

Fragments of the_ first_ and the last time he has been there were reverberating into his mind, bouncing from the words and fugitive images from the past, coming back to tail his silhouette, as he was advancing to the last door at the end of the long corridor.

Every single engine and wheel were working inside his mind, allowing him to devise and repeat the plan down his mind, as he was slowly and surely crushing, killing and pulverizing any weakness of remain of hesitation –or fright- from his heart, focusing and trying to predict the course of his next move. Because keeping his head and ration intact, were the key points of everything he was about to do.

To him, it meant the world. It was then or never. His left hand that was half concealed by a pair of black leather fingerless gloves, with silver irradiations pressed on the knob twisting it once, opening up the door in front of him, casually stepping inside the familiar office room and immediately, the _person_ he was about to meet has welcomed him from the other side of the desk, resting his elbows on the armrests and his first reaction was to smirk.

"Took you long enough. What do they say in this kind of situation? Something along the lines of long time no see?"

Pitch black **obsidian **orbs blitzed whimsical amethyst as **Sasuke** let his impressive silhouette stroll inside the office, letting the door slam shut behind him, advancing towards the middle of the room, a deep frown decorating his face. Was he looking like someone that one should mock or taunt?

His acerb low baritone rung through the room, like a roaring jet engine, losing the velvet nonchalant and unperturbed touch he had for his normal interlocutors.

"If you want to be a clown, **Orochimaru**, I suggest you take a number and wait in line." Sasuke spat to the **Sound leader**, throwing himself into the only available chair, crossing his legs over his desk, head askew and a ghost of a dark smirk playing on his own lips.

"Always in such a foul mood, aren't you, Sasuke-_kun_? Even after all this years, you haven't changed at all." **Orochimaru** was intently studying the young Uchiha before him, not actually believing that it has been _five_ years since he last saw him, but he wasn't in the bit shocked to notice the tremendous difference between who he was when they have been introduced for the first time, and that moment.

Sasuke has truly _changed_. He looked faster, stronger, sharper, darker, colder, more striking than ever, more confident, less arrogant, but more adventurous, zealous in letting blood slip past his fingers and maneuver weapons, but more calculate, inquisitive, analytical and smarter.

It was not only the visible physical change, the definite sharp hard bulking muscles, which were sinuous and protruding from the fitting slim clothes he were, but his general aura. Even the way he was breathing, smirking and pinning him with that signature stare that could make shells squirm back to the bottom of the ocean in fear, depicted another version of him, who was on the peak of his glory.

But the way he talked and the words that stung like a bee`s needle, defying and rude, has remained unchanged by the grace of years. "Which is for the better, I assume. I hope that paper work and marriage hasn't made you grow _soft_."

Even if he wasn't admitting it out loud, Sasuke felt something pang inside his veins when he came face to face with Orochimaru and he knew exactly what it was: anticipation.

He was so sick of having to hide who he really was and act like that stale regular high class businessman, who wasn't allowing the others to even step on his shadow, being used to use his wisdom and words as his weapons, becoming the supreme epitome of tact, finesse and eloquence.

When in reality, he was dying to_ rip_ off their throats, stab their hearts, gauge off their eyes and tongue and cut down their balls.

Orochimaru was the _only_ person that Sasuke didn't need to _pretend_ to be someone he was not. Like it or not, they have always been in_ contact_ for the past years, even if they didn't meet in person. It was too risky for both their close people and their enemies.

And the fact that no one knew about their affiliation, was giving them an upper hand and the element of surprise.

"Hardly. Though I must ask you the same thing. Has_ love_ been an epiphany to you, or made you weak?"

The way Sasuke`s onyx orbs narrowed until they looked completely dark, like two holes dug into his skull, reminded Orochimaru about the movies with people possessed by the Devil, but the Uchiha even had the ability to challenge the ruler of the Underworld himself, for the thrown of the darkness, being even more maleficent.

He touched a soft spot, he knew that. "Hn. Last time I checked, love has_ never_ made anyone weaker, Orochimaru."

Of course, the pale man with his porcelain skin reminding Sasuke of the scales of a white dragon snake –freaky- knew about his relationship with_ Sakura_, but then again, Sasuke didn't hid anything from that man either.

And even if he did, Orochimaru would have found out anyways, since he was part of the CIA, but even though he absolutely loathed the man before him, Sasuke knew that their mismatched relationship was based on mutual trust.

Sasuke absolutely _trusted_ Orochimaru and vice versa. It is how they always worked, even when Sasuke was running errands for him, he could always count on him. They weren't subordinates, they were partners, because never once Sasuke has considered himself under Orochimaru. Oh, heck no!

And they needed to put their brilliant minds to good use, decipher the entire plan of their enemies and crush them and burn their nest of snakes, up to its foundations, once and for all.

"Strange choice of words, judging from the fact that they come from you, Sasuke-kun." Normally, Sasuke would have slit the throat of whoever dared to call him by that appellative –minus Sakura- but Orochimaru wasn't_ just_ anyone, either. For the sake of all the things he did for him, the Uchiha chose to overlook it.

"Enough with the crappy shit reunions. It is not like you haven't heard from me, Orochimaru. I did my part of the job. It`s time for us to cut the crap and strike."

The playful smirk has vanished from Orochimaru`s face entirely and the light taunting atmosphere has turned cold ice and piercing. No more games.

The Sound leader leaned forward, intertwining his fingers on the desk and aligning them with his mouth, amber eyes locking with black sapphire. "I had my secretary destroy all the evidences from my home in Tokyo."

Orochimaru nodded at him, mentally laughing his ass out loud when he remembered the flashing news from that morning. "You could have done it without attracting so much _attention_. Burning down your own home? Come now Sasuke-kun…isn't this a little bit too flashy?"

"This is the main idea. I want them to think they got me down and I had run away like a coward."

"At least, you could have faked your own _death_ and get over with it." He thought of that but honestly, the sole reason why Sasuke didn't do that was because of _Sakura_. He couldn't. He couldn't hurt her like that and pretend he _died._

His heart wasn't allowing him to do that. He could kill every single feeling inside him, except for the _love_ for her.

And of course, Orochimaru knew it as well, without him voicing it. But it was always entertaining to mock Sasuke. "What`s the _fun_ in this? I want them to torture their little brains into thinking whether I am death or come from Hell to rip off their souls. Besides, you did just like me. Good job in burning down the CIA`s HQ in Ravenna and your lab. This way, you made it look like you have been kidnapped. It saves you from the shame of not being able to find the culprit."

"Culprit**s**." Orochimaru corrected, opening up a black leather handbag he had on the desk and placing a file before Sasuke`s eyes. Onyx orbs narrowed dangerously as his teeth were gritting together.

"So_ these_ scums are the Lorane`s puppeteers, huh? Pathetic." His eyes then skimmed to the blonde haired man, whose photo was attached to his complete file. "Yamanaka _Inoichi_," Sasuke hissed the words like he was dripping venom straight on the man`s punctured neck, addressing Orochimaru. "He is _not _a puppeteer. He is a _puppe_t. He is being controlled."

"I agree. But I doubt it that he realizes it."

"You should have left me _kill _his slut of a _daughter._ That would have made him vengeful and would create a rift on the Head of the Freemasonry. It could have played in our advantage." Oh, when Ino has kissed him on the airport, it was almost the nail on her coffin.

It took all the safe control he had, adding it to Sakura`s totally unforeseen presence there, to not pull out his gun, put on the suppressor and shoot her, while he dropped her on the other side of the town, leaving her on an empty alley, full of druggies and prostitutes, to find her way back home.

Any home, but his.

_Fuck no!_

He has been laughing like a madman all the way to his office, thinking about how much of an idiot Inoichi Yamanaka was to think that he could get to him and have him walk straight into the Lorane`s hands, by tricking his father into thinking that their corporation would save the Mangekyou.

_As if!_

"As much as I know how much pleasure that would have brought you, I couldn't have you kill Ino Yamanaka…_yet_. We need them to think that we are blind and oblivious and you are just a stubborn child who wouldn't bent to your father`s will. But I will grant you the pleasure of disposing of her _father_." Because Orochimaru had his fair share of people to _personally_ kill. It has been such a long time since one of the _Sannin _have proven themselves on the battle.

He felt bad for having to disappear without a trace and not tell Tsunade or his wife, Anko, about his whereabouts, but he knew that secrecy was crucial. For them to take Lorane down and catch them out of guard, sacrifices might have been down by both.

"Besides, you have been careless in most of the cases, Sasuke-kun. You brutally murdered the Lorane`s henchmen for stealing from your own house, and raised too much suspicion around you and there are witnesses who have seen you shooting people in a club and now the restaurant of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo."

Orochimaru faked a pout, pretending to be hurt, while Sasuke rolled his onyx eyes at him, exasperated. "My favorite hotel in Japan." Was that man lecturing him now?

He could go fuck himself…after they took Lorane down first.

"Get real, I had to take back those writings. It was the single copy I had. Remember, we also don't have any idea of what the fuck do they represent, even if you deciphered half of it. Besides, I erased every trace that could have led them back to me. If we want to pinpoint their location exactly, we must know what their real _purpose_ is and you know it all too well Orochimaru that the answer we are looking for, stays in the drawings I made."

"The formulas and the hieroglyphs are a detailed map of the _**Great Pyramid of Giza**_, as well as a weird machine of some sorts and the geography of the surrounding terrain. Yakushi Kabuto, the expert I had to decipher them entirely couldn't translate more."

"What is the connection between the Pyramid of Cheops and Lorane? Why _Egypt_? And why _now_? Does it have some sort of a hidden secret of that we aren't aware of it?"

"This is what we must find out, Sasuke-kun. And this leads us to the reason why_ you_ are here now." Orochimaru locked his gaze with Sasuke`s pearl black ones, silently letting him know that it was mandatory for them to recreate a **past experiment** that would trigger painful unpleasant memories, but they had no choice.

"I know. What is your honest opinion about this?"

"They are looking for a** weapon** that is somehow connected to the _Great Pyramid_ of Giza."

"A weapon…what kind of weapon?"

"Probably one that allows him to take **control over the world**, once and for all." Normally, such science fiction scenarios would have seemed ridiculous to Sasuke, but they won't.

Having been _trained_ by Orochimaru for such a long time and _working_ with him has allowed him to see and witness many mind blowing things. Such a scenario hasn't been at all utopic.

He knew that before they took Orochimaru`s private supersonic invisible jet to Egypt, there was one more thing to do, namely trigger those flashbacks and find the truth. Find everything they needed to know about _who _was Sasuke, what was his _role_ into that story, what were those weird writings on the walls about and ultimately, what was that Lorane was looking for.

The Otokage pulled out a _vial _with a light pink liquid inside, disinfectant, a syringe with a long needle and a tourniquet, standing up, while Sasuke dragged his chair back to make more space between him and the desk, already knowing about what was there to come.

He absolutely loathed the idea of going through _that _again. And it wasn't the immense physical _pain_ that he was about to suffer, no, it was the _emotional_ part the one that bothered him. Who knew what ridiculous things they would come across and…not even that scared him…

It was another set of memories, which have been the only pleasant ones, but somehow…he wasn't ready to learn the entire scenario, because it meant foreseeing and _foreshadowing _the end in his own reality and time.

The memories about Sakura. Their overlapping with the mysterious exotic Egyptian woman, Safiya. Sasuke was positive about a fact: in another past existence, Sakura from his time has been his love in the previous life as well. They were meant to be together from the very beginning. She…has once been his WIFE.

And the possibility that he might not survive the clashing with Lorane and never see her angelic beauty shine again, never feeling the softness of her body and make love to her and never kiss her lips again, created the aversion about the predicament of knowing whether they had a future together or not.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru encircled the office desk, coming to stand beside Sasuke, while he took out three sets of custom made titanium handcuffs, placing them before the unflappable Uchiha, a ghost of regret washing through his amber eyes. "Your mother is hospitalized. She couldn't take the shock from the news and had a myocardia infarct."

Black sapphire eyes widened ever so softly and his eyes pinned Orochimaru`s ones, demanding more information. It was crystal clear that Sasuke couldn't personally get in touch with his family, even if his first instinct was to grab his phone and call. "Is she-"

"No. She isn't dead. Don't worry, Uzumaki Kushina is with her and your father has been there as well, before rushing back to Tokyo. I personally contacted one of my friends who is an expert and one of the best surgeons in the world and had him check on your mother. Her condition is stable now. She will survive without surgery. They are keeping her on sedatives so that her worry for your wellbeing won`t trigger another attack."

"Fuck…FUCK!" Sasuke rubbed his face with his palms, feeling his temples explode. His mother…dear Heavens…the fact that he was being responsible of her pain was killing him.

And Sakura…if she reacted like that when she thought he has cheated on her, then what would she do in that situation?

His grandparents as well? "I will KILL every single of them and rip off every inch of their skin and have them all bleed to death, while watching me cut down every limb and torture them for what they did."

The way he spat the words, growling like a furious beast escaped from Hell, even had Orochimaru narrow his eyes at him. "Of course. But first, we have to find out the truth." The snake faced legendary Sannin filled the syringe with the familiar substance, while looking like he was debating over something.

"This won`t work. I don't want to take any risks. Not now and not with you. Go lie on the bed." He pointed to a bed on one of the corners of the office, big enough for a single person to adjust in it and similar to the ones that psychologists used during their therapy sessions.

No matter how much would have Sasuke loved to protest against that, he knew that Orochimaru was right.

Last time they have done the _same_ experiment, he killed two people. One of them, has been _Tsunade_ Senju`s younger _brother._ So he rose from the sit, unclad from his jacket, discarding it down the chair, remaining in his slim T-Shirt, exposing his muscular arms, while he lied onto the bed, just like Orochimaru instructed.

The Sound Leader followed him suit, having the handcuffs jittering in his arms. He came beside Sasuke, as the Uchiha silently crossed his arms allowing him to put them on. "I am sorry I have to hurt you like this, Sasuke."

He didn't even use the appellative _'kun'_ because the situation was horrifying and torturous. "If you wish, we can try to give you smaller dosages of LSD and see if it will trigger the-"

"No." Sasuke bluntly interrupted Orochimaru, while he handcuffed him, placing another set of handcuffs around his legs and then using a third set to tie his hands on the edge of the bed, which was entirely made of a strong alloy of steel, titanium and platinum, totally _immobilizing_ him.

"A small LSD dosage won`t be effective. I already had fragments from the past, but not enough to connect the pieces. Give me the highest dosage and let`s get over with this. Lorane is not going to wait for us to be ready. We are running out of time."

He knew that. Orochimaru knew that Sasuke was_ right_ and the Uchiha also knew that his former _sensei _was refusing to see him hurt and wanted to protect him as much as he could, but there wasn't any other way.

It wasn't the first time when they did that experiment, but Sasuke knew it was the _last_. Even he…wouldn't be able to _survive_ another one. "All right then." Orochimaru wrapped the tourniquet tight around Sasuke's let hand, palpating his protruding veins, to look for a visible one, noticing that the raven haired Uchiha had his small moon sign covered by his gloves…on purpose.

He was hiding it for the Lorane because even though they didn't know what that represented, the Uchiha was taking no risks, since it was probably something important. As cautious as ever, wasn't he? "I am injecting you the original substance with the highest LSD dosage. Are you ready?"

Sasuke nodded once to him, as Orochimaru let the long needle puncture his vein, injecting the substance into his system. The Uchiha didn't even flinch. "Done." He used disinfectant and placed an adhesive bandage over the stabbed vein, as Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. Like that would make any difference, but still…he knew that Orochimaru was always so strict and meticulous in what he did, so the Uchiha bit back a nasty smartass retort.

The Sound Leader dragged a chair beside Sasuke, who let his head rest on the small pillow conveniently placed on the bed, already feeling his mind going dizzy, although he was still conscious.

Even with that high dosage of the drug, his body was naturally _fighting_ the harmful substance, adjusting to the intrusion and the damage it did, waiting for the LSD to throw him into the deepest corners of his mind and trigger those flashbacks.

Of course, as his mind would be bombarded with past memories which didn't belong there, and would connect him to a faraway time, it would damage the brain cells, his judgment and cause immense pain. It was a scary, agonizing and life threatening experiment, but it was the only chance they got.

They lacked what Lorane already had: a secret _book _which contained similar information about the secrets of the Pyramid of Cheops, but they had no idea about Sasuke`s involvement, because even though Lorane has found out about the experiments, Orochimaru smartly and conveniently _didn't _list Sasuke`s name nor his results among his files, journals and registers.

"Orochimaru, if I go violent like before, you have to stop me." No kidding, the fact that Sasuke was being immobilized by cuffs made of an impossible to break –theoretically- handcuffs, was nothing to the powers he got from a LSD trip, adding it to the mysterious ability to mold and control electromagnetic fields and Orochimaru knew it as well.

"This is why I am here, aren't I? Though I don't want to do that, Sasuke-kun, so keep your mind clear and don't focus on the hate and negative emotions. Try to empty your mind and heart of _everything_ that hurts you, so that you won't interfere with the flashbacks and think about the things that make you _happy_."

That wasn't difficult, because the things that made him happy were all conjuring _Sakura`s_ image. The memories from Miyako…how they walked together like a real couple, how he had her, their kisses and confessions, her touches, her perfume, her heartbeat…His onyx orbs were starting to flutter, barely keeping them open.

And Orochimaru caught the small drops of sweat prickling on his temples.

The drug was starting to take effect.

"And I want you to unlock my bank account from Italy." Sasuke found it difficult to stutter those words to Orochimaru, feeling his body get really hot. It was getting just as horrifying as he remembered.

"Run out of cash?"

He threw him a glance that said everything, even if he didn't voice it out loud, while Orochimaru chuckled at him. "Of course, of course. You have used almost all your savings to save your company. This is understandable."

To be honest, Sasuke used _half _of his money to keep the company on the right track and Orochimaru knew it all too well.

Sasuke found the power to throw a small smirk at Orochimaru, totally not bothered by the fact that he had to temporary lose his place among the first ten Forbes billionaires. He would soon enough pulverize that chart and top it, coming back stronger than ever.

Because he wasn't feeling like losing to Lorane and ultimately get himself killed. "Don't try to find your way out of this, Orochimaru. Half of the stocks behind the virtual ones I have created, are yours."

"And now I find myself investing in Saudi Arabia. How staggering." Indeed, the one who has been secretly buy stocks from the Mangekyou, and hid his identity, being the '_ghost'_ behind the Mangekyou's **fake ****insolvency**, was no other than _Orochimaru_, who was the third world`s billionaire, but that of course, was a well-kept _secret._

"Hn. After this shit is over and Mangekyou starts to run there, you will gain more than you could count anyways. It is not like you are not aware of it."

It wasn't his shareholders the one that Sasuke has asked for an advice regarding that crazy suicidal plan to declare bankruptcy and move the HQ in another place. It was Orochimaru. Plus, Sasuke would not deny the Sound Leader`s astonishing genius.

That man was brilliant, and he had one hell of a mind, there was no doubt about that. If there was someone worth of counseling THE Uchiha Sasuke, it was Orochimaru.

"It is not like I wouldn't trust your vision and intelligence, Sasuke-kun."

"Stop faking damn modesty." The onyx eyed Uchiha mentally counted down two minutes and all that he felt, was the bed rippling like he was floating above the ocean and rainbows sparkle under his eyelids, but still no flashback and contrary to the regular druggies, he absolutely despised that loss of control and ration. "How much are you making me wait?"

"I don't know. We should see the results in the next five minutes, but it might get a little but more. Remember, it was hard to continue with the tests in secret, without alerting the Head. I thought patience was one of your virtues."

"As long as I might find myself flattered by you, you own me one last explanation, before we go out to hunt Lorane down."

"About what?" Orochimaru already had a recording tape working, waiting for the drug to take full effect.

They needed to analyze every single line of what Sasuke would have to confess, but it was _time_ the thing that they lacked.

They would have to decipher everything while flying to Egypt and that meant they only had some hours to both put the pieces together and devise a flawless plan to counter Lorane`s one.

While his entire body started to sweat and tremble, muscles filling with an electrical throbbing energy, and his temples began to pound like low pitched drums, banging into his head, slowly making him lose the touch with that world, Sasuke let his onyx orbs squeeze shut, while his lips muttered words that briefly made Orochimaru freeze.

"The Dobe…Ten Ten…Neji Hyuga…my brother…Shikamaru Nara…Kiba, Suigetsu, Uzumaki Karin…" He made a short pause, wetting his quivering lips, like he was fighting against a tearing memory, his voice going softer. "_Sakura_..." Finelli Montesi – Olivero. It was in the moment that waiter came to bring her a telegram, did Sasuke confirm his suspicions. The Uchiha was among the few people who knew what was Orochimaru`s family name. It was easy to put two and two together afterwards, though he played cool in front of her. Sakura hasn't suspected a thing.

"What about them?" So far, Sasuke hasn't been interested in Orochimaru`s –or CIA`s- subordinates, since he had his own path to walk alone, but things have changed and their paths collided.

"**Everything**. I…want to…know…everything…about them."

Orochimaru nodded his head at the starting to lose consciousness Uchiha, being well aware of the fact that he couldn't hide the truth away from him anymore.

It wasn't necessary and it wasn't even fair, so naturally, he didn't refuse Sasuke`s request. "Of course."

"And then…we can finally stop Lorane once and for all."

.

.

.

* * *

**::Author`s Note::**

* * *

**-dictionary-**

* * *

Hai-yes

Oh, mio Dio, cara mia –Oh, my God, my dear

Mi piaci – I like you

mia sorella – my sister

Mia sorella, va tutto bene? – my sister, are you all righ?

cara mia- my dear

no, grazie – no, thank you

bella - beautiful

Per l'amor di Dio – for the love of God

mia amica – my friend

Cosi bello – so beautiful!

Boru! - ball

Onegai shimasu – a more polite/formal way of saying 'please'

Arigatou gozaimashita – polite form for 'thank you very much'

Anata no namae wa/ namae wa – what is your name?

Watashi wa…Sakura-desu – I am Sakura/ My name is Sakura

Anata wa...totemo utsukushii desu – you are beautiful

Arigatou – thank you

Naze ikenai anata wa hako no kodomotachi to asobimasu – why aren`t you plying with the other kids?

Karakatte iru – making fun of someone

Nande – why?

Kore ga okotta no ka

Kasai - fire

Mama to Papa…takai shimashita – my father and mother have passed away

Bakka - stupid

Obasan – grandmother (between members of the family)

Hiragana – Japanese alphabet

Ikebana – art of flower arrangement

amore mio – my love

Ti amo tanto, amore mio – I love you so much, my love

Sei tutta per me, amore mio – my love, you are everything to me

mio Dio – My God

* * *

Ok, I want it to be clear that I speak none of the aforementioned languages. I have taken some Japanese classes, but it has been four years since I last opened up a Japanese book, so if I didn't get it right, I will ask the natives to please do not be too angry with me.

While posting this chapter, I couldn`t help but laughing like crazy –not in the bad way- while remembering getting one review stating that my chapters are too long, because I kept on telling myself…wait until I post THIS chapter lol

Wow, I can`t believe that this story is coming to an end. It has been an year and a half since I first posted it –Yes, it is my very FIRST story- and I have many beautiful memories regarding it. Maybe this is the reason why I didn't want to rush things and worked on it, and, although it isn't my best story –grammar and vocabulary wise- I find it to be the most interesting, plot wise. I had done a lot of research in different domains, in order to make things as realistic as possible and I hope you found it challenging and interesting as well.

Personally, I consider this chapter to be the best I ever wrote, from everything I have posted here so far. Yes, I am positive that is really long, but everything written there was necessary.

My next update is going to be the LAST chapter of this story. There will also be a shorter Epilogue, containing a quick peek into the future of my characters, but next time I update, you know that it will be the grand finale.

Of course that I NEVER intended to have Sasuke marry Ino just because his family/father forced him into a relationship that would benefit their business, oh, definitely NOT! I also hate that stale and totally cliché approach and I didn't want it in my story. Like you guys said, Sasuke in my story is not someone to be manipulated. It doesn't fit his manga character and the man I wrote him in this story. I inserted a small dramatic moment into the story, by making Sakura misunderstand him and Ino in the airport, but that was only for the plot and to add to the drama. I felt they needed that moment of separation to strengthen their bond more.

See, I truly adore the idea of their romance being built on lies, deceivings and a lot of secrets, because, my point is to emphasize the power of TRUE love, which in the end, truly conquers it all. And I needed a good moment to introduce Karin. I don't know why, but I laugh whenever I write about her and her interaction with Suigetsu. Those two definitely MUST be together!

Congratulations for every one of you guys who figured it out that it was indeed _Orochimaru_, the one that Sasuke was talking to, though I am pretty sure you have suspected it from the very beginning. I am grateful for having such clever readers, because it just pushes me further to make this story more intricate and intriguing.

I intentionally ended this chapter here, with the last scene with Oro and Sasuke, because even though it was pointless to prolong one of the mysteries of the story unnecessarily, I want to keep the rest of their relationship and back story for the final chapter. But I will keep the Leaders of the Lorane in the shadows for now, sorry hehe.

So, the next LAST chapter, is going to be focused on two things: the much anticipated battle between Lorane and the CIA, including the whole mystery lingering upon the Grand Pyramid of Giza and world domination, and the time for revealing all the truths, including details about Sasuke`s past and Orochimaru`s involvement as well as Sakura`s past, the secret society that rules Lorane from the shadows and of course, Sasuke`s flashbacks, the inquiry into the Egyptian ancient time and his link to Sakura.

As I have said before, though I see that you guys liked it –many thanks for my new reader, _Closet Perv_for praising it- my forte is definitely not battle scenes, simply because I lack vocabulary and I am not the one for bloody scenes, rather than romantic ones, but I will try my best to make the battle between the Lorane and the CIA as interesting and spectacular as I can. I know it is going to be really long and difficult to write, but I want to also focus on the psychological parts –which I assure you they will be pretty dramatic.

I see that the opinions about Sakura here are split. There are some of you guys who like her character –thanks a lot,_itsbritneybitch__ – _and some of you who find her moments of weakness annoying, which makes me sad, because you guys know that I don't like to write OP characters. Having a weak side is simply human and I don't want Sakura here –or any other of my stories- to be a ruthless 'Miss Perfection' because I find it extremely unrealistic and not to mention, overused, stale and boring. I think I have said it before, but I have read many stories with a savage dark Sakura, which made my eyes bleed and I simply couldn't read anymore because I hated that approach. But I also don't want to fall into the weakling emo extreme and have her weep for the entire series. You will see the true face of the strong 'Athena of the Sound' in the next last chapter and I promise she won't disappoint. I will focus on her battles and assassin attitude.

Having said that, I truly hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Sorry for making it too long, you know my style, you know about my tendency to write long chapters, but I love you guys too much to give you short –letter type- of updates. I respect you too much to do that. And there was no way I could have split it in smaller chapters, because you wouldn't have understood a thing from them.

Thank you a million times to **all** of you who read and follow my story and for your patience and devotion, you guys are the best.

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Also, many_** special **_thanks to:

**yamada. chibi**

** Memories. By .Moonlight**

**UMEE-chan29**

**ohsoblue**

**mixxymae59 **

**agentM14 **

**lovesasusakuforever**

**batmanaruto **

**Katherine **

**itsbritneybitch **

**Closet Perv**

**Rui**

**Kelly**

**Kiara Dragneel**

**chichivivas**

** .Didi**

**hifi **

**jazz **

**ElevatedJewel**

**Guests**

You guys are amazing and you have no idea how happy you make me be for sharing your opinion about this story with me, in your reviews. It only encourages me and motivates me to keep on going and give it my best to make this story better and better. Thank you for all the support and beautiful thoughts and congratulations.

_Lots of love!_


	30. Chapter 30 (1)

_**CHAPTER 30 (1)**_

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_**"I cannot compete with a locked heart. If you believe in him my dear, then listen to your own heart talking."**_

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**_-Japan, Tokyo, unknown location-  
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Glistening drops of perspiration were spewing in sizzling rivulets from his long dark coffee hair, rolling on his abnormally pale skin and going under the sleek dark combat blouse that framed his tone body, as he was keeping the younger than him male pinned down to the cold mattress, trapped between his iron grip and the bed.

"Sasuke–kun!" Orochimaru`s distinctive smooth voice was rolling in ragged throaty puffs, as he beckoned the raven haired Uchiha, one panting and trembling worse than the other one, both being covered in lakes of burning perspiration, like they have been running to the marathon. "We have to stop this now, for this is getting out of our hands!"

Honey–tea saturated narrowed orbs were filled with exhaustion and worry, as the Sound Leader was studying the precarious condition of his associate and it was beyond critical; nothing alike they have both anticipated was undergoing right before his narrowed orbs and honestly, he now feared for the worst.

Orochimaru looked in panic as his former student was rinsed in his own burning sweat, while his state of mind was tussling between conscious and utterly delirious.

His equally black blouse has been ripped to shreds, like Sasuke would have jumped into a tank full of thirsty piranhas; his muscles were throbbing and jerking uncontrollably, his veins were bulky and protruding from his marble skin and threatening to explode of the amount of adrenaline rushing through his boiling blood; his usually lithe fibers were bulkier than Hulk`s when he turned into a monster, his midnight-blue silk hair was spewed and scattered every possible direction over the small pillow, as his dripping bangs were stuck to his forehead and cheeks and his tossing quivering hands were kept –or tried to be kept securely– by two custom made rows of stainless steel, platinum and titanium alloy handcuffs, that did little to nothing to restrain the Uchiha and keep him down.

That whole charade has been undergoing for half an hour already and it felt like the paramount of Hell`s most frightening tortures in Orochimaru`s eyes and that man has seen many atrocious things in his life, but this one was topping them all.

The small old bed was half destroyed and was barely supporting their weight; large wooden splinters lied scattered around, smeared by the memories of a great struggle unfolding into the room.

Two minutes after the high dosage of LSD based drug combination that Orochimaru has injected him with, Sasuke flied off the handle, just as they have predicted. At first, his delirium was only doubled by the tearing pain that was electrocuted his body, in million electrical needle like bolts coursing through him in an indescribable_ agony. _

For ten good minutes, Orochimaru has been reduced to a simply witness to his former student`s agony, powerless to interfere.

Sasuke has been wailing and growling in unadulterated _pain_, thrashing and rolling on the bed that he seemed to want to fly off and the bindings that Orochimaru used to restrain him were as good as nothing.

He tore them in half from the moment the drug entered his system and activated the instinct of survival, like it was nothing.

And that was the moment when the snake–faced Sound Leader has literarily jumped onto the bed, straddling Sasuke and handcuffing his hands twice to be sure, personally restraining and holding him down, using his own power, but at the same time, he kept on calling for him and almost _begged_ him to stop that life threatening experience, but Sasuke screamed at him to not interfere because he still had control over his destiny.

The way his beautiful obsidian orbs were now full of terror, unhinged and incoherent, blinded by horror, rolling at the back of his head, akin to a man who was a prisoner of a living nightmare, were contradicting his ragged words.

Then it all started, just like back then when they first tested it – when Sasuke and him meet at CIA`s base for the first time: the flashbacks. And they came in violent waves, rolling across his memory and filling his brain like tempestuous hurricanes, until he wasn't able to make out reality from nightmare.

He started to spew incoherencies, fragments of ancient phrases –half mumbled in Egyptian and half in all the other multiple foreign languages that Sasuke was versatile in– making Orochimaru`s job almost impossible.

That was the reason why a mall digital recording camera was working live, capturing every moment of that dolor. It was painful to watch the things that were going through Sasuke`s mind, for they were affecting him physically.

Never in his life has Orochimaru seen the Uchiha so vulnerable, so weak, so exposed and in so much agony. He could barely fly in the face of that mentally and physically torture.

In his confused state of mind, Orochimaru got some hard punches and blows from Sasuke himself, who wasn't even aware of his surroundings, nor was he having any control of his senses, although his brilliant mind seemed to work mechanically on autopilot and detach from his unhinged mind, not being affected by the monster coming undone from his body.

That was how Orochimaru found himself spitting a generous gulp of blood, surging from his split bottom lip, had his attire tarnished and fresh blood leaking from the cut on his right temple, immixing into his dark hair, but he paid no mind for his own condition when he dashed to force Sasuke back down and not hurt himself; Sasuke`s safety was his top priority.

As the drug started to lead Sasuke into a waltz of synesthesia and overflowing flashbacks aroused across his memory, Sasuke almost control and Orochimaru had to step in and restrain him, but it was far more easier said than done, since the man was already in his fifties, clearly not as vigorous as a heavily drugged feverish twenty five Uchiha male and most of all, he _didn't _want to harm this young man.

Orochimaru himself had three broken ribs which prevented him from inhaling properly, a sprained ankle a twisted wrist, multiple cuts on his arms and forehead, rivulets of blood dripping from his nose, his disarray hair, sticking to his sweaty forehead and violent honey amber orbs which were seeking for any figment of awareness into Sasuke`s dazed silvery–obsidian ones.

He was panting harshly, pinning the Uchiha down and forcing him to stay in place, while he jerked and trashed his frame like a caged puma, struggling to pry him off his persona, somehow succeeding in doing so, but that was because Sasuke`s overtired body was slowly losing energy.

He was drifting through the moments of hallucinations and consciousness and mostly talking gibberish. Inconsistent incoherent phrases that Orochimaru has recorded, in order to decode them, translate them into a language that they both comprehended and encipher the meaning behind.

"...Burn..." The Uchiha growled between clenched teeth that were clattering and bit his bottom lip. His fine cut maxillaries were so tightened that his face could split in half at any moment.

He looked like someone was keeping him entrapped into an ice block and he was freezing. Orochimaru never seen him like this before.

He was in a fever rash of 39 degree and the thermometer was rapidly going up, alarmingly.

If that would be allowed to continue, then there was a high probability for Sasuke to not make it. "Of course you feel hot, it is from the–"

Sasuke cut him short as the older man has clearly misinterpreted his words. Orochimaru knew that Sasuke wasn't hearing him anymore, but he hoped that talking to him and letting Sasuke to hear and perceive familiar voices around him, it would soothe him.

Sasuke`s main problem was his bottomless loneliness, so naturally, had to be reminded that he was _not _alone.

"Burn... **it **d-down... k-kill..." Orochimaru listened in horror to the man he kept straddling how he trashed his head and threw it from a shoulder to another, as his black sapphire orbs gyrated deep into their orbits, being all unfocused and veiled in a foggy curtain.

He was heavily drugged and delirious. Kami–sama only knew how in the world he could still be this coherent. Whatever he saw with his mind`s eye, Orochimaru couldn't begin to envision.

There was an IV and a syringe he had in his right hand and waiting impatiently for the right moment to use it.

It was not the drug the translucent liquid that span into the slim vial, because even if Sasuke would have pressured him into using it, Orochimaru will not give him another higher dosage.

No, on the contrary, what the Sound Leader had clasped between his fingers, it was the antidote to save his life.

"Who? Who do you want to kill, Sasuke–kun?" His voice failed to stay as calm as always. He tried his best to appear tranquil and composed, but it oozed in rounds of ragged and ruffled hissed phrases betraying his own turbulence.

"...for u-us... k-kill... _she_..." Amber orbs widened in pure shock. _Her_? Who was she? Who was Sasuke talking about?

And what did he mean by burn it?

"Where are you–" Orochimaru supposed that Sasuke`s dematerialized spirit was somewhere entrapped into a violent recurrent flashback. The way his orbs moves uncontrollably into his head, represented a dream.

"NO!" With a sudden forceful jerk of his hips, hurtling from the bed, Sasuke threw Orochimaru off his person and tried to pry his hands off his restrained forearms, in vain. Orochimaru fell down on the hard concrete, nearly breaking his shoulder by the ungraceful way that his frame landed.

The syringe that he failed to protect has rolled under the bed, falling from within his clasp with a high pitched sound.

"Sasuke–kun!" He shouted to the raven haired Uchiha, but just when Orochimaru`s horrified orbs were ready to take in the imminent collapse of Sasuke`s thwarting body that was jerking like he was under a demon`s possession, Sasuke suddenly stopped with his disarray violent moves and his head fell limp on the pillow, lolling over his shoulder and facing him. He stood silent for some seconds during which Oro feared that the Uchiha was… dead.

Quickly, he tapped his fingers against his pulse vein that was covered in cold sweat and nearly exhaled in relief; he had a faint pulse running through his vein, but his heart rate was thumping like crazy.

_What the fuck?!_

Sasuke was battling between life and death! That was insane; they had to stop that before it was too late.

Orochimaru dived under the bed, fingering the concrete floor until he nearly pocked his finger with the needle that was dripping antidote, and came back with the clear resolution of injecting it into Sasuke`s system and save his life while he still could, when the Uchiha revealed his splendid worn out obsidian eyes that were luminous with awareness and spoke softer than a breeze of wind. "I-Inside... a throne's room..." He seemed to have regained composure.

_Thanks Lord!_

Orochimaru almost had a heart attack when he was convinced that Sasuke will never be able to come victorious from his internal fray with his own memories, so he quickly dragged a chair beside his bed and crossed a hand through his cocoa disheveled hair, being more than worn out and exhausted.

Orochimaru too was the embodiment of a narcoleptic man, consumed by exhaustion. "A throne room? Are you inside the Pyramid?"

Once again, Sasuke`s limber lips sealed the silence in a compressed sharp line, as he was gazing at Orochimaru through the obsidian veil of long curled raven eyelashes, that were framing his half shut orbs, blinking rarely and slowly as if the simple motion was tiring him. The Uchiha was undeniably lucid in that moment, but obviously worn out. "Y-Yes..."

"Which one?" Orochimaru inquired in a calmer manner, and although he reeked with the impulse to rush the confession out of his student`s mouth, and get over with that conversation as soon as possible, he was aware of the fact that being composed was crucial at this point. "The Great one?" Because there were three Pyramids located to the Giza complex.

Sasuke only blinked at him, looking like he was torn by tiredness and unable to even spell the words to him, and by that he meant _Yes_.

"Plot... betray _him_... take a–advantage of h–his trust... the Pharaoh..." At the mentioning of the man worshipped as a walking Divinity among the people, Orochimaru's shoulders tensed. They had a pretty vast knowledge over the History of Ancient Egypt and the lineage of royalties, but such fine inside details were a mystery to anyone and a challenge for anthropologists and historians.

"Is someone planning to betray the Pharaoh, Sasuke–kun?" The serpent man bad him gently seeing that his raven haired companion was slowly regaining composure unlike his other subjects from the experiment, trying his best to be coherent.

But then again, Sasuke has always defied every laws, living in a league of his own, and this time he proved to be no exception. Plus, he has never been a _test _subject for Orochimaru. Their bond went deeper than that and they were linked by a solid chain of trust and honesty.

Among his mumblings, Sasuke blew to the man. "Poison... i–it l–leaves no... trace into the b–blood." A slick tongue slant over his rough dry fervent lips. "Steal... the_ plans_." At that, Orochimaru's stare hardened, not in confusion, but in sheer denial. There was no way that the history was repeating itself in modern times.

Lorane has tried to steal from the both of them, but only succeeding in getting in touch to Orochimaru's lifetime research. That was more than plain _coincidence_ and misfortune.

"The plans of… what?"

"...a w–**weapon**." Sasuke's pitch pupils dilated in a way that seemed to swallow all the light and his orbs portrayed a maze of smoldering charcoals. The only proof of lucidity was reflecting into the fine silver lining gleaming faintly around his onyx irises, but it was hard to decipher anything.

Whatever he was seeing in that moment was definitely _not _pleasant. What did he mean by a weapon? Was the Pharaoh building a weapon? If so, then what purpose it served?

"What type of weapon? _Where_ is this weapon, Sasuke–kun?"

"Everyone will b–bow in front of... _us._" His voice took a sharp turn from velvet to dark in the span of a nanosecond, like he was impersonating someone else. Honestly, it was scary as Hell, even for someone like Orochimaru. "W–Worshipped like G–Gods... Power o–over... the w–world... enemies down... w–with just s–so l–little effort... my _dream_... for t–the future..." It was an eerie long incomplete phrase that contained key words with heavy implications.

"Where is the weapon located?" The coffee haired Sound Leader placed a hand on Sasuke's forehead, cursing softly at the way his skin was boiling like a funnel. His fever was going up alarmingly. They had to stop this or else... "Sasuke–kun? Your state is worsening with every passing minut–"

"It was... I am... _she_ did not... they were m–mine..." Ignoring his concern, Sasuke was doing his best to fight back the psychedelic effects of the drugs and the horrible way that his every fiber was aching and burning him, focusing on the images projected under the layers of his consciousness. "Run... _Run_ a–away... have t–to stop i–it... Destroy e–**everything...** b–before it is too l–late..."

"Is someone trying to harm the Pharaoh?"

"..." Orochimaru watched closely as Sasuke only blinked and then squeezed his orbs shot when another agonizing bolt of pain electrified him.

He forced himself to respond but not to the question addressed. "N–No... witnesses... Kill h–her... NO!" The Uchiha trashed his carcass violently as his muscles convulsed, shaking the bed as his onyx eyes flied open and terror strike into his bottomless pools.

"I w–will not... permit to... take _her_ away..." Before Orochimaru had the opportunity to even open up his mouth to voice out his confusion, Sasuke stunned him again with his following whisper.

"_My _w–wife..." A tear run leaked along the sharp edge of his regal cheek, but he didn't perceive it for he was captive to his distant memories of another existence.

Unfortunately the clever Otokage understood that it wasn`t because of pain, but because of sadness and despair.

A wife... whoever Sasuke was sharing his past experiences with, as a reincarnate, he was currently suffering in pure agony, because something horrible must have happened to his beloved one.

"I will a–**avenge **her d–death... I a–am a–alert of their t–trap... He... Shall p–pay f–for every... D-Drop of h–her blood... It's not... the Pyramid is o–only a... d–device... a catalyst to… r–real p–power..."

Onyx eyes reeled with unadulterated hatred, being submissive to the memory of whoever he hold so dearly and even though they were locked with Orochimaru's amber ones, they were million miles away where his conscience was floating as an imponderable spirit.

Orochimaru was only watching the raven haired Uchiha male being encompassed into a hurricane of physical and spiritual pain, voluntarily exposing himself to danger for the sake of the success of their concocted plan –to end Lorane's feud. And he was powerless to help him in anyways.

Sasuke... has always suffered alone.

Orochimaru`s own eyes stung with unshed tears; Sasuke`s words and his body language was enough to bring him on the edge of despair and Orochimaru was only an impotent witness to his torment, but the feelings that were overflowing unhinged from Sasuke`s heart and playing on his lips, on his eyes and sealed into his fingertips.

After that, he went completely still and silent and the sole token of life still coursing through his body was the involuntary whirling of his orbs, in a lunatic manner, like anytime from now, he will have a brain seizure.

Plus… the things that were coming out of his mouth...

"Sasuke–kun?" Orochimaru cajoled him trying to determine whether they could snatch some more information or he had to step in and stop that circus. "_Who_ are you?"

It was one question that has been bothering the Sound Leader from the very beginning and he was even more confused now because some time ago, Sasuke told him that he was royalty which involuntarily triggered the impulse in Orochimaru's brain to believe that he was the **Pharaoh **himself, having so much knowledge about such fine secrets.

But now Sasuke, spoke about a possible betrayal and a complot between the Pharaoh from that time and a mysterious woman and it appears as that woman was the wife of whoever Sasuke was, clearly not the Pharaoh, but rather someone very _close _to him, who played a crucial role in the story.

He had to determine the truth of _who _exactly is Sasuke because that is the only way to complete the pieces of the puzzle and draw a sense from all this unbelievable fantastic mess.

Surprisingly, the Uchiha acknowledged him probably filled in with every detail of certain crucial scenes from Egypt's soaked in blood and constipations from the past. "I–I am–"

Orochimaru's amber–honey eyes went wider than plates and he almost fell off the chair when he heard Sasuke's answer.

Suddenly, everything went clear as crystal and made sense. And it has definitely been an involuntary slip of his tongue since it has been such a long time since the eloquent Sound Leader has made usage of such a vulgar word, but the context called for it. "Fuck!"

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_**-Tokyo International Police, Suigetsu`s office-**_

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It was too silent.

One single ruffled breath would have been enough to shatter that silence in a million broken pieces of glass, but neither of the ones amassed in that constricting space would acknowledge any sort of existence around them, as their immense dilated pupils were being captive to the soundless buzzes coming from the dark screen, looking like entrapped into a dream without an exit.

For at least ten good minutes, no murmur or whisper slide past their gasping mouths. Words were entrapped somewhere halfway along their throats, where painful lumps were preventing oxygen to ventilate their windpipes.

In a room full of emotional and temperamental people, the silence was resembling the eerie solitude of a tomb and the only thing that moved was the clock hanging on the wall, as the sole token of the passing time.

Its limbs were ticking the cruel minutes that were leaking and time was exactly something that CIA couldn't afford to lose.

In a game of cat and mouse, every span of a second, every blink and wrong heartbeat was a major disadvantage and whoever decided to start the game of Chess and be the first to move, that party had the victory in the palm of their hands.

"I-Itachi?" Was that Neji`s strained voice which, for the first time in his life, sounded lifeless and lacked stoicism and confidence?

To the others around him, it was a ghost of his typical brazen and brave demeanor but no one cared about such trivia, for the things unfolding before them were atrocious. "Hokage-sama?"

No answer. Nothing but a pitch of complete darkness, screaming reality into their befuddled figures was echoing back from the screen.

Since the shocking blast has roared from the other side of the world through their communication, the lines went silent and painful to listen to. It was the type of silence that fell over their shoulders like a mantle of steel, comprising all the screeches of sheer agony and despair of all the CIA agents clasped in Suigetsu`s office room.

"Fuck… this is so bad…" Even Ten Ten, his firestorm fiancé with the character of a lioness and her signature calloused temper was barely whispering the words to no one in particular, as she too found herself unable to respond to such an unexpected occurrence. "What… what is happening in there?"

It was a legitimate question that whiskered their consciences and caused a turbulence into their minds, but unfortunately no one of her companions knew the answer of it.

They were reeling in uncertainty and it was that kind of anxiousness that rammed deep into their chests and prevented them to inhale normally.

It was agonizing. An agonizing expectation for a miracle to happen and flash them a ray of hope in that maze of black, but so far, they have been met with a cruel supposition.

"This…" Naruto`s hard gulp has overcome the tears of incapacity to be of help that prickled at the chestnut haired agent`s mocha eyes, as the Uzumaki threw his index finger in the direction of the screen as he screeched to his hazed audience. "That explosion… it`s them, isn't it? It`s those Lorane bastards!"

At the mention of their mortal enemies` name, something ticked into their skulls because Naruto`s voice has managed to tear their eyes off the giant screen and acknowledge his flailing presence.

"There is a high possibility of a surprise attack to have had occurred while the Summit was taking place." Hidan quickly backed Naruto`s assumption up, he too having no problem in voicing out what was pretty obvious.

"Somehow… they slipped past our entire system of defense and sneak inside as if it was a walk in the park. Fuckin` Hell!"

Curses were circulating around the room and clenching of hard jaws, clattering teeth and tight fists were a solid proof of the incompetency of being a reputable opponent to Lorane who has made a fool of the entire CIA system of Defense and that was pretty bad news considering the fact that the crème de la crème of the CIA has been present at the Summit and the fact that someone has managed to slip past their astute eyes and the keen vigilance of Uchiha Itachi and Senju Tobirama going as far as to catch them with the guard down, striking in a vulnerable point that no one would have taken into consideration was enough to cause havoc and paranoia.

And another tremendous implication has unraveled a horrendous fact, throwing the truth right before their disbelieving eyes: not only they were outsmarted, but they were also… alone.

Without the Leaders of the Sound and Akatsuki`s, the other remaining agents were like sheep without a shepherd; powerless, confused, scared, lacking coordination and organization and pretty much useless.

"N-No way! No way they got Itachi and Tobirama-sama! I refuse to believe it!" Ten Ten felt like her mind would explode anytime by now and every passing moment spent in that uncertainty was killing her slowly.

She let her exhausted body that felt like full of cement hit the sofa and buried her face into her palms, pulling her messy chocolate hair behind, stress getting the best of her.

"This is getting worse by the minute." Everyone could see that Suigetsu was doing his best to keep a calm and composed façade but a shift of her distinctive ruby-magenta orbs in his direction assured Karin that the shark faced hottie was also finding himself on a pinch.

Though, she will give him credit for trying to play the mature referee and be the voice of ration to balance the unmatched blob of amassed people who could never reach a mutual agreement while casually conversing. "We have to make a decision and fast, before it`s getting out of our hands."

"This fucker with the hairstyle of a drag queen here is right." Hidan shot right after his statement much to Suigetsu`s annoyance who in return snarled low into his chest, glaring daggers at the silvery haired Hollywood star male that was occupying his favorite armchair, but Hidan was paying him no mind like no dark vibes were throwing to him from the male he was insulting, going on casually.

"Even though every single supposition we have is fucked up, highly improbable and pretty much imbecile, we need to make up our minds and reach a conclusion."

He was right and not even Suigetsu who was indirectly being mocked hard by his apparently rival in Karin`s heart, could have argue with him.

Even though some were still being reticent in opening up to the facts enfolding between them, and join the party, it was mandatory to remain together and formulate a plan that would include all of them instead of sticking to multiple back up plans and have scattered assumptions that would eventually lead them nowhere or straight into Lorane`s trap.

Whatever they will choose to believe, it had to be consensual and represent the comprised opinion of the majority of them. They had to work like an automatic watch because if a single wheel from the fine machinery is broken, then the entire mechanism will have a malfunction and if anything, they needed to be superhuman and flawless to beat whatever insane plane Lorane has concocted.

They had to be stronger than their enemies and ten steps ahead to outsmart them because whatever their purpose was, that cynical frightening elite organization has probably spent all their time and invested all their human effort and resources to bring their plan into fruition, unlike them, who were a mass of confused people who have been rivals ever since they started working together.

Compromises had to be made from every party in order for their counterattack to be successful and that could only be turned into reality if they agreed to cooperate and focus on a single direction.

"What conclusion?! What about our Leaders?! What about the Presidents and the Summit?!" Ten Ten fired Suigetsu with a horde of perfectly logical questions but a firm hand placed on her shoulder giving her a little squeeze warned her not to be more overdramatic because the tension that lingered around their short tempers was like a house full of dynamite waiting for a single spark to explode and she didn't want to be the gasoline to stir the latent fire that was sizzling within their chests.

They were all tensed and bloody nervous, although he perfectly understood his fiancé. The situation was ridiculous.

"It`s too early to venture into thinking that Lorane has killed them all in a single blast. Considering the fact that they plan to dominate the world, it is premature to eliminate the voice of every nation.

At most, those motherfuckers would want to show the world how powerful they are and maybe make it public that their Presidents are being held hostages along with the Heads of the CIA –the organization that is supposed to ensure their safety."

If someone was impressed by Karin`s reason, they were good to hide it but the woman with the eyes like red grapes was right in everything she said.

"It`s a good opportunity to inflict fear and panic into the public`s opinion and mold their consciences upon their best interests. Image is vital to such people. This is how all the criminal organization function and Lorane has proved it to us that they don't like to remain concealed into their snake hole and strike from the shadows. They decided to come to the light."

"Shawty is right. This is only a diversion to cut off our communication. My guesses are that they have something up their sleeve to eliminate the last threat: us."

Hidan simply addressed his audience, winking at Karin who kicked in the kneecap with her high heel, making him wince and hiss a course of colorful insults to the fierce tigress.

She shook her head to the man, not believing her eyes that Hidan had the unparalleled ability to mumble reasonable sentences, all the while concealing his eternal hints of perverseness and sadism behind his words and that was pissing her off badly.

"So should we expect them to blow this building up soon enough in order to make sure that we will not follow the missing signal of our Leaders?"

Neji fetched a fine eyebrow up as Hidan nodded once to him, grinning. Whatever was he finding funny, didn't reach Neji`s milky eyes which were assessing his face with no expression whatsoever.

"Yeah. My guesses are that we should move our asses the fuck out of this place before they turn us into a gigantic torch."

"We can`t go anywhere without a bulletproof plan." Karin folded her arms against her chest, leaning to Suigetsu`s office desk again, this time, blocking his view of the room.

Not that he minded watching her back, but that wasn't the moment for naughty machinations to cross his mind so in this moment, Suigetsu inwardly cursed her for being so audacious and carefree. She was again, right. They couldn't move a finger without a genius strategy against Lorane.

That hermetic secret society was the hardest enemy to beat because they proved to be almost flawless in their approach. They only had minor failed attempts and all lead to the person of one single man, who, so far, he managed to pulverize any theory about him.

"We know for a fact that whatever the heck happens now, is amassed in Egypt, right? This is the only location we have that leads us to Lorane. I suggest we start from there."

Ten Ten found her voice again after shoving her fiancé`s hand off, standing up. Something inside her snarled at the thought of being fondled like a fragile porcelain doll with anger management issues.

It was the feeling of being of no use to the others the thing that killed her on the inside and made her snap.

"Easier said than done." It was Sasori the one to state the obvious and resume the multitude of faults in a possible plan to attack Lorane and take them by surprise.

If they hoped to have the upper hand in the imminent showdown with that organization who managed to reach the swell of supremacy in having the complete domination over the Governments, then it was imminent to create the perfect strategy.

If they opted for going straight to Egypt and fully face the Lorane, then they must make sure that their encounter is not a random sojourn, but a solid plan of a bloody battle that was about to come.

Something resided in their heads that went along the lines of whatever war was expecting them at the end of the tunnel, was something out of ordinary and maybe with deep implication into occult, mysticism, religion and ultimately ancient mythology.

The elements of surprise in this case, were the trump cards and they all knew that Lorane had many of them and was definitely more educated and versatile into making good usage of them.

"We have nothing tangible. No straight facts to help us decipher this mess that lies before our eyes." Neji`s vehemence was being implacable, much to the way his milky veins were protruding around his clever eyes as he chose to assess the other people in the room.

But it was the saddest truth: up until now, all they had were pure speculations, a lot of contradictory assumptions and an explosion that roared at the end of the silent line, interrupting their communication with Uchiha Itachi.

Were they truly dead?

Were they still alive and held as prisoners in whatever God forsaken place that Lorane was detaining them?

Were they being tortured for information? That was a high possibility that was clearly accepted by every CIA agent, but none of the parties present wanted to think of it because it was making their spine shudder unpleasantly.

If anything, probably being a captive of such ruthless indoctrinated criminals was anything but pleasant.

"And yet… here we are, trying to figure it out what is the safest way to approach this mess. We must decide for one of the theories and start from there."

Suigetsu elevated his frame from the chair, sliding his hands into his pockets and coming to stand beside Karin who made no move to flinch when their shoulders brushed against each other.

"Suigetsu is right. We need to stop with this game of cards and decide…" Sasori chose to put an end to the useless voting that went along the room, finding the core of the problem to be a common acquaintance of them that had a very intriguing role in the entire story. "Do we trust Uchiha Sasuke yes or no?"

Because the answer to that question will automatically imply the decision to embrace one of the theories. If Sasuke worked for the Lorane then they had to devise a counterstrategy that took the brilliant Uchiha male into consideration and that was already bad news.

But if they opted to presume him as innocent and have no involvement into the story nor was he partisan to their ideology, then they could safely assume that Sasuke has either been taken a hostage – who had to be freed as soon as possible – or the lunar eyed Hyuga Hinata might have had a gush of a genius when stating that the youngest of the two Uchiha prodigies has decided to be the silent hero; the sacrificial piece in this convoluted game of Shogi.

"This is only going to take us nowhere! Basically, we have been debated over this subject half of the time that we have spent in here and reach no conclusion! This is just a waste of time." Ten Ten rapidly decided, but she was being adamant in keeping her firm position in considering Sasuke responsible of Lorane`s acts.

She was almost certain that he was tangled with their enemies. Every single fact they had was heading in that direction.

But… there were also people in the room who were fervent in defending him and one particular one with a blob of golden spikes staking erect atop his head has immediately shot to take Sasuke`s side.

"Teme is innocent for Christ's sake! How can it ever cross your mind that he is on the bad guys`?! He did nothing inconspicuous or disputable!"

He got some snorts and eyebrows rose up incredulously for his affirmation but Naruto was zealous in his position of Sasuke`s lawyer.

Ok, not considering him a part of the Freemasonry because of the lack of solid evidence to point to him was one thing, but to say that Uchiha Sasuke`s overall countenance was not far-fetched was a little bit too stretched.

"Buddy," Suigetsu racked a hand through his silvery-snow unruly hair and sighed heavily to the Uzumaki so as if he was too tired to talk philosophy but found himself forced by the context to say something intelligent.

"No matter how much of a bastard he is, Sasuke is also my friend." He didn't miss to emphasize the word of amity so that to remind Naruto as well as the others in the room that he too was human and couldn't help but be subjective.

"But the fact that he is proficient in martial arts, well-trained in the guns department, his aim is implacable, his mind works as a windmill, he was able to foresee through all Lorane`s schemes, he can sneak right under our noses and remain hidden, erase his traces perfectly, is versatile in many subjects including Math, foreign languages and Ancient history, knows how to maneuver a helicopter and get romantically attached to a woman who admits she lies to him, so easily without being on guard around her nor find it a threat to do so, is something that even I…"

At that Suigetsu and Naruto engaged into a battle of stares, as the Hozuki agent locked gazes with his friend and his tone was flat and resolute. "Cannot overlook nor accept as a proof for his innocence."

"This is a subtle tactic that people who went completely insane use in the movies with Mobsters to brainwash their soldiers and inflict paranoia among a group of traitors, so that they will end up doing each other off."

Hidan snickered to the Uzumaki who was having his fists clasped in a grip that sent trembles all over his limbs and spine by the force he was applying, not actually believing that even Suigetsu was reluctantly having an inkling to deem Sasuke as a fellow Judas.

"Hidan, when you are done being the party clown, I kindly invite you to fuck. off." Karin couldn't help herself but grip a random sticky notes case and throw it in the direction of his head, but of course, he easily avoided by cocking his head on his side, laughing at the way it hit the table with much effect.

The nerve control was critical and fundamental to their mission, but so far, as outrageous and improbable as it might have sounded, Hidan was the only one who was being pretty adventitious in his demeanor and remarks, which was not something too outré, since his mental sanity was a debatable topic in the Sound.

"I agree with whatever he said." Naruto on the other hand was thankful to having encountered someone to back him off and although he was a fellow rival from the Sound, he didn't care in the bit.

Something about this man`s animated preconceptions and way of thinking made sense to him and alerted the Uzumaki that someone like Orochimaru will never select a brainless useless agent to be part of the Sound`s elite squad, if there wasn't special skills concealed underneath a licentious vocabulary and a foul attitude.

"Oh c`mon… this is ridiculous. Should we go all over the Sasuke topic again? Fine, I will go first then." Ten Ten rolled her mocha orbs at the Uzumaki, crossing her hands behind her nape.

"No matter what you guys say, I stick to what Karin said before Itachi broke in. Sasuke _is_ part of the Freemasonry and he is working with the Lorane as a Master _Mason_." She particularly used the secret terminology for the dramatic effect. "Is this good enough for you?"

"This is bullshit! We won't get anywhere with putting the blame solely on one single person!"

"Sasuke-Teme is innocent and I will prove it, _dattebayou_! He might be in danger as we talk just like Itachi and the Hokage-sama!"

"You my dear cousin, are presenting symptoms of being a double agent. How do we know that you are not someone that works with Uchiha and the Lorane and has been ordered to infiltrate and nurture mistrust among us, in order to prevent a coalition and cut the formation of an opposing party from the roots?"

Karin shot an eyebrow up, resisting the urge to snort at the way Naruto`s firm jaw fell like the sun in the sea at dawn, upon hearing the accusations sent his way.

"Wha – this is ridiculous!"

"Bah, at this point, nothing will surprise me further!"

"Shut up, Ten Ten, this is not the time to be spontaneous and let the misconceptions cloud our judgment. We have to remain calm and be reasonable."

"Don't tell me to shut up, you fucking Hyuga alien!"

"Paranoia is a common trait among atheists who deny facts and Janshin-sama`s ontology…"

"You`re all fucked up, I swear to God!"

Before Suigetsu decided to take the lead again and stop this nonsense escalading dangerous fierce argument, that will not make any sense in the equation, an unexpected occurrence has beat him to it.

Because when the hinges of the door have almost cracked at the force of the impact applied by the person who almost tore it out of the way, banging the metal object against the wall beside and imprinted its shadow on the peeling painting, all the orbs have landed to the nonchalant steps that took a lithe indomitable _silhouette_ straight in the middle of the room, where it stopped like a shadow creeping from the pits of Hell.

And jaws hit the floor in perfect unison, definitely not expecting _that_ person to appear out of nowhere in Suigetsu`s office room, when he personally instructed his comrades and fellow Police Officers to stay _away _from his business and allow no one to enter, but this person seemed unfazed by all of it, and probably not encountering any reticence or barriers to be blocked from marching inside.

The best part of the spectacular mind blowing appearance was the words that came out of those vehement lips and no one dared to interrupt.

"Instead of wasting time with imbecile assumptions that are going to get us all_ killed_ in no time, then how about we find out who Sasuke _really_ is and based on our conclusion, we can come up with the concept of a plan that doesn't sound like something concocted by preschoolers on a sugar rush."

"Cherry?" If Karin was taken aback by _Sakura`s_ unforeseen presence in Suigetsu`s office room, she didn't hide it because the absurdity of it has just reach another level of epicness. "What are_ you_ doing here?! You were supposed to be in Miyako when our conversation has been cut short."

For some bizarre reason, Sakura`s chartreuse orbs filled with a dark sparkle of gold and amber and the glare that Karin took from her best friend, was robotic, villainous and uncompromising and in fact, it was outlandish in the purest form of the concept, freaking the Uzumaki female out till core.

It has been quite a lot since she has been faced with _this _side of Sakura`s personality and in fact, Karin was precise that her friend with her zealous hard green orbs has given up being so savage and blood thirst in her approach, as in this moment, but she was clearly wrong. Because there, right in front of them, stood no one else but _Athena _of the Sound and this woman had absolutely _nothing_ in common with the clumsy feminine jolly Sakura Haruno who fall in love with Uchiha Sasuke and spend a virtual honey moon in Miyako with her lover.

Absolutely nothing in common. They were two opposite personalities and this one that dominated the aura around the room and flapped the course of action with a single stare set across the room, was Orochimaru`s female counterpart.

His perfect portrait with those indomitable orbs that accepted no talking back to her, nor was she in the mood for games.

She was clearly there with a definite purpose. But instead of answering the obvious question about her questionable presence there, and the way she had to get there so fast in the span of two hours at most, her sleek tongue spilled venom and icicles to one particular occupant of the room, being firm and unforgiving. "We have people among us who are _not _supposed to be here."

Clearly understanding that those relentless acid words were addressed to the only civilian in the room, Naruto has felt a pang of protection knock on his chest`s doors, for he immediately folded his arms around the aforementioned lavender eyed girl`s petite shoulders and almost snarled to Sakura.

"Hinata-_chan_ has been of great help!" His tone betrayed the multiple emotions surging through his body at the moment, because he has been faced with the impossible situation of tearing his heart in three parts and protect his bonds with different people, who were important to him, putting his mission on the second level of interest. "And she already knows about us."

Sakura on the other hand, was eying him with an incomprehensible expression on her face and that freaked the entire humanity of the room, because the hard steel manner of assessing the situation before her, the freezing penetrating glare that was sent to the person who had all her attention in that moment on her, was very reminiscent to _Sasuke`s_ manner of dealing with people that occupied no part of his heart, being all cold, stoic, impassive, detached and emotionally reticent.

"I am sure she does. And now she is going to prove her worth in some _other _place. We don't have time to baby sit anyone. Whoever cannot get his shit together, is welcomed to fuck off and stop wasting our precious time."

If Naruto was stunned by those words, the way his cerulean orbs went the size of two plates did nothing to conceal his puzzlement. That was a face of Sakura that anyone who worked in the CIA has grew to learn of, but personally coming in contact with her object of anger was anything but pleasant. Where was the sweet tender clumsy Sakura who Naruto has befriended during her period of residing in Tokyo?

Those candid smiles of jolly, the filigree sweet words and the hearted laughters as a token of their precious moments spent together have miraculously vanished in thin air, because for the love of all that`s Holly, this woman all bedecked by her full assassin attire, was immeasurably impressive looking and very menacing, but she was nowhere near the woman who stole his missing raven haired friend`s heart.

_Or was she?_

Another very distinctive question has aroused into Naruto`s conflicted brain, namely was Sasuke aware of this personality that Sakura was concealing from him?

Has he been able to read underneath the veneer of a fragile lonely soul, who was in need for love, affection, warmth and family?

Naruto knew that Sasuke has offered another perspective to his favorite rosette, because that was the reason why he introduced her to Mikoto and his grandparents, namely the most important family members to him, and by doing that, he allowed her to step into the comforting climate of his family life, giving her a certain special place amidst his dear ones.

Then what about this façade that Sakura kept concealed under her ardent kisses and passionate embraces? Has Sasuke been able to perfectly read through _her _deception and decided – for some occult reason – to accept it and acknowledge it?

He couldn't have possible figure her out, could he?

"Wow… someone has woken up with her pretty face on the wrong side of the pillow." A mocking mumble coming from her left side made Sakura whip her head in the direction of the blob of silver hair that was getting cozy, laying on the comfy armchair, with his feet dangling on the armrest, eying her in a way that almost had her shove a _senbon _needle full of lethal poison straight into his winking eyes.

She looked askance to him in a way that made one`s hair stand erect at the back of the nape.

Sakura threw Hidan a side peek that had him grin impishly at her, revealing his masochistic side because every single living in the room was well aware that it was not the moment to fuck with this gorgeous woman, whose entire atmosphere was electrically charged by million bolts crossing through those scintillating jadeite eyes.

"Next time you open up your mouth _Hidan_… make damn sure that you aren't _just_ wasting our oxygen."

Being a modest astute woman who clearly got the hidden message that Sakura tried to convey, the female Hyuga rose up, discreetly patting Naruto`s shoulder, kindly letting him know that he has her undying support whenever, even though he couldn't always be physically present beside him; he will eternally be in her heart and thoughts. "Hinata-chan, you don't have to– "

"It is fine Naruto-kun. Sakura is right. This is not of my concern." All the eyes silently followed the retracting back of a graceful Hinata.

Sakura didn't even turn around to assess her shadow as the lavender eyed female passed her by, brushing her shoulder on hers, only her emerald eyes slightly narrowed at the sight of her apologetically stare as Hinata muttered a soft. "Excuse me."

"That was unnecessary and totally rude." Ten Ten spat to Sakura the moment Hinata shut the door behind, glaring daggers at the Sound agent before her as Sakura had no remorse dancing on her impassive face like she didn't even care.

"We all realize how affected you must be about all this crazy situation, but no need to be so bitchy, what the heck!"

During these weeks, the two females grew to be quite friendly to each other, not to mention their bonding time when they flashed their agent skills before a horde of 30 hooligans, sharing secrets that not many knew of and not to mention, a hospital room.

And Ten Ten grew to like that side of Sakura Haruno who was a far cry from the insufferable Athena of the Sound, who was impolite and phlegmatic in her approach, being all bitchy to the ones that weren't her Sound colleagues and it was a side of her that Neji`s fiancé couldn't stand.

She truly hoped that it was just stress getting the best of her, the explanation for her completely unpardonable and unjustified animadvert demeanor.

Plus… there was something flickering into those suddenly impenetrable orbs that gave nothing away from whatever storm was whirling inside her heart that was getting Ten Ten almost… edgy.

It was not solely malice and brazen, the things that were written around those merciless forest green-aureate irises that were assessing every single peek sent her way with calm, stoicism and scrutinizing glares, but also something else that Ten Ten wasn't able to decipher.

A new emotion that Sakura was revealing; one that she didn't have before she has been assigned that jeopardized mission of protection, and it was scary and made everyone anxious to even breathe in her general direction.

Like she was aware of something more about the entire situation and had the upper hand in a pressing matter and that gave her an imponderable aura of intangibility and superiority that was overwhelming.

_What`s going on here?_

"It does us no good to have more edgy people to over dramatize." Neji on the other hand, was already in his analyzing contemplative mode, not being too bothered by the fact that Sakura decided to present herself in such a crucial moment after giving her colleagues one hell of a shock when her conversation with Karin has been cut short and act like a responsible grown up.

So he merely spoke his mind and mirrored the thoughts that were crossing everyone`s minds, but refrained from adding a sharp touch to his velvet low voice; milky-pearl orbs clashed with emerald and Neji felt the icicles that Sakura`s enclosed personality was sending to each one of her interlocutors.

Being a man of few words the Hyuga male always understood Athena of the Sound –because he was quick to realize that Sakura Haruno, the surprisingly friendly, kind, gentle and loving CIA assassin was of no help to them in their battle with Lorane – and her approach of every mission and he silently agreed with her.

If Sakura would have stormed into the office, being all panicked and throwing a tantrum about Sasuke`s disappearance – he was one hundred percent confident that Sakura was already filled in with every single detail about Sasuke and his destroyed mansion in Tokyo – lamenting about their inability to take Lorane`s track and be one step ahead to prevent such a disaster from happening, then she would have only added to the turbulence lingering around them and destabilize whatever figment of infinitesimal sanity has been left among them.

So he appreciated her portrayal of taking a hold of herself, trying to come to terms with whatever has gone downhill since she has departed to Miyako and at least appear to be coping well with the control of her nerves and turmoil.

She wouldn't fool him. Everyone was positive that Sakura was inwardly going through Hell and back, sizzling in worry for her lover`s well-being, as well as for the unexplainable disappearance of her protector and paternal figure, the Sound Leader Orochimaru. She was doing well to hide it, thanks God.

Unlike his theatrical melodramatic fiancé who was driving him nuts and that mofo of a Sound agent, the sadistic pervert Hidan…

Karin on the other hand, smartly kept quiet all through the entire time after Sakura has made a glorious appearance among them, storming inside Suigetsu`s office and kicking Hinata out of the room.

If there was someone who knew the _real _Sakura that was raveled underneath the attire of an assassin, it was the only female Uzumaki in the room. So she only stood arms crossed, wine orbs squinching like she was seeing behind the unflappable beautiful visage of her porcelain doll resembling best friend.

And unlike Neji Hyuga who was simply guessing and making logical assumptions, she knew exactly that her unconfident, feeble and caring Sakura Haruno remained in Miyako Island, bathing her soul in fervent tears for Sasuke and trying to grasp the evanescence of his presence through every corner of her memory.

An ocean full of love that he drowned her with, grazed by waves of memories that he left to her before he disappeared like a specter in the caresses of the night. And that was kind of poetic, if Karin was to be honest.

Sasuke has decided to vanish without a trace, without telling her a single word about where he was, but he left her the most endearing goodbye: he left her the memory of an idyllic lover: endearing, loving, pure, carefree, understanding and designed an utopic picture for their passionate lovemaking.

He left her the memory of the most perfect him, because Karin was positive that whoever that Sasuke who left Sakura sleeping in his grandparents` home _really_ was, that man was definitely far from ideal.

So he would have rather left her with the image of a superb romance between them, locked inside her body and heart, than breaking her heart in half with whatever secret he had to conceal.

One that Karin could only guess and even though she was quite precise that Sasuke was working for the Lorane, whose targets included the annihilation of the Sound`s most brilliant agent – the reputed Athena – she would give him credit for being capable of nurturing such intense feelings of amour and defy their order to kill her when she was so vulnerable in trusting him blindly.

And that was the reason why Karin`s orbs remained intense and focused on her friend, who chose not to acknowledge the penetrating gaze of her crimson eyed sister.

If Sakura was still there and safe, then what was Sasuke`s game? Lorane will definitely severely punish betrayal and death was only a minimal sentence to any transgression.

Was he planning to use her as a bait to lure them out or get to them, tracking her without Sakura to be aware of what he was doing?

Because there was no doubt that her emerald eyed friend was faithful to the CIA and didn't chose to change sides learning about Sasuke`s secret – supposing, of course, that he was indeed a Master Mason who has been gentile to everyone.

Sakura was aware of everything that was crossing her colleagues` minds from the very moment when her steps have carried her shadows through the door she almost broke, but she couldn't care less.

And of course, her nightingale voice, one that was lacking the usual melodic inflexions and tonality, betrayed nothing of how she was feeling inside. "Where exactly so you see it on my face that I am anxious in any way?"

She took two more steps sinking into the room until her knees almost touched the round glass table in the middle of the room, arms planted down her shoulders. "If it is intuition you lack, then I would suggest getting another job."

Whoever even entertained the thought of throwing a colorful insult back to her rude comments, smartly shut his or her trap, because from the way she was basically freezing the entire room with the cold vibes emerging like limbs of arctic darkness around her, it was perfectly clear that she will refrain from no excessive usage of vocabulary to maintain that impenetrable façade.

Suigetsu smirked at her chose to appear before them in such a crucial moment, he too nourishing the same thoughts as Neji Hyuga, about her option to not be a weak woman, bawling her eyes out at the way her boyfriend decided to leave like an Englishman, with a guillotine hanging above his head and an infinite sea of mistrust and preconceptions about him.

They need someone like her now, who was capable of flawlessly mask her emotions and be a true _shinobi _whose feelings paled in front of their purpose and their vital mission. "Now if we are done with the unnecessary melancholy, then I would suggest we stick strictly to business."

Everyone in the room suddenly stiffened at the solemn tone used by the CIA`s virtual best agent. Those were phrases used by someone who is well-versed in a certain domain or has a vast expertize. At least, she seemed to be the owner of a couple of information that they didn't have. "What is your opinion about this?"

Nonetheless, they clearly didn't expect her to start with such a simple question, which by the way, was the very same that stirred havoc among them and tore the members present in half, in terms of opinion and affiliation because the people amassed in Suigetsu`s office were having contradicting opinions and another argument was beaming on the horizon; something that won't be beneficent in those circumstances.

Of course, Sakura was well aware of that fact, but surprisingly, her unfazed presence in the room has somehow tempered the flaming animosity between them, like she attempted to be the core of all their acrimony and flaring tempers, and shoulder all their hate, in order to force them to have a united opinion and reach a common goal.

Because Lorane was a common target, no matter how different their opinion were and Sakura clearly understood that amassing such a group of different people, with antithetic views and volcanic personalities, was meant to fail in terms of agreement by default. Balance and calmness were like oxygen in this situation.

No matter what, someone had to be more than just a silent observer and a level-headed referee –they needed someone who knew exactly what impulse to give to stir the brilliant minds of the CIA members and lead them to the correct path.

A sinuous road that no one would ever venture to take, because the bright clear path was always the more tempting one to follow and that was the sweetest trickery that Lorane chose to use against their enemies and lure them into thinking that the bells ringing into their heads, were only phantoms of thoughts that would never be possible to happen; the _unpredictability_ and the element of surprise were only keys to open the lock of Pandora`s box.

Because Sakura was aware and alert of the fact that, whatever Lorane had in stock for them, has long transpired the realm of logic, reason, tangible and laws of physics, sliding into a world of seductive mysticism, occult and psychedelic.

And they needed that figment of insanity in order to drift their thoughts into _that _obscure direction.

Sasori, who was well affiliated with Sakura`s flips of personality, shrugged nonchalantly and voiced out the main idea that led to their previous conflict, before the explosion stole the spotlight and blown up their minds.

"Your friend here," His soft amber eyes shifted to Karin who in return frowned at his choice of making her the main target, but remained silent. "Thinks that Uchiha Sasuke is entangled with the Lorane."

All of the agents unconsciously held in their breaths as id anticipating a flaming comeback from Sakura, in an obvious attempt implicit lover, but surprisingly her inner thoughts remained indiscernible from her audience, as her forest green orbs remained a lyrical image of composure. And the words slicking from her tongue have shocked the audience to the core. "I know."

It was there, buried into the depths of her mind – the image of him when she stumbled upon his indomitable form in the room they shared together, during their little mountain trip – triggering recurrent memories that swept before her eyes, whenever she squeezed them shut.

He looked so striking and emanating a remarkable power, that turned her knees into pudding, with that sword stained into rivulets of blood that wasn't even his; he didn't even flinched in disgust, panic, guilt or remorse when slaying the silver edge of the sharp blade through his attackers` limp chests, as if he was zipping the TV channels on the remote control.

It was petrifying and hypnotizing at the same time to be met with _that _Sasuke Uchiha and all the alarm bells in her mind juggled whenever that picture of him staring right back at her filled her mind and that was daily.

Everytime when his sweet caress wasn't reminding her of his tender side, that demonic portrait of him was haunting her dreams.

And of course, her Papa`s line churned inside her chest in a whirlpool of conflicted sensations and she could even taste her on the tip of her tongue, loud and vivid: _"… He is a dark horse"._ Whatever Orochimaru meant by that, it was too laconic to decipher the true message behind his words.

So Sakura could see where their mistrust in him was coming from, for thinking about his past actions, the way he took down the bikers like they were dew drops that he whipped off the blades of the leaves with a single brush of his fingertips, implacable and outstanding; how he saw right through the attack that Lorane has orchestrated back there on their mountain trip, going as far as to have his own helicopter, as well as the Interpol Troops arrive just in time to not witness him killing the guide in disguise in cold blood, his confession about his dark years during high school… the secrets that he couldn't share, intertwining with his genuine confession that he was _not _a businessmen and in reality… he was something _else_.

_Someone_ else. And that thing alone was enough to trigger doubt. Sure, he admitted that he will never let anything happen to her but… what about the _others_?

Why couldn't her mind connect the things? There was a void in her head that begged to be filled, but there was opposing feelings down her head that prevented her to find the missing link. And that alone frustrated her to no end.

Confused orbs flew to Uzumaki Karin silently expecting her to develop Sakura`s statement but the beautiful red headed woman casually jerked her shoulders up as if it was the most normal thing to converse when meeting up a friend.

"You know that I never keep anything to myself. Me and Cherry talked about it and my opinion hasn't changed since then."

Of course, they should have seen it coming that Sakura would ask for Karin`s opinion about her relationship with Sasuke, since she was closer to her and Orochimaru than to anyone else and since her Papa wasn't there to confront her, Karin was the other viable option, plus, she was the one to fly all the way from Italy to Japan just to catch her from free falling into the clutches of despair and become her confident and the shoulder to cry on.

Needless to say that the once rose haired woman would confide in Karin and in return, her proclaimed sister will never hide her heart from Sakura, even though their views over such a sensitive topic weren't in perfect sync.

Karin was not trusting Sasuke and that was probably well known by Sakura, who she has probably warned beforehand not to fall too deep for the Uchiha and blindly trust the words that came out of his pretty mouth.

Naruto and Suigetsu, as his best buddies, have also disclosed to her that Sasuke was a master at _deception _and his eloquence and refinement were valuable instruments in tricking a mind and present another convenient perspective to his victim, until that person will not be able to make out the difference between reality and _illusion_.

Uchiha Sasuke had the ability to _hypnotize _someone with a sole _glance_ from his implacable onyx eyes, ones that drown everyone inside his own version of a **dream**.

That was the reason why he was so dangerous; all adding to the fact that he was doing it inconspicuous and elegant, without the others to even be aware of **his game.**

"Do you all agree with her?" Once again, Sakura`s flat tone betrayed nothing from what she was personally thinking about the situation and clearly everyone wanted to hear her own version over the matter, because the person that was standing so confidently before them was clearly someone who was harboring effervescent feelings for the Uchiha, but at the same time, she knew how to dissimulate her emotions and keep her **agent** side away from personal matters; someone who knew when to be subjective and when to be impartial.

"The majority of us, yeah, we _do _think that Sasuke is on the bad guy`s side." Ten Ten had no problems in admitting it out loud that she found cohesion with Karin`s opinion. No matter how much she wanted to consider Sasuke other than guilty, her reasoning was screaming at her that she was not being deceived by his subtle tricks.

"Since when are you the _majority_?" Naruto had a frenetic outbreak while listening to Ten Ten`s bold affirmation, not believing his ears that Sakura`s orbs weren't matching the implied protective attitude of a virtual girlfriend, not shooting to defend Sasuke like he assumed, finding himself alone in a battle whose sole companion was a masochistic Pagan believer, with not so much credibility and a perverted attitude. "This bastard here hadn't told us what _his _opinion is." His index finger stretched in the direction of a Suigetsu who was having an unreadable expression on his face.

Narrowed amethyst orbs flew towards Uzumaki`s reproaching ones, silently trying to convey a subtle message to him that he wasn't taking anyone`s side, because the truth was somewhere in the core of all the theories exposed, but he was too biased to see them.

So he merely decided not to provoke his cerulean eyed friend further and stir that mercurial temper in an explosion of vex and disquiet.

It was not the time to take sides and prove their loyalty to no one, since they lacked any solid proof of Sasuke`s presumed innocence, though Suigetsu himself found it hard to believe that his best friend was part of such an impervious evil organization. "I am on no one's side here, but the truth`s."

"Well… that is as good as useless in case you haven't realized " Ten Ten spat to him sarcastically, pointing to the fact that a vote of inequity was perfectly inept.

"The only ones who think that Sasuke is innocent are Naruto and Hidan." Karin explained to her emerald eyed friend, who was blasé in dismissing the surfeit of incoherent contradicting mumblings that were thrown in her direction, assessing, calculating and letting her mind do the necessary connections.

"And… I am still waiting for the moment," Hidan outstretched his model legs in a lazy manner, getting comfortable into the armchair, pointed the blades of his idolatrous scythe to the people in the room assessing the looks in their turbulent orbs, laughing in a newfound outbreak of defiance, defending his own theories, somehow backing Naruto up who found himself in the unwilling role of the solitary _hero_. "of your epic fail, when you realize that I was _right_. Once atheists, always atheists and yet… you all call _me_ agnostic because my belief isn't loyal to _your _God." And by _`God`_ he meant their suppositions and ontology and not necessary religion.

"I see." Sakura`s feet slide along the way to the sofa that Neji and his fiancé were occupying, lackadaisically taking a seat and crossing her slim legs together, looking like a Queen on a throne, while her face bore the same embellishment of discrepancy between her inner thoughts and what was projected on the outside: Naruto, whose azurite orbs were desperately trying to picture the true nature of her thoughts, has been faced with a solid cobblestone wall that was as good as impenetrable, not being able to read underneath her veneer, just like he was usually powerless in reading Sasuke`s mind and it was a frightening mirroring of their two colliding personalities.

"His grandmother, Naori-san, who happens to be a retired ex-Sound agent, is nurturing similar thoughts as you guys, namely that her grandson is part of the Freemasonry."

The nonchalant manner of spewing something so huge and inconspicuous to them stirred havoc and disbelief among her audience, all having similar reactions to the secret that Sakura has just disclosed, of course, with the permission of the aforementioned Uchiha grandmother, who has given Sakura the permission to use her secret identity as an ex – CIA agent, in order to gain the confidence, trust and credibility before a mass of people who were most likely into a pinch because of their lack of information and contradicting opinions.

"What?!"

"Naori-san is a _what_?!"

"Who the hell is Naori-san?" Hidan found himself asking the obvious; well, he more like shouted it because damn… whenever Athena got involved into the game, she always came with the element of unpredictability that made anyone shot from their seats and get chills.

"Teme's grandma and she is a real sweetheart!" Naruto explained like that was a reasonable explanation for why couldn't she be a CIA, but he was baffled that such a secret has been occult to him since he and Sasuke has grown up like brothers, but then again, everyone seemed to have been a dark horse lately so it didn't come quite the shocker but still... "I can't believe that she was a CIA agent and a _Sound_ nonetheless."

By any means, the Uzumaki didn't mean to be disrespectful or imply anything with that CIA affiliation of Sasuke`s kind grandmother since he long found out that the bloody CIA office, who only dealt with the unconventional serial criminals and secret organizations, being elite assassins by definition, were in reality faithful comrades and trustful friends.

"Well… believe it Naruto – kun, because she told me things about Lorane that even I wouldn't have had knowledge of. She helped me fly all the way here with a secret helicopter that has been in the Sound`s possession, one that even I wasn't aware of, but she knew the combination of its lock and its concealed location and she disclosed it to me."

In reality, Uchiha _Naori _has done more than just provide a way of getting back to Tokyo as fast as possible, but the rest of the gang didn't need to know such fine and intimate details. When Sakura broke up in an outbreak of steaming tears because of the hot news that went along the globe, regarding Sasuke`s mansion in Tokyo bursting in an explainable huge fire that has burned everything down to ashes, she found her knees succumb to the power of gravity and she collapsed like a building in ruins, drowning in tears and screams that dematerialized from her being, tearing her soul in half.

Never in her life has Sakura found herself _crying _like she did then. Not even in her most decadent years as a beggar or a student to the orphanage, but she couldn't control herself.

She _loved_ Sasuke with her entire being and even beyond that; he meant to her more than the world, he was the very air she breathed, the way the world was spinning and the essence of the time.

It was a sad truth, but when being with Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura felt like a complete puzzle. So it was only natural that, without him, she lost a part of her which left her hollow and breathless.

She couldn't live without him; she refused to live in a world without the missing Uchiha heir. And that was the reason why that news has slashed her like a _katana, _benumbing her and leaving her in the embrace of despair.

Two strong arms have found their way around her trembling shoulders, pulling her in a tight embrace, attempting to provide a mellow source of comfort. Sasuke`s _grandfather _has found himself kneeing behind the howling emerald eyed woman and something must have snapped into his heart for he saw the granddaughter that he never had in the form of that beautiful lady, the one who his beloved nephew has brought along, in an obvious materialization of all his sentiments of love that he harbored for her, because he fought with all his might to comfort her in any way and assure her that Sasuke was safe and sound, whenever he was.

In reality, he was trying to convince both of them of the fact. And Sakura found herself leaning into that figure of a grandfather`s image and returned his embrace, crying into his knitted soft vest, tears of crocodile. Soon enough, they were both crying in the room that she and Sasuke have shared one night ago.

Their last night together… even now, her mind was trying to block away the cascades of tears that threatened to prickle in the corner of her eyes, but she will be damned before she indulged into her weak part.

She has left her bawling part – the one that adores Sasuke ardently with all her heart – back to Miyako with his grandfather.

Because Athena of the Sound didn't love anyone, not even Sasuke. She was the perfect assassin and as long as she had this mode engaged, nothing will ever come between her purpose and this implacable façade.

She HAD to cling to the side of her that was capable of facing Lorane, otherwise, that battle was as good as lost even before it began.

She knew that all too well and the resolution that she came in Suigetsu`s office with, was coming from her reasoning, but never from her heart.

Athena of the Sound and Haruno Sakura had but one thing in common: they both lacked a heart into their chest.

The cold Sound assassin has petrified that useless organ from her body and anesthetized her feelings that were as useless as phantoms of a potential factor to weaken her skills, and Sakura has entitled her heart and the embodiment of love that it entombed, to Uchiha _Sasuke _who left and took it with him.

Whenever his location was, her heart was ticking their time together. If he died, then she was just a walking spirit with a cobblestone chest and a porcelain face which was only graced by the reminisce of their precious moments together, living on the expense of the past, but never the future. In rest, they were two different persons.

"Unbelievable." Karin groaned like a tired lioness, massaging the back of her neck, that was starting to ache and that was Suigetsu`s damned fault for making her sleep on the carpet with her head planted in the crock of his neck and taking her in such acrobatic positions, making her entire body get sore.

"It looks like everybody lied to Sasuke, when in reality he has the biggest secret from all: a Lorane rat amidst a mass of CIA agents. Isn't this kind of like a soap opera?"

Naruto ignored Karin`s remark and hollered to the once rosette woman whose hair color resembled latte and caramel and she looked more Italian with the exception of her exotic emerald orbs, in the color of the sea. "Sakura-chan, you tell them! You _do _trust Sasuke-Teme right? Tell everyone that he is not working for the Lorane. This is absurd!"

"Who can deny such facts..."

"Tennie!" The golden haired Uzumaki injected to Neji`s fiancé. "You have known the Teme for so long. How can you say that he is a traitor?"

"Again with this shit..." Karin mumbled again, turning around to crunch her orbs at Suigetsu, silently warning the implied referee that they couldn't go back to arguing about their different viewpoints.

But the handsome Interpol Officer, with the gleam of amethyst in his orbs, was mirroring her best friend`s demeanor, namely looking around in a scrutinizing manner, being all too silent. Suigetsu took his time to peep at Sakura, not liking _that _expression on her face.

It was a far cry from the woman that he first met in Sasuke`s home –the eccentric fanatic of wrestling matches that was devastating his living room and was all funny and easygoing – because this CIA agent, albeit notorious and with a fearsome impressive reputation in the underground world, bore no resemblance to that sincere sweet and angelic pink haired woman. This one was elfin, vile and scheming and dark.

"You damn atheists wouldn't be able to recognize a traitor, even if it hits you in the face."

"This is not true, Teme does` t deserve all this mistrust! He trusts us all and how do we repay him? By accusing him? Has anyone seen any obvious traces that point to Sasuke?"

No, in his rage, Naruto couldn't comprehend how could such words and assumptions come from his friends, and he was getting shaky and more affected by the minute.

Hinata`s presence in the room has been beneficent to him and he actually found her supposition to be plausible, but she had to get out of the room, not because Sakura had something personal to her person per se, but because she might be in danger if the Lorane would find out that she was affiliated to them.

So his sole source of comfort would have been someone to back his theory up and that one who was supposedly the one that was the closest and more intimate to his raven haired friend, was the one to nourish their mistrust.

What was wrong with Sakura? Why was she back on her malignant vile assassin side? Athena belonged to the past –a past that Sakura was supposed to having getting over with since Sasuke has showered her with his honest feelings of pure love.

But apparently, ghosts of the past were still carrying on with their curse and haunted them. She didn't have a choice but to be strong for all of them, their love included.

Naruto understood. A weak Sakura would have been of no use to them in this situation but, for the love of all that`s holly, she was making the gravest mistake of all, one that, ironically or not, Sasuke also did.

She deemed the feelings to be poisonous and useless in association to real power. They both thought that showing their inner feelings and bonds was a sign of being weak, which was plain dumb.

The need to protect someone, the impulse of striving to not let your friends, comrades and beloved ones perish in the hands of the enemy, was the one to make one`s inner latent potential flare to its supremacy.

When having feelings that burst inside, they could all get one to his strongest version. In Naruto's opinion, that was the key to keep their mismatched characters bonded with real links and give them the upper hand in their battle to Lorane.

"Well let`s see… Despite the fact that he kills like Lorane, has as much knowledge as Lorane does, speaks all their foreign languages fluently, is versatile with basically any weapons and saw through all their movements, absolutely zero connection!"

Ten Ten snarled to the Uzumaki dripping of pure sarcasm, but Naruto wouldn't put it past her. She was convinced by Karin`s own version of events and she fought for what she believed in, even though she was wrong. "And now he vanished from the surface of earth just like Inoichi and his slut of a daughter, who just happen to be part of the Lorane as well!"

"You have always been a hopeless romantic delusional character, my dear cousin." Karin sighed and rammed a hand through her long auburn locks, pinning the Uzumaki with a look that surprisingly wasn't mocking, but held some sort of pity and understanding.

Had it be Sakura in Sasuke`s place, she too would have defended her sister with all her might, fighting against any words of mistrust so she kinda understood Naruto`s point of view. Naruto on the other hand, felt cornered by all their foreboding but refused to sell out his friend.

"He might have been kidnapped or something." Sasori found himself suggesting, since the tension between Sakura, Naruto, Karin and Ten Ten was getting thicker than mist and honestly, made him anxious.

"Huh?! And pass Cherry and Naori-san without them noticing it?" Karin curled an eyebrow up at her Sound companion, being surprised that it was Akasuna to make such an irrelevant comment, gnawing at her lower lip like she did when she got impatient. "In another _dimension_ maybe."

What was there to debate? It was just clear that Sasuke's work was perfect. The man knew exactly what he was doing and probably had everything planned months beforehand, up to the finest details. Karin couldn't comprehend how in the world could those people be so blind not to see the obvious?

"Why are you defending him so much?" Sasori turned to inquire as his calm orbs collided to Naruto's startled ones. "Are you also part of the Freemasonry and a double agent?"

"What?!" Naruto`s face crumbled like a wall of bricks under the force of a wrecking ball, being demolished by Sasori`s outrageous assumptions. Slowly but surely, they were slanting from paranoid to ridiculous. "What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"This moment is so proper for us to become more overly suspicious." That was Neji`s sarcastic tone, resonating with Suigetsu`s feelings, who wanted to throw a similar remark to Sasori and Ten Ten, but the Hyuga beat him to it.

Sakura was still silent and he couldn't guess what whirled inside her mind. "If we can't trust each other, then is all over.

Itachi and Tobirama-sama are gone and pretty much dead in the explosion. The world leaders are in imminent danger, the CIA leader is dead, Sasuke is gone and his mother is in hospital. I say that we are pretty much in a serious situation." Those were hard words that came out of the Hyuga`s mouth, but he was right and they needed someone so level headed with enough cold blood to throw the truth into their faces.

"What?" For the first time since she clicked her combat boots into that room, Sakura`s cold tone has taken a sweeter resonance when she almost whispered in sheer surprise to Neji. "Mikoto-san is hospitalized? Why?"

Karin, Naruto and Suigetsu didn't miss the way she seemed to get more human when hearing about the bad news that veiled the name of the angelic figure of the Uchiha family, the sweetheart Mikoto.

Sakura has taken a liking on her and the raven haired woman already viewed her as the perfect candidate to be her son`s betrothed and accepted her as part of her family, with much love and open arms.

And Sakura naturally found herself drown to the raven haired woman`s motherly delicacy and care. No… not another bad news in that already boiling amalgamation of bad omen.

Naruto provided her a quick explanation, as his chest was clasping and his voice held so many conflicted emotions, being among the few in the room to not have any problem in expressing his feelings openly, feeling just as sad and worried for Mikoto`s well-being as Sakura secretly was.

"When the news of Teme's company going bankrupt and his house burn down have spewed into the media, she had a sudden heart attack."

"Fuck." Sakura buried her face into her palms, rubbing her cheeks and pulling her hair backwards, facing the ground. That was a disaster. Just when she thought that things couldn't get any worse than this, Sasuke's mother gets sick and on the verge of… no, she definitely couldn't DIE on them. _No way!_

Then another natural question arouse in her mind: was her onyx eyed son even aware of his mother`s state?

Because she knew it all too well that the bond that Sasuke and Mikoto shared was deep, poetic, special and spewed with motherly love. She almost felt like crying in his place and silently pray for the woman`s safety.

There was also another thing that was nagging the jadeite eyed Sound agent and she peeked to the Uzumaki again who was looking at her somehow expectantly, but she didn't grant him the view of her breaking into another outburst of crying. "What about his father?"

"Fugaku-san has been with her all the time, until couple of hours ago, when he flied to Tokyo." Somehow, that didn't shock anybody because they knew that the Uchiha patriarch was hundred percent committed and devoted to his damned corporation, who was going down the hill faster than a meteorite crashing down the Earth and the Mangekyou will share the same fate of the flaming rock, namely ending up in a devastating explosion and take down the entire remains of the world`s economy and bury it along with its decaying notorious name.

Everyone knew that it was impossible for Fugaku to save the Mangekyou in this moment. If Sasuke didn't have a backup plan –one that was wrapped in secrecy – then all his lifetime work was as good as over. They truly hoped that he was man enough to not commit _suicide _when he sees his Empire go down, like many before him unfortunately did.

"The whole corporation going bankrupt overnight seems like an orchestrated clever _charade_." Karin flipped their thoughts in the span of a nanosecond with her confident remark and her flat professional serious tone betrayed that the woman knew about what she was talking about. "I don't believe a word from it."

"What do you mean, _bella_?" It was clear to the both of them that Suigetsu intentionally threw that affectionate suffix just to annoy Hidan who frowned at him.

Karin glared at his implied possessive side –making it clear from their first encounter that she wasn't the one to venture blindly into a wild romance with the first man to step on her way- but responded nonetheless to his question, putting aside any intimate link between them and trying to detach from personal problems –like her cherry resembling best friend of hers.

"Sasuke is _not_ bankrupt, period. He just made it look like that for a reason that I don't understand. Probably Lorane machinations, who knows? I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he will soon come back and richer than ever."

Karin simply shrugged as her confidence made wheels spin in her audience`s brains, all digesting the things that came out of that woman`s mouth. Why was Karin so positive that it was all an insanely flawless smart plan, designed by Sasuke`s genius mind, to trick everyone into thinking that his company –the last pillar in the way of fighting Lorane`s abominable dominance – was going downhill, without any chance of being saved?

If he was indeed part of the Freemasonic branch of the Lorane, then his best interest –their interest – would have naturally been to strengthen their position of dominance and eventually use it as the main branch to take the others over its umbrella and shield Lorane`s corporations –the ones that they were controlling from the shadows, which he clearly didn't do, since he chose to go down and take his company along the way.

What would they benefit from going in insolvency if the two were affiliated to their illicit purposes? It made no sense.

"We don't know how rich Sasuke truly is." Suigetsu narrowed his orbs at the beautiful Italian woman before him, reminding her that they didn't have any solid information regarding his raven haired friend`s background nor the status of his business, bank accounts and personal life.

"Or… was. Because technically, after the glorious declaration of the Mangekyou fighting`s its imminent insolvency, he is virtually bankrupt."

At the moment, Uchiha Sasuke was a mystery to all of them.

There was nothing tangible veiling his person; inwardly, almost all the agents presence were even questioning his supposed feelings for Sakura, who in return, looked like she was capable of reading their minds and was threatening them to shut their mouths and not voice that out, with a sole glance of her blizzard eyes.

"We basically know _nothing_ about him, won't you agree?"

"Are you finished with all this trivia nonsense yet? In case you haven` t already noticed yet, is precisely time the luxury that we can't afford to waste."

Sakura finally decided to interfere into a conversation that, honestly, started to arouse to her temples as a throbbing headache and she almost lost the touch with the outside world for a moment; damn stress for getting the best of her when she most needed to remain composed and level-headed.

"Instead of wasting precious time in throwing imbecile guesses ,such as Sasuke being part of the Lorane, I suggest that we start from the thing the they want him for."

A victorious effervescent grin bloomed on Naruto`s lips, now understanding the resolution behind Sakura`s laid-back attitude up until now.

"Y-You mean, you don't think that Teme is working for the bad guys, right?" It wasn't like the jadeite eyed Sound assassin was doubting Sasuke –hell no – but she let them argue between them just to get a glimpse of the turbulences and contradictory thoughts among them, so that she will know how to expose her own version of the truth and emphasize her point of view, in order to highlight the common elements between their opinions and bring it to the light – using a subtle technique of antithesis – to prove it to them how blindly imbecile they were in assuming something so cretin, such as Sasuke being a transgressor.

"Even if all the odds are pointing to him, of course _not_. A CIA must always look underneath the underneath." She made double sure that she pressed every syllable of Kakashi`s words of wisdom, that resonated to their purpose and sacred code of a young CIA recruit, reminding the people before her that, if they wanted to become elites, capable to maintain their reputation before the main antagonists and enemies – then they must never forget the basics of being a flawless agent. "Experience has long taught us that the _least _person we would expect it to be the culprit, is always a demon dressed in an angel's robe. What it misses and cannot be faked... is the halo atop his head."

What she meant by that statement of hers, no one knew but by the look of it, there was another stronger suspicion on another person that drove Sakura to the conclusion of Sasuke`s innocence and that stirred confusion and wonder among the other Sound and Akatsuki members.

It was perfectly clear that the woman who was being so adamant in not accusing Sasuke –albeit she wasn't very vocal in blindly defending him, either – was having strong counter arguments, ones that she was prepared to expose to them, probably having a deeper insight into whatever trick Lorane had up its sleeve.

"Are you defending Sasuke just because you are his girlfriend?" Ten Ten wanted to make double sure that Sakura who stood at the other side of the sofa that she and Neji were occupying, wasn't just an avatar of a desperate girlfriend, who was ready to swear that her criminal boyfriend was a saint in disguise. If Sasuke wasn't behind all of that mess, then who else was?

His mother? Maybe his grandmother, who has been concealing her identity for the entire time, has tricked her into thinking that she was an ex-Sound agent, when in reality she might have been behind the masterminds who orchestrated the entire operation of kidnapping and striking at a certain moment, taking them all by surprise and inconspicuously slipping unnoticed past their vigilance.

It was very easy for a Lorane in disguise to come as credible in pretending to work for the CIA, since the two rivals had enough information of each other to not be suspicious, even before a trained agent with experience, like Sakura.

And since she had the element of empathy and familiarity around her, it was really easy to appeal to Sakura`s soft side, as well as her husband, grandson and family members.

What if she was the one to kidnap Sasuke and get him out of that house, without anyone to notice? She had the passcodes of an helicopter, she knew the security system of her home, hence how to silently deactivate it and not to mention, Sasuke disappears after he brings Sakura to his grandparents.

Of course, Naori-san knew that Sakura was a CIA so maybe she wanted the emerald eyed troublesome agent away from her sight, hence she naturally helped her fly all the way back to Tokyo, just to eliminate the potential danger that was residing under the same roof.

Ten Ten wouldn't be surprised to find out that Naori has killed her husband and also went M.I.A. But she kept her suppositions for herself, because she didn't want to start an argument with Sakura.

"What is the thing that Lorane wants from Sasuke?" Suigetsu found himself injecting to Sakura, being thankful that she wasn't a hyperactive obnoxious woman, to resemble the people that were currently giving him headaches namely Hidan, Naruto, Ten Ten and… Karin.

"It is complicated. I don't know the details myself and since Sasuke's house _conveniently_ burned to the foundation, all the files and the minutiae are as good as gone." That was the first thing that Sakura did when she calmed down from her crisis of despair and stopped peeling onions: she cursed.

She cursed the fact that she lost every single document that was being compelled into Sasuke`s office, along with the complete patterns of the writings carved on his office walls. Yes, she had a copy of that in her laptop, but that has been stolen by Lorane.

She kept another copy in her phone along with Orochimaru`s decrypts of the message, but it wasn't the complete files about the Lorane. Most of that was destroyed and she had no doubt that it was either Lorane or Uchiha himself the ones to plan that convenient fire and get rid of every single detail that was entrapped into that house.

Everything was now burned to ashes… along with their _memories _together from the day they have met. Somehow, she felt bad for that house, but it wasn't the time to complain and feel pity.

Instead, Sakura has unzipped her small backpack and carelessly, discarded a pile of files on the coffee table silently inviting everyone to gather around and study the scattered material and they did just as so, amassing like cockroaches.

There were complicated pictures, complete intricate hieroglyphs, math formulas and luscious photographs with pyramids. "What the heck is this?" Naruto mumbled while he took a random sheet of paper, not being sure if he was even holding it correctly, or upside down.

"These are-" Karin's pupils dilated like wine grapes when she realized exactly what she was looking at, being way wiser than her blonde idiot knucklehead cousin.

She whipped her head in the direction of Sakura, silently asking her to confirm her suspicions and Sakura did just as so, nodding once to the Uzumaki female.

"Yes." She explained for the entire breath of agents to understand. "The hieroglyphs that Sasuke embed on his office walls. I printed a copy of it. It is the only one we have. My laptop is no more and Sasuke had a copy in his house which is also… no more."

"Do you think that Sasuke might have intentionally burned sown his home so that Lorane won't get its hands on whatever information he had stocked inside?"

Once again, Suigetsu seemed to be on the same page as her and for that, Sakura was being thankful. Usually, it was either Itachi or Neji Hyuga the voices of ration among their kin, but the Interpol Officer proved to veil brilliant organizational and strategic skills, under his sharky boyish grin – that was currently missing from his frowning focused handsome face. He, just like her, looked like a completely _other _person. She mentally smirked.

"Whoa, hold on!" Ten Ten injected fervently, like she was stepping on hot charcoals. "You don't possibly suspect that Sasuke has destroyed his own home before disappearing, on purpose, do you?"

A ghost of a smirk revealing his signature canine rose on Suigetsu's lips, as he took another random picture from the table. "This is exactly what I think about Ten Ten."

Of course that he didn't expect himself to be the only genius to figure out something so obvious and Suigetsu didn't take credit for this, because he knew that at least three more people in the room were nurturing the same questions and suspicions as him.

"Since I cannot comprehend how was it possible for a house to burst in flames without a source of ignition, then I suspect it has been orchestrated."

"To erase every trace, right?" Not surprisingly, it was Neji to confirm his thoughts, as he was busying himself with studying the math formulas encrusted on his walls and photographed by Sakura, but he stunned his fiancé –who was standing beside him – by casting his eyes on the translation, as he was able to read hieroglyphs, while she had troubles in comprehending what was the things that Sakura threw in their faces so nonchalantly.

Neji was among the last people to talk to Sasuke about his corporation before everything went from worse to disaster and he had his suspicions, which were not because of the sudden turn of events, but because the Uchiha himself has warned and advised him beforehand to do something that could miraculously save his company, not actually hiding his intentions from the Hyuga.

And that was one solid proof that led the lunar eyed Hyuga male in the room, to believe that his raven haired family friend was indeed not affiliated to the Freemasonry, and it was all just a misunderstanding.

Of course, he wasn't looking for a justification of his unexplainable behavior, like his sworn brother Naruto was doing, because logic and composure told him not to jump to rash conclusions nor express excessive behavior, but he couldn't deny some striking facts.

There was also nothing coincidental in the fact that Sasuke`s mansion and company have somehow faced disaster in such a short amount of time and that was clearly something orchestrated by whoever had the interest to cover some other plans and erase evidences, and Neji found it convenient for Sasuke himself to have planned that beforehand, though it was hard to imagine the reason why he would chose to act this way and presumptively hide in a place where the Lorane will never find him.

If anything, Sasuke wasn't a coward. Heck no! An Uchiha will rather cut his own throat rather than hide like a complete loser and let his rivals win. Not only their ego and pride will prevent them to taint their infamous family name like that, but their Uchiha blood was boiling stronger for revenge than in anyone else.

They will never succumb into their enemy's wicked will and simply let them take the upper hand. They were always scheming, planning and plotting with the accuracy of a Swiss clock and hardly mistaken.

The fact that the onyx eyed Uchiha had a plan to save his company was crystal clear to Neji Hyuga and in fact, he was quite impatient and curious to see the outcome of whatever plan Sasuke was about to bring to the light, in the moment when the time will come and miraculously save his company; of course, if he hasn't already did just as so and, once again, surprise them all and shock the entire world to the core, Lorane included.

Sasuke had it in him to be spectacular and unpredictable, he proved it million times before, but unfortunately, they have been too emerged into the core of their problems to notice it.

All with the exception of the person that has been the closest to him: Sakura Haruno. _She _has long realized that the man she had to play the maid to was anything but an ordinary business man with a boring life and a hectic schedule.

Somehow, she has warned them about Sasuke and his unexplainable behavior and Neji too has been a witness to it, back then in the club, when he was drugged of an overdose of LSD, betraying skills of a legendary assassin.

Hidan clicked on his tongue, mocking the Hyuga who was submerged into his deep thoughts about Sasuke and he almost missed the cynic tone. "Na – ah. It was all to divert the attention from some other shit he probably does right now."

All the eyes flew from the papers they were studying, to the man with the scythe in his possession as Hidan was casually brooding and snorting at the mass of papers that were encrusted with things that he couldn't begin to decipher, nor was he having the patience for this.

Hidan was an impulsive man, driven by his amazing sense of intuition and his lust for blood and revenge, not actually bothered by such details as files and papers. He was the kind of assassin to go on instinct, act upon the flow of the events that he was following with the accuracy of a hawk and had enough experience to strike when the time was and defeat his opponents.

The way he was approaching every mission always skipped the Intel part. His bored charcoal orbs were looking around amused by the way the people before him were doing their best to appear as intellectuals and play the responsible agents, with the exception of Naruto Uzumaki who was probably in the same boat as him and that was the reason why the two of them were formidable agents.

They were not book worms, but street smart and always on the move, learning along the way, by making mistakes and getting in touch with the target, using the entire arsenal of five senses to learn everything that had to be learned. But studying material was making them go crazy.

Sakura, upon pondering over the two intelligent remarks, cumulated their assumptions into a logical conclusion. "It is both." All eyes shifted from a smirking Hidan who was whispering something to Naruto who in return was nodding fervently to him, grinning, listening and silently urging her to continue.

"He did it for both the aforementioned reasons. If Sasuke had all the information stored in his house and his mysterious disappearance is no coincidence then his plan has more chances to come into fruition. He will strike Lorane from two sides."

"Hm… clever. But these suppositions are viable options only if we count out his involvement with Lorane."

"Get that shit out of your brain Sasori because Sasuke does _not _work for Lorane." The emerald eyed Sound agent snarled to her auburn haired CIA colleague, rolling her eyes at him, unceremoniously being visibly pissed off by that assumption. "Plus… you are all mistaken in one particular important aspect here."

"What do you mean?"

"You all associate Lorane to the Freemasonry which I think is wrong. The secret elite organization known as the Freemasonry, as it was when it was first created was never meant to be a criminal organization, but an association of the crème de la crème who shared common interests, religious beliefs and ontology for world peace and cooperation.

It was based on amity, tact, respect and fraternity. The Freemasonry... " Sakura eyed all of them with a resolute animadvert stare in her darkened forest green eyes. "Was never meant to be evil."

That information was hard to digest by the occupants of the room and the jadeite eyed woman saw it clearly in their respective stares of confusion that they deemed her as crazy, but it was the truth.

Sakura was Orochimaru`s protégée: she knew everything that the wise snake man knew, and damn right he digested and dug into very single information, read every book and file and played with the meaning of every letter, comma or sentence, until he unraveled the _real _meaning and he reached one marvelous conclusion; one that Naori Uchiha has confirmed to her before she helped her fly back to Tokyo – that the Freemasonry and the Lorane, when looked at the foundation, had nothing in common to one another.

"Well you do realize that currently is the Freemasonry the one who attacked the Summit and took control over the world's economy right?"

Ten Ten was already feeling like they were run into circles without reaching to a tangible point and now Sakura comes and proves it to them that they even got the concept of their enemy wrong. What the fuck?

"Something along the road must have happened in order to make them change their policy to something that has the resemblance of organized crime and wield similarities to the a regime of terror and inflicted pain."

Neji was quick into catching up with the conceptualization of the Freemasonry, he too being very interested in tapping the bottom of the problem and see what was underneath the surface, where all the secrets lied, as well as the best countermeasures.

"Lorane _is _the Head of the Freemasonry, Cherry." Sasori felt the need to remind them the obvious, though he was curious of where was Sakura trying to lead them to, when stating something that looked quite irrelevant now when they were one step ahead from succeeding.

Sakura exhaled deeply, brushing a hand through her soft hair, that began to grow longer, and brushed her locks over her shoulders, looking at him.

She too had troubles in explaining it to him since she had no solid proof to back her words up, only having hers, Orochimaru`s and Naori`s suppositions, but she had to bring that to the light and see if the people present could brainstorm and find a connection, because if the Lorane was a separate entity that was tarnishing the name of the Freemasonry, using it because of the notorious reputation and the value of its name in the public`s eye, then it was crucial to understand what their affiliation was and get to the core of the problem.

"Lorane is behind it all, yes, I know but I think that its leaders are using the name of the Freemasonry to brainwash its adepts and turn them into _puppets_ to bend to their evil plots."

"What is that you are trying to say, _mi amiga_?"

"Lorane is _using _the Freemasonry, Rin. The Freemasonry was never meant to be an illegal international criminal organization. Lorane is. Lorane is _not the _Freemasonry."

Based on the book that Jirayia has stolen from the Lorane when he deflected the organization, one that Sakura has studied and memorized every line of it, she was shocked to find out that the Freemasonry was presented as a benefactor and never as an enemy or an extremist organization that plotted to destroy the world or take over.

On the contrary, the impervious organization`s purposes were depicted as noble, charitable and merciful to the humans and never evil.

The Master Masons were part of those secret circles of the most reputed and brilliant minds of every Era –because the phenomenon of the Freemasonry dates back into ancient times –that were avid believers of the God`s words and the teachings of the greatest philosophers.

They had advanced acknowledge in basically every area of expertise –Math, Astronomy, Biology, Religion, Literature or Philosophy – and they manifested a high interest in Magic, Tarot and ancient sacred rituals that dealt with the origins of Greek, Roman or Oriental deities and Mythology.

But it was never stated that they wanted to use that information to bring misery and terror into the world, on the contrary, it was all about creating a better world, where the Rule of Peace and Love will be the most important actors and respect towards the other nations and people in general was highly praised and embed into their dogmas.

And that was the reason why Sakura was so skeptical and confused about Lorane and their dogmas. Because it wasn't matching the old teachings about the purest form of the Freemasonry, on the contrary, it looked more like something that an ordinary Mobster family would do in order to expand their supremacy over the world and double their income.

"This is bullshit." Ten Ten snorted at Sakura`s explanation finding it to be really improbable. Was that woman trying to find a justification for Lorne`s unpardonable acts? Now the theory of conspiracy was working on high level.

What if Naruto and her, along with Sasuke, were working for the Lorane, who was subtly and elegantly attempting to brainwash them and stop whatever plan they might concoct, even before it began?

"According to what Jirayia-sama told us, they are abusing their power and wealth to get their hands on immensurable secret treasures and act like original occult freaks who believe in magic or witchery or whatever the fuck they pray to, and take control over the world.

He never mentioned the Lorane to be controlling the Freemasonry."

And that was exactly the mistake that most of them did in their fruitless and fugitive careless interpretation of the book of the Freemasonry. One that Sakura has depicted.

"We _do _know that it does control it. Only I don't want to venture so far into discrediting the entire Freemasonry. I have read the book that Jirayia stole from them. They were noble educated people, inclined to peace and charity and valued God`s name. They aren't evil to the core, on the contrary."

"Which led us to the first question: what is Sasuke's involvement in this?"

"This hieroglyphs..." Neji mumbled more to himself than addressing to someone in particular and the way the fine milky veins were bulking around his round orbs led his interlocutors to the conclusion that something stroke his sharp mind.

"The latest attacks in Egypt and your success in locating the latest signal in…?" He trailed waiting for Sakura to confirm his suspicion, which she did, throwing him a ghost of a side smirk, understanding that he was taking that possibility into account, unlike his reticent atheist of a fiancé.

"Excluding the minor attacks near the Ancient capital of Memphis, the largest attacks, including the last great one was in Giza and _not _coincidentally, they were all pretty close to the _Giza Plateau_ that is the site of the _Great Pyramid_."

"Right... indeed, this is a bit_ too_ coincidental. So are these two events connected?"

"Of course they are." Sakura mentally sighed, feeling the tension of her CIA comrades escalade and making the air around feel ten times heavier to breathe and the walls were constricting around her.

She was there wasting precious time in explaining things that were impossible to describe, yet she had to go into every possible detail if she wanted to enjoy plausibility. "Have you guys heard about the concept of the _transmigration of the soul _before?"

"Yeah." Naruto grinner while Hidan and Sasori snorted once and not because he was funny in the way he was basically letting Sakura know that she was on the verge of losing trustworthiness, but because of the grimace that carved Ten Ten`s dumbfounded face and it was priceless. "In Japanese Mangas and SF movies."

"This is not a game of fools, you nitwit." Karin couldn't help but sneer at the blonde Uzumaki before her, who in return, threw her a glance that went along the lines of _`dude, seriously?!`_ but she chose to blatantly ignore him.

Of course, since the auburn haired female was filled in with the outlandish and highly improbable story of Orochimaru and Tsunade`s past experiments, it didn't come as a shocker to her.

But the other occupants of the room who were just as in the shadows as all of them were, it was unadulterated Science Fiction. They should have seen it coming though; if the Lorane chose such a mystical stop as the Ancient Pyramids, then their purpose was whirling around the center of spiritualism.

"This is a myth." Neji flat out told her but his bored tone bore no criticism. He was only the archetype of the oblivious CIA agent, who was willing to accept any theory in lieu to unraveling the secret behind Lorane`s conspiracy and since Sakura was adamant in making a difference between the Lorane and the Freemasonry, then she has probably found a linkage between that concept of reincarnation and their actual purpose. "There is no such thing as transmigration."

"Well damn right it is." Sakura in return, chose to take a quick glance at Karin who was eying her in a weary but determined way, signalizing to her friend that she should continue with revealing such a huge secret.

Since the conditions were so foster, then there was no reasonable and logical need to hide that secret anymore. She had to tell everyone the truth, as outrageous as the prospect was. "There is something you all need to know first, before I proceed with my explanations."

"But first, I would like to start with a question that I have to address to all of you guys , which is going to help you connect the dots and have a deeper understanding of the notions and the connotations of the theories that I will expose to you." Not withstanding to sit anymore, Sakura stood up and started to pace around the room in the same manner as her shishou Tsunade-sama was doing whenever she was in a pinch, nipping on her nail.

All the eyes and ears were following her lithe silhouette, waiting patiently for her to carry on. "Sasuke speaks no more than seven different foreign languages fluently." She started randomly and eyebrows crunched in confusion.

Why was that information so relevant for their case? "This is something I have personally checked. He is versatile in English, Italian, French, Chinese, German, Spanish and even Latin. What does it prove to you?" She whipped her head in the direction of a mass of population who was looking at her in an anxious way.

At first no one spoke a word, but all of the agents were seeking for each other`s eyes, as if inviting and urging someone to say something but nothing came to mind.

Ever since Sakura has stepped into the office, she has been erased everything tangible that they had so far, coming up with her own incredulous outrageous theories about dead people and reincarnation.

It was of course, Hidan the one to roll his orbs at his Sound colleague and opt to cease away the nagging lingering tension that started to weigh heavily on his shoulders and made him quite stiff. Those people were no fun in his opinion. "That he can be elected as the next Pope. Though I doubt it that he's so damn religious."

"Hidan..." Karin narrowed her red wine orbs dangerously to the silvery Hollywood resembling agent, warning him to choose his words carefully before he went on, because they were not in the mood to listen to his buffooneries.

"I am going to fucking kill you with my hairpin." To emphasize her point, Karin slide a concealed hairpin that kept her bangs away off her orbs and Hidan snorted at her choice of weapon – poisoned lethal Japanese weapon – but lifted his hands in surrender.

Suigetsu smirked approvingly at the way Karin has put the male into his place. It was not that he was bothered by Naruto and his outbreaks, but he felt a pang of an unexplainable ridiculous jealousy coming off from the grey haired male`s vibe towards Karin and he didn't like it in the bit. "All of you fucking atheists... will be sorry for being so stupid, you fuckers."

Sakura went on, ignoring the male`s vicious curses, mentally rolling on the floor laughing at the implied love triangle formed between Karin, Hidan and Suigetsu.

Well, it was more like resembling the_ Bermuda_ Triangle from the unexpected turbulences that occurred amidst the three aforementioned hot tempered agents, but she put that aside for the moment, carrying on with her explanations. "As I said, Sasuke is smooth and fluent in all these languages."

Damn she truly loathed to do all the explanations for she has never been a smooth talker nor a teacher by default.

But she did her best to maintain the coherence and fluency of her ideas in order to expose the insights of such an intricate phenomenon, since it was dealing with imponderability and intangibility of the concepts and people tended to be reticent when dealing with things that they couldn't see.

It was somehow similar to the way some people decided to be atheists, while the others were avid believers in God, although they couldn't perceive it through their five senses.

"Which are all languages that Lorane uses." Karin tried her best to give her friend a hand and back her up, for she was positive that whatever was spinning into Sakura`s brain, was an amalgamation of immensurable extreme feelings.

She knew that Sakura was most likely finding it hard to maintain an impassive detached façade while talking about Sasuke and if the obvious flickering into the aureate ring around her irises, that was shimmering with an emptiness that even scared Karin, then her subtle shenanigans – the biting of her nail, the wetting of her dry lips and the edginess that she depicted in her hard tone – were all betraying nervousness and impatience; it was the typical restiveness coming from the vehemence of a woman who was impatient to go on a rescue mission to save her _Papa _and the love of her life. Karin knew.

"Not _just_ Lorane." Sakura turned to assess the look into Neji`s orbs and she was grateful that he was following her, because the others were all nurturing their own versatile emotions, but so far, she wasn't convincing nor was she enlightening them, on the contrary, she was just adding to the already mist that blinded their eyes from the truth. "The_ Freemasonry _also uses all these languages."

Wheels worked in Naruto`s brain, he being one of the few that could follow up the logic of Sakura`s peculiar expressiveness and hardly pretentious way of exposing facts, quickly making the connections ad putting two and two together. "Y-You don't meant that Teme is part o-of the-"

"No, of course not, Jeez." Sakura cut him short, waiving those suspicious away from her speech. "He is _not _working for Lorane. I told you this is stupid." There was not even a single moment during which Sakura has doubted Sasuke; not even one.

On the contrary, the more her raven haired secret lover was being accused, the more her trust in him was strengthening and intuition was working in perfect harmony with her heart, for the first time in her life, assuring her that she was correct in trusting him with every fiber.

If he was being honest and not in close collaboration with the Lorane, then it must be another form of affiliation to him and that organization and the secret lied in the experiments that Orochimaru has been conducting, so many years ago.

She was sure of it. Now she only had to expose the theory to other shrewd brains and find out about their opinion. She was relying on Neji Hyuga and Suigetsu, counting on their logic to work as flawless as always.

Uchiha Itachi was another safe option, but she found it impossible to get in touch with him and that made her restless. She will dig into that problem later, because Sakura had the suspicion that Lorane was once again involved in the sudden cut off in his signal.

"But the way you say it makes us believe that Sasuke knows the languages that Lorane uses." Ten Ten was fast to react. "In addition to his skill of handling weapons and having Intel and genius, it looks like you are accusing him." Which was true; hadn't they known better, Sakura truly looked like she was accusing Sasuke so far.

Karin only narrowed her wine orbs at her, not saying a thing. She knew better than to jump into conclusions. Whatever Sakura wanted to disclose to them, it was yet to come.

"You don't follow, _chikita."_ Hidan cackled at the chocolate eyed agent, who in return opted to glare at the comical male. "She says that he is not part of the _Lorane_." The possessor of the sharp scythe grinned at his audience`s flabbergasted expression, when realization hit them hard. "Which means that she is _not _excluding the possibility of him not being part of something _else_."

"No..." Suigetsu rubbed his temples that were begin to throb for overusing his brain, feeling the wheels of his mind crack and have a shutdown, of too much information to process. "This is completely and utterly ridiculous.

Even more ridiculous that working for the Lorane assumption." He clearly understood what Sakura was trying to tell, but even if it came from someone as reputed as her, it was too hard to believe.

Karin gawked at the man that has stirred a wave of passion through her entire body with a touch alone, silently letting him know that she was counting on him to be the voice of ration among them and he was beginning to disappoint her. "That isn't a ridiculous assumption. It is the most logical one."

"I am not done." Sakura interrupted her best friend, nipping on her lower lip, before crossing her arms before her chest, eying each and everyone in the room with a serious hard stare. "before you judge, hear what I have to say first."

She made a brief of pause for the effect to let the audience know that she was not there to play. "I told you that you guys need to know something crucial for this last confrontation."

"Yeah. What do you have to spill to us?"

Sakura closed eyes and exhaled, running a hand through her hair and turned her head to gaze through the window and then glanced back to them. "I don't even know how to start." Indeed, because what she had to disclose was something that she personally had troubles in grasping but she had to take the chance. If she wasn't honest with them, then they were lost.

"Papa Oro and Tsunade-sama... have been partners and fellow colleagues in a top secret experiment that CIA has started more than fifty years ago. They developed the initial project which was more of an utopia and lacked solid foundation."

A thick silence enveloped the room as the two preeminent names have been dropped, all processing the information that Sakura has disclosed in a form of a bomb that fell among them. "What kind of experiment?"

A wave of anxiousness crept on Ten Ten`s face and for the first time since they gathered in Suigetsu`s office, her tone trembled like a string, afraid to even ask about whatever was connected to the Sound Leader and his right hand medic and poisons expert, Tsunade.

Suigetsu looked at Karin who had her orbs set on Sakura`s back, finding her suddenly going stiff tensed position to be suspicious and that only confirmed his thoughts.

Whatever the once rose haired agent had to disclose, including the incredible story that she was just exposing, was no new story to her. She knew. Sakura made them choke on their spit with their next sentence. "_Human _experiments."

It was silence for the next five minutes, before an outbreak burst from the exasperated incredulous agents. "What?!"

"No way, man!"

"I do not believe it. This is absurd. Someone as reputed as Orochimaru-sama and Tsunade-sama cannot be affiliated to something so bizarre and unethical." And not to mention illegal, but Neji felt that his words have stated the point, so stating the obvious was irrelevant. He was confused as in why something like that has been kept occult from them.

"But there is more to the story than this." Suigetsu once again proved that his head was in the game and he was following Sakura`s explanations. She nodded once to him, confirming that unfortunately, the truth was way bloodier and complicated.

"The thing they were experimenting on was not their bodies per se. They were working with their minds and..." She halted for a moment, words abandoning her lips, not knowing how to day it without lacking credibility but there was no other way of saying it better than to slide into supernatural. "Their _souls_."

Ten Ten shot up like something has electrocuted her, for she was secretly dead scared of witchery and magic in general, after a failed mission from three years ago in Brazil, when she and her team have been prisoners to an occult tribe of _Macumba _practitioners, that dealt with spirit possession.

"Ok ok this is absurd. This starts to sound like a damn cheap horror movie and we don't have time for this." A firm yet gentle and soothing hold on her forearm beckoned her to sit back down, which she reluctantly did, whisking Neji`s hand away from her body, scowling at him.

"Sir sown and let her finish, Ten Ten. No one here is in the mood for jokes." Neji nodded to Sakura who in return blinked once to him and proceeded. "Please continue."

"Thank you. I know it sound improbable, ridiculous and impossible and trust me, I also had my doubts at first but all the events, as I started to connect the pieces, lead me to believe this. Papa, Tsunade and their small team were working with very _special _people that CIA had in custody and they never told anyone about what they were doing. Every information was stored in the database and kept under high surveillance in the CIAs archives and Papa's office."

"Information that unfortunately Lorane has now, after their robbed him." Sasori immediately sensed where that was leading, as well as the majority of the people in the room. Slowly but surely, Sakura was designing another pattern to them. Of course, no one liked how it sounded or where those lead.

"Precisely, yes."

"So this is what they wanted to steal from Orochimaru-sama?" Hidan pointed smartly. "But what in the name of Janshin-sama does the Lorane need info about human experiments?"

"It wasn't human experiments what they are interested in, but the information that they have."

"Information?"

"Yes. Papa and Shishou have discovered that there are people among us who seemed to have been... possibly lived other existences in other times at some point of their cycles of reincarnation."

Oh dear Heavens, Sakura couldn't believe that such words were coming out of her mouth. Seriously, even she, wouldn't believe a word of it so she kinda didn't blame it on Ten Ten to be so… atheist. Great, now she turned into a paranoiac non-believer like Hidan.

Another pang of silence has knocked the wind out of their lungs.

"What?!" Naruto found his voice again, having troubles in keeping up with Sakura`s explanations. He was usually the denser one when it came to foreign to him concepts and the Sound was always up to some evil twists, just like now.

"What are you talking about?" Indeed, it was no surprise that the Uzumaki was in the shadows; he couldn't begin to comprehend a single word.

"I want to ask you all this question before I move on." Sakura, who was positive that she wasn't the most fluent and eloquent woman in the world, decided to change her strategy. "Has any of you heard about the **transmigration of the soul **before?"

Another silence fell among them, which was becoming habitual, and it was as heavy as steel while the widened orbs couldn't follow the pages that the Sound agent was flipping and showing to them. Then until Hidan starts to laugh like a manic on helium, during a trips on narcotics.

"Hahaha, of fuck, this is getting better by the minute. You atheists have no idea how proud Janshin-sama is to hear about this. Yeah you keep on opposing him and ya` will all be cursed to hell. And now it proved that atheists are sentenced to never have a place beside him but wander in this stupid existence over and over again. Ya` are all cursed I`m telling ya-"

Sakura rolled her viridian orbs hard, until they hit the back of her head, which was such a bad idea because adding it to the vertigo in her mind and the sadness and despair that she was trying her best to block because of her Papa and Sasuke`s disappearance, made her even dizzier and her tinnitus only got worse.

Who the fuck has summoned Sasori and Hidan then, again?! She will personally murder Hidan and dispose of his cadaver if he didn't get the message to fucking. Shut. His. Bloody. Mouth!

Karin was the first to react to the laughing fucker, by leaning on Suigetsu`s office desk like a puma, aiming for a heavy big black stapler and promptly aimed at Hidan`s head, hitting him full force.

The impact threw his head backwards and that made the Janshinist practitioner hiss like a venomous cobra and cursing her viciously. "Auch! Bloody bitch! _Sei una bestia_!"

"I should kill you but you are too stupid to fucking die!"

"Transmigra- transmigration of the... soul?" Meanwhile, Ten Ten and Naruto were both whispering between them, both washed by the same state of reeling in confusion. "Is this how you spell it correctly?

"I did hear about it." Neji casually crossed his arms upon his broad chest, attracting the eyes of his CIA comrades.

His fiancé has invisibly shifted farther from him, as Naruto made the sign of cross with his fingers in his direction, like he was brushing away the evil spirits, making the Hyuga roll his milky eyes, clicking on his tongue at his childish behavior.

"My uncle has an entire shelf in his personal library about karma, the philosophical concept of yin and yang the Hindi and Buddhist philosophy and the topic of reincarnation or transmigration has been mentioned into all of them. Sakura, this is a myth.

It is purely religious and nothing more. It has never been scientifically proved."

Which was, to be honest, freaking scary. And to make it all the worst, he converted his two daughters, Hanabi and Hinata into Tarot and Wicca addicts.

Even though they rarely performed such rituals for entertainment purposes and when they were in a pinch or had hardships, they sucked every horror myths and information about forgotten religions about pagan Gods and witchery.

"Well, in case you haven't realized it by now, _sugar_," Hidan smirked and leaned forward to mock Neji who flared at the mocking appellative, finding his obvious concern – that he was trying to conceal – absolutely priceless, because who would have guessed that he had such a weakness, the fucker.

"Giving people headaches on command and controlling magnetism has also never been proved by science but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. How much of the latest discoveries are made public?" Mouths fell suddenly agape at Hidan's unexpected flow of obvious wisdom.

And their minds went _'What the flying fuck?!' _That man was clearly bipolar for he was faking and hiding his intelligence behind the mask of a sadistic manic with the level of intelligence of a snail; which he totally _wasn't _. Even though he was an insane pervert, he was clearly a genius too.

"I... have never met people like you." Ten Ten shook her head and pointed her finger towards the chuckling silvery haired handsome man, who was visibly ridiculing them for being so dense and shallow. "You're nuts!"

_Like… duh!_ Like that was something new! Insanity`s surname was 'Hidan' in case they haven't noticed, but then again, everyone knew that no member of the Sound was sane on the head.

"You're right." Sakura ignored Ten Ten`s insult, shrugging once like she didn't care. Eyes returned to her delicate form as she went on. "I am not aware of the details myself but it seems like this reincarnation as Neji says or transmigration, is not so utopic and painfully real.

Papa and Tsunade-sama stated that the people detained by the CIA were all transmigrants of past characters who lived in another time, in another existence and somehow, their souls, spirits and karma have traveled through the time and entombed into their future versions. People who will be born at some point in the future. People who will _remember _their _past _existence."

No really, she has been studying every material available on the CIA`s database as well as Orochimaru and Tsunade`s books about the concept –well, what was left from it, because Orochimaru has conveniently burned everything down – but there wasn't a single dossier to contain a detailed explanation of the manifestation of the phenomenon, so everything else were random assumptions.

Although… she didn't find it to be coincidental that both Sasuke`s and Orochimaru`s mansions and offices have burned at the approximate same time, but her mind blocked the obvious conclusion – to make her open up her eyes and see that the two of them were associates.

It escaped everyone`s vigilance, because they were all concerned with digging into the core of the problem, looking underneath the underneath, but Kakashi`s words of wisdom bore one single tremendous disadvantage: once looking beyond the horizon, one failed to notice the fact that it was, in reality, not a _straight _line, but a curvaceous one.

To put it into simple words, they failed to notice the obvious because they were going too deep into details.

And that was exactly the bet that Orochimaru and Sasuke have taken to conceal their affiliation from everyone, Lorane including.

It was so obvious, and yet so improbable to make the connection between the two – since they were both two geniuses with an amazing eye for detail and knowledge about how to flawlessly erase their traces – that it was basically impossible to guess and highly improbable.

"This... this is a joke. This can't be true." Sasori raised his fine eyebrows at Sakura, who in return, had an expression on her beautiful face that bore a rhetorical question.

Did she look like someone who was in the mood for jokes? Why would she crack something so stupefying if she wasn't positive that it was the direction that they should follow?

"In every religion that speaks about reincarnation, all of them state that one is not supposed to remember another of his former lives."

Neji rubbed his chin as Ten Ten muttered a 'freak' to him, as if trying his best to think about the stories that he overheard from Hanabi and Hinata while they were envying their leisure time in the garden, talking about occult practices.

God only knew how it was possible for two educated ladies with their grace to be entertained by something so egregious, but then again, Shikamaru always stated that women were _troublesome_ and impossible to understand.

"Not in this case. It has been probed that one can remember figments, if some certain _stimuli _are applied on them."

"What kind of stimuli?" Suigetsu inquired and locked gazes with Sakura. Amethyst orbs narrowed slightly as he came to realize the implication of her words. Diamond purple orbs flew wide in trepidation and alarm. "No!"

"Yes. You suspect correctly Suigetsu." Sakura nodded once eying them all explaining for those slower who couldn't keep up with what she was disclosing.

"I am talking about the consumption of certain _drugs._" Jaws dropped in perfect sync because the moment she dropped that particular details, _every _single head in the room automatically made the connection. Sasuke was famous for his former drugs addiction and not to mention, the recent incident with his LSD trip when he has been given a small dosage in the club.

"And there is a drug that conveniently triggers memories to a person who has had a certain high dosage, beside synesthesia and some other symptoms. And that is… LSD." Sakura nodded in the direction of the blinking and still gasping people, confirming the obvious. "the same that Sasuke had."

"Oh shit!"

"W-Wait you d-don't think t-that..." It was funny to hear Naruto blabber and gasp like a fish out of the tank as he slurred. "T-Teme has s-something to so with that shit ass e-experiment do you?"

"Not with the experiment per se..."

"Cherry, what is that you suspect? This is absurd. I still can't grasp it myself." Of course that Karin was familiar with the experiments that Tsunade and Orochimaru conducted a long time ago, and she knew the remaining details from Sakura herself, but the link she made to Sasuke and his drug addiction was something new; a conclusion that has bloomed into Sakura`s mind recently if her assumption was correct.

And that surprised her. Did Sakura realize that earlier or was it a hunch that she had in Miyako, probably after brainstorming with Naori Uchiha, who happened to suspect Sasuke of an eventual association to the Lorane?

"You say that these people... transmigrants of some sorts... have past existences that they remember, right?" Neji tried his best to grasp the concept and whirl around the notions that he was faced with, struggling to understand where Sakura was heading with her explanations.

He so _so _didn't like to think about a possible connection between Sasuke and Orochimaru`s experiments, because it was beyond sick. Sakura on the other hand, nodded in confirmation.

"What is that they remember exactly?" Because he had an inkling that it was the point of the entire story, since the jadeite eyed agent has made it clear that Lorane was not after Sasuke per se, but after something that he had and it was of interest to them, so naturally his shrewd mind has come to the conclusion that Uchiha` mind was filled with precious outré material.

"They weren't just simple people from the past. And this is why they were so dangerous. They are possessors of valuable information, secrets buried under the sand might resurface and unravel deep secrets. Secrets that should never fall on wrong hands. Hands like Lorane."

"Sakura, what happened to those people you have mentioned? Because I might not be an expert but supposing that one would be able to remember a past existence... it can be enough to lock someone in a Mental Hospital. I mean, I don't believe in the afterlife and shit but if someone would tell me that I have lived as a servant somewhere two hundred years ago I will definitely go crack nuts."

"That might be impossible."

"Shut your trap Hidan."

"You are correct. Anyone would go insane. Unfortunately those people have all _died_. Every single one of them. No one was able to withstand the flow of memories rushing into their brains. They kept on remembering their past lives until their brains exploded."

"Like in a movie of zombies!" Naruto almost made them all go deaf as his piercing shriek has filled the room. Hidan on the other hand has leaned to the blonde and gave him a friendly hi5, already becoming his number one fan.

What was even scarier than having so many crack nuts agents among them, was their potential _alliance_ of buffoons. God may have mercy on them.

"This is not funny, Naruto…" The threat in Karin`s voice has rung around the room as she made the hair at the base of their nape stand alert and erect, cold shivers running down their spines in high alert, because damn… even though the Uzumaki female with her exquisite hairstyle and voluptuous elegant curves and a sharp mouth was naturally coquettish and flirtatious, she was also another severe case of bipolar and when she was angry… Hell broke loose and set its flames upon the mortals and sinners.

She was damn menacing and so was her suddenly husky low soprano voice. Naruto and Hidan both gave her a weary look, shutting up.

Suigetsu on the other hand, felt like banging his head on his damned oak office desk. He was already doing it mentally, because what the flying fuck… all that he could think about when hearing her roar like a feline in that way, was to pin her down and have her hard and raw and screaming his name in the same way that she was snarling at the two idiots.

He definitely needed to get his head checked, because that was so_ not_ the moment to get aroused.

But Hell he _couldn't _help himself, but _lust _for that woman! Damn her!

"This is ridiculous." Ten Ten erupted like a blazing volcano. "I don't believe a single word of it! This is absurd. There is no such thing as afterlife or past existence, everyone knows." She was just like Hidan always accused them of: an atheist to the core.

Ten Ten was a simple woman with a pretty simple life philosophy so she didn't dig into those sacred spiritual mysteries of life, hence she found the concept of reincarnation to be a joke. They didn't have time for something like that.

What was Sakura doing? Last time she has checked, Athena of the Sound was among the most commonsensical and judicious of all the CIA members, consequently she was the last person in the room to be talking about fairytales.

But there she was exposing things that would only stir roars of laughters if the world wasn't collapsing as they talked.

"Why so skeptical?" Sakura on the other hand, opted to smirk in a totally fashionable way, somehow mocking her as she crossed her arms against her full chest and opted to taunt the chestnut haired agent that was clearly doubting her words.

She didn't blame her for being so balanced, but she inwardly scolded Ten Ten for her narrow horizon. "Have you been there and see for yourself?"

"This is horrible." Sasori found himself mumbling under his breath, intertwining his fingers and bringing his hands on the same level as his auburn orbs, totally ignoring the small bickering of the two women. "To die like this. Those experiments are sickening. I find it hard to believe that such prodigious medics have stepped so low."

"They had no choice." Sakura hissed like a snake to him, slightly angered that he, as a Sound member, chose to blame his Leader and her Papa for something that he believed in with all his might, trying to be of help.

"It was their job. Their responsibility. Don't play the saint here, `cos last time I checked, we were also killing people."

"No, this ain't the same shit." Naruto retorted, grounding Sakura who shifted her hard viridian orbs from Sasori to Naruto and she found nothing suspicious in his attitude, for she knew it all too well that Naruto was loving and caring with the others and hating any form of violence.

"The guys we kill are mobsters, corrupt politicians and serial assassins and not innocent defenseless people."

"We can repent about that later, Naruto. Now let her finish." Suigetsu found his voice again, after counting down to ten, to get the balance of his raging hormones and focus on their topic.

Karin on the other hand has felt the obvious chemical vibrations oozing from the male that she found tempting and, just like the vixen she was, chose to send him subtle messages that she wanted him too, all the while she kept her mind concentrated on what her friend was telling, looking like she could tear her brain in half and have distributive attention.

How was she doing that, was beyond Suigetsu. She was an enigma to him. He didn't get her at all.

"So as I said before, they were being kept under maximum security, guarded day and night and kept under strict observation. Papa and Tsunade-shishou have done their best to help them recover part of those memories without hurting them. It was supposed to be a slow harmless process."

Hidan snorted at that, cackling in that perverted way that made them all slap their foreheads and shake their heads in disbelief.

"Yeah... by drugging their asses with LSD." He couldn't believe how hypocritical that sounded coming from Sakura`s mouth.

"Ya' know Cherry, can I be part of that experiment too if they give me weed for free?" How could they forget that Hidan sometimes entertained himself by getting high and shitfaced, spending his free time being mentally alienated and riding ponies in La La Land?

The glare that Sakura thrown to him could literarily burn his mind.

"And?" Neji`s voice sounded strangled like h was doing his best not to snap at the male, being all impatient and annoyed with all their inutile interruptions. "Were they successful? Did those people remember anything?"

"They not _just _did remember fugitive unimportant things. The images they had and their tales after were of valuable importance.

During those sessions of therapy, they proved to have been transmigrants of prominent past personalities that influenced and changed the course of history. For instance, one of them claimed to have been… Napoleon Bonaparte."

Snorts and snickers erupted in the room at the drop of the notorious Leader`s name. Naruto leaned towards his right side to whisper to Hidan, but of course, with his boisterous voice and his own concept of being discrete and silent, everybody heard it. "When she gets to Superman or Sir King Arthur, kindly wake me up."

"Napoleon? Are you for real? This is highly improbable. They must have gone crack nuts from the drugs or hallucinating."

"I am afraid that it is not a joke, `Rin. Everything had been done under strict observation in the presence if a team of genius scientists. And the information we found out from them confirms it."

"What kind of information?"

"It is CIA's top secret but I can tell you for sure that the one to be Napoleon's version in our time has designed a complete, detailed and very accurate map of his last battle, the name and the exact location of his right handyman and General's tomb and the place where he hid the money and treasures on Elba Island.

This is information that no one on this planet has. CIA has sent a team to investigate the aforementioned locations and it is all true. The secrets are buried in the Archives of CIA."

"Wow... I'm speechless." And she surely was, because somehow… it was hard to doubt anything at this point and Ten Ten could see it in Sakura`s overtired emerald eyes that she was doing her best to stay sane and not succumb to the temptation of dashing out of that room and search for Sasuke and she understood her.

Had it been her fiancé Neji in that situation, the mocha haired woman was positive that she would have long been insane of despair and gone to his rescue, damn the others to hell and back. Sakura on the other hand was getting extra points for coping so well with that tension.

She didn't want to start to imagine what was in her heart, on the other hand… the amount of fracas that nested inside her constricting chest was unimaginable.

And for that single reason, Sakura has blocked everything out and left a part of her – the only part that was still alive and feeling – in Miyako. She couldn't start a war against Lorane with _that _version of her dragging her down and making her falter and drift from her purpose.

She simply couldn't. Those two parts of her were antithetical, even though it was _that _sensitive, caring and loving part of her that it was the _real _Sakura Haruno, she simply couldn't let it get in her way.

Sakura Haruno wasn't an _assassin_. She failed to be one single thing, despite all the training she had: blend the two identities in a single soul.

Yes, she polished everything from her character and manners, to the fighting skills and intuition and no one could argue that she held the top of being the best CIA agent from the new generation of agents, but she couldn't give up to her past self.

She wasn't ruthless, even though she could perfectly be _Athena of the Sound _**in the other people`s eyes**.

But it wasn't this person the one to fall in love with Sasuke Uchiha. So she had to let her own self in Miyako, with his grandparents and conjure her other identity, in order to save him; save them both and the world.

And that was exactly the reason why the others` mockeries and incredulities were having no effect on her at all. Because as a CIA agent, Sakura didn't give a flying fuck about anyone else, than her purpose. Her mission was the most important thing to her and she could focus to that a hundred percent…

Of course, with the exception of her _latest _mission that she failed, because she didn't take into account the element of unpredictability that love portrayed, as being able to fully penetrate and pulverize any _masks_, until it reached to the _essence _of a person and bring her feelings to the light, making her fall in love with the Uchiha.

"Not so secret anymore, I suppose." Karin combed her unruly spiky fire locks backwards, stating casually.

"Lorane had killed the Head and had probably got his hands on those documents." And the unexpected and shocking death of the Leader of the CIA himself has thrown the entire organization into havoc.

Basically, CIA was no more. The two main Offices have lost their Heads, since Tobirama and Orochimaru were both missing and there was no one to supervise the trainees and guard the Archives and the basements with weapons and technology.

The remaining CIAs that were still pretty much firm on their position and ready to strike, were amassed in Suigetsu's office. And all of them were sound and alert of that painful truth: that they were the _last men standing_.

"Including every single detail of the research and the result of the experiments from the Otokage's office. How convenient."

"They didn't waste time wandering in complete blindness. They knew exactly _what _to look for." That much was obvious and Sakura didn't need to underline it but she did it anyhow. And that was leading her back to another question that bothered both her and Sasuke, though she was positive that the raven haired male was hiding something – among other things – from her: _he _probably knew who was spying on him and she was ready to bet that it was the same spy or spies the ones to infiltrate the CIA and rob Orochimaru and break into the Akatsuki`s secret weapons base.

She discreetly let her forest-green keen orbs travel around the room and somehow study each one of them, pursing her lips. To think that it could be one of these people the one to be a traitor… because Sasuke himself hasn't, in fact, excluded anyone of them.

Not even _Naruto_ – his best friend.

Damn it. Paranoia has not even once left her body and if anyone thought that Sakura has let her guard down even for a moment, they were highly mistaken her for someone else.

She was done being careless and imperceptive around Lorane and that was the reason why she had to be backed up by Sasuke himself to come to her rescue and almost expose her identity before him. But she was done playing that game.

"You mean... Lorane is interested in those people... ghosts, possessed or transmigrants or whatever and the information we collected from them, right?"

"It does make sense. Lorane is insane. Who knows on what ancient treasure they have set their minds on?"

"We have to understand their motives and what their target is." Karin`s brain was working as a train, quickly catching up with what Sakura was disclosing and if she added that to her suspicion on Sasuke – though if she was to be honest, she started to have her doubts seeing that Sakura was so firm in defending him and she trusted her sister`s intuition – some plans and conclusions for already taking form in her astute mind. "It could be anything."

"I doubt it that they seek information about rotten Army Generals and some gold hidden under a deep river or what famous King has cheated on his wife and had bastard kids to claim the throne."

Of course, because if it was Lorane the one they were talking about –the organization that wanted to _dominate _the World – then it was crystal clear that they were in search of _military _information.

"You are underestimating the mysteries buried into the sand of history." Sakura attracted all eyes. She placed the singular copy of Sasuke`s formulas on the glassy table. "Remember how brilliant and glorious were the Ancient Empires and how genial and advanced their knowledge was?"

"Is this..."

"Yes. Sasuke's drawings from the LSD trip. Naori and I have managed to decipher half of them, though the majority of them are still unclear to us, because they don't quite resemble the pattern, but we know for a fact that they are neatly written so naturally they were probably designed by an educate person who knew how to write."

Which was basically implying that it was a scribe, because only them were allowed to learn how to write and read hieroglyphs, but then again, it doesn't explain how come he knew of such things about the Great Pyramid.

There were small details that didn't connect, when compared to the social structure and culture of Ancient Egypt and that puzzled Sakura. "But I know for a fact that Papa Oro had an expert to look at them. I suspect it is _Kabuto _Yakushi from London's International Museum of History and an Associate Professor at Cambridge University."

"Is that man good at deciphering hieroglyphs? Is this... Algebra? The fuck? I thought Teme was a busy businessman." The look on Naruto`s orbs when gazing at the weird scribbles told him that he definitely wasn't the reincarnate of any genius. Ten Ten snorted rudely at his dumb expression, shaking her head.

That was beside the point. Sasuke long proved it to them that he was not your ordinary boring businessman with a life indulged into a boring routine.

"His doctorate thesis was about Ancient Egypt which is highly convenient. Papa trusts him. He is affiliated to CIA and FBI and a notorious expert."

"Why are we interested in Sasuke's moment of discovering his genius in Math or… history?"

"Think about it, Hidan. Where was the last Lorane attack and where is our signal pointing their current location?"

"Egypt." Neji answered her question, quickly catching up to where her hints were pointing. Although there was enough incredulousness into her words, Sakura has magically managed to find a sense into that mess. She was amazing.

Jadeite orbs blinked once in confirmation. "Yes. And what if I tell you that these hieroglyphs and the Algebra formulas..." At this, her smirk has turned elfin. "Are the complete accurate geometric formulas used in the plans of the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza which is coincidentally enough situated in Egypt, very close to where Lorane's signal lead us to?"

They didn't need to dig into the story themselves; because Sakura has spent many sleepless nights to compare the results with what Papa Oro has been emailing to her when Sasuke wasn't home, so she studied everything about the _Great Pyramid_ _of Khufu,_ having enough experience and information to know the speculations circulating around, including the suppositions about the perfect geometry on the construction and the possibility of it being a calendar that was oriented to certain constellations that Egyptians were praying to.

Basically, it was one giant doorway and pathway to the _After Life_, considering the fact that Egyptians believed in the concept of immortality and reincarnation, so they were avid believers of the embodiment of their Gods into their Pharaohs, who, after being mummified, used the Pyramids as pathways to take them to their legitimate place in Paradise and guard their people from above.

Egyptians were famous for their astonishing genius and advanced Math acknowledge and their accuracy of the measurements when building the Pyramid and the orientation of it, including the hypothesis of how they knew about the approximate distance between the Earth and the Moon. And that has been Sakura`s research material for the past few weeks.

She couldn't deny her astonishment: Sasuke`s formulas were matching the ones used to the building of the Great Pyramid, that was their object of interest and Lorane`s possible target.

Mouths dropped to the ground, catching flies.

"Holly _shit_..."

"You can't... can it be..."

"Damn _that_ fucker..." Hidan racked a hand through his hair, sliding his gel spikes backwards, shaking his head, chuckling darkly. That was too fucked up, even for someone like him. Of course, he too understood what Sakura meant by that, but seriously… Ancient Egypt`s rituals? The mystery of the Great Pyramid`s construction? Sasuke`s connection to a civilization that was once at its swell of wealth and glory?

"What is the _real _connection between all this mess and Sasuke, Cherry?" Karin spoke for everyone in the room when asking her Sound sister about the obvious; what they all needed and longed to know because once they found out about what the link between Sasuke and the Grand Pyramid was, then they could decipher and depict Lorane`s purpose from there. Simple as that, yet way too convoluted. "Because everything we have on him, the lingering mistrust and suspicion... where does it take us to?"

Neji and Suigetsu smartly shut their mouths, refraining from throwing any wild guesses, because they suspected it, but it was too outrageous to voice it out loud, without sounding demented. It was whirling around their heads, but they simply didn't want to be the ones to state it.

Truth was… they still had that element of suspicion buzzing into their minds, that told them to open up their orbs to a new world of possibilities, yet, never fail to remain rational and level headed.

"Sasuke has information that Lorane wants about the Great Pyramid. Information that not even I know what is it about."

"And why does Sasuke have such information ?" Suigetsu was the first one to find his words. The others were still processing the things that were tingling their eardrums, aware that they should make supplementary efforts to grasp their minds around something so outrageous, since it was very difficult to imagine someone so down to earth and anchored into this reality – as Uchiha Sasuke – getting tangled into something so atypical.

"I might not be an expert but this is something that you won't find it any Library from the world. No one has the precise plans of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. It is a mystery that stands the test of time and technology."

He was correct and Sakura knew it as well. And that smart line that came out of Suigetsu`s lips lead Sakura to the crucial point of her closure; the one that she avoided to talk about because fuck… there was no way in Hell that she could say that without sounding schizophrenic and the edginess in her reticence was only doubled by the sudden stir of her shoulders.

The so called Athena of the Sound went absolutely silent as a nervous hand slicked through her chocolate – caramel locks, setting her stare down to her chest. No one spoke a word during which the silence has escalated to the point where it became impossible to breathe and it was suffocating.

Tensed orbs were all latched to Sakura`s unresponsive visage, though they knew that she wasn't trying to ravel her thoughts, from them on the contrary, she was most likely pondering over her choice of words; proper words to give credibility to her assumptions.

But nonetheless, to have her whispered her next words filled their hearts with shock up to the hilt.

"This is purely an assumption of mine based on everything I gathered so far so feel free to doubt it," When she elevated her sparkling jadeite orbs, she stole their breaths away with the tumult of amassed emotions that flickered into them and for the first time since she has set her first steps into the room, she felt more _human_.

"But I think that Sasuke... is the _Pharaoh's_ transmigrant. The one whose Pyramid… has become one of the Seven World Wonders."

Somehow, even if she tried her best to remain imperceptible, Sakura simply couldn't mutter his name – _Khufu _or _Cheops_ – just as the Pyramid`s Ancient Name suggests - Khufu's _Horizon. _

To attach Sasuke`s name to someone who has been the... no, it was simply too much even to Someone as open minded as Sakura.

And if it was something palpable that could wrap her mind around the two personalities that were separated by more than 4400 years, it was a striking resemblance between Sasuke and a Pharaoh and that was aristocracy.

Because no matter from what angle would one look at Uchiha Sasuke, anyone would see one thing that stands out from the others, sizzling as a bonfire in a temple: the regal features that somehow would make her thoughts drift to a possible resemblance with a past Leader or a reputed personality.

Silence.

For five good minutes passing from Sakura`s last words, no one poke a word. Absolutely no one. And their composure – shock till the core – was only doubled by the gasping mouths, dropped jaws, cold sweat and widened orbs. Sakura felt like in a show with an alien invasions at its climax.

The agents around her were having the look of an audience during a 3D cinema show. Hadn't the context been so tremendous, she would have been down the floor rolling in laughter because they were comical and ridiculous.

Then they all did something very unexpected: they burst out in a hysterical laughter.

Yes, _including_ Neji and Suigetsu and God only knew that no one would see a Hyuga in hysterics on daily basis. They gave the Uchiha`s stoicism a run for its money.

"W-What?!" Naruto brushed his tears that were spilling from his orbs, barely preventing himself from biting the tip of his tongue at the way he was hollering.

Never in his life has he heard such an absurd and ridiculous assumption about his raven haired friend, and suddenly all the hysteric theories about him being asexual or gay in his childhood days, or even _possessed by the Devil _were child`s play compared to what Sakura has just said about him.

Say WHAT?!

"This is the craziest thing that I have ever heard in my entire life!" And giving the fact that it was Ten Ten the one to state it and she was highly sadistic and had her fair share of mission experience –CIA experience – that was speaking volumes but damn… it was even more improbable than the Wicca rituals that she witnessed.

"My dear Cherry blossom…" Hidan was having his head cocked on his side, resting his cheek on his scythe's blade, roaring like a jet. "I think that he might have _fucked_ you too hard because you lost your goddamn mind."

He cracked at his own corny joke and turned on his side to roll on his armchair, laughing his ass out loud and somehow, that imbecile statement only stirred more hordes of laughter among his CIA colleagues.

"Uchiha is the..." Ten Ten was hitting her fiancé`s shoulder, as Neji was doing his best not to look ridiculous because he was being seen laughing and even though he kind of expecting Sakura to say something unimaginable with a hint of outlandish, it even beat his own concept of outré by far. "...the reincarnation of a... thousands years relic mummy..." She couldn't find her voice again because the tears were overwhelming her.

That was… PRICELESS! For Sakura to stat e that her missing onyx eyed Uchiha love was a transmigrant of a Pharaoh, was the same as saying that he was Batman of the Gotham, not to mention, even less credible than that.

Sakura was unperturbed by their reaction; it was an anticipated reaction so she calmly let her orbs travel and linger to all of them studying how shock had blocked their minds and triggered another defensive reaction; she knew they had to pass that stage before their logic will take over and put the pieces together.

The only one who was stern serious scrutinizing and calculating was her best friend _Karin_. No, the only Uzumaki female of the team was anything but laughing.

She mentally flipped her stance to face Suigetsu as she was casually leaning against his office desk and spelled his nape hard until his body jerked forward and he hit his laptop with his forehead.

That successfully silenced him and now he was busy being engaged into an intense battle of stares with the only woman who made his mind and body go insane with wanton need, but in that moment, he loathed her as much as he loathed his friends' hysterical laughters. Was that amusement or a painful sarcastic dread?

"Seriously, and here I thought that we cannot be anymore derisive, but you my dear..." Ten Ten amused look stopped to linger on Sakura who was looking at them with that peculiar porcelain façade that left everyone in sheer wonder; there was no gesture sketched across her beautiful visage. "Have beaten all the records."

"Sasuke-Teme cannot be anyone' s reincarnation or transmigrant or whatever the fuck you call it, simply because in all the history of the mankind, there was no one else as stuck up and brooding as he is. He is unique in being a stuck-up bloody prick!"

That insult has thrown the entire room into a fit of crisis of laughter, being more fruitions and malignant than Hidan`s statement.

"Call me when you are done with acting like a bunch of feeble-minded people on sugar high so we can carry on with our business." Sakura casually stated, betraying nothing from her flat voice, since it bore no waver or a tremble, simply standing up to let her shadow mold across the room until it reached the exit door.

She did her job: she has been honest to her CIA colleagues; she told them the truth – her version of the truth and all the secret information that she knew about Orochimaru, Tsunade and the transmigrants.

It was time to get the heck away from here. If her colleagues were being in denial, then she could handle the matters alone and go to Egypt to hunt Lorane down all alone; she has always been alone. She could only count on herself like always.

She didn't need their distraction; she couldn't sway from her scope and the chartreuse-golden eyed woman was precise that her suppositions were accurate, as ridiculous as it sounded.

"W-Wait Sakura-chan..." Naruto was fast into getting into his senses, somehow, being able to pierce through the cobblestone façade of the emerald eyed woman, seeing her aura of disappointment at their childish behavior.

"Don`t go... I am sorry... it just... this is a bomb. Truth is... this has totally shocked me." She turned around to peek at the blond, giving him credit for the obvious efforts that he was putting into calming up his trembling amused body.

"This is ridiculous. There is no way in Hell anyone will ever believe such a SF story!" Ten Ten, just like the others who seemed to be struck by lightning and were fast to recover from their roars of laughter, has realized that Sakura wasn't playing with them and she was having no problems in taking the matter into her own hands and deal with the problem alone.

She did what was right, namely told them the truth and sought for cooperation but she will never force them into following her. Sakura was not a Leader by any means.

She was a shadow; fire and water combined in the form of an exquisite woman and a splendid agent. She didn't demand for anyone to follow her; she worked alone.

"Look… I am not trying to persuade you into believing my words. I am just stating my point of view and present you all the evidence I have. It is your choice to believe me or not. It is not that I need any of your help to follow this path I have found."

Hands down her hips emphasized her firm demeanor, as she eyed everyone of them, resolution sizzling into her emerald eyes. She was sincere to the bones with her colleagues. "Because I am sure that it will lead me to Lorane."

"Wait there sweetie," Suigetsu rose from his seat, encircling his office desk to come in front of Sakura, who spat him a doom flare for the choice of vulgar words. "We are a here to _cooperate_ and not to take the justice into our hands and get our fingers burned by Lorane. The lives of many depend on a fruitions collaboration."

"Wow shark-boy," Karin snarled at him, her mocking tone being absolutely obvious and it was clear that she was barely preventing herself from slapping his nape.

"This is the most intelligent phrase you have ever said. I applaud you for the genius." Of course, it wasn't like they have done too much talking when they had their little get-together…

He sighed heavily at the ruby eyed woman, putting every figment of his exasperation into that prolonged moan, and the fact that he wasn't biting back to her, was because she meant something to him, so she racking a hand through his aquamarine silver spikes, calming himself.

He wasn't in the mood to quarrel with her. The sexual tension and frustration will only get to angry sex and it was not supposed to be contemplating positions to stretch and bent her to do her, damn it. She drove him insane with a simple flicker of her impish eyes alone. She was the Devil's offspring.

"Karin... we all understand that you are quite _tensed,_" He taunted her and she fumed at the obvious innuendo. "But… for the love of God, cut it with the acerbic remarks. We are here to solve this riddle not to create more mess."

"O-ho, a lovers' fight." Hidan applauded dramatically like the clown he was, mocking the pair to no end, sinking into the armchair and throwing his legs on the coffee table, near Sakura`s files and the assassin shot him a glare for the impertinence.

"I say... how about you two birdies solve your skimpy problems in some other places, while us," He virtually crayoned the sign of a semi-circle, with his fingers in the air, pointing to all of them, minus Karin and Suigetsu, cackling. "Will handle this as the responsible adults that we are. Watcha` say?"

Before Suigetsu stomped to pummel the jaw of Hidan until he saw purple, Karin spat to him like a Boa snake, reading herself to launch at the male and snap his neck. "I say Hidan... that you should collect your stinky miserable self out of here and go fuck yourself before I incinerate you, you despicable pathetic sadistic asshole!"

"Stop it right there!" Ten Ten rose as Naruto also stood up, sensing the escalating tension. "Don't you dare turn this gathering into a fiasco. We are here to find what happened to Itachi and the world Leaders and not to get emotional over personal problems. So… for fuck's sake, behave yourselves!"

"We're wasting precious time." Sakura interjected into their quarrel for the millionth time, but she did nothing to hide her exasperation, `cos unlike all of the people present in the room, she didn't give a shit about what they thought about her.

"If you want to help me, then say so, but if you don't, then kindly stop holding me back further. Ain't no time for shit. There..." She pointed to the buzzing empty screen that spoke the menacing truth about the ended connection to their Leaders from the Summit and that slap against their cheeks has warned them about the crazy dramatic situation that they found themselves into. "are people that I _love_."

She silenced all with that unforeseen outbreak of tumultuous feelings, that burst straight from her chest, where a heart shaped organ was ticking mechanically like a clock that refused to think, only worked on autopilot and ticked and counted the moments of eternity. Something snapped within their cheats upon hearing _the_ Athena of the Sound unbind such a delicate display of murmuring emotions, genuinely say such things, so ardently, like imploring - almost begging them - not to turn their heads on her and get united.

"And I am not willing to permit those cursed imbeciles to make a fool of us and ruin everything we have managed to accomplish so far."

_They won't take Sasuke's love away from my life._

She was smart and that made Karin both conceal a smirk and feel pang on her chest at her friend`s ultimate resort: that was _Sakura_ speaking; the delicate blossom who was just as desperate to save the world, the Presidents, her Papa and… Sasuke as the rest of them.

And that stirred approving nods and smiles from the audience.

"Sasuke... _Is _the reincarnation of the Pharaoh according to the data we have so far, and whether you like it or not, this is true and Lorane knows it as well. So instead of uselessly debate whether this is fiction or fact," Her slender fingers curled in the form of a fist as her hands were lolling on her sides, clenching her jaw.

She already let too many emotions to ooze from her, but she couldn't help herself. Her love for Uchiha and her worry for her paternal figure, Orochimaru, has always broken the barriers between Athena and her real self.

They were the only people that could bring her inner self back to life, from where it resided- in the depths of her mind. "Let us be for once in our lives be one step _ahead _and not grant them this sadistic pleasure of doing the victory dance right under our noses."

Silence.

"I state my point that this whole absurd_ supposi_ –"

"Let's assume that this is more than a fabulous tale and it is true." Neji rose from his seat, sliding his hands into his pockets, eying Sakura with a serious look on his face; it was not that he has ever doubted her words, but more of a flinch at the light atmosphere from earlier, but he knew about the gravity of the situation.

He will definitely stand beside her and help, because cooperation, fraternity and their bonds were crucial in their clash with the Lorane. "How do we link all the information that we have so far?"

"Without the help of stellar experts, then there is no way that _we _can decrypt this." Suigetsu encircled his office desk, ramming his hands through his hair that was getting messier and messier by the minute, but he couldn't help himself but slide the tip of his fingertips along the waistband of Karin`s slender waist, as the wicked vixen was wearing a short top, sending an electrical jolt of tickles and shivers along her skin, on purpose, but he played it cool and has been discreet.

The side smirk that fell across his lips when he felt her suck on air at the lithe contact, inflated his manly ego to the max, as he stroll to the table on the middle of the room to rack his hands through the files that Sakura has disclosed to them, studying them intently as his amethyst orbs were focused, calculating, planning and sketching, taking one at random. "And without understanding the meaning of all these hieroglyphs, then there is no way we can see underneath Lorane's motives."

"We need a brilliant Egyptologist who can decipher this writings." No one argued with Sasori`s note, because he was right. There was no way in Hell that any of them – or all of them – were able to grasp the real meaning behind those riddles.

And without taking a glance into the true meaning of those letters carved in stone, then their enigma will just deepen by the minute.

And Lorane was taking full advantage of the passing time; time that was passing into their favor. Time that they should not waste anymore because the flow of the moments, even a simple blink of an eye, can be very versatile; it could embody either a weapon or a valuable ally.

"What about that dude that our Snake Man Otokage hired to help him translate it?" Hidan side smirked at the mention of the mysterious reputed Professor`s name. "That Yakushi... Kabuki."

"Kabuto." Sakura corrected, albeit she knew it all too well that Hidan has mocked that character, laughing at his weird name. "I tried to get in touch with him in vain. I only got his voice mail. It`s crystal clear that he will hide for safety reasons."

Of course, just like Juugo, Sasuke`s loyal secretary`, went MIA for similar reasons, because his office was just as deserted as his boss`.

"Something is not right." Karin pointed her index under her chin, frowning like she was trying her best to connect the dots. "Why do I get this shaky feeling that we_ miss_ something huge and of a tremendous importance from the equation?"

"Like what?" Ten Ten inquired to the red haired woman, who proved to be more than an expert in being sensual and sultry dressed. She was smart, that much was obvious. And her intuition was just as accurate as any other Sound member`s.

"Orochimaru-sama deciphered the hieroglyphs with the help of an expert." It came more like a question than a statement. Sakura nodded once to her, confirming and clearing any suspicion. "And now he is gone, just like the very same expert who went MIA on us." Again a course of nods in conformation strengthened her statement, like they were agreeing on the evidences.

"Most probably he has been kidnapped by Lorane for the information about both the writings and the experiments." It did make sense for someone like Neji.

Karin smirked in a peculiar elfin manner, to the milky eyed Hyuga, like she felt really victorious by having a hunch. "What if he was _not _kidnapped?"

Talking about Orochimaru, Karin couldn't brush her unsettling feeling off: that there was much more to him, than a mere kidnapping. Orochimaru is a genius in all the plenitude of the term and the concept.

He did everything based on intuition, planning, logic and strategy and that was the reason why he never failed. He was right on Lorane`s tail, following them, trying to anticipate every step they took.

And now, when he was one step ahead for deciphering the enigma that rooted behind their motives, he goes missing. Something was fishy and Karin could smell the reek of the fiasco from miles away, like rotten fish.

There is no way in hell that she will believe in Orochimaru`s kidnapping; he was far too smart for letting himself be caged by someone like Lorane.

"What do you mean, Rin?" Sakura approached her friend. "Do you think that Papa has taken the matter into his capable hands and went after Lorane _alone_?"

"Yeah, that's the main idea. A man like Orochimaru-sama doesn't just get abducted by his mortal enemies and vanish without a trace or without sending any warning messages."

"Even if we take this new assumption into consideration..." Suigetsu spoke up besting Sasori to it but instead of cursing him like Hidan, the red haired senior in the Sound politely allowed him to finish. "It is unlikely that he went all _alone._

This ain't some stupid game of fools and self-proclaimed heroes. A mission of a such importance is too delicate to be handled so carelessly and superficially." Which was a sum of traits that weren't describing an archetype of perfection and meticulous schemer like Orochimaru.

"He could have taken Sound agents with him for all we know." Ten Ten suggested taking a guess. Honestly, she too took that into consideration. Maybe the Sound Leader has found a way to send a secret message to his remaining Sound agents, taking the trainees and rookies with him to entrap Lorane.

That could be a strong possibility and it was a thing that bloomed into everyone` s mind. What if Orochimaru decided to take the matters into his hands and go hunt Lorane down all by himself? Maybe even attempting to join Tobirama and Itachi, or fake their disappearance in order to have the element of surprise and an upper hand against Lorane.

Sakura narrowed her orbs at them, but her stare wasn't resentful nor was she condemning them for thinking like this. In such, a mission he would have taken the best. And **the best of the best** were all amassed in that room.

If there was someone who knew about Orochimaru and the meticulous way he preferred to handle his matters, it was Sakura – his favorite protégée and his virtual daughter.

She knew about his strategically thinking and the emerald eyed woman and that was why she was so positive over two facts: Papa Oro didn't conjured a horde of newbie CIA – Sound agents to help him into taking down Lorane because he would have walked straight to his doom and secondly… supposing that he indeed went after Lorane, dashing out of his office room to Egypt, having the hieroglyphs deciphered, consequently, finding out about their plan and connecting the dots, he didn't go alone.

So the next question aroused into Sakura`s intuitive mind: _who _was accompanying Orochimaru?

"I remain committed to the idea that he has been kidnapped. Hack, they got Leader-sama and Tobirama-sama along with the world leaders with a single attack and pulverized our security system. It was child's play to abduct the Otokage."

_Was it really?_

"That is another possibility. With all the technology that Lorane stole from us, it wouldn't come as a shocker to sneak unnoticed and trap us." Neji tried to find an implacable logic to those new suppositions, he too finding it hard to grasp that Orochimaru hasn't found a way to let at least any of his capable agents – like Sakura – know of his whereabouts, or inform Tsunade about his plans.

"You have to agree that this whole shit is SF."

"That' s Lorane for ya` Naruto."

"So what comes now?" Ten Ten shot impatiently. She didn't want to march in Egypt without a strategy, but she too was positive that they were all wasting precious time and that was a luxury that they couldn't afford.

"We have various theories that are one crazier than the other. Point is... we are still here while Lorane does God only knows what demented plan they concocted, and our Leaders, along with the Presidents are all gone." A short silence fell among them, until Ten Ten voiced again. "You think that... Lorane killed the World Leaders already?"

Because taking the lives of the most prominent figures around the world – the stellar symbols of democracy and security – will throw the world into chaos. People will panic and rebel; insurgent gangs will try to oppress them and oppose to the current dominance and Lorane will be just there to turn the entire world into their personal playground to do as they please.

And that will be equivalent to the modern concept of the End of the World as they knew it.

One thing was sound and clear into their minds: no matter the price, they must STOP Lorane. Even at the price of their own lives in exchange.

"No. That's highly improbable. Like all the insane villains they want the strongest people alive to be present when they take over the world."

Naruto grounded Suigetsu, finding his logic to be fluent and cohesive. In all honesty, that was a side of their common shark faced friend that the blond has never seen before; of course, it wasn't like they were talking about their secret identities while they hit the clubs to get high and shitfaced. "I agree."

"Whatever Lorane plans to do, we cannot jump into the fray head first, completely unprepared. We know nothing about what they are scheming. Facing them the way we are now, means certain _suicide_."

Sakura brushed a hand through her hair, peeping through the window. There was an unsettling outré feeling lingering into the air, although the citizens of the bustling streets were oblivious to the danger that lurked from the shadows.

"But we cannot stay here arms crossed and let them go on with their devious plans. We must all agree on one of our assumptions."

"I think that we should dig into this story." Suigetsu mumbled as he was studying the files before them like he was trying to find something underneath. Karin joined him into his research, but the amethyst eyed Interpol Officer wasn't sure whether she did it on purpose to pick on him, or not .

"I feel that our answers are halfway elucidated by this... illegible hieroglyphs and theorems." He narrowed his orbs at the writings before him, like trying to see another meaning to them. "The Theorem of Pythagoras... complete proving."

Sakura filled him about the things that has found out about Sasuke`s out body experience "Like it has been demonstrated and written more than 4000 years ago." No matter how advanced the technology was, no one has managed to find the complete Math algorithms behind the construction of the Great Pyramid. Heck, not even the time when it was build was precise to the historians, so everything was still veiled in a dense mystery.

But the CIA members were not relic hunters who dedicated their entire life for the sole purpose of research, no, they were agents on a crucial mission so it was vital for them to decipher those hieroglyphs and understand the manner of thinking in Ancient Egypt; A glorious civilization that resided thousands of years ago. To them, it was as good as impossible.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Ten Ten mumbled as she waved her palms in front of her, in a manner that clearly betrayed the fact that something into that explanation wasn't making much sense.

"There is something I simply don't get. What do you mean by how it had been proved 4000 years_ ago_? Even_ I_ know that Pythagoras was born much later than the Egyptians." Which has been one of the things that haunted the experts for a long time.

"True, but the Egyptians were the first to use the Theorem in their plans for the Great Pyramid long before it had been re-discovered by Pythagoras. Historians and Mathematicians have proved the fact. The entire construction of the Pyramid of Giza is based on the Theorem of Pythagoras." It was a fact and also one of the wonders that harbored into the enigma that was the construction of that World Wonder.

It is a paradox that Pythagoras only managed to `discover` a formula that has already been used by the Egyptians in the planes of the Pyramids they built and that was fascinating by default.

"So... Pythagoras has stolen the formula from the Egyptians?"

Naruto couldn't help himself. "We shall sue him for copyright." They all snorted at that, minus Sakura and Suigetsu. "How nasty of him."

"Probably not stolen, but more likely he 'discovered' it without knowing that someone else did it first, long time before he was born. Remember, the construction of Pyramids is still veiled in mystery. Only in the last decades scientists and archeologists found out about the ancestral and occult enigmas of the Great Pyramid."

"And why would Sasuke-Teme write those formulas on his freaking walls? Is he the reincarnation of Pythagoras? I thought that you said that he was the Pharaoh or something like that… Ku… Khufu!"

Naruto had his moments of being insightful, while Suigetsu projected a panoramic picture of the said complex of pyramids on the giant flat screen that slide from one of the walls.

Silence fell across the room as the picture of the monument revealed in all its splendor, being an animated 3D projection and flashing before them in all its mocking glory, screaming into their faces a haunting mystery.

It was a grandiose solemn photo with a great implication. They let their assumptions sink in and rise their alertness of how huge that mystery truly was.

"It is not about what _I _think here, Naruto-kun. It's about drawing some logical conclusions, based on the facts and the proofs we have. And they all lead me to this conclusion."

"Are you sure that this is all about the Great Pyramid of Khufu? There are three major Pyramids in Saqqara. What about the others?" Karin knew it all too well that there were two more Pyramids built in the same complex, though the Great Pyramid was the biggest.

They didn't even know if there was any connection between the other two. There were pictures from the King`s Chamber projected on the screen as ruby orbs followed them intently.

Those hieroglyphs couldn't be from any room and they could represent many things. A buried treasure. A prayer. An incantation for rebirth and passing into the Afterlife. Or the list of the Pharaoh's wives or concubines. Who knew?

"The others are insignificant in comparison. Lorane would go for the biggest fish in the tank. If there is something occult about the Pyramids that they want to fructify, then it would be definitely the Pyramid of Khufu." Neji was having the same suspicions as Sakura.

Though there was also something that still puzzled him. The only ones that knew how to write hieroglyphs were the_ scribes_ and the medic females, but they were rare. Then why was Sakura thinking about Sasuke as the Pharaoh?

As far as he knew, not even the Pharaoh himself knew how to write hieroglyphs. He had scribes in his service among the nobility from his entourage.

Could he be –

Sakura backed him up. "Neji is right. I personally compared the hieroglyphs to the information from the world's database from the most famous Libraries and they match perfectly. They are from the Great Pyramid including the measurements from the base of the triangle and position. The Pyramid is oriented after certain _constellations_ and I feel that this isn't coincidentally."

From her resolute way of conducting her speech, the jadeite eyed girl was not dwelling too much into that matter like she was firm on her position. Did she know something that Neji didn't?

If Sasuke was just one of the Pharaoh's scribes and not the Pharaoh himself, then it was somehow natural for the Egyptians to leave records of the construction of the Pyramid.

Maybe he had the knowledge of the location of the papyrus scrolls that were inscribed in hieroglyphs and Lorane might just be after those scrolls.

There were so many things that they didn't know, so they will have to stick to what they had so far.

"I still don't get it." Sasori beat Ten Ten into stating the obvious. "Why would Lorane be obsessed with this Pyramid? Because if odds are so, then it would explain their infatuation with Uchiha Sasuke and why they never killed him. They wanted him alive for these writings that he wrote. For information."

Another good point. "So Lorane_ already _knew that Sasuke was like those people from the experiment?"

Funny was that everybody refrained from saying _`part`_ of that experiment because if they did, then logic would have led them to another big enigma: Sasuke`s connection to Orochimaru.

"Probably not from the start. My guesses are that they found out along the lines."

"How?" Karin pressed and Suigetsu beside her rolled his orbs at her insistence. He knew how stubborn he was. He found out along the lines as he was fucking her brutally, but with much passion: that woman wouldn't set with any less than _everything_ that one had to offer she wanted it all, even if it was physical or spiritual.

Even knowledge. She had to know everything in order to be always in control and somehow, that attitude helped her be so successful in her mission and develop her skills as a prudent agent. She had a big brain that she liked to use. "Unless Sasuke _was _part of the experiment, then Lorane has no other way to reach that conclusion."

It was now when Suigetsu smirked proudly at the woman that caught his eyes and he didn't bother to be discrete and hide it. _Bingo!_ He was somehow starting to get suspicious over that fact, but Karin was blunter and faster than him.

"Nah, that can't be." Naruto shot immediately, acting like the voice of reason of the `non-believers` group.

Even though the dobe was entrapped into his own words of unicorns and acted like a crazy man, he was quite down to earth when it came to remain serious and sober, hardly being the one to believe in science fiction. "Bastard doesn't know Orochimaru or Tsunade, so that`s impossible."

"Yeah, true."

"What if they had a voyeur? What if it`s the same person who robbed him and the CIA for information?"

"Sasuke always supposed that there was a spy keeping a close eye on him and even went as far as to suspect that..." Sakura threw a weary glance at them, implicitly answering to Neji`s question. "It's one of _us_." Sasuke didn't hide that thing from her: the fact that he suspected anyone around him to be a double agent for Lorane.

Nor did he exclude anyone… with the exception of her and that unsettled Sakura and made her shaky and anxious. Why not? She met all the requirements to be a backstabber. The fact that she was too obvious? Her honesty?

Her feelings?

Why didn't he care about who she was? Because of who HE was? WHO was he then?

She had the answer in her heart: it was because he loved her and he felt that she loved him too, the thing to assure him that no matter who she was, he could trust her around him unconditionally.

Their feelings transpired and broke any barrier, pulverizing the intrigues that stood between them. They stepped on mysteries and lies and overcame them with their love for each other. It was like he only trusted her and mistrusted the others.

What if he has been right? What if there was indeed someone in the room the one to send the information to Lorane? What if they were doing that now too, having cameras concealed in their clothes, or microphones and their conversation was sent to Lorane in real time, being already jeopardized as they were working on a plan?

That would be disastrous. Should she have taken it all into her hands then and only trust herself? Was that what her papa Oro did? Was he just as suspicious as Sasuke?

If so… was he doubting her as well, while Sasuke trusted her?

"That's just plain stupid."

"Definitely."

"I agree. How can it be one of _us_? We are all close friends-" Ten Ten swallowed hardly once to alleviate a sudden lump that raised down her throat and looked around, realizing that it was Akatsuki _and _the Sound who were bloody rivals and cursed herself for the mistake. And that slip of tongue cost her a flicker of mistrust among all of them.

"Nice done, two buns." Hidan clicked on his tongue chuckling at her stupidity. "Now we are losing ever more time with a ridiculous thing that shouldn't have even crossed our minds. If someone of us was a double-agent then we wouldn't have been here casually conversing about how to bring our enemies down and the spy will have definitely tried to force us into believe something that was convenient to Lorane, and lead us into a trap, of course, as insidious as possible."

Which none of them did, because they accepted every suspicion and took into account every possibility.

Ten Ten couldn't help herself but sneer at him. "Wow, Hidan. Putting aside the corny unoriginal insult, I have to admit it that it has never crossed my mind that you have a _brain _under that vampire hairstyle." They all chuckled at the obvious contempt, as Hidan has just glared at her to slits.

He was right.

"What if Sasuke is right on this one?" Suigetsu knew his raven haired friend good enough, and even if Sasuke has always been a dark horse, his intelligence shone in all its splendor. Even when drunk, Sasuke was still pretty much brilliant and intuitive.

"What if one of Lorane's spies has kept a constant eye on him without him even realizing it?"

Something must have urged the Uchiha to be this edgy and vehement in his suspicion. Because it was totally unlike him to be so paranoid. What if he has been right all the time? What if Sakura was right?

"Does this mean that our _impartial _judge has decided to be a partisan to a specific theory?" The chocolate haired Akatsuki agent smirked at him, smartly pointing to Suigetsu's biased favoritism for Sasuke, concluding that he was not pertaining to Lorane's affairs.

"Leaving the hormones aside..." Suigetsu mirrored Ten Ten while throwing an acerbic reply. "I am simply trying to give my objective opinion and I don't see how this is a bad thing."

"Sure, a biased opinion that plays in his favor." Hidan leaned further into his armchair rolling an auburn lock of hair and smirking. He was taunting Suigetsu who assumed a silent Leader role. "Are _you_ the virtual spy?"

It was Karin the one to shot to him, sizzling like a comet from all her pores, since Suigetsu lost the momentum with a deep glare that was splitting his face in half. How dare he accuse him of something so outrageous?

"Stop it with the cretin ironies, you creepy asshole! We don't have time to be idiots, and definitely not when the worlds security is in Lorane's damn hands! So quit it before _I_ decide to introduce my foot on your blabbering mouth, Akasuna."

"Oho, look at that lioness… defending her_ territory_."

"You're the next one I kill after Lorane, Hidan!"

"Oi, stop it right there, guys!" Naruto spoke up. "We're not here to fight between us." He sighed and brushed a hand through his hair. "If there was a spy or not, this is merely irrelevant now, since we know that it is _not _one of _us _since we _trust _each other. Am I right?" for the first time Naruto glared and frowned at them like Sasuke silently daring them to come clean.

They all gulped and nodded in defeat. Yes, they could trust each other, `cos if they couldn't have faith in their comrades, then they will never slay such a potent hermetic society, whose bonds of fraternity and blind trust into their accomplices transcended the common level of understanding.

Naruto was right: bonds of honesty were the key points and also, their strongest allies.

"Good now that we had this little _inconvenience _solved..." Karin glared at Suigetsu, who made the characteristically gesture with his hand that he zipped his mouth and shut up. "Can we focus on the main question here?"

"And what would that be?"

"What the fuck does Lorene want from an ancient relic, like the Great Pyramid?"

"Who the hell knows?!" Naruto wailed dramatically. "They are insane!"

"Well… we know for a fact that they want to control the world." Ten Ten`s voice echoed as a friendly reminder. "So we must connect this dumb motive of theirs, to the information we have so far."

"They want to take over the world by playing the relic hunters. What does an old Pyramid have to do with ruling over the world? Some dudes who lived before Jesus are highly irrelevant nowadays!"

Naruto reasoned, but the others weren't that convinced; not with all the evidence screaming into their faces that the root of the problem was far more complex and convoluted.

"Ambitions have never changed." Sakura spoke cryptically though her words were full of wisdom. "Only the methods." She smartly emphasizing to her audience, highlighting the fact that, from the beginning of history, world dominance has been ebbed into the human's blood and minds, and passed through each generation like a thirst for nectar. Needless to say that Egyptians, as all their other rivals and strong Empires, schemed and plotted to broaden their sovereignty over the other nations.

That mentality and need to dominate has never truly died, only refined and subsided.

"Ok ok, let's not deviate from reasonable." Karin interjected, reminding them that the trap of falling into ridiculous, was thin and posed as a lethal mistake. "So if Lorane wants to control the world as in... _this _world..."

She pointed to their days and the fact that they should not forget that they were not time travelers and not only methods changed, but also the technology, ideologies and the general veneer of the society. "Then how would they do this and make sure they are successful?"

It was a smart obvious to the point interrogation and the others nodded to her in agreement. Without realizing it, Karin had the same concepts as Suigetsu. They were very down to the earth, hardly intimidated, but also very open minded to subtle possibilities that they couldn't logically grasp, hence their non-partisan ideologies.

"I say they are on the right track." Neji noted wisely, remembering the status of the most recent events. "They already control a good part of the global economy which is a key point in imposing dominance. Whoever controls the capital and the money, also controls the flux of business and the stocks markets. Also, they have their clutch on the Presidents and this is a high impact of people's perception over the national and international security. And this is another blow to weaken the defenses and cause havoc and confusion. And so nations will start to lose trust in each other and look for the culprits, hence arouse mistrust and suspicion and God only knows that when there isn't unity and faith, there cannot be unity and power. The power is in the hands of the ones who exploit this general panic and fear and fructify it to pose their dogmas and present the people they want to control a false sense of security, hope and alliance."

Smirks and nods of approval erupted into the room. Neji basically summed up how any criminal organization would attempt to shaken the foundation of the world' s peace. "Correct." Suigetsu smirked at the smart Hyuga. "And from what you have mentioned, what field has been left unexploited and dominated by the Lorane?"

Potential answers and assumptions broke into the room. "They still don't control every single economic field. They don't have the coals and the internal waters."

"That's irrelevant since they control the oil market and the Gulfs and seas."

"They have political power and they have henchmen in the Governments. And now they have the Presidents."

"What about the national security? The Army Forces? The Police Services?"

"They basically brought the FBI and CIA down and rumors has it that they have spies in the NASA and even got their hands on nuclear technology."

"God help us all..."

"Banks? The national budgets? The International Banks?"

"Already under their control. Remember, it was among their first target." Karin knew it all too well, because she was part of the platoon that was assigned to keep the tracks on their accounts and the way they slowly but surely took the banks down one by one, making them fall like pieces of Domino.

"What about the international organizations like the UN or UE?"

"Not a potential threat for them, since they basically rule over the structures that enforce the law and work inside the key offices."

"Then what's left?" Naruto jerked his shoulders, wondering how in the world they weren't hiding into some atomic shelter, being among the opposing forces and stand against the new government, like in the movies with aliens invasions or zombie infestation.

Sakura once again brought a ray of light into their conflicted thoughts and wild assumptions, but she wouldn't be so hypocrite and take credit for every genius idea since part of them belonged to her and Naori`s brainstorming; because it was the older Uchiha Madame the one to both soothe and slap Sakura back into reality, telling her everything she knew and helping her sketch the outline of a plan against the Lorane.

"You are all talking about organizations and structures, but you forget about the biggest and the most difficult thing to control."

"Which would be?" Suigetsu rose his eyebrows up, waiting for the jade eyed woman speak, urging her to enlighten them.

Sakura spoke simply, shrugging once like it was just too obvious. "People." Widen orbs shone in realization at how simple the concept was, yet how incredibly real and potent. "They don't control the public's opinion. Yes, they can inflict fear and cause panic and terror, but we are too many to be controlled by someone that we don't trust."

"But we could eventually, if someone like _Pein _shows up."

"Pein is merely for facade and public image. He is widely mistrusted."

"So… if Lorane wants to_ brainwash_ us all..." Hidan started, gazing to his manicured nails instead of eying his comrades in the eye, looking just as masochistic and amused as ever, which only stirred the need for the others to strangle him. "Why would they need the Great Pyramid for?'

"This... is exactly what we want to find out."

"This makes no sense at all." Sasori perked his fine eyebrows up as doubt swept across his handsome incredulous face. "_What _is exactly the Great Pyramid of Giza?"

"The pharaoh's tomb." Ten Ten murmured what was part of the public`s knowledge. "Everyone knows it."

"What if there is _more_ to it than we already know?"

"Like what?"

"According to the experts and this calculus," Suigetsu threw another glance at the scattered papers, then slide another picture of the Pyramid on the screen, presenting it under a different angle. "It can also represent a sky's map as the Egyptians viewed it 4000 years ago."

"So… what? It is NASA's dream job to stare at shooting stars, and not criminal organizations' like Lorane." Karin taunted him, finding that aberrant conversation to drift into nothingness and being completely unproductive and unprolific.

She too realized that the subject was nowhere near their area of expertise, so consequently, they were basically a bunch of agents who were being faced with the need to solve a riddle that represented an enigma to them.

They should probably try to contact an expert to help them. But who? "Besides, why would they need the map of constellations for, if you want to rule the world?"

"What if there is an inestimable treasure hidden in the narrow catacombs and corridors of the Pyramid, ones that Lorane has Intel on?"

Ten Ten smartly insinuated and true to her words, it was a greater probability for her assumption to be closer to the truth. "We know that Lorane needs money for their purposes. An Egyptian treasure comprising pure gold and diamonds will be welcomed." She was right on that one; considering their purpose, it was just justifiable to think like that.

"Nah," Naruto crunched his nose, crossing his arms upon his chest, talking confidently like he has found that idea utterly revolting.

"They are already shit loaded. It's _not_ money they want, `cos they already have plenty of that, thanks to burying the stocks markets and their rival companies down."

Neji saluted Naruto`s theory, gesturing discreetly with a tilt of his head towards the rest of the room, pointing his thumb to the mumbling Uzumaki. "Agree with this idiot. They wouldn't have gone through all this trouble and steal top secret information _just _for the money or whatever treasures might have been left inside the Pyramid, after all the robberies throughout the history.

This entire situation is too intricate and so is their purpose. A giant conundrum of higher ambitions than we can anticipate."

"Yup." Naruto grinned proudly about himself. Then his face fell into a revolted frown upon realizing Neji's insult which he failed to notice on the first time. "Hey! I am not an idiot, _dattebayou_!"

Neji flat out ignored him completely. He wasn't the one to pick up a fight with the hyperactive Uzumaki. He simply didn't have the patience to do so, nor was he having enough energy left in his system, since his fiancé was tiring him out.

"Then, what is the Great Pyramid, besides being a tomb and a place that might conceal an immense cavern of treasures? A map to ancestral ancient Deities is too unimportant to Lorane." Ten Ten flailed her hands up in exasperation.

They were getting nowhere. They were running in circles, going nowhere and running blind through a labyrinth of scattered suppositions, and it was palpable this tension lingering above their shoulders, like an armor of incertitude.

Lorane had every governmental and financial mechanism to lead. What was there that they couldn't see?

A thick silence fell among them, all pondering and brainstorming, eyes dispelled each possible direction, but the person in front of them. That, until Sakura opened up her mouth and broke the perilous tension, like a necklace of pearls scattered across the polished wooden floor.

"A _weapon_."

Eyes flew on her resolute face but she was looking at the picture flashing on the screen, with the grandiose profile of the Pyramid. For ten seconds, they silently gasped at her spike of genius and wheels worked down their brains.

"A _weapon_?" Karin murmured beyond a gush of a whisper. "What do you mean by that, Cherry?"

As if it was not obvious. At the same time, Karin's confusion was general and common spread among the others.

"I mean what you heard, `Rin." Sakura simply declared. "I meant it literarily. What if the Great Pyramid is a secret weapon that was built to serve _another _purpose, besides bring an impressive tomb and a token of wealth and splendor of a glorious Empire?"

No one thought about that at all. Such a detail was brilliant for its simplicity and sophistication, yet it was exactly that acumen that they needed in order to reach the paramount of such a spontaneous conclusion.

Suigetsu rubbed his chin like he was intently pondering over that fact. They all did the same. "This is a possibility that we shouldn't overlook."

The side ghost of a smirk that played across his lips compiled nothing arrogant nor taunting, on the contrary, it was genuinely commending. "Good job." She mirrored his small grin with a perk of his upper lip up, appreciating his astute versatility.

"Good, so assuming that it is a weapon that Lorane targets..." Neji tried to connect the pieces together, seeming to be quite confused and at the same time, there were millions of puzzle pieces that were starting to get to their respective places, scattering into his brain in all sort of directions, and he found himself quite dizzy and not able to catch up with his own genius.

"Does this mean that… it is a conventional weapon of destruction or an unconventional one, meant for other purposes than blowing things up?"

He went on with his assumption, looking straight into Sakura`s viridian orbs, silently urging her to pin point his mistakes. "It could have been a weapon to cease away their enemies and Lorane wants to use that power for reasons we don't know about."

Hidan shot right after him, even before Sakura had the chance to do so. "Lorane has military power. They don't need conventional relic weapons. I would go for the unconventional." It was so rare to hear the silvery haired man be so coherent and serious, but his moments of sheer lucidity were like a gulp of fresh air to them.

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Naruto was reeling in sheer confusion but no one blamed it on him ,simply because they didn't expect the Uzumaki to catch up to such refined figments of mental games so quickly.

He was hardly considered to be a brainy one. "What do you mean by _not _aregular weapons?"

"One that controls _without_ actually destroying." Sakura glanced at the blonde, explaining it to him in fewer words that compelled all her theories, but they all knew that she addressed them all.

"So? How would that work?"

"I don't know." They all looked at her expecting details, but Sakura was equally lost. Honestly it was an idea that simply struck her out of nowhere and she had no answers. "I know nothing about it."

It wasn't ignorance the thing that emanated from her general atmosphere, when she confessed beyond a murmur; it was a fact they had no idea about what was going on anymore, floating in imponderability when it came to deciphering Lorane`s evil schemes.

"So what comes now?" Suigetsu inquired once more, addressing the puzzled audience. It was just clear that their brainstorming just had to come to an end. "Are we going to stay here with our arms crossed without doing anything?"

"All we have is pure fiction and wild inferences." Neji rubbed his forehead as his milky orbs were stinging from all the damn artificial light from Suigetsu`s office. They would go straight into the lion`s den, without anything tangible and of real help. They were running blindly into the darkness.

"We have nothing substantial to serve as a solid ground for our suppositions. No lasso to bind us to the truth. We can't foolishly march in Egypt in all our CIA glory and fall into a trap set for children.

Like bears into a forest, trying to be conspicuous and astute and falling into every trap set our way, the same as we almost did in the mountains."

He was right, they all knew it. What they had so far, was only a ghost of a vignette of an improvised plan, and they were bound to fail if they relied solely on it.

"But we can't just stay here either, and try to guess what probably transcends out knowledge and ability to comprehend." Sakura reasoned, when in reality, her drive and motivation came from other things than the rest of the CIA members, so that was the reason why she was more energetic and frenetic.

"We must accept the touch of the unconventional if we want to call ourselves CIA agents. The spiritual world is indeed an unexplored world of infinite possibilities, but if we don't risk, then everything will soon be done for. Whatever Lorane is planning is definitely not good, so if we don't confront them _now,_ then we are destined to lose anyway."

There was also verisimilitude in every syllable that came out of her glossy lips, while exposing her supposition. Another possibility. "Even if it means walking through dark unfamiliar corridors with only a flickering faint candle in our hands."

The uncomfortable childish manner of avoiding staring into each other`s unconfident orbs, in the archetype manner of a group of people who didn't want to assume the role of a Leader and take responsibility for an eventual failure. The purpose was clear for anyone.

"We need to fly to Egypt." Karin finally spoke, because their reticence was killing her slowly. And she more than glared at Suigetsu, being very pissed off at the way he simply locked gazes with her but said nothing in return, like she expected him to do.

"If Lorane has an ancient weapon then God only knows what they are capable of, plus, they kidnaped our leaders and the Presidents. We have to rescue them."

Naruto curled his boyish thin lips into a goofy grin, teasing the ruby eyed woman. "Does this mean that you finally see that Teme is not a bad guy, dear cousin?"

Karin was seething with her stare alone as a buzzing sound similar to one of a cat`s emerged from her throat, by the way she was being gibed by Naruto Uzumaki. "_Dear _cousin, I said nothing about Sasuke as you can probably hear which I assume you still do."

She was already on the warpath, bristling in a bubbling fury as the time went by, wanting nothing more than to slit the throats of those imbeciles and get over with. "It doesn't matter now if he is on the good or bad side. Point is..."

Her manicured fingers curled around the edge of the desk in order to prevent her boiling fury to take the form of two vicious fists and smack the blonde against his whiskered foxy figure. "We still need to go to Egypt and crush those fuckers once and for all."

"We need a foolproof plan, otherwise our failure is guaranteed." Sasori was just as spontaneous as always, but his words were unnecessary; he was more like trying to stop an eventual conflict to arise among the two siblings.

"What flawless plan?" Ten Ten threw her hands up in unmitigated annoyance. "We have no idea of what we are dealing with, so we should consider ourselves lucky to come up with at least a decent plan."

"She's right." The Sound agent smoothed her burgundy locks with her fingers, muttering under her breath just enough for Suigetsu and Sasori to hear her, because they were the closest to the her. "Unfortunately enough…"

It absolutely pained Karin to be approving those people and even though she would admit that they were prolific and outright brilliant in mission… they still had their elfish personalities that made her feel like fresh meat in a tank full of piranhas.

Damn annoying fuckers.

"There's something _else _that troubles my mind and makes me suspicious." Naruto spewed abruptly, approaching the table and take a random file from the desk in a weary manner, like any form of studying material burned his azurite orbs.

"The Bastard has all this weird shit information that not even Lorane had before. What if he went after them alone?"

Snorts and widened orbs was the response he got for his implication. "Wha- are you serious?" Ten Ten scorned in a visibly amused manner. "Sasuke doesn't know anything about Lorane so how come he went after them?"

"Maybe he refers to the Pyramid itself." Hidan was once again very brisk in defending his new `friend` sensing that the golden haired spiked man with that unserious figure and his outbursts of wisdom, was way more intuitive than those stern stoic stuck up pricks, that were decorating the list of Akatsuki members.

And that thought alone, adding it to the convenient fact that he was bloody pissing them off, was highly entertaining.

"I suspect that Sasuke knows about Lorane." Heads whipped to the source of the sudden confession, every eye seeking for Sakura`s figure, shock filling the entire room at her unexpected communication, but she looked plainly nonchalant about that.

"He already admitted it to me that he is aware of _people_ wanting to harm him." Her cat slick tone clearly emphasized the word _`people`_ because it could bear any meaning. "He even _warned _me to leave him because staying by his side is dangerous and life threatening."

Naruto intertwined his hands into a praying stance and pouted comically as heart shapes filled his light orbs. "Awww… he was worried for you. How cutteee!"

A pen case went flying to his head from Karin who started to run out of small objects to throw in his direction but that was no problem, since there was still a lamp and a laptop ready to be put to good use.

Or maybe she should just discreetly target his thick skull with a poisoned senbon. "Open up your mouth once more and I am filling it up with my foot."

"This can`t be true." Neji countered vehemently. "There is no way that Sasuke knows about such a secret elite society. Not even all the CIA knows, not to mention the FBI or Interpol."

_Didn't he really?_ Involuntarily, it coursed through their minds as a blow of the wind but they all brushed it off like it was nothing or too improbable to be taken into consideration.

"Which only leads us to the same logical conclusion that he _works _for them." Karin shrugged like it was something obvious.

"I can't believe we are _back _to this stupid assumption..."Naruto interlaced his slender fingers behind his nape in a signature gesture, dismaying her in a manner of closure of a topic that was annoying the heck out of him. A wave of disgruntlement swept across his foxy figure, as he drained his golden eyebrows together in a semi-frown.

"If he did work for the Lorane, then why would he have warned me beforehand?" Sakura threw the ball back into his court. Lorane wants me _dead_. They want us all gone to Hell because we are in their way. Why would have Sasuke tried to save me from them and betray his peers?"

"Because he is..." Ten Ten searched for explanation realizing that Karin might have indeed be wrong in her assumption, which she shared up to some point, because the woman with the most coffee mocha orbs had her fair share of mistrust in the ruby eyed woman`s intuition. "In _love _with you?"

Oh Kami-sama, she couldn't believe that she has just let her mouth spurt the echo of Naruto`s stupid phrase, into a cliché déjà vu that stirred hordes of snorts and cackles from the group in the office room.

An upsurge of electricity has suffused through Sakura`s body at the mention of Sasuke`s feelings for her, as she too once forfeited before that lone explanation, but as a crafty agent, she couldn't set for just a simple silly assumption.

Her digits knotted into a shaky fist falling on her side, as her pose stiffened almost unnoticeably by the others, but her inner quickly urged her to regain her composure and not relinquish before the avatar that she has left safely in Miyako.

She couldn't be so resolutely weak in front of a simple mention of _his _feelings for her – feelings that they shared in the expense of such a dangerous game.

So she spat an unruly snort like she brushed the entire affirmation off, like not caring in the bit. Lorane only loved themselves and their brothers – the Master Masons that resided within the nest of their society, while they marked the rest as their sworn enemies. "Yeah, of course. Open up your eyes, this is not a joke and nor a drama."

"We need weapons." The crest of Neji`s pale forehead collided into a mild frown as he took in the hitched breaths of the agents in the room, being dead serious. He smartly interfered to cut the roots of a potential arising conflict between the two agents with the most volcanic personalities.

"We have been robbed Einstein, remember?" Ten Ten`s lips dripped of pure sarcasm as she slant her hands into her pockets, pulling at the elastic material to emphasize her point – in terms of new generation of guns, they were empty handed.

Lorane has successfully infiltrated into their secret underground settlement and got their hands on the latest technology developed by the CIA, custom made for Akatsuki`s convenience.

And now they had nothing while their enemies harbored an arsenal, just by stealing from them once.

"We can use _our_ weapons." Dubiety slide across her audience`s figures as Sakura decided for a settlement. And by that, she referred to the Sound`s package of traditional weapons, but that idea only gained mistrust and discontent grunts in return.

"As for the firearms, I contacted Kiba and they will give us the experimental firearms that Lorane hasn't stole because they are kept under top surveillance in their basement, using the latest technology."

A horde of sights in sheer relief washed through their bodies and fell along their lips. Sakura crocked an eyebrow up in question seeing their stupefied reactions. Were they really thinking that she has ever considered hunting Lorane down with just a few poisoned kunais and katanas? For real?

Not even Hidan would be stupid enough to attempt such a display of an insane warrior hero dying in battle uselessly.

"We don't even know the approximate number of their men." Suigetsu`s low sigh rumbled deep in his throat, as he run a hand across his silvery-snow hair, looking down his chest, contemplating about their options. "They can be thousands." No matter how much he dwelled into that story, it was just crystal clear for him that they would be outnumbered.

What were they supposed to do?

"I highly doubt it. Lorane is not an ancient army. They are an elite organization, criminal or not." As if sensing the swell of his concern, Neji tried to keep his train of fluid thoughts intact, so as to rack his brain for the best strategy.

"I understand your concern about being outnumbered, but we can at least brainstorm and come up with a basic strategy and catch them out of guard."

Of course that he also considered their smaller number to be a high possibility, but somehow… he sensed that such an effervescence of personnel was uncharacteristic for a impervious organization like the Lorane.

He had serious doubts that they will be facing an army. Million scenarios were gushing through his astute mind, but he could only think of few prone pragmatic schemes.

Lorane didn't poses an army of people because they had the advantage of having precious _information_.

Having access to rare secret data and files equalized having power – real power. No matter how bloody and visceral the conflicts between Empires were in Ancient Egypt, now, things have evolved to plotting, scheming and being crafty in achieving their goals.

Lorane didn't need a battalion to become unbeatable; there was an imponderable wall that couldn't be conquered between them and their purpose and they also needed to be just as mischievous in finding an opening into that wall.

There was the key to strike: where the _`bricks` _were the most vulnerable.

"Outnumbered or not, we have no choice. If Lorane succeeds in whatever they are scheming, then we are done for, anyway." There was so much harassment, torment and urgency into Sakura`s speech that betrayed how nervous she really was, but right nonetheless.

They had some facts to cling to – they had acknowledge over Lorane`s current location, they were familiar to their target, they had a ghost of tangibility that the Presidents and their Leaders were pretty much alive, though they couldn't be so sure about their health condition and they knew for a fact that there was a `satellite` that was orbiting around the entire fiasco, whose place and role was yet to be determined, namely _Uchiha Sasuke._

"True, unfortunately." Neji pushed his body up from the sofa, dusting off his knees off an invisible layer of dust and cleared his throat.

All the agents in the room meet his movement in sync like a reaching a silent consensus, finally deciding that it was time for them to end up that secret `meeting` - their last before the **final battle** \- and get down to action. "So... do we take the first plane to Cairo then?"

It was hard to cuddle with the idea of a buttoned up Hyuga cracking up a joke, but they took it accordingly and smirked or giggled at his attempt to lighten up the atmosphere; because deep down, every single breathing soul that was about to live Suigetsu`s office knew that it was his peculiar way to pat their backs in a genuine camaraderie and give them strength for whatever was about to come.

To say that they weren't nervous about the unpredictability of the million possible outcomes would be utterly derisive. Up from the most buoyant characters, like Naruto and Hidan, to the most unbending badasses like Sakura or Hyuga Neji, they _all_ perceived the tension soaring along the curve of their spine in pure anticipation.

"We need a fast jet that is invisible to radars." Suigetsu was already tuned to his job as an Interpol agent, having his pre-pay phone residing into his right hand, fingers sliding along his contact list. "The Interpol only has two such planes and they are still experimental." A victorious side smirk clashed on his thin lips revealing the blade of his canine, as he found the number of the pilot in charge of one of the planes that were the closest to Tokyo Interpol`s HQ – hence close to them.

"Our base in Ravenna had one too, but they stole that as well, so we can assume that it is conveniently gone." Ten Ten`s boots clicked on the polished floor as she mirrored the movement of the other Akatsuki agents presents, all securing their own personal weapons into their lithe outfits.

A general rule that anyone who stepped inside the building bad them to forgo any firearm or weapon in a special designed place at the entrance where it would be kept under surveillance, but of course, it didn't apply to them.

Because there was no way in Hell that Lorane`s last standing enemies would let go of their weapons and make such a silly mistake as to assume that they were safe in the confinements of a building that was residing in the middle of a tumultuous metropolis.

Honestly, it was a miracle that Lorane hasn't assaulted the building yet…

"Papa told me that the Sound has two invisible speeding jets." Sakura`s chartreuse orbs aligned with Karin`s cerise ones as they were awaiting for the Akatsuki to get ready.

Hidan was patting the blades of his long scythe in a way that made Sasori slap his forehead and drag his hand along his temple in an exasperated manner. He so itched to punch that idiot to the Moon and back. "One is in Ravenna and the other one is in the Sound's mini-base in Shizuoka."

"Then that's our first stop." It was bitter to taste the edginess in Neji`s serious voice. Suigetsu was already screaming to his subordinates through the phone to prepare the jet. "We can fly an Interpol plane to Shizuoka and then fly the rest of the way to Egypt using that plane."

"Won`t that be suspicious? Us in an Interpol plane, I mean." Ten Ten curled her eyebrows at her fiancé. "We are an easy target for Lorane."

Karin already sensed her distress but she also understood Suigetsu`s and Sakura`s point of views and they were right on that one.

"Nah. No one will suspect that CIA's top agents are flying inside an Interpol plane, to a city that's so far away from Egypt. The fact that we chose _not _to be incognito is our element of surprise here."

"Red head hotties are always right." Hidan couldn't help himself but to mock the two love-doveys, who were oozing of so much sexual tension and reeked of the remains of angry sex, amused to the core by their stiffness, much Suigetsu and Karin` despair. Man were they funny as fuck.

"One less blabbermouth will save space in the jet, you fucker."

"I think it`s imprudent for everyone of us to march in there like a gang of superheroes in a closure battle." Sasori, who had enough battle experience in coordinating and leading larger troops, smartly suggesting. "Won't it be wiser to separate and strike from more side?"

"Sounds logical to me." Sakura thanked all the Heavens that they were finally starting to grasp the implication of moving their asses _faster_ because any second longer could make a difference in saving someone`s life; she tried to brush off all the negative thoughts of _him _being in danger because her chest panged painfully in a way that she never anticipated that it would possibly hurt her.

"Plus, there are also more agents that work for Sound and Akatsuki and they are equally confused and waiting for new orders. How about we beckon them to participate? It will add to our manpower."

They pondered over her suggestion for a bit, considering the agents in the CIA, including the trainees. She was correct, even though they knew that leading a large group of rookies or recruits in CIA was problematic, especially since they were all young, with the exception of Sasori and Hidan. Even Suigetsu, who was being an Interpol Officer, was still very young.

They needed someone with Orochimaru or Tobirama`s imposing influence; someone who knew how to be a crafty amazing_ leader_ and have a positive impact on their still unpolished characters.

But still… those were the times when they had to forcibly grow up and ripen into fruits of the amazing full-fledged CIA agents that they were, despite their fragile ages. Sakura was not stupid and she had the calmness and cold judgment of her lucid Sound Leader virtual father.

She was right, they needed to gather all the CIA agents available and do their best to mobilize all the troops and design the best plan they could, giving the short amount of time that they had at their disposal and, wisely copying with the pressing stressful situation, be careful not to lead them to their imminent doom.

"You mean... to lead a conjoined Akatsuki _and _Sound?" Neji`s suspicion was justified and that was the reason why Sakura only peeked at him, without being too offended.

Never in history has Sound and Akatsuki joined forces and came together so ardently and genuinely attached to a common cause. "This is tough talk and sadly utopic. The rivalry will not-"

"There's no rivalry between anyone, when the world is as good as over!" Naruto shrieked in his characteristic boisterous annoying tone, making them all cringe at his piercing tone. "No agent that has a grain of brain in his damn skull will ever get a boner and throw a tantrum when is mandatory for us to cooperate!"

"Neji," Suigetsu addressed the Hyuga leader and his stern tone was rather darker and richer than normal, signalizing that the time for jokes was over.

There was so much seriousness in his voice, that took everyone by surprise, even Karin and Naruto, and they were close friends.

"You will lead the Akatsuki and part of the Sounds agents and rookies and fly to Giza first and confront the Lorane. They are pretty much expecting this. What they don't expect is for the two offices to _cooperate_."

Hidan simply couldn't help himself, especially when their shark faced referee was a proving to be quite the leader, besides being a notorious manwhore in the public society, of course, when he was not busy handling his family`s business or playing the Interpol agent. "Who named this metrosexual atheist as our leader?"

The glare that Karin forwarded especially to him was sizzling like a boiling lava, enough to make grown up adults shriek in sheer horror. When she wasn't playing the enthralling bloody seductress, Karin`s personality flipped 180 degrees and she was another person.

There was no trace left from her coquettish lascivious attitude, so opened up to hot flirts, instead, she was absolutely ominous and implacable.

A truly proud representative of the menacing CIA branch of the Sound, who were fearsome within both their colleagues and enemies.

"Hidan..." Oh the ravenous blood-thirsty manner of hissing his name coated in venom and acid, was pure music for Suigetsu`s ears.

He had absolutely no idea about what has transpired between them in those two days of encounter, everything happened at the speed of the sound and it engulfed him and threw him amidst that whirlpool of raw passion and electrical jolts among the spine.

But… Suigetsu found himself unable to ignore her presence, or the chemistry between them and damn right, he knew she felt it too.

"I don't know what to say about this. Shouldn't we be camouflaged and catch them out of guard?"

"And what will the Sound do then?" Karin came to stand beside her best friend with the most luscious emerald orbs, both checking their weapons of choice. She abstained from asking Sakura about the firearm she wore, with the initials_ `N. U.` carved_ on it in red and blue letters. It was clearly not hers because the Sound rarely used firearms for their missions, nor was Sakura versatile in handling fire guns.

A gift from someone maybe… then I struck her that she has received it as safety measure, from Uchiha Naori. She concealed a smirk. Sakura was slowly but surely getting more and more accustomed to the Uchiha family.

"We are looking for the Presidents, Papa and Tobirama-sama." Sakura`s mind was already enveloped into the plan.

"Only by freeing our Kages we will have a real chance to succeed. We cannot come up with a plan to strike from the shadows since we have no idea of what they plot. It's like asking a mute person about what a deaf person has heard. Our only chance regrettably enough is to confront them face to face."

"This is insane." Ten Ten more than hollered not believing her ears that after all the bravado, the brightest minds around her were only having a hunch and speculations. "This is so desperate and improvised that it has all the chances to go wrong."

"Now _that's_ an optimistic thought." Suigetsu shot to her sarcastically. They knew it was the truth but at least they could pretend to be more enthusiastic about it, after all, they had no other choice but to trust each other and their intuition.

Plus, something inside Suigetsu assured him over the fact that people like Uchiha Itachi, Tobirama or Orochimaru won't be caught out of guard so easily, without trying to find a way to communicate to their teams.

"Shut up, you know I am right!"

"So… I am taking part of the CIA agents that are now in Ravenna then fly to Egypt using the invisible plane that we take from the secret base." Neji interrupted his fiancé`s rant, checking his ammunition. "What about the rest of you? Who will lead the Sound?"

Glances thrown sideways like all the others were desperately trying to sidestep from being in charge of the Sound branch and their rookies and other agents, all silently pointing to a single head, their stares ricocheting.

"Cherry, you do it." Karin spoke what was on their minds, for the millionth time, without feeling intimidated to be forward. "You are Oro's disciple and daughter. You have the most influence and... you are his **best **agent." No one dared to contradict her in that brazen statement, because Karin was correct.

According to their overall skills and mission results, Sakura was topping the list, period, even if her face was rather hard and discontent with that title; she worked so hard to earn it.

"I don't find this to be such a brilliant idea." Sakura flat out told the group. "I am used to work alone. I am no leader."

Which was half a lie, because the emerald eyed agent was very creative during her missions, and not necessarily when working all by herself, but what she was silently trying to convey to her comrades, was the fact that she wasn't ready to take any risk and, by a rushed decision from her part, to be the one responsible for their doom.

And that was because, contrary to popular belief, Sakura truly cared about her colleagues and their well-being.

"I want to lead!" Hidan hollered from the other side of the room as he was polishing his scythe with a cloth, grinning in a debauched way to them.

"You see the alternatives and it's not looking too promising at aaaalll..." Karin trailed and although she mumbled the last part hoping to be discrete and subtle, everyone has heard her.

She got a colorful curse from the silvery haired male, which she responded to by giving him the middle finger and gesturing with her hand at her neck, that she would rather slit off his throat then have him lead their team.

It wasn't like Hidan wasn't a very good leader, heck no. He had mission experience and he had his own platoon of rookies, but God… Karin couldn't phantom the idea of following that creep in such an insane battle, against the Lorane.

He will always find a genius way to fuck it up then he will be the only one to miraculously come out alive, like he was some kind of immortal.

He was that freaky.

"Hey–"

"Then it`s settled." Suigetsu stepped in between a virtually arising argument, locking gazes to Sasuke`s girlfriend, being more vehement than her ruby eyed sister.

"Sakura, you will coordinate the rest of the Sound agents and the remaining Akatsuki, as well as some of the Interpol`s top special agents that I am taking with us and conduct a conjoined rescue mission and set the prisoners free. You from the Sound office will be our element of surprise; our trump cards."

She blinked once in understanding. It was the best plan they could sketch right now and if they wanted it to really work somehow, they had to attack from multiple directions and try to find a break into their defense and if they will be graced with enough inspiration to get a hunch about their real plan, then it was all for the best.

"This is the safest way to maintain a balance of power and weapons, since Lorane is traditional oriented in handling weapons, but they also have firearms so we pretty much expect them to use both."

They all looked threw another last glance around, like they were not sure if they will be seeing each other like this again and they all knew the reason why: there was a very high possibility that they won't coming back… _alive._

They were kids no more. And Loran was not just a regular rival – they were on a league of their own. For an agent, just like for the ancient Japanese shinobi warriors, their lifespan was uncertain and short.

They trade on the danger zone and putting their life on the line was part of the job`s description. This is something that they all consented on the moment they became part of the CIA.

The atmosphere escaladed from heavy o suffocating. The air around felt full of lead – thick, dense and having a weighing hard on their shoulders. Even Karin and Hyuga Neji found it to be pressing and stressful, but they couldn't back down now or chicken out.

"Guys," The one and only eternally enterprising Uzumaki Naruto was the first one to break the silence. "I don't want this to sound too cliché… but I have to say it anyways, so," He scratched the back of his nape, fidgeting like a high school student, who forgot to do his homework.

"Let's whoop some Lorane asses and save the world, _dattebayou_!" Instead of throwing his right fist in the air, in a distinctive manner that has become habitual to the blonde before every dangerous mission – as part of his ritual – Naruto spanned his right hand towards his colleagues who were conveniently amassed in a circle in the middle of the room, embodying the ultimate gesture of camaraderie and brotherhood.

It was silly and highly innocent, but they all complied, shockingly, side smirking or shaking their heads, snorting but joined Naruto`s circle of friendship and bonding and placed their dominant hands atop of his, accepting his encouragement and support and giving back bits of their souls and support to the others; together… they were a force to be reckoned with and Naruto wanted to remind them of a valuable lesson: the most important thing in a mission was **teamwork****. **

Their friendship harbored the strength to move the mountains and push their aspirations from the realm of dreams, into the world of reality.

"We head to the Interpol's secret airport." Suigetsu briefed as soon as they broke their solemn moment together, heading to the door. "That's our first stop."

"I told ya` that dude wants to be bossy." Hidan muttered to the red head Karin, who was walking side by side with him. She elbowed his ribs hard, cursing the fact that the bloody fucker had his scythe pointing to her and she scratched her skin.

Good thing that she was resistant to his stupid poison, courtesy to Orochimaru and Tsunade, who made all his agents immune.

She snarled at him while the handsome male winked at her suggestively. Oh, how much fun he had by seeing Karin falling in love with the little Interpol prodigy.

Karin… the indomitable lethal lorelei, was now tussling to keep up the impenetrable indifferent mask, when in reality, she was trying to conceal her feelings for Sasuke`s idiot of a best friend, Suigetsu.

Pure comedy.

Naruto and Sakura were the last agents to leave the office room. The cerulean eyed Uzumaki wasn't stupid nor incognizant of the hurricane inside Sakura`s chest, and that was the reason why he gently placed a hand down her shoulder and whispered down her ear, as she flinched and stopped when feeling someone tapping her in a discreet way, so as to address her.

"Don't you worry, Sakura–chan. We _will_ find Teme and beat some explanations out of his sorry ass. I have known that Bastard since forever and, as much as it irks me to admit it… he_ is_ strong.

He won't allow anything bad to happen to him and I know for a fact that he loves you madly enough to _not _have one hell of a reason to leave like this. But I am sure that in the end, he will be coming back for you, believe it."

Sakura felt her eyes sting and burn, but she fisted her hands on her sides, narrowing her jadeite gemstones slightly, not succumbing into the temptation of bowing her head down and have her caramel silk tendrils fall on her eyes and conceal the feelings that she knew she shouldn't unbind in front of the other agents, in a resolute proof of weakness from her part – the woman who has been entitled the best CIA agent . "I... _trus_t him." She couldn't help but mutter in a breezy soft way.

But of course, the Uzumaki was wise enough to catch the _real _message that flew from her heart:

_I love him._

"There is something else that has troubled me ever since we have started this conversation." Neji stopped in the middle of the long dim lighted corridor, hushing as they were passing through the hurried police officers, who looked like they were all in high alert, and for good reasons.

Suigetsu, who was the closest to him, leading the group through the maze of halls, in the direction of the elevator that would take them to the underground secret parking lot, threw a glance at the genius Hyuga. "About what?"

"About the Lorane's plans. To be more precise," Lunar alien orbs narrowed as the distinctive fine milky veins bulked around his round eyes, signalizing that he was intently concentrating on something of a tremendous importance. "I am talking about the legend of the secret society of the Golden Dawn."

"Huh?!" The group came to an abrupt halt as Neji has uttered words that they heard for the first time. "What are you talking about, Neji?" Ten Ten and Naruto had a perfect sync in being completely dumbfounded.

"Dude," Hidan racked a hand through his neatly cut argent locks, sighing in pure exasperation at Neji`s distinguishing way of talking in puzzles. "What the hell is that–"

Sakura beat her Sound colleague by proving how much of an unschooled man he was, crossing her arms upon her chest and rubbing her pointed chin ,frowning. "You mean… the _Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn_? This is not just a myth."

She addressed her audience, all stopping in front of the dark shut doors of a side elevator. "We know it from Jirayia that it truly exists underneath the maze that is buried under Lorane's secrecy. But whether there is a connection between the Lorane and this occult ancient Order or not, this we cannot say for sure."

"What is this... Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn?" Karin`s lips pursed comically in a confused pout.

"It does sound familiar to me. I am positive that I have heard of it somewhere before, though I cannot begin to remember where exactly." She looked up as if trying to fast forward her entire CIA career and find her answer.

"In the secret book of Freemasonry that Jirayia-sama has stolen from Lorane." Her best friend reminded her and Karin mentally slapped herself.

Like duh… everyone from the Sound to the Akatsuki came in contact to the contact of that secret book, for it was as valuable as diamonds to them, since it comprised the Freemasonry's morals, dogmas and beliefs.

"Plus there is solid proof that leads to a certain connection to some of their more occult work besides the assassinates. You guys remember the mission from Brazil and the occult _Macumba_ practitioners and their witchery practices?"

"How can one _ever _forget_ that_?" Naruto`s spine covered in cold shivers when remembering that particular mission. He got one month full of weird horrible nightmares after that and even needed to be given pills.

He never knew what went through him when he stared into those peoples` menacing eyes – eyes that conveyed Evil – before they have been forced into the FBI`s cars and sent to jail; they cursed them all in a mystique language that no one understood. "I got a month of weird ass shit dreams and fevers after that."

"Do you think they are both related?" Karin pressed, but Sakura simply jerked her shoulders, shrugging like it was nothing much.

Of course, she has seen far worse than those primitive tribes, who were not living in the 21st century, but in the 17th century, according to their level of civilization.

"Possibly, who knows? After all, Lorane does nothing accidentally nor out on a whim. They must be since they all focused their efforts to reach to this point. I am sure they have always been planning and scheming to accomplish whatever dream they have."

"If so, then what is the _purpose _of the Golden Dawn?"

Hidan interfered cutting Sasori short much to the artist's annoyance. "I think you are mistaken facts. The Hermetic Society of the Golden Dawn is focused on one sole thing and that is **Immortality**."

Baffled orbs flew to the silvery haired male who was suddenly looking ten times wiser than his impish grin still plastered across his lips.

"The manuscripts have been secretly deciphered by members of the Golden Dawn a long time ago and rumors had that they have the key to obtain it. Their philosophy resides into the Tree of Life and its potency to acquire eternal life."

"Ok… now you have totally lost us." Ten Ten`s face twisted in an exasperated grimace. "Why do we care about that again?"

"Because the transmigration of the soul and immortality are closely related, that`s why." Sakura was the one to enlighten the coffee haired woman, stating the obvious, although it might have not been that overt to just anyone.

"Won't you agree? If Neji is right in his assumption then we can have a better grasp of whatever they are planning."

"So let me get this straight," Suigetsu pocketed his hands, coming to stand between Sakura and Naruto, the group gathering in front of the elevator.

Somehow, he felt edgy about whatever they were whispering about, because he was positive that it was Sasuke their main topic of discussion. "Do you guys find a connection between Immortality and the Great Pyramid?"

It was not a question per se, but more of a conclusion of their entire discussion, which, again, wasn't making more sense than their previous assumptions.

Once again Sakura stunned them all by having an inkling that was transcending brilliant and went deeper, to genius. "Between the ontology of the Golden Dawn, the Lorane _and_... Sasuke."

Staggered glances were thrown around, then ricocheted back on Sakura, as if silently making sure that their disbelief wasn't one sided.

It was only Karin the single human present that caught her murmur and the change in her voice when she buzzed his name – because it has been breathed out softer and with emotion, despite her struggle to hide her heart from the others.

"I don't get you guys!" A throaty grouse escaped Naruto`s lips and a _'that's not something new`_ was heard coming from Ten Ten' or Neji but no one could detect the source since they were staying one beside the other.

"How can one live forever if they got the Teme and that ancient relic who serves to nothing but a pile of dust and rocks that attract thousands of tourists every year?!"

Although he was clearly not the brightest mind around, Naruto`s question was absolute legit.

"Well, that's our one million dollar question, won't you agree, you dumbass?" Hidan shot to him, grinning. The Uzumaki growled in his direction, deeply offended.

"The Pyramids are far greater than just a genius construction." Sakura carried on, not caring about the boys` bickering.

"Just like the Ancient Egypt Empire was more than just a glorious Empire that stood before the most reputed enemies. We still don't know how many unsolved mysteries it might unravel their culture and vast knowledge."

"This is more than sweet bragging about world's 7 Wonders." Ten Ten rolled her chocolate orbs at Sakura`s poetic explanation. "I am sure that whoever our leaders are, they are clearly not contemplating or auditioning for any SF movie. This shit is as real as the world's imminent destruction."

"It is imperative to know how deep the waters are before sailing." Sakura grounded wisely.

"Can't we debate about it while we are moving the heck away of this place and actually DO something?" Naruto once again complained like a kid, but he was correct. They couldn't afford to lose anymore time. "It seriously drives me nuts the fact that we are just standing here like nerds reviewing their favorite Manga."

"Ya' know?" Ten Ten rubbed her chin like she was deep in thoughts, clearly taunting the blonde.

"That's quite ironic that it's precisely_ you_ the one to say that." A boisterous `hey` emerged from the Uzumaki`s lips. She on the other hand, smirked right back at him. "But I agree with you. We have a plan, so let's get over with it."

"It's just the _outline _of a plan, might reminding you." Suigetsu felt the need to highlight once more; they had a great ambition – to track Lorane down – without a detailed insanely genius plan and… where the heck was the Intel division when one needed it? "We know nothing for certain. All we have is pure speculation."

Emerald orbs flickered to the amethyst ones of the Interpol member. "So does Lorane."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"They are messing with ancient forces and those people were more religious and superstitious than nowadays. They ardently believed in magic, occult practices and Deities. They spent hundreds of years gazing at the stars, contemplating the movements of planets, the influence of spiritual over humans and the interaction with magical forces.

They were more versed than Lorane and probably more intelligent. All they have is probably suppositions based on their own beliefs of myths.

So in other words, Lorane is not in full control over whatever they are planning and their knowledge over the subject of Immortality is clearly not that profound."

"You are right. If they went as far as to rob Sasuke in a desperate attempt to find the missing pieces of the puzzle, then they are just as stuck in hieroglyphs and codes just like us."

Neji sided with Sakura once again, finding the way her cleverness intertwined with the penchant for occult, very useful. "They are just as in the shadows like us."

Naruto clicked on his tongue and ran a hand through his golden spikes in a similar fashion as his best missing friend. "Damn it. If only Teme was here then we would have had an upper hand. My guts tells me that whatever the heck he does, he knows more than us."

Suigetsu narrowed his orbs at him, finding the Uzumaki`s line to be among the wisest things that have been spoken so far. "So you chose to believe in Hinata's supposition?" Meaning that Sasuke took the reins and went to deal with everything all alone.

"Partly, because I don't think k that Teme knows about Lorane and their purpose, so my guesses is that the Bastard has gone to do research on his own."

Ten Ten rolled her orbs at him in sheer exacerbation. "Research what? And… at _this _time? You don't actually believe that he has caused all his ruckus, erased his traces and went to play the relic hunter now, do you? To me, facts are facts."

And by that, Ten Ten meant that she remained committed to the supposition of Sasuke being part of the Freemasonry, despite Sakura and Naruto` s insistences and the emerald agent`s inkling to separate the two concepts in half – the Lorane and the original Freemasonry.

Those two were simply too personally _attached _to the younger of the two Uchiha brothers and that was partly clouding their reason. At least, that was Ten Ten`s conception about them, because Sakura and Naruto`s devotion went deeper than that.

"We are not having this bullshit showdown again..." Hidan mumbled, heading to the elevator his feet being the first ones to move from the place where they gathered and argued for the millionth time, finding the entire conversation to drift from possibly useful, to extremely childish, when they could have had that hunch on their way to Egypt.

"You can stay here and argue like fucking atheists while I am going to save my buddies, the God forsaking snake of my Otokage and the Presidents and look ridiculously hot while doing it."

Sakura Karin and Sasori all snorted at his sarcastic remark, finding it ironic how the number one Sound buffoon would be so resolute and driven to save the world, but moved as well.

While the rest of the Akatsuki followed the silvery haired Sound freak, who was cursing viciously in a language that no one comprehended, because that particular elevator was only operating based on an access card and a secret code that only Suigetsu had and was introducing, Ten Ten remained at the back of the group, beside Karin.

She placed a discreet hand on the red haired woman`s left shoulder, and Karin stopped to acknowledge her, wine orbs narrowing at her mocha ones.

Ten Ten`s voice didn't go beyond a breeze level when she whispered. "I don't like this crazy plan at all. This is ridiculous. If they are wrong, then we will all be dead in no time because of going blindly straight into the lion's den."

To her surprise Karin nodded in complete acknowledgement. "I know."

Ten Ten upcast her eyebrows at her following the others on the large hall while Suigetsu barked into his phone to the pilot to prepare the smart jet, while fumbling with introducing his password, that has been changed for safety measures and apparently, no one announced him of it. "Then why are you–" She trailed, but the word 'cooperate' lingered on her parted lips.

Karin threw an indecipherable look at Sakura`s profile, who was conversing to Neji Hyuga, then turned her head back to smirk at the chocolate eyed Akatsuki. "Because I trust _her _instinct." _About the man she loves._

And not surprisingly, Ten Ten understood what she meant with that look and her silence. She sighed in defeated understanding that they had to be one hundred percent committed to a common cause and dedicate a hundred percent because if one didn't believe in their version of truth… then it was all in vain. "It's ridiculous to risk our lives for such a chimerical assumption."

They needed to confront Lorane with pure logic, not feelings.

"Trust me that sometimes, this is the best we have. Remember that ever since we entangled with Lorane's plans, we automatically stepped into the unconventional."

In return, Karin tapped the crown of Ten Ten`s _head_ in encouragement, a gesture very reminiscent to a mother patting her kid. "So, we can safely leave logic aside and welcome the magic and _sentiments_."

Inwardly, similar figments were churning inside her brain and she was tempted to be just as suspicious and tempted to disagree with Ten Ten but also, the Sound has always been blindly trusting their comrades and each other`s intuition, supporting each other and not being _afraid _to take the risk of mistaken and that was exactly the reason why they were superior to the Akatsuki, but also, glorious and victorious.

"We are heading to the Interpol's secret airport." Suigetsu`s voice snapped the two women back into the current conversation, both joining the group amassed in front of the elevator, getting quizzical glares from the other agents, but they merely brushed off like they talked about nothing important.

"That is thirty minutes far from the metropolitan area." Suigetsu detailed his plan, Meaning on the outskirts of the city on a rocky deserted region that was void of inhabitants and denied the access of unauthorized people, of course, with a high security.

"About damn time…" The sharky man smirked victoriously when the familiar_ 'click' _made the two metal doors slide slowly open, successfully introducing his password, but he won't forget to punish his subordinates for not introducing his old contact into the database.

Only… before he got the chance to take a single step into the elevator, Suigetsu, just like the rest of the gang, froze dead in his tracks, as his amethyst orbs went wider than the moon. "What the – "

An appalled Sakura beat Suigetsu to say whatever he had to say, while looking at the _two _people that were staying right before her jadeite eyes, popping up from the same elevator that they were just about to ride down to the underground parking lot. "You have to be freaking kidding me!"

For one good minute, no one uttered a single world, like the wings of time have been denied their fluttering of time.

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_**A/N**_: So, as I have promised, I have split the last chapter in more smaller ones so that I won`t be finishing this story yet. I understand that this chapter might not have been the most eventful one –recently, none of my stories were and I agree with that– but it was a necessary teaser for what is about to come. Because the next chapter is probably among the ones that you guys eagerly anticipate, for it will be the chapter of all the REVEALINGS – Sasuke, Sakura and the rest of the gang and of course, the Leaders of the Lorane.

I don't know how skillful I am in conveying the message of this story, especially the closure and I am positive that things might be a little blurry at this point, especially with the whole Lorane and the Great Pyramid ordeal, but I will explain everything to you guys in the upcoming chapters.

I want to emphasize and repeat this: I know that the whole Akatsuki and Sound psychological clash might have come as stale and too long, but this way, when the time for the unraveling of the truth will come, the impact and the feelings will overflow and will make absolute sense. I wanted you guys to understand each of the characters` inner feelings and opinions, before they head up to where Lorane is.

But… I want to take my time and properly thank all of you guys who kept on sending me messages and left reviews, in which you displayed how much you like my story and how impatient are you to read the next update. Part of the reason why I am not finishing this story yet, is because this is the only way I have to repay you for this continuous amazing support.

So, to all of you:

**Guest**

**chichivivas **

**pearlsandpotions **

**Maram **

**ElevatedJewel**

**xIchaIchaParadisex **

**Hi **

**Kurose Sakurazaki **

**jazz**

**Guest **

**lovesasusakuforever **

**Katherine **

**guest**

**itsbritneybitch **

**Guest **

**pearlsandpotions **

**hifi**

**RaveMeHard **

**Kelly**

**Dieinhappiness **

**in. every. desire  
**

**guest**

**Spry1391999 **

**Closet Perv**

**Kelly**

**Kiara Dragneel **

**Rui **

**Guest **

** White. Rose. Didi, **

There are not enough words of gratitude in this world to convey my feelings for the beautiful words and all the encouragement. Reading your reviews over and over again has made me feel more inspired and know that I own you all the fact that I am still here, writing stories and sharing them with you. Thank you a million times!

I feel ashamed for not having time to respond to each review in turn, just like how you guys deserve, but I am in a rush to post this chapter and I don't want to make you guys wait any longer for it, but do know that I read every single line you left and it made me unbelievably jolly and deeply touched by how much you like this story. It means a lot to me, since this is my very first story posted since I have joined this community and it holds a special place in my heart. I initially wanted to re-write the first chapters and I have already did it with some of them, because my writing style now doesn't resemble the one I had and I feel like I have become better than how I was two years ago, but then I come into terms with the fact that I don't want to erase my old version as an author and I am not ashamed of how I used to be, because even though my vocabulary and my writing style have changed, my feelings didn't and I want this story to be a proof of that.

There are still some answers and observations that I want to respond to, hoping that it will stand as a token for how thrilled I am to have you as my readers:

Please, do not worry about the length of your reviews and think for a second that I am not deeply grateful to you all for taking your time to even read this story, because I treasure every single word and line you leave. I know that you are all very busy people and what is like to be trapped into this tumultuous life and hectic schedules and for this, please do not apologize. Your words as they are now, mean the world to me.

I am thrilled to know that the lemons are welcomed and highly appreciated. I know that I have said it before, but they are my favorite part to write. I am an addict and a digger for Sasuke and Sakura romance, in any forms and I want it to be graceful, passionate, heartbreaking, amazing. I want to give them their fair share of intimacy in every of my stories and honestly… those are my favorite scenes to write.

Now we all know that me being such an amazing author or the best out here is highly exaggerated, but seriously, seeing some of you guys saying it is just… I don't care how it would sound and please do not consider me as an arrogant person because I am not one, but it makes me feel so proud and so GOOD! So thank you guys for so openly stating it and for my 'number one fans' I only have this message to convey: I am your number one fan, dattebayou!

There are some of you wondering – and hoping – that I will write an Epilogue to this story and my answer is, YES, I WILL write an Epilogue for this story when it is over. It will be a separate chapter with a short glimpse into their future and who knows… maybe a baby (girl) coming on the road? *wink wink* But I cannot possibly leave you guys without an Epilogue, no way.

I can exhale in relief now that I found out that you guys enjoyed the 'interactions' between Suigetsu and Karin;) There is no secret for any of you who are my readers that I don't hate Karin, on the contrary, I find her character intriguing, interesting and with a lot of potential and this is why I wanted her to be Sakura`s friend here – some of you smartly noticed that I give Sakura a different BFF in each of my stories – and Karin fitted the role here. It`s good to know that my approach on her personality here was likable. And of course the… hot scenes. Oh, I loved writing those encounters, especially the one from the interrogation room.

By the way… oh my God, I literarily rolled on the floor, laughing at my silly mistake LOL. I cannot believe it that I have mistaken 'nephew' from 'grandson'! If you guys wouldn't have emphasized this so elegantly, I would have never realized it. Well I know that my English is far from polished and neat, but I wouldn't make that kind of mistake. Want me to confess it to you the reason why I got it wrong? Because I was trapped into the latest update of another story of mine, 'High school memories' and in that story, Sasuke is Madara`s 'nephew' and not 'grandson', and I was being used with that terminology, so gomen ne guys? Thank you for telling me about it.

Of course that I will remember every single of you guys! I will never forget about anyone who reads my stories – this and the other ones, because some of you read my entire work – and I highly encourage you to post your own stories and let me read them, I will do it!

Hehe, one thing that I appreciate about you guys is that you are so CLEVER! IT is almost unfair how amazingly brainy you are. Congrats for realizing that Oro was in touch with Sasuke all the times. See? You make my job more difficult because I have to put my little brain to good use and make it all more convoluted and complex, just because I know that if my fans are so insanely clever, then I have to do my best to give them a plot where they should constantly guess and not get bored.

So having said that, know that I love you guys with all my heart and I hope that this chapter wasn't disappointing. I promise that what you all expect is the one to come up next and hopefully, I won`t take so much time to update. Thank you again for everything, you are my legends!

Till next time…


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